Blawenburg Village School Celebrates 25th Anniversary

By David Cochran | Posted May 2, 2024

In June, Blawenburg Village School will celebrate its 25th anniversary with a family picnic. They plan to have airbrush activities, a balloon artist, and a bubble show. This year marks the 25th anniversary of their vision that became Blawenburg Village School (BVS), which provides a rich curriculum for students ages two through five.

Blawenburg Village School

Members of Blawenburg Reformed Church expressed a need in April 1999 to have a preschool in the community, and they gathered to plan for its development. It was not the first preschool in Blawenburg. The Montgomery Township Board of Adjustment approved the first day nursery at a house on Blawenburg-Belle Mead Road near Blawenburg Corner on September 11, 1969. The Alynde Leiggi Day Nursery was approved for 20 students.

By the time BVS was approved 30 years later, requirements were more stringent and the number of students per teacher was fewer. The program has grown tremendously over the years. Currently, 87 students are enrolled, including six kindergartners. A board of church members oversees the school, and Director Angela Wright manages it.

From the outset, the school used the model of a garden to differentiate the classes by age. The two-year-old classes are known as the Sprouts, three-year-olds are Buds, four-year-olds are Blossoms, and five-year-old kindergartners are the Gardeners. There are seven classrooms located in the 1850 schoolhouse and Cook Hall on the church campus. To accommodate parents’ schedules, BVS offers morning, afternoon, and after school programs.

The curriculum is a blend of traditional elements like helping students learn proper letter formation, as well as other preschool programs such as Montessori, Reggio, and Creative Curriculum. The academic curriculum focuses on age-appropriate activities for pre-reading, math, and writing. Science and social studies activities are often included in skill lessons.

Music, art, and movement are important parts of the program. Each week, a music instructor teaches classes to all students, while art and movement are integrated into the curriculum. Because it is a Christian school and a mission of Blawenburg Church, volunteers from the church teach a program called Children and Worship to each class weekly. This program uses Montessori teaching methods to teach young children about the Bible.

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In addition, there are many special events that happen each year. Halloween Trunk or Treat, Thanksgiving Feast, Winter Fest, Muffins with Moms, and Donuts with Dad are just a few of the events that involve parents with their students. Graduations for preschoolers and kindergartners are big events. And, during July, BVS holds a popular summer camp.

BVS Director Angela Wright was a director at Mary Mother of God Preschool in Hillsborough before joining BVS as an assistant teacher in 2011. She became a teacher, and then the school director in 2018. When she began, there were 35 students in the school, and under her tenure, the school population has doubled. Wright’s philosophy permeates the school. “We want all students and their parents to have the best school experience possible,” she said. “We want everyone involved to feel like we are a family.”

Blawenburg Church pastor and BVS parent Jeff Knol says, “The preschool is a great place where our kids grow, learn, and make friends. The staff not only care for our kids, but they also care for our whole family.” To achieve the family feel of the school, Wright relies on her staff. “We work as a team,” she said. “I couldn’t do my job, if they weren’t good at their jobs.”

The BVS teaching staff are all certified, many with prior preschool teaching experience. Communication is another key element of the school. Each week Wright sends parents “The Garden Gate,” a newsletter that maintains the garden theme of the school. It includes information about what teachers are doing in their classrooms and pictures of students engaged in activities. She also sends out a monthly calendar to keep parents apprised of the special activities.

Learn more at blawenburgvillageschool.com.

David Cochran writes the Tales of Blawenburg blog (blawenburgtales.com) and published Where Are They? The Missing Men of Marlowe Mansion (dcochran.net).