St. Luke Preschool Celebrates 45th Birthday

recently celebrated its 45th birthday with an outdoor party on a beautiful day.

The school has been serving children and families in the Dix Hills area since 1966. Dozens of people–parents, students, alumni, former teachers and retired director Elaine Backmeier–attended the party.

The celebration began with a gathering of children, with their teachers and parents, on “The Hill,” the beautiful lawn remembered by every St. Luke student. Pastor Charles Froehlich gave a blessing and the children received American flags to wave as the entire assemblage sang, “God Bless America.” This was followed by the cutting and serving of birthday cake and cupcakes for everyone.

The festivities continued with an opportunity for all of the children to have pony rides and visit the petting zoo. They also did craft projects to bring home and played games. Everyone enjoyed a picnic lunch of grilled sliders with chips and apple juice.

The culminating event of the party was a performance by nationally-known singer/storyteller Heather Forest, who involved the children in several different stories and then led the group in singing, “Happy Birthday, St. Luke Preschool,” the perfect end to a perfect day.