For a child, a birthday party is great fun. For the kids at the Small Faces Child Development Center, a visit by Miss Washington 2005, Tina Marie Mares, is icing on the cake.

The Small Faces Child Development Center celebrated its 30th birthday party on Sept. 29, and earlier that day, Mares read a children's story to three pre-school classes, answered questions and then posed for photographs.

Mares has been going to schools throughout the state in all grade levels, from pre-school to high school.

Her message is the same, but is delivered differently depending on the ages of the students.

At Small Faces, Mares read from the book "Happy Birthday To You," by Dr. Seuss.

"Children are like sponges and are so innocent," said Mares. "It's important as adults to teach them good moral values at the pre-school age."

"You can't help but be inspired by them," she said. "They listen and pay attention to you. You can mold their minds. I encourage them to set goals and get an education."

Mares is 24-years-old and is a second year law student at Seattle University. She is taking a year off to serve as Miss Washington. She volunteers at Children's Hospital and helps raise money for the hospital's Uncompensated Care Fund.

In all three classes at Small Faces, Mares and the students sang happy birthday together in honor of the occasion. The staff, parents and children held a party with a barbecue after school was over that day.

The center was started in 1968 by Sheila Lyon as the Henry Penny Day Care on Queen Anne hill.

In 1970, the Henry Penny Day Care moved to Capital Hill and was called Kidicarnival. By then, Lyon had teamed up with Nancy Johnson to run the center.

The next stop was in a church behind Ballard High School on 67th Avenue Northwest.

In 1976, Lyons and Johnson sold the center and it was re-opened the next year as Small Faces Child Development Center. It was a non-profit organization with a board of directors led by First President Debora Fleck. Bruce Breitenbach, a Ballard Certified Public Accountant, was the first secretary treasurer.

Pat Dewey was hired as the first director and she was instrumental in moving the Small Faces Child Development Center to its current site in the old Crown Hill School at 9250 14th Ave. N.W.

In 1985, Lynn B. Wirta became the director and she has held that position for the last 26 years after spending six years as a teacher at Small Faces.

The center is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children and has non-profit status. Children ages two and a half to 12 can enroll in the Small Faces Child Development Center.

The activities include creative art, dramatic play, cooking, music, movement and language development.

Teachers emphasize positive problem solving, cooperation, perseverance, personal initiative, respect and non-violence.

Field trips, book mobile visits, storytelling, guest speakers and swimming lessons supplement the curriculum.

In addition to the preschool program, the Challenge for 5s, is a classroom for kids who miss the public school enrollment cut off date for kindergarten or for children who socially need another year before moving to a larger classroom.

There is also a before and after school program and a summer program.

During its 30-year history, the organization has grown from 12 students to 165 each year.

Wirta says over 1,000 children have gone through the center and many have gone on to have successful careers.

One is a lawyer in Japan, another is attending Harvard and another is working at the White House.

"It feels like we are on top of the world to come from being a small school," said Wirta. Their goal is to give children a good foundation to take them through their lives, she said.

Visit www.smallfaces.com or email smallfaces1@juno.com for more information.