'Goodbye, Mrs. Gates'

Back in 1966 preschool was called “nursery school.” The trucks were made of wooden blocks. You learned manners and moral values, and that at the end of the school day somebody came to take you home.

After 45 years, the Pilgrim Faith Preschool is closing its doors at the end of the month. For the nearly two generations of Oak Lawn three- and four-year-olds who passed through the school's doors, Pilgrim Faith was a milestone on the way to kindergarten.

“We never taught the Bible specifically because we always wanted to be a community preschool,” Rev. Peggy McClanahan said. “We’ve had Protestants, Catholics, Muslims and Hindu and those without any faith background at all learning to be what God wants us to be.”

Dwindling enrollment and parents’ needs for a full-day preschool instead of the half-day sessions offered at the church lead Pilgrim Faith to its decision to shut down what began as a community nursery school.

“We just felt it was time to move on to new ventures,” McClanahan said.

Alumni gathered on Sunday to send off the preschool and its beloved director, Mary Gates. Decked out in a red suede jacket and white rose corsage, Mary greeted and hugged former students ranging in age from their late 40s to first- and second-graders.

“I didn’t expect from this open house to see some of these students that go way back to the 1980s,” Mary said. “Part of me is sad because my teaching career is coming to an end, but this the time to look for new beginnings and new ideas and things to do.”

Starting out in 1975 as a substitute teacher, Mary was soon put in charge full-time of the program’s three-year-olds, teaching them that school was not only fun, but also a safe place.

“Three-year-olds are very special. They’re very naïve which is a wonderful thing,” she said. “They come into the school with very little knowledge not only academically but socially.”

After 35 years, Mary said that three-year-olds still remain the same.

“It’s amazing,” she said. “They really haven’t changed that much. They’re still full or wonder and excited to be in school and they’re also still a little bit afraid.”