Our Mission:

Our mission is to cultivate a community-centered, developmentally appropriate learning environment for young children through play, exploration and social interaction within the classroom and beyond.  We achieve our mission by working together as a community of families and teachers to operate all aspects of a state-licensed cooperative nursery school for children ages 3-5. Each child is considered as both an individual and part of a group as we guide learning through play, art, inquiry, exploration of the outdoors and of the wider community.  

Our Philosophy:

Founded in 1975, The Children’s Nursery School is a non-profit, non-denominational, all-inclusive nursery school administered by a group of parent(s)/guardian(s) interested in a developmental program for three to five year old children.  Under the direction of the Lead Teacher and with the assistance of the Assistant Teacher, adults working in the classroom follow the State of Maine Department of Health and Human Services’ Rules for the Licensing of Nursery Schools and Developmental Best Practices established by NAEYC, along with information gleaned from the philosophies of the Reggio Emilia, Waldorf, and Montessori methods of teaching children.

We work to create an environment for our adults and children that focuses on the following:

• Acknowledging our children’s feelings
• Conflict resolution
• Giving praise for creating a plan
• Active cooperation
• Building self-esteem when the child is in the moment
• Encouraging autonomy by empowering children and allowing them to act like separate, capable, responsible individuals
• Encouraging individuality and helping children find their own unique voice
• Encouraging children to help one another
• Encouraging inclusivity
• Fostering a love of learning