CityView Magazine

the scenes was a beloved teacher. “We had a wonderful teacher, Grace Hicks,” Horrocks said. “She used to wear red- and white-striped stockings, which looked like candy canes. I remember sitting in a circle as she played the piano and sang songs. We sang a lot. We read a lot. We would go outside, walk down to the lake, and feed the ducks.” “Everybody loved her,” said Jo Hasty, David Hasty’s mother. “I started thinking about David’s time there. It was a happy time for him. He made a lot of friends there. It was part of his life and part of mine as well.” Jordan can still recall the friendships formed. “Mark Braswell, Susie Gardner, Laura McMillan, Melanie Godwin, Bonner Thomason, Julie Weeks, Catherine Bryan, Anne Scott Gillam,” he recounted in an email. “Hmmm, seems I remember all the girls but only a few of the boys in our class!” The Rev. Ray Brown, rector of Holy Trinity, believes that the school has survived thanks to the quality of the program and the commitment of the people involved. “It’s an excellent program run the right way,” he said. “It allows children to develop self-esteem, to become more independent, to make friends, and to engage in age-appropriate activities. Good leadership is the key. We’re lucky enough to have good people who love what they do running it.” Ruth Gillis has served as the school’s director since 1993. “We provide a stimulating environment with lots of hands-on activities and play,” she said. “They make discoveries on their own. They have ah-ha moments where they see how something works. It’s learning by doing, which makes the most sense to me.” Jones said the school continues to excel at what it has done well for 50 years, focusing on the entire child from an emotional, mental, physical and social standpoint. “They instill a love of discovery and learning, but they also allow the kids a chance to play,” Jones said. “My daughter is like a sponge. She is excited about school. She really loves it. She wants to be there. She wants to learn.”CV Chris’s Steak & Seafood House est. 1963 New Outdoor Dining & Banquet Rooms 910.485.2948 Sun - Thurs 5 pm - 10 pm Fri - Sat 5 pm - 11 pm www.chrissteakhouse.com 2620 Raeford Rd. • Fayetteville (Near the corner of Raeford Road & Robeson Street) CityViewNC.com | 63

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