Highlights

OUR SCHOOL &  OUR MISSION

Child using play dough

In 1966, the Executive Board of the St. Helena Cooperative Nursery School formulated the Co-op’s philosophy. Our goal is to provide children and their families with a comfortable environment to experience the significant years of early childhood. We believe that each child will grow to his or her fullest potential in a setting that promotes social, emotional, cognitive and physical learning through child-directed play under the supervision of a qualified teacher. We encourage an atmosphere of mutual respect, trust and open communications among the children and the adults that care for them. We work together to create a community of relationships that will last a lifetime. It is important that this first “giant step” away from home into school be a joyous and successful one for both the child and his or her parents.

Children learn through play. Our program emphasizes the development of the whole child through social interaction, multi-sensory activities and active parent involvement.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

  • Teacher designed activities that facilitate learning through play.
  • Mixed age classrooms give children a rich environment and allow them to stay with the same instructor throughout their time attending our nursery school.
  • Integrated Dramatic Play
  • Field Trips that teach children about their community.
  • High Adult / Student Ratio
  • Large outside play area including play structure, bike track, playhouse, swings, climbing frame and water play area.
  • Spacious schoolhouse with a wide variety of activities to spark children’s curiosity and creativity.

Values/goals for the parents:

  • To learn what to expect from your preschooler
  • To discuss your child’s growth with other parents with similar experiences
  • To learn by observing teachers working with children
  • To achieve objectivity concerning your child
  • To share part of your child’s nursery school experience and observe and enjoy your child’s growth
  • To work creatively and cooperatively with a group and make new friends with similar values
  • To have time for your own activities, confident that your child is well cared for in a rich social,emotional and academic environment.

Values/goals for the children:

  • To make a positive bridge from home to school
  • To feel secure with adults other than the child’s parents
  • To experience community
  • To learn to get along with others
  • To share equipment and adult attention
  • To learn positive ways of communicating with others
  • To exhibit growth of verbal expression
  • To explore and manipulate a variety of creative materials
  • To recognize and appreciate beauty in materials found and used in nature
  • To develop an interest in the natural world
  • To accept responsibility for personal care
  • To improve the ability to finish what is begun
  • To help clean up and put away materials
  • To develop understanding and use of new concepts about the world around the child
  • To heighten natural curiosity, so as to be ever interested in learning new things

Values/goals to the community:

  • To provide an opportunity for constructive growth for both parent and child
  • To send children into the elementary schools ready to participate.
  • To develop an awareness in parents of their responsibility as citizens of the community
  • To create parents more aware of their importance in the education process
  • To demonstrate the effectiveness of cooperative action in community affairs
  • To foster generosity with families with a monthly food drive.
  • To care for the planet and our children by utilizing solar power, using environmentally safe cleaning products, and recycling.

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"If a child does not learn the way you teach, teach the way the child learns."

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