Lipstraws to continue Kersten’s Korner tradition

OAK HARBOR - Longtime educator Angie Lipstraw and her husband, Jeff Lipstraw, recently purchased Kersten’s Korner Nursery School, which has provided early childhood education to area children for 44 years.

Angie Lipstraw is the assistant principal at R.C. Waters Elementary School, and Jeff Lipstraw is an operations manager at First Solar and a lifelong Oak Harbor resident.

The Lipstraws first became familiar with Kersten’s Korner Nursery School when their son attended the school.

“Ever since he came here, we felt it was a unique setting. There’s the location, and I’d always hear from teachers at (R.C. Waters) that you can tell which kids came from Kersten’s Korner. They are well-prepared for kindergarten,” Angie Lipstraw said.

When the Lipstraws heard the former owners were retiring, they stepped in and bought the business to keep the school open.

“It has a good reputation. We wanted to keep that legacy going and provide that service to the community,” Angie Lipstraw said.

The school will continue to provide that same level of education with a new generation of staff, they said. Angie has 14 years of experience in education, and the school director, Amanda Buschow, will stay with the business. In addition, the Lipstraws recently hired two new preschool teachers.

“I am really excited about this year. We hired two new teachers, and they both have bachelor’s degrees. They have a strong background and knowledge of what the kids need to know,” Angie Lipstraw said.

She said that is important in an era when state standards are more demanding.

“Another big reason we wanted to keep it going was, they are more rigorous now with standards than they were when I was in school. It’s so important for kids to get those pre-K skills before going into kindergarten,” she said. “Our slogan is ‘A Foundation for the Future.’ ”

One of the distinctive aspects of the nursery school is the all-day option. Parents may bring their children for the 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. preschool instruction hours only, or the children may stay all day. The school is open from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

“The afternoon is more of a day care setting. We offer that for parents who work full-time. That’s what got us here at first. We couldn’t leave work in the middle of the day to take our son to a baby sitter,” Angie Lipstraw said. “The day care time is still a structured learning environment so they have more exposure to academics than they would in half a day.”

This year, the school won’t undergo many changes. Angie Lipstraw wants to focus on maintaining the excellent service that has kept the business open for 44 years, and she plans to continue with some of the traditions like the Christmas program, graduation program and carnival day.

Eventually, she would like to incorporate events that would encourage family and community involvement. She may bring in service dogs for the children to read to or host programs by local emergency service or wildlife organizations.

“We’ll have maybe a ‘Muffins with Mom’ day or a ‘Doughnuts with Dad’ day, and I want to reach out to local agencies that can support the curriculum we provide,” she said.

The Lipstraws would like to eventually offer a summer program, but for now, they are readying the school for the upcoming school year. Parents can get a peek at what they offer during an open house from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wedneday.

For more information, call 419-898-0099 or visit www.kerstenskornernurseryschool.com.

Contact correspondent Sheri Trusty atsheri.trusty@gmail.com or 419-639-0662.