Martha Hoshaw has fond memories of her time as a student at First Presbyterian Little School.

She finger-painted, learned to write her name, was a tree in a play called “You Cannot Fool Mother Nature” and sang songs with her friends.

More than 30 years later, Hoshaw is involved with the school as the mother of a preschooler, and finds her children have learned the same thing she learned, “just the idea that school was fun, and that playing with children was a great thing.”

Her family is among the many who received their preschool educations at First Presbyterian Little School, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a concert Saturday and reception Sunday.

Little School opened as a kindergarten in 1959 at 2000 W. Jefferson St. Karen Dikeman, the current Little School director, said at that time, public schools did not offer kindergarten, and “the church really saw a need to do something.”

As public schools began offering kindergarten, Little School transitioned into a preschool, ending its kindergarten program in 1972. In the 1980s, the school added a class for 2-year-olds, and in the 1990s, an additional class started for children who did not turn 5 in time to attend kindergarten.

This is the second year Little School has offered a daily class for 4- and 5-year-olds, to help them transition to kindergarten.

And while children learn academic skills, Dikeman said they are learning other skills as well.

“One of the things I feel sets us apart is, we are a Christian program, and are focused on planting seeds of faith in the children,” she said.

Kay Roesner was director of the school in the 1970s, working there from 1973 to 1979. She said she named the program “Little School” after Ludlow’s Little School, a preschool she attended on East Sycamore Street in Kokomo as a child. It has previously been called First Presbyterian Kindergarten and then First Presbyterian Nursery School.

Roesner thinks Little School is special because “there were a lot of caring families that wanted their children to have a positive first experience with education. We strive to provide a good, nurturing environment for them. That’s continued through the years. Everyone who works there is a caring person.”

Roesner said she likes that so many children who now attend the school are the children of former students, and noted that many Little School graduates have gone on to be excellent community citizens.

Her favorite memories are of times the children sat on the rugs to sing, while Eula Merle Kersey played the piano.

Kersey, now 93, said she taught at Little School for about 30 years, starting in 1962. She said the children are what made the school special to her.

“The children are precious and dear and eager to learn. That’s the whole thing,” she said, adding the teachers also made the school successful.

“I think God had a hand in a lot of this. It was God working through the teachers for the needs of the children.”

Kersey will be among the former teachers attending Sunday’s reception in First Presbyterian Church’s Fellowship Hall, after the 10:45 a.m. service.

Dikeman said anyone who attended the school or worked at the school is invited to the celebration.

Mary Tetrick, another former director, also hopes to be at the reception.

She said Little School is special because of “the support it gives the families and the fact it is a Christian ministry ... I have a real tender place in my heart for Little School.” She said the program also has a good reputation with the local public schools.

Tetrick, Roesner and Dikeman all have children who attended Little School, and Tetrick said her three still have very close friends from their days at the preschool.

She added that her brother, who is now 55, also attended Little School.

“I think there are generations that go to Little School. A lot of the students, their parents went there.”

Hoshaw, a Little School graduate and parent, said when her family moved back to Kokomo from Indianapolis, she and her husband considered other preschools, but decided on Little School not only because they were members of the church but “the Biblical curriculum and the strong focus on phonics and play were important to us.”

Their son, David, is now in kindergarten, and had a successful transition from preschool, while daughter, Anna, is in her final year at Little School.

“They always enjoy going to school and I’ve enjoyed the crafts and the projects they do. They’re very good at integrating different crafts and projects into what they are learning. They’re also very good at developing interpersonal skills. I’ve seen our children just blossom.”

Hoshaw also appreciates the field trips, emphasis on routine and the loving atmosphere at Little School.

“They are very loving in the way they get the children involved and help them feel loved. They are very good at knowing what makes kids tick.”

Dikeman said she’s enjoyed seeing the children of former students coming to school, and seeing the success of those graduates.

“I feel the Lord continues to bless this program in so many ways.”

• Danielle Rush is the Kokomo Tribune education reporter. She can be reached at 765-454-8585 or danielle.rush@kokomotribune.com.