West Parish Family School History
The West Parish Family School was born in 1976 as the result of the collaboration of church member and mother of a four year old, Craig Crowell, and the then-pastor of the church, the Rev. Dr. David Yohn. Together they hit upon the idea of serving the Cape community through opening a religious preschool/daycare open to all. In 1977, at a meeting of the congregation, the church agreed to make the dream a reality, and in September of that year the West Parish Family School opened with a kindergarten and 2-day and 3-day pre-school classes.
From its inception, the West Parish Family School’s vision was to stress the physical, emotional, intellectual and religious growth of its students, who would be drawn from across the wider community. Craig Crowell went on to serve the school as Administrator and Financial Officer, and upon leaving those positions entered theological school, from which she would go on to be ordained and then serve the seminary and the local church for many years.
The Family School has been blessed over the past thirty years to have at its helm as Directors: Dianna Pfenning, Trisha Mason, Barbara Bennett, and now Kristen Lind.
The West Parish Family School is overseen by a Board which includes members of the church and parents of children in the school.
The school logo is a rooster, identical to the weathervane which adorns the top of the bell tower in the 1717 Meetinghouse, which can be seen as one enters the school’s drive.
John Bursley, Isabell Bush, Junus Bush, The Gilman Family, Maryann Horn, Ethel Kinsiblry, John Lally, Deacon Leeman, Lee Porter, Grace Porter, Robert Read. The Samuel Family, Adam Whitelaw, Herbert Wright, Martha Wright, The Chadwick Family, Dorothy Borg, Diana Phenning, Al Amerigain, David Schaffer, Brad Haven, Bob Russell and Cornell Bretz and Arthur Grohe.
