By Jacqueline Pillsbury
Thirty-three years ago, Sandy Popko and her sister Carol Bessler started Little Friends School out of a trailer.
Then 25, Sandy had a passion for education. She served as the school’s owner, director and teacher.
A lot has changed in three decades. Today, Little Friends School has seven year-round classes for preschool children 18 months old through Kindergarten. It holds classes out of its facility at 221 Edinburg Road in Hamilton and also in the Justice Hughes complex in Trenton. The Hamilton location neighbors the land where Little Friends’ trailer once sat.
Shortly after opening, Little Friends School welcomed Debbie Monahan, who took over Bessler’s role. Monahan’s still there, and to this day, Popko and Monahan run the school.
Together, they grown the school into an institution for young learners. The school has a Toddler 1 class, for children 18 to 30 months old, a 2 ½ to 3-year-old class, as well as full- and half-day classes for three and four year olds, plus a Kindergarten class. Little Friends School is open full days from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., with half day options from 9 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.
Little Friends School is a licensed facility. All classes—including before care, after care, summers and vacations—are taught by certified teachers. The teachers work different shifts to ensure at least one of them is with the students at all points throughout the day.
“We foster a strong relationship with our families,” school director Debbie Brey said. “The teachers are here for the kids. They are kept safe, happy and healthy, so the parents can work and not be worried about their children.”
That dedication is not short lived. Bonnie Gunzelman retired in June after 31 years of teaching 4-year olds. She continues to visit the school as a substitute teacher.
“She has had kids grow up and come back with their children,” Brey said. “They tell their kids ‘I had Miss Bonnie.’ She looks at them and says, ‘Oh, you are back all grown up!’”
Other teachers have also been there for many years. Jan Sisiska, the kindergarten teacher, has taught for 28 years at Little Friends School. The half-day four year old teacher, Rosemarie Bonacchi, has been there 15 years. Debbie Brey was a teacher for five years before becoming the director of the school two years ago.
The school’s curriculum is geared toward social, emotional and intellectual development, with daily activities designed to encourage each child’s natural curiosity, Brey said. The teachers strive to instill skills that prepare children for later school success.
The aim is to strike a balance between learning hands-on, plus having worksheets to improve their handwriting. Each month or so, there is a different theme to the centers. Themes include the rain forest, dinosaurs and space. If the class is extremely engaged in a theme, it can continue into the following month.
Children enrolling in Little Friends School’s kindergarten class must turn 5 before Dec. 31, three months after the cut-off for kindergarten in the Hamilton Township School District. Enrollment is open all year, as long as there is an opening. They aim for 10-12 students in their kindergarten class.
Little Friends School is located at 221 Edinburg Road in Hamilton. Phone: (609) 890-9164. Web: littlefriendsschool.com.
