Yorktown Community Nursery School

Connecting Home, Heart & School: Our Philosophy

At Yorktown Community Nursery School, we are dedicated to creating a nurturing and stimulating environment where children can learn to love school. We believe that childhood is a brief and precious phase of life, and we strive to give every child a first school experience that is enjoyable, safe, and enriching. Our play-based, whole-child approach emphasizes the development of physical, social, emotional, and cognitive skills, with a strong focus on independent thought and action. We believe that children learn best when they are guided gently by experienced and certified teachers who are passionate about the joy of learning, discovering, and exploring.

Our rich variety of indoor and outdoor equipment and materials is designed to stimulate creativity and promote physical, social, and intellectual development. We provide a unique opportunity for parents to become involved in their child's first school experience, as we believe that this involvement is essential for effective support of the learning process. We also believe that parents play a critical role in understanding their child's behavior and development, and we strive to aid parents in adopting constructive attitudes towards their children's behavior.

Our Mission

The mission of Yorktown Community Nursery School is to:

• Provide children with the opportunity for self-expression and development of their interests and abilities
• Help students adjust to the educational environment
• Afford children the opportunity to explore and experiment and live out their thoughts and problems in play
• Design a program for the physical, cognitive, social and emotional development of the preschool child
• Aid parents in adopting constructive attitudes toward their children's behavior through actual participation in the operation of a cooperative nursery school

Cooperative Structure

Yorktown Community Nursery School is a parent cooperative administered by a parent-elected Board of Trustees. The Board employs the professional staff of a Director, certified teachers, and experienced assistants. The educational program for the children is entrusted to a professional staff under the supervision of the Director. The school is registered by the New York State Department of Education.

In the organization of our cooperative nursery school, basic power resides in the parents. Parents delegate administrative duties and responsibilities to a Board of Trustees and a professional Director. The Director is accountable to the Board, the Board is responsible for the Director, and the Board and the Director are responsible to the parents. The Board makes all decisions regarding finances and policies, and meetings of the Board are open to any parent who wishes to attend.

Parent Participation

When you enroll your child at YCNS, you enroll yourself as well. Yorktown Community Nursery School is a cooperative nursery school, and its future depends on parent involvement in all levels of the school's operations. Parent participation is essential for the effective support of the learning process, and it also provides an opportunity for parents to observe and be with their children as they learn and grow.

Through participation in this cooperative program, the parent(s) will have the opportunity to:

• Develop a support system of people sharing a common factor of raising children
• Join a warm and welcoming environment where parents may observe and be with their children as they learn and grow
• Learn more about child development and parenting roles
• Develop varied interpersonal and professional skills as they serve on the Board of Directors and on the numerous committees that administer the business of the school

Parent participation at YCNS takes three forms. First, the parent's participation in the classroom is done on a rotational basis. Second, parents are required to serve on a committee that administers the business of the school. Finally, parents are expected to attend Board meetings and contribute to the decision-making process. Parent participation effectively boosts the self-esteem and emotional well-being of the child and enhances the parent-child relationship.