Peters Township preschool founder to retire
More than 1,000 children have passed through the doors of Noah’s Ark Preschool at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Peters Township since it was started 28 years ago by Gerda Moul.
Moul, the preschool’s director, is stepping down to enjoy more time with her five grandchildren, in her garden and with her husband, Lawrence, who retired five years ago. Moul’s last day on the job is expected to be June 3, although that date is not etched in stone, she said.
She will be replaced by Heidi Garner, who has been with the school for six years and served as its co-director this past year. “My family’s pretty excited,” said Moul, 70, who lives in Peters.
Moul, who attends church at Our Redeemer, was teaching elementary school when she was approached by church officials about starting a preschool to help Our Redeemer’s young families. As an educator, Moul said she was intrigued with the idea of working with young children and agreed to start the preschool, which serves youngsters ages 2 to 5.
She started with eight students. Through word of mouth, the enrollment at the preschool continued to grow and there are now 110 students, including special needs children, who come not only from Peters but also Upper St. Clair, Bethel Park, Canonsburg and Washington. Noah’s Ark has 15 part-time teachers.
“This is a family-oriented place that is child-centered. There is a sense of community here. We make sure a child is loved and cared for,” Moul said.
Noah’s Ark, which is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, gears its curriculum toward a child’s uniqueness and encourages parental involvement and provides opportunities for spiritual development through Bible stories, songs and plays.
“I have a staff who knows how to listen,” said Moul, who plans to continue to work with young children as a volunteer. She also will continue as the preschool’s librarian.
“I will come in once a month to read to them,” she said.
Even though she plans to keep involved with Noah’s Ark, Moul’s presence will be missed.
“God gifts everybody with a special talent to use on earth,” said Beth Pansino, an Our Redeemer Church council member. “This gift is to be used to make the earth a bit better. Gerda’s talent is working with children to bring out their special gifts. She encourages their individuality and unique personality to shine for the world to see.”