33 years of preschoolers say goodbye to director

For the past 33 years, June Lacijan has been singing nursery rhymes and reciting the alphabet, creating holiday skits and baking cookies.

But, in June, she will put away her songbooks and learning modules and retire -- and St. Mary's Nursery and Preschool in Crescent, which she heads, will close its doors for good.

Ms. Lacijan has been teaching at the school since it opened in 1974 and has served as the head teacher there for the past 30 years. However, she admitted that being a nursery school teacher wasn't her first career choice.

Move from food

"I actually wanted to be a dietician and attended SUNY-Cobleskill for my associate's degree in foods and nutrition," she told The Evangelist.

While she was a student, many of her friends were pre-primary education majors. Their work intrigued her: "They were always doing crafts and activities for little kids."

Still, she earned her degree in nutrition and worked as a dietician for a number of years until she and her husband started their own family.

"When my first two boys were preschoolers, I went back to school and got my undergraduate degree in teaching," she noted.

Although St. Mary's parish has never had a grade school, the church opened a small preschool in 1974. "I told them if they ever needed anyone to give me a call, and that's what they did," said Ms. Lacijan. "I started out working part-time with three-year-olds, but little did I know that within a few years, I'd be running the school!"

Coincidentally, the first year that she served as head teacher, her youngest son, Patrick, was three years old and began attending the preschool.

Baby boom

Over the years, the preschool blossomed. Ms. Lacijan utilized the help of assistant teachers and volunteers, expanding the program from two mornings to five days a week and adding programs for four-year-olds.

As her retirement approached, the director felt she needed to give two years' notice.

"The parish administrators decided that the school would close when I decided to retire," she explained. "I wanted to have two years to phase out the three-year-olds because the children don't go anywhere else: When they enroll, we know we'll have them until they go to school, and I didn't want to leave them without a place to go this year."

Three and four

Ms. Lacijan noted that there is a big developmental difference between three- and four-year-olds. 

"Three-year-olds are, in many ways, still babies. They come to us still needing to be held and comforted; many still suck their thumbs," she said. "They still require individual attention and must be taught how to interact with each other. When those same children come back to us as four-year-olds, there is such a difference. They understand and follow directions. They are more individualistic and really enjoy their play. They are ready and eager to learn new things."

Ms. Lacijan noted that over the years, she has adapted her curriculum to adjust to changes in society.

"In the [19]70s, it was rare for a child to attend preschool; now, it's a necessity," she said. Children once spent their preschool time learning social skills; today, much more is expected of children entering Kindergarten.

"In most cases they must be able to write and recognize their own names; they must have letter recognition skills, know letter sounds and be 'learning ready.' Today, they get all of that in preschool."

Since the curriculum for preschools is not regulated, Ms. Lacijan is proud to have developed her own.

"We've always had positive feedback from parents," she said. "This is a well-rounded program that teaches social and learning skills in a Christian atmosphere. We learn to respect each other in a loving, caring environment."

Looking toward retirement, she said that "it will be bittersweet, but it's time to go."

(One of Ms. Lacijan's joys has been having all of her six grandchildren graduate from St. Mary's Nursery School: Gabriela and Patrick Jr., both now nine; Sophie, seven; Shayna, six; and, this June, five-year-old Chase and four-year-old Henry.)

(5/3/07) [[In-content Ad]]