EVANS CITY — Alumni of the Westminster United Presbyterian Church Preschool are invited to return to their first school to celebrate its 40th birthday.

The Rev. Tom Harmon and preschool director Karen Sharrar are planning events that will celebrate the school’s 40th, including an ice cream social on Aug. 10.

The church and preschool are at 330 E. Main St.

In addition to the ice cream, the event will feature class pictures from decades gone by, T-shirts, and reminiscing about the school.

Alumni also are invited to ride on the preschool’s float in the annual Oktoberfest parade.

Harmon said the school has survived for 40 years because it has succeeded in preparing students for kindergarten and accommodates the schedules of busy parents.

“It definitely meets a need,” Harmon said.

He said instead of the normal six hours of instruction for three days per week, Westminster’s program is for 2.5 hours twice a week.

“For some families, bringing their children two days per week fits better with their schedules,” Harmon said.

Harmon and Sharrar, who has directed the preschool for 14 years, said many former students now bring their children there.

Sharrar said former students always remember the school’s stealthy leprechaun, whose green footprints can be found throughout the building’s sanctuary near St. Patrick’s Day. Sharrar promises well-behaved students a gold coin each St. Patrick’s Day, but when the class goes to the pot of gold to retrieve one, all they find is a note from the leprechaun directing them to the coins.

The students then follow the green footprints to find their pocket-sized treasure.

Sharrar said she uses fun and clever tactics, as well as the church’s large basement, to educate the tots.

“There’s a lot of energy,” Harmon said of Sharrar’s teaching style. “It’s very creative, and there’s always something new. Karen is very capable.”

They move around to do activities is such locations at the toy room, the circle room, the snack room and the art room.

The final move is to the big room, where Sharrar said the students complete a large motor skill like hula hooping, freeze tag, or playing with a parachute.

The students and their families enjoy four parties per year, and students get the feel of riding on a school bus during the preschool’s two field trips per year.

Important concepts taught there, Sharrar said, are name recognition, name writing, the alphabet, counting, simple word recognition, taking turns, standing in line, cleaning up after themselves, and even borrowing books from the church library.

Sharrar also works to make students think and problem solve. She said if a student has a question, she will ask what he thinks and try to have him figure it out.

Harmon said on nice days, the students will play in his yard near the church. Harmon said his young son, who will attend the preschool in the fall, is always thrilled when the students show up to play.

Harmon said the presence of the preschool makes for a happy workplace.

“For me, it’s really fun to be here with so many young kids,” Harmon said.

For more information on the 40th anniversary, call the church at 724-538-8188.