Happy Hands Preschool in Lemont Welcomes New Director

Happy Hands Methodist Preschool in Lemont recently welcomed Julie Phillips
as the school's new director.

As director, Phillips will oversee the daily activities at the preschool, work with the staff and teachers, and be the first point of contact for the parents, according to a Happy Hands press release.

"We are excited to welcome Julie Phillips into the Happy Hands family," said the Rev. Kelly Van, pastor at Lemont United Methodist Church. "Her strong background both in and out of the classroom, friendly demeanor and leadership skills made her the perfect candidate for this position."

Phillips’ background in education includes 34 years of teaching in the public school system. She holds both a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in education.  

Phillips has been an active member of the Lemont United  Methodist Church for more than 17 years, and has directed the church’s vacation bible school for more than 15 years. 

Happy Hands will continue to uphold the high standards that the preschool has developed over the past 45 years, school officials said. Much of the school’s emerging curriculum will remain the same, including live music, motor, computer literacy and enrichment.

"As an educator, I appreciate how hard teachers work to provide a positive educational journey for their students," Phillips said. "Joining Happy Hands as the new director, I hope my background will help the staff and parents continue to feel comfortable. It is of my utmost priority to provide the students with the best preschool experience possible."

Happy Hands Methodist Preschool, 25 W. Custer St., has been serving families of Lemont and the surrounding communities for more than 45 years. Enrollment is still open for the 2013-14 school year, which includes programs for young 
threes, three-year-olds and four-year-olds.