St. Helena Cooperative Nursery School

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.

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.

Outdoors

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.