The St. Francis Preschool will begin its 34th year of service to the parents of St. Francis of Assisi parish in September, 34 years of providing foundational education in the faith. It all started with our first Franciscan Friar Pastor. “When Fr. David McBriar was the pastor at St. Francis,” says current Director Heidi Hobler, “he asked Nancy Bourke to lead a new ministry of the church, a St. Francis preschool.” This effort was the first foray into education for the parish, followed nine years later by the founding of The Franciscan School. “It is my understanding,” says Heidi, “that he envisioned it not only as a way to serve children but also as a way to connect families to the church.”
In August 1991, with only a couple of classes to start, Nancy opened the preschool for their first year, and the rest, as they say, is history! Nancy remained the Director of St. Francis Preschool until her retirement in 2012. “Although it was difficult to say goodbye to Nancy,” says Heidi, “Cathy Ashton took on the director role and led the preschool for the next 4 years.” Cathy was the director until she moved out of state in 2016 to support her husband’s career. Dawn Eagan was the director who followed until the early part of the 2018 school year, when she unexpectedly needed to step away. The preschool was very fortunate that Nancy Bourke was willing and able to return as director. Heidi says, “The preschool was blessed to have her return temporarily in 2018 as the director, and continued to lead with as much caring, enthusiasm, dedication, and professionalism that she brought to preschool in 1991!”
In June 2019, Nancy “re-retired” after the pastor, Fr. Steve Patti, named a new director for the preschool. That new director was Heidi Hobler. “I have been very blessed,” says Heidi, “to be able to serve as the 4th director of our amazing preschool that Nancy so lovingly helped to create all those years ago!” Heidi stresses the founding principles that have guided the preschool for the past decades, “As a Catholic preschool, we remain rooted in the traditions and values of our faith. With that in mind, we look to pass on to our children the importance of kindness to our neighbor, caring for God’s creation, and helping those in need. Our primary intent is not only to help foster an excitement for learning but also to encourage love and respect of self and others as much as God shares these with us.”
Heidi knows it is essential to create an environment that collaborates with families to guide children down a path of becoming good, kind, and compassionate individuals, all while providing an engaging educational experience. As the years pass and the world operates at an increasingly rapid pace, with the ability to take in and generate more and more information, we need to ensure that at least some of that information reaching our young people highlights the values of our faith. Heidi says, “I do not doubt that over the last more than three decades, the preschool has assisted families in nurturing the growth of countless young minds and hearts in becoming people who do their best to love God, serve others, and bring an overall goodness into this world-people who strive to live as Christ taught us.” There are thousands of former students out there, some even of the age to be sending their children to St. Francis Preschool, who can testify to the great start they had at the preschool.
Looking ahead, Heidi has ‘faith’ that all the preschool students, staff, and families will remain a strong presence and support in our parish community. “It is my hope,” she says, “that our preschool family will continue to model and share the values of our faith, in conjunction with our parish family, and with the larger community. The foundation that Nancy so carefully laid all those years ago enabled our young people to come to know God through the lens of love, hope, and service to all.” Going forward, Heidi knows that our preschool will continue to entice and excite the children of our parish to become engaged learners who aim to sprinkle the seeds of their faith and those of kindness wherever they go!
To learn more about the preschool, please see the St Francis of Assisi Preschool website to review their class offerings. They welcome toddlers through 4-year-old students and even have a Preparatory Kindergarten class for those who will turn five by August 31st, whose parents may want more time to prepare for elementary school. Give your child a great start in a faith-filled and educationally vibrant setting as they begin their educational journey.
