Des Plaines Park District Creative Corners Preschool Graduates 42

The Des Plaines Park District’s Creative Corners Preschool graduated forty-two students on Thursday, May 19 in the Prairie Lakes Theater. As the children received their diplomas, Preschool Director Margaret Nuscher announced what the children want to be when they grow up.

"We have six who want to be police officers this year, and four who want to be teachers,” Nuscher said. “We have three prospective doctors and one train engineer. Three of our graduates want to be bakers and two want to play professional sports. The rest of the children think being an astronaut, veterinarian, farmer, rockstar, princess, fairy, parent, artist, ballerina, fashion model, ninja, firefighter, construction worker, singer, or a dinosaur (after they go back in time of course) is the perfect choice for them. Our students always amaze their parents by selecting careers from stories, visits from professionals, or simply, their imagination.”

The graduation ceremony included the Pledge of Allegiance led by Elliott Doerr and Nicholas Johnston, welcome speeches by Anneliese Marginean, Ava Habbe, and Nico Soulias, a presentation of the alphabet led by Ella Pop and songs including “Graduation Day” and “Oh, What a Miracle” announced by Richard Segarra.

“The children are ready for kindergarten,” Nuscher said. “We have traveled to outer space, explored the rain forest, turned the classroom into a pizza parlor, sailed a sailboat, pitched a tent, laughed, learned, and played.”

Seven of the graduates will attend kindergarten at Iroquois Community School in the fall of 2016. Five will attend South, three each will attend Terrace and Orchard Place, and two each will attend Forest, North, and Terrace. The rest will go to private schools or schools outside of District 62. "Beyond the scholastic training of letters and numbers, color and shapes, we teach social interaction and independence." Nuscher said. "Today, very few children attend kindergarten without some kind of preschool foundation and our job is to give them a good start and teach them to love school."

Creative Corners Preschool is currently accepting registration for the 2016-2017 school year. For more information on the preschool and all of the Park District’s Early Education Classes, call 847-391-5700 or visit www.DPParks.org.

Photo 1: Family and friends are using whatever technology necessary to capture the memory of this important milestone. The students sang songs and presented the alphabet to showcase some of what they learned during the school year.

Photo 2: Elliott Doerr and Nicholas Johnston lead the evening’s ceremony in The Pledge of Allegiance at the May 19 Creative Corners Preschool Graduation.

Photo 3: Ava Habbe (at the microphone), Anneliese Marginean, and Nico Soulias speak to their parents and guests at the May 19 Creative Corners Graduation ceremony.

Photo 4: Derrek Rasmussen presents the letter “B” for Bear at the May 19 Creative Corners Graduation ceremony.

Photo 5: Prince Foster gives a quick wave to his family as he presents the letter “I” for Ice Cream at the May 16 Creative Corners Graduation ceremony. Foster wants to be a train engineer when he grows up.

Photo 6: Scarlett Leja receives her graduation certificate from Preschool Director Margaret Nuscher at the May 19 Creative Corners Graduation ceremony. Leja wants to be a gardener and plant flowers when she grows up and will attend North School for kindergarten.

Photo 7: Preschool Director Margaret Nuscher hands out another preschool certificate at the May 19 Creative Corners Graduation ceremony.

Photo 8: Sasha Polissky gets a hug from his dad after graduating from Creative Corners Preschool on May 19. He wants to be an architect when he grows up and will attend Central School for kindergarten.

Photo 9: Derek Nham poses with Preschool Director Margaret Nuscher after the Creative Corners Preschool Graduation ceremony. Nham wants to work with computers when he grows up.