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.
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.
