If you have recently driven past Chapelgate Presbyterian Church, at 2600 Marriottsville Road, you have probably noticed a sign announcing the arrival of a new preschool in fall 2013.
The facility currently houses Chapelgate Academy, a private school serving grades 6-12, but parents in the congregation suggested adding a preschool, especially since the church already had a suitable space — the area for its Sunday child care program.
The school also comes with a ready-made director, Anne Marie Riehl, who manages the church's Sunday child care. Riehl says that Chapelgate's program is licensed and curriculum-based, and part of its mission is to actively support parents. For instance, non-native speakers can take advantage of free conversational English classes while their children attend the preschool.
Chapelgate will begin its program after Labor Day with two 2-year-old classes (Mondays and Wednesdays or Tuesdays and Thursdays), a 3-year-old class (Tuesdays and Thursdays) and a 4-year-old class (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays). All classes run 9-11:30 a.m., and openings are still available.
To learn more, go to http://www.chapelgate.org/preschool, email amriehl@chapelgate.org or call 410-442-5663.
Congratulations to this month's Band Musician's of the Month at West Friendship Elementary School — A.J. Angarita, trumpet; Sophia Carey, clarinet; Max Fagerstrom, trumpet; Martena Frye, clarinet; Luke Iannuzzi, percussion; John Miller, trombone; and Kamiye Runsewe, alto saxophone. Keep up the great work!
Got mulch? If not, the St. Alphonsus Knights of Columbus can help through their 10th annual "Mulch Madness" sale, scheduled for Saturday. April 6. These hardworking gentlemen are selling mulch at $5 per bag for three cubic feet of brown or two cubic feet of black, and they offer free delivery for all orders of 15 bags or more within a 10-mile radius of the church.
Orders of fewer than 15 bags can be picked up at St. Alphonsus Rodriguez, 10800 Old Court Road, in Woodstock, between 8 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Proceeds will benefit local homeless charities.
To place an order or learn more, call Ed Pelsinsky at 410-313-8808 or Luke Browning at 410-465-4443.
This month, the Retreat and Conference Center at Bon Secours will offer a variety of programs.
Join Maureen Conroy on Tuesday, April 9, 7-9:30 p.m., for tips on "Developing a Grateful Heart." This program costs $25.
Conroy will also present "Come Away and Rest Awhile! The Healing Power of Meditation" on Wednesday, April 10, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The day costs $80.
A weekend retreat, "Discovering Our Hidden Wholeness: the Courage to Lead from within," will run from 5 p.m. on Friday, April 19, to noon on Sunday, April 21. The retreat costs $265.
Finally, on Saturday, April 20, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Katherine Johnson will lead "Soul Collage and the Labyrinth: Tools for Personal Transformation." This workshop costs $60.
To register for any of the programs at Bon Secours, call 410-442-1320, or go to http://www.rccbonsecours.com to learn more. The Retreat and Conference Center is at 1525 Marriottsville Road, in Marriottsville.