Mrs. Paces Kindergarten: Hopewells First Childrens Day Care Center - A Hopewell Tradition for Forty-Five years

Mrs. Paces Kindergarten: Hopewell Virginia's 1st Children's Day Care Center. 1941-1986. The annual graduation ceremony was a professionally scripted and directed production complete with costumes and printed playbills. The musical plays provided a part for every child enrolled in the school! These included, The Magic Carpet, Working on the Railroad, Cowboy Roundup, The Balloon Man, and other productions whose records survive in the collection of programs that has been maintained by the family for over 75 years. One can just imagine the delight of the parents, relatives and friends when they watched their little ones singing “Take Off Your Troubles and Put on a Smile” or “If I knew You Were Coming, I’d Have Baked a Cake.” Mrs. Pace made it easy on the families— all costumes were provided by the School—she sewed them herself! The productions were community-inspired efforts because the school partnered with the Christmas plays and spring concerts performed in the lovely Art Deco auditorium of Patrick Copeland School in Downtown Hopewell.