Wesleyan staff, faculty and local residents who have, or had children attend Neighborhood Preschool, participated in an NPS Playground Dedication and Celebration on June 28. The Neighborhood Preschool was founded in 1983 and adopted a formal relationship with Wesleyan in 1988. Children enjoyed time at the playground during the dedication.Makaela Kingsley ’98, director of the Patricelli Center for Social Entrepreneurship, is chair of the NPS fundraising committee. Her children, Amelia and Eli, are current preschoolers. Kingsley and Lauren Caldwell, assistant professor of classical studies, spearheaded fundraising efforts for the playground.
Cynthia Rockwell, associate editor of Wesleyan magazine, spoke about her sons’ experience at NPS. Her children are John Henry and Christian Morehouse ’11.Mark Davis, director of planned giving at Wesleyan, is secretary of the NPS Board of Directors. His children, Minerva and Oliver are current preschoolers.Karyn Hurlbert assisted the children with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Hurlbert has served as NPS director since 2009, and as an NPS teacher since 1989.Cathy Lechowicz, director of the Center for Community Partnerships, is the mother of preschoolers JP and Charlie.Mark Woodworth ’94, father of current NPS student Dylan, and head coach of Wesleyan’s baseball team, recruited the team to help remove the former, 23-year-old wooden playscape at NPS.Lots of smiles and laughs during the playground dedication.Heading down the new slide.Enjoying the tire swing.
View photos of the baseball team removing the old playscape here. (Photos by Olivia Drake and Eki Ramadhan ’16)
Olivia Drake
Mike Mavredakis
Ziba Kashef
Andrew Chatfield