[StBernard] Gethsemane preschool revs up for another year

[Westley Annis]

Gethsemane preschool revs up for another year
Thursday, August 14, 2008By Earl Hodges
Gethsemane Lutheran Church's preschool in Chalmette will soon begin its
second year of operation since Hurricane Katrina, and for director Peggy
Seago that is exciting news. 

"We are thrilled that we are soon going to begin another school year and
that we are here for the children of St. Bernard Parish," Seago said. 

Gethsemane Lutheran Church has operated the preschool for approximately 40
years in St. Bernard Parish, Seago said. 

The preschool still has a few openings for the 2008-09 school year. 

Children must be 2 before Sept. 30 to enroll in the 2-year-olds program and
3 before Sept. 30 to be eligible for the 3-year-olds program. 

The 2-year-olds program is held two days per week, while the 3-year-olds
program is three days a week. School hours are from 9 a.m. to noon. 

Seago has been with the school 14 years and served as a teacher before
taking over as director last year. 

The preschool focuses on helping children develop various social and fine
motor skills, Seago said. 

"The children develop social skills by playing with other children and
learning how to get along with them," she said. The children are also
introduced to a variety of activities such as crafts, music, art and
storytelling. 

"Working with 2- and 3-year-olds has been very rewarding for me," Seago
said. "When they come to us at the beginning of the school year they are
really just babies, but in May when we have the closing ceremony you can see
how much they have grown and matured." 

And for almost 15 years, Seago says that has been a strong motivator for
her. 

As St. Bernard Parish rebuilds, Seago said she sees Gethsemane's preschool
playing an important role in the rebuilding. 

"We are helping give the children a strong foundation, and as they grow
older they will contribute to helping make St. Bernard a strong parish,"
Seago said. 

The preschool is located at the church, 2825 Paris Road. 

For information, call Seago at 504.495.9759 or 504.277.4010.