Pleasant Place

History of Pleasant Place Pre-School...

In Septermber of 1970, Pleasant Place was established.

It was on  January 11, 1971, that Pleasant Place first opened their doors. The first teacher was Joyce Osborne and she was assisted by Mary Shue.  The board of directors were: Catherine Bickel, Bertha King, Gail Bellar, and Gloria Hostetler.  The cost per child was $10. 

This was the schedule for Pleasant Place:

9:00-9:25-- Play in creative ways

9:25-9:45--Circle Time--Bible story, singing and talking

9:45- 10:05--Recess outdoor playing in good weather

10:05-10: 25--Wash up and snack

10:25-10:35--Rest Time

10:35-11:00--Story, music, dramatic play, learning experiences and free play.

Older students (4-5 years old) came on Mondays and Wednesdays.  Younger students (3-4 years old) went to school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. 

Special people who shared the first week were Stella Plank, telling about her guppies and snails; and Ruth Hostetler, told how she had made a Raggedy Ann doll for school.

Some of the early students from our congregation who attended the first year were: Greg Bontrager, Brian Hostetler and Chris Bellar.

Pleasant Place operated at a capacity of thirty-two pupils.  The school relied on donated toys, borrowed kitchen equipment and library books.  Later PVMC  built a playground at the request of the board.

Over the years the schedule for the school had changed. The early session would begin at 8:30 and would end by 10, with a second session beginning at 10:30 and ending around 12:30. Also older students would go four days a week and the younger students would attend two days a week. They would learn skills such as writing, tying shoes, learning their addresses and phone numbers, and creating an art project.  This way they would be ready for kindergarten.

After Osborne left in 1975, other teachers Judy Wenicker, Deloris Wyse, Carol Eslinger, Brenda Easter (1984-85), Connie Troyer (1985-86), Kathy Zimmerman (1986-87, and 1990-95), Barbara Sneary (1989-90), Connie Inslee (1996-98), Cynthia Olds (1998-02),Connie Larcom (2003-04), Nancy Masenthin (2004)  and Christine Dolley (2005) has taught at Pleasant Place.

 Pleasant Place has had strong church support.  Initially it received a grant from Mennonite Mutual Aid.  The board of the directors were comprised of women of the church through WMSC.

At one time a board member said, "At least one person attends our church because of the nursery school, and others have begun attending church elsewhere.  Ultimately, we'll never know how many seeds we have planted." (Quote from the book "Prairie Vision," by Rachel W. Goosen, 1987)

 Many children of the Harper County area have benefited from the pre-school. The school has since closed in 2005.