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Craig — At first glance, Eagle's Nest Preschool has all the trappings of a school for 3- to 5-year-olds.

Butterflies made out of clothespins and ducks cut out of yellow paper are fastened to a bulletin board. Miniature chairs are grouped around equally small tables inside the classrooms.

Still, something makes this preschool different.

Its classrooms are located in a wing of Calvary Baptist Church, and its curriculum includes teaching Bible songs and verses.

Angie Roberts, the preschool's director, wouldn't have it any other way.

"It gives parents that option," Roberts said. "We have a great curriculum. We can also teach (students) about the love of God.

"It's a real need."

Current enrollment numbers indicate Roberts isn't alone in her assessment.

The school opened in Sepember, accepting 3- to 5-year-olds for full- and partial-week enrollment.

The preschool has 52 students on its rolls this year. That number "is more than, I think, any of us expected," Roberts said.

Roberts has 14 years early childhood teaching experience in Moffat County. Opening a Christian-based preschool has been a longtime dream, Roberts said, adding that the church's former pastor, Rod Compton, was a strong proponent for the preschool.

Businesses and churches stepped forward with initial funding and resources and helped make that dream possible.

Several Texas churches gave donations to the preschool last year, and area businesses donated materials to the preschool, Roberts said.

The donations gave the school a welcomed leg up.

"We started out with not having anything," she said. "Just not one penny."

That situation has changed. The school, which is funded primarily through tuition, now looks toward expanding its facilities to include another afternoon classroom.

At that point, the preschool would have four classrooms and space for another 24 half-day students.

"We've done really well," Roberts said. "God has really blessed us with the things that we have."

Calvary Baptist has space for another classroom, she said, adding that more students and about two more teachers would be needed to make the expansion possible.

Five teachers, including Roberts, currently make up the school's teaching staff. All the teachers have college degrees and teaching experience in early childhood education, Roberts said.

And, to some degree, the preschool's curriculum doesn't depart from what a parent might find in other preschools.

Classroom activities teach a variety of skills students will need later in their education, Roberts said.

She points out a small tub where, this week, students will sift through sand to find plastic insects. The activity was designed to hone fine motor skills students will need later for writing.

Still, laying the groundwork for a student's academic future isn't the school's sole concern.

"The social aspect of preschool is our biggest responsibility," preschool teacher Susan Smith said.

Teaching social skills, including respect for self and others, is the point where the preschool's teachers believe Christian values and preschool education meet.

Because the school is based on Christian values, "The kids want to please the Lord so they're making better choices," said Susie Coleman, another Eagle's Nest Preschool teacher.

And, learning those skills could have an impact later in life.

"If you teach values at this age, it stays with them the rest of their lives," Smith said.

For more information about Eagle's Nest Preschool, call 824-2552.

Bridget Manley can be reached at 875-1795 or bmanley@craigdailypress.com