Preparing children for kindergarten is the goal of the Thorndale Learning Center, a Christian preschool ministry of Thorndale United Methodist Church (TUMC) that opened in September 2020.

Currently, a half-day program is offered for children ages 3 through 5. A full-day kindergarten program from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. will be held in the fall.

Director Laura Venezia noted that the new preschool opened on time despite the pandemic. "We have been open in person since September 2020," she said. "All students wear masks and social distance. We follow all CDC guidelines."

According to its mission statement, the preschool helps children with their social, emotional, cognitive, physical and spiritual growth through educational experiences and play and by learning Christian values.

Each preschool day features outdoor play when the weather permits and the learning of basic skills like the alphabet and counting. "They are learning letter recognition, number concepts, beginning sounds and all the basic skills needed to start kindergarten," said Venezia. "We have chapel time once a week and we have Bible lessons as well."

Preschool students also enjoy circle time and a snack brought from home. "Right now we have one class with two teachers. Next year, hopefully, there will be multiple classes," Venezia said.

She noted that congregation members from TUMC, including the Rev. Shauna Ridge, pastor, are highly involved in the preschool. One of the congregation members holds cooking classes with the students, recently making pretzels.

"The support that we've gotten from the congregation is amazing; they have made this happen," Venezia stated. "Many of the congregation members have donated things to the preschool (or) have picked up donations. Church members cleaned toys, set up classrooms, painted walls and cleaned the carpet. They had fundraisers for us. This school would not have opened without the congregation."

Thorndale Learning Center is located at TUMC, 3503 Lincoln Highway, Thorndale. Enrollment is ongoing. Parents interested in the preschool and kindergarten may call 484-356-6328 or email tlcdirector@thorndaleumc.org to schedule a tour of the facility. To learn more, visit http://www.thorndalelearningcenter.com or search for "Thorndale Learning Center" on Facebook.