The St. Francis Preschool has been serving the families of the Catholic Community of St. Francis since 1991, providing a loving learning environment for our youngest parishioners. As the Preschool celebrates its 35th anniversary, it is in a unique position to welcome the 2nd generation of students from some of our families. Preschool Director Heidi Hobler is very excited about it: “I just met with another parent today whose husband was a student here, and now their two-year-old is starting with us. I think we are up to six parents now who went here and now have their own kids here.”
The father of that two-year-old is Ben Igo, who attended the Preschool and The Franciscan School. He and his wife Dara are excited to bring their son to the Preschool. “Growing up as a member of St. Francis for as long as I can remember,” says Ben, “I have always had an appreciation for how much this community cares, not only for the members of this community but also for the broader community and the world as a whole. The St. Francis Preschool is special in that it embodies this sense of care, commitment, and community. It imparts these qualities to the youngest members, helping to create a strong foundation for a life rooted in Jesus. ”
Heidi emphasizes that faith aspect for the Preschool’s lengthy record of success: “I have to say being a faith-based, family-focused community pretty much sums up everything about our success. It is not only a community of parents and students, but also a wider community, where we are creating a family environment. People feel like this is a family atmosphere, both as its own family and as a way to support their family.”
Ben agrees, saying, “Reflecting on my time as a student here, I have realized how formative my experiences were in shaping who I am as a person today, both in terms of my internal character and my worldview. The opportunity to send our son to preschool here to develop a strong faith foundation for himself the way that I was able to is something that I find truly special and feel incredibly blessed to share with him every step of the way.”
Lauren Steddum also remembers her time at the preschool fondly. “I attended St. Francis Preschool back in 1993, and went on to attend The Franciscan School when it opened,” says Lauren. Her family has had many special St. Francis experiences over the years, ”My husband and I got married at St. Francis in 2015. I knew that when I had my own children, I wanted them to be educated in the same safe, special place that helped shape me into the mother and provider that I am today. St. Francis is such a welcoming and supportive community.”
The St. Francis Preschool was an obvious choice for Lauren and her family. “The preschool was truly the missing piece of the village that I needed to help raise my young girls. The way the teachers partner with us parents to help raise our kids is so amazing and comforting. We are so impressed by our experience here, and our girls are thriving.” The memories of their experiences at St. Francis Preschool bring them back to the school and church, which is exactly what was envisioned from the start in 1991.
The reason for their success is a solid foundation. Heidi points out how it began: “Nancy Bourke, as Director back in 1991, with Father David McBriar, really established a standard for the staff; a standard of expectations and of qualities that they should possess above and beyond what they bring on their resume. By doing so, she created a loving environment for families. I think those ‘expectations’ have continued largely because we have staff who are parents and have their own kids here, but also because we have a lot of staff that were here when Nancy was here. Maybe not at the very beginning, but certainly we have a lot of staff with longevity here.”
Heidi has strived to keep that same atmosphere in her 17+ years at the Preschool, the last seven years as Director herself. “The type of people who have been around, and were here when Nancy was the director,” she says, “have that loving ‘flavor’ that began at the start. What do you think they remember from their time here that stuck in their minds so that they said, ‘Hey, I want to send my kids to this place because it’s a loving environment’? I think the parish as a whole has a strong faith and family connection. That’s what makes it a special community, and these parents remember that; this is a place I had fun, this is a place that I remember where I made friends whom I’m still friends with.”
That is the kind of environment Preschool parent Jonathan McGee remembers as well: “I remember being excited to see school friends at Church on Sunday. Saint Francis Preschool laid the foundation of my Catholic education. Catholic schools took me from Pre-K right through my time at Cardinal Gibbons, where my wife Kelly and I met, onto the Catholic University of America, where I did my undergraduate studies. We love that we have the opportunity to give our children the same strong Catholic start to their education, and that Church is somewhere where we not only worship but also learn, play sports, and make friends. Going to school at Saint Francis makes it even more so the center of our community of friends, and we want the people of Saint Francis to be the friends our kids grow up with.”
If you are going to build a legacy, there could not be a better one than the one the St. Francis Preschool has built over 35 years of service. Heidi isn’t resting on that legacy and reputation for excellence, though, because she knows the commitment needed to keep moving forward. “In the next 35 years, and I guarantee you I won’t be here 35 years from now,” she says with a smile, “I feel very committed to providing that same type of feeling and spirit we had at the start. I feel like I’m challenged every year because of the many options that are available to parents. It’s a continually evolving process that we have to stay on top of, just as our staff does, to meet the needs of families and pivot when we need to, all the while providing a loving and safe space for learning.”
