M & M’s to celebrate 30 year anniversary

A staple of Perryville will soon celebrate a milestone.
M&M’s Kid Kampus will celebrate its 30-year anniversary later this month and Jill Steffens is amazed that the preschool has stayed around for this long.
“Our dad told us that businesses start and fail every day,” Steffens said. “I didn’t know if that was a compliment or not, but we ended up doing it and the preschool has been very successful.”
Back in 1991 working for parents as teachers Steffens and her sister Jane Moldenhauer saw the need for preschool in Perryville. They received their bachelor’s degree in 1990 in child development. They continued their education after opening and received master’s degrees. Moldenhauer and Steffens have their Teaching Certificate for Birth through 3rd grade and teach early childhood classes for Mineral Area and Southeast Missouri State University.
“This is a great way to stay on top of curriculum and early childhood changes,” Steffens said
Since opening they have been full and have had a waiting list ever since.
The school opened in 1992 as a small building that taught children ages 3-5 and have expanded that to include children as young as two-years-old as well. The building itself as also seen an expansion in the last 30 years.
Being open for three decades has seen many changes, but also things have stayed the same to some degree. Children have came through the door as students and re-entered as educators before going on to teach at high schools and other places.

“Students have taught with us and moved on Steffens said. “We have had six or more former students that have taught here in early childhood before moving on.”
Steffens noted that the preschool would not have survived without the staff.
“We are so blessed to have qualified teachers who care about early childhood as much as we do. It is amazing to see how life is coming around in full circle. Children who attended years ago are now coming back to work for us, and now are sending their children to M & M’s,” Steffens said. “Some of our part time staff, who helped us during their college years, were education majors and went on to teach at surrounding Elementary schools and are wonderful teachers who still have the love for children, as we do. No matter how they were involved with M & M’s they all will be part of our school family forever.”
The school is still going strong with a lengthy waiting list and 56 students that are currently being taught within its walls.
“I wish we could get everybody in, but we just can’t Steffens said.
M & M’s Kids Kampus will host an anniversary open house to celebrate the milestone anniversary on September 25 from 11 a.m.- 2p.m.
Steffens and Moldehauer are excited to welcome back former students and members of the community.
“I would like to reminisce about some old stories and the tradition that we have built here at M & M’s.”