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Director's Welcome
On behalf of Tenth Presbyterian Church, Tenth Church Preschool, and our outstanding staff, I welcome you to our preschool! We are happy that you are considering our program for your child’s preschool experience. We are excited about the prospect of deepening relationships with our neighbors and partnering with you in the education of your child. I raised four children in Philadelphia and know firsthand the joys and challenges of nurturing young ones in the city.
For over a decade, we have developed a community in the heart of Center City – a network of relationships where you as parents are supported and encouraged in your parenting journey. We are thrilled to offer a literature-based, quality preschool program that weaves language and literacy, mathematics, science and art into the children’s daily activities, and nurtures the whole child. Our students can be heard discussing books and authors as well as singing the Music Together songs on the playground, in the bathrooms, and in the classroom as they joyfully share their growing love of music which is fostered through weekly classes with our music specialists.
Our desire at Tenth Preschool is to provide the kind of experiences and exposure you can’t easily provide your child at home – be it a big space to dance and play in, musical instruction from child specialists, science explorations, or the joy of cooperative learning activities. We count it a privilege to help your child love learning, love literature, love music, and love being part of a community of learners. The aim of our preschool is to build upon the foundation you have started and to make each child’s first experience with school a successful and happy one. The heart of what we do, though, can’t be captured on a website: it is what has emerged from the community that we’ve created together as we jointly seek ways to help families flourish.
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Warmly,
Pam Nothacker, MSEd
Tenth Church Preschool Director
Meet Our Teachers
Monica Petrilli
Two year-old Teacher
Yvonne Wong
Two and Three-year-olds Teacher
Priscilla Braithwaite
Three-Year-Olds Teacher
Monica is passionate about teaching and learning through literature. She holds a BA and MA in English Literature from Villanova University as well as a MEd in Education from Cabrini College. Before starting a family, she taught 6th grade English at a magnet school in Virginia Beach while her husband served in the Navy. She joined the preschool community first as a parent. All four of her children have participated on our Preschool program. Monica is excited to provide the safe space and warm embrace that young children need as they enter school for the first time.
Maggie Schurhamer
Pre-K Teacher
Yvonne is an enthusiastic early childhood educator with a strong interest in the arts and languages. With years of teaching experience in various settings as well as an MA in Early Childhood Education, she has the skills and creativity to guide children in their development and learning. Yvonne joined the Tenth Preschool community as a parent before joining the staff. Her children graduated from our Preschool program and are thriving in Elementary School.
Caitlin Young
Pre-K Teacher
Originally from Nashville, Priscilla is an opera singer with a degree in Music Education and Vocal Performance from Houghton College. In addition to her music performance experience, she has worked as a Pre-K assistant teacher and as a piano instructor. She relishes preschoolers’ inquisitive natures and “the way,” she says, “they ask why I’m wearing a band-aid.” She adds, “I enjoy being at Tenth Preschool because of the strong community with the parents and families.”
Jennifer Cedeno
Kindergarten Teacher
Maggie, who is originally from Arkansas, relocated with her family to Philadelphia. As an educator, she taught 3rd and 4th grade for five years before taking a break to raise her three young children. During this time, she taught outdoor play-based preschool classes with Tinkergarten and completed her master's in Education. With a love for the art of teaching and the wonder of learning, Maggie considers it a privilege to give your child one of their first school experiences.
A young mother herself, Caitlin holds a Master of Science in Reading degree from Gwynedd-Mercy College and a BA from Pennsylvania State University in Elementary Education. Caitlin previously taught primary grades for 8 years and worked as a reading specialist for a charter school. Both of her boys graduated from our Preschool program. In her free time, she enjoys reading, doing yoga, and cheering on Philly sports teams.
Lee Anne brings over thirty years of experience as a music teacher in Haddon Heights public schools. “All children are musical!” she exclaims. Discovering how to support children as they develop musically has long been a passion.