Our Story

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 I am so excited to announce the official name change of Preschool Playhouse! Our new name carries so much meaning, and I want to take the time to share this journey with you.

In August of 2022, shortly after beginning negotiations for the opportunity of owning Preschool Playhouse, my mom, Pamela Petty Hagdorn was unexpectedly diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer and given three months to live. I quickly realized that I didn’t have much time to discuss this opportunity with my mom, but it really never felt like the right time to talk about it with so much going on. One Sunday afternoon in late October, I was sitting with my mom, having tea and I said, “Mom, I need to tell you something and I want your honest opinion.” After speeding through all the pros and cons, there was a long pause. She looked up to the ceiling and then back at me, put her hand on my knee, and with tears in her eyes said, “Emily, I really feel like the dreams I never made time for are coming true for you, in the final chapter of my life; and I only wish I had more time to see them, through you.” It is a moment I will remember for the rest of my life.

After receiving her seal of approval, we talked about some potential names. She told me how important it was to include “bees” because it is Bayonne’s mascot. She felt that being proud to be a Bayonne Bee was a culture that could only be felt by those who were lucky enough to have had it taught to them. With the help of my uncle Billy Petty, we got the name to “Busy Little Bees”. My mom loved it, and said that if I did things right as the owner, my Busy Little Bees would turn to Bayonne Fighting Bees who would never lose their hometown pride. I was inspired by her spirit of giving back to the community that raised us both.

As my mom entered the final days of her life; passing away just shortly after these conversations, I continued to think more about the preschool’s name. I knew I was going to keep the original name, Preschool Playhouse, for our first year; so we had some time to think it through. My best friend, Stephanie Weymouth, who unexpectedly died in February of this year, was so invested in finding the perfect name and made the great suggestion of an advertising slogan that easily explained what type of business it was. From here, a beautiful thing was born! Stephanie came up with Busy Little Bees, Preschool And More (P.A.M. - my mom’s first name). It was truly the perfect vision!

I am so excited to bring the city of Bayonne my mom’s spirit of the “And More”; she lived and died by the strength of every community she was a part of, and worked so hard to always push forward for the greater good. My mom was the staple of charity and doing whatever it took to get things done. She was the “do a lot with a little” type of person, and for that we never went without.

With life having changed so much for me in this last two years, and despite the tremendous loss of two incredible and generously loving people, the one thing that always remained: time is delicate and valuable, so if we can do something good, we should. Preschool Playhouse will always be the community pillar that paved the way, and I feel honored to have carried legacy on for our first year; and with humble gratitude, I anticipate this next chapter to represent a vision that truly feels like mine. We have so much planned; and I only wish my mom and Stephanie were here to celebrate it all.

I want to thank both Glenn Weymouth and Rachel Baron for their contributions to the creation of our logo that represents only the beginning of just how sweet this journey will be. 

Please join me in celebrating the beginning of Busy Little Bees: Preschool And More! A name truly picked by Angels.