Ledgemere Country Day School

Percy is still around! Has a sibling too!!

9/22/22

Thank you to Amy and Casey Vaz for teaching us all about Bees and beekeeping today!

Happy St. Patricks Day from Ledgemere! Once again, Finnegan the leprechaun played some tricks on us! Including dressing our skeleton up in an Irish costume!

I shared a few weeks ago about Ledgemere alum Ben Berman and his pizza venture.....well, he was on Ellen! So proud of you Ben! Oh, and Ellen says he's from Philly.....maybe that's where he lives, but Ben is from CE!!!!!! amazing job Ben!!!

Ellen Meets Pizza Maker Giving Back to Community Ellen chatted with Ben Berman, a grad student who has been using his cooking skills to make free pizzas for his community and raise money for local Philadelp...

Another Ledgemere alum doing great things! Way to go Ben!

Grad student raises $30K for charity for 'pizza drops' from 2nd story window A canceled dinner party at the start of the pandemic turned into a major charity campaign.

Spread the word....amazing opportunity to own a Cape Elizabeth landmark!

243 Mitchell Rd, Cape Elizabeth, ME, 04107 | realtor.com® View 48 photos of this 4 bed, 3 bath, 4466 sqft. single family home located at 243 Mitchell Rd, Cape Elizabeth, ME, 04107 on sale now for $1175000.

Ledgemere Country Day School is a special place. For the past 85 years, countless numbers of children have attended preschool here. It has been a place where children laugh, cry, grow and learn. “Ledgemere” has nurtured and loved their kids and families for almost nine decades. A few lucky families have lived, laughed, created memories and grown up at Ledgemere. This property has been an essential fixture within the town of Cape Elizabeth for an unbelievable amount of time! Ledgemere is so incredibly special!

On Sept. 16, 1935, Mrs. Francis York opened the doors of her home to local “kindergarteners.” Mrs. York worked tirelessly to build the foundation of the school we know today. By all accounts, she loved the children that were entrusted to her care and she loved her life’s work. Ledgemere endures today in part because of Mrs. York’s vision.

Mrs. York wasn’t the only individual to love and nurture Ledgemere. Mrs. York ran the school from September 1935 until June of 1966, when she relinquished it to her son in law, Kenneth Miller. He ran the school until 1972 when it was sold to Richard Whiting and Robert Jenkins. After just 3 years, Richard sold it to Noice & Lois Eastman. From 1975 until August of 1981, Noice and Lois Eastman owned the property and managed the school. The next owners were Susan and Alec Livingston who cared for it from 1981 until 1988. In June of 1988, Bill and Joni Hewitt purchased and operated Ledgemere until they sold it to my husband and myself in April of 1997. Throughout its history these people have nurtured and grown Ledgemere into the one of a kind property it is today.

Over the past 23 years, my husband and I have learned what a truly special place this is in our community. Our daughters have grown up here. We have so many family memories, stories and laughs that are tied to 243 Mitchell Road. Yet, it has also allowed me to be a working mother; to be a part of your lives and the lives of many, many Cape and South Portland families. Children have laughed, cried, grown and learned throughout the years on this property.

Ledgemere is a special place for sure! With all of this, I’m sure you realize there is an announcement coming. So, here goes…..we have decided to put Ledgemere on the market. We are not just selling a business. We are not just selling our family home. We are selling an incredible property that has meant so much to us, to you, and to all of the children and families throughout the 85 years it has existed.

This will not be a typical sale in a hot market. We are searching for the next caretaker of this property and of your children. We are searching for the next special person to educate and care of all of the children in Cape and South Portland that will come to Ledgemere in the future. We will not necessarily sell to the highest bidder. It will be sold to the people who are committed to carrying on what Francis York started 85 years ago.

So, yes, we are looking to sell but this is most likely going to be a long process. Probably not weeks, maybe not months, possibly years. I am committed to finding the right person for this special place that I love. I am committed to making it a seamless transition for the new owner and for you and your child.

In discussions with our realtor, my husband and I have made it clear that our priority is finding the next steward of this property; our realtor has assured us she will do everything she can to find this person. Let’s hope they are out there! My husband and I have started the process of ending a very long chapter in our lives. As we look forward to the new chapter, we are committed to closing this one when we find the right person with the right offer . Thank you for trusting me with your children and for allowing me to be a part of your lives. I will keep you informed as the process unfolds. When the time comes to transfer ownership, please rest assured that I will make it as seamless as possible. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out.

Fondly, Diane

Thought this might be helpful!

Ledgemere alumni Emmi Cross Lynne Cross on WCSH6 show 207 with her award winning recipe for candied bacon mac and cheese! Ledgemere is always so proud of our kids in all of the endeavors! Emmi, you were awesome! So composed, professional and articulate!

Candied Bacon Mac and Cheese? Yes, please. Viewer Chef Emmi Cross creates a special topping to make her Mac and Cheese stand out from the crowd.

Setting up our outside classroom. Circle time is ready!! Let’s hope for a dry fall! 😀

At summer camp the kids and I found 5 monarch caterpillars, we fed them lots of milk w**d, watched them spin into chrysalis' and then they hatched. Heres the last one to emerge. It is such a cool life cycle to observe!!