Trinity Preschool

On October 31, Nancy and I were in for a couple of real treats at Trinity Preschool at Watertown. First, we approached the town from the south, a route which took us through beautiful farm country in Carver County, and we always enjoy looking at the fields and forests.
Second, we were scheduled to perform last in a program that preschoolers were putting on for their parents, and we had the opportunity to see these lucky students perform. Their program was fun for everyone.

When we arrived, we were greeted at the door by Mrs. Bowyer, a friendly, energetic teacher who clearly enjoys working hard to teach students. As we set up, we watched Mrs. Essen rehearse with the children.
Nancy and I were amazed at their high performance level.
At the beginning of the program, each student was featured as he or she rode a home made horse onto the performance area and an announcer introduced the student and horse, urging the eager audience to applaud.

Then they sang songs as directed by Mrs. Essen, a teacher whose high energy and excitement makes the experience both successful and fun for the students.

Next, the students formed a circle with their parents to perform a square dance and the chicken dance.

Children and parents had their chicken dances down perfectly!

After the dancing, everyone moved to the tables and turned their attention to the stage, where I was set up to entertain the audience with  a brief talk about farm heritage, which included a performance of my story If I Were a Farmer: Nancy's Adventure. 

Performing stories for an audience of parents with their preschool children is a special delight for me because the parents understand the nostalgia in my stories and the kids are always delighted to hear about Nancy's Adventures on a dairy farm.

They learned how to teach a calf how to drink out of a pail and about other chores on the farm.

They took turns feeling the oats in the coffee can.

And then I got to do something I love to do–Autograph books for children.

Thanks to Mrs. Bowyer for arranging my visit to Trinity Preschool, and thanks to her and Mrs. Essen for  showing Nancy and me their classroom and all the neat things they teach the students at Trinity.

Nancy and I were really impressed with the school, the students, and the degree of parental involvement.

We thank those parents who stopped to chat with us and comment on my show. Feedback from audiences means a lot to me.

Nancy and I had fun watching the students in their performances, and as always, we had fun meeting people and performing our show. 

Photographs by Nancy A. Fredrickson