“CCNS treats each child as a special individual. I completely trust that the teachers care for my children as I do.”

The Croton Community Nursery School is a cooperative — it is owned and operated by the parents of the children who attend. When your child is enrolled, you, too, become part owner and operator.

CCNS is a democratic organization, owned by all, managed by all and succeeding only with the help of everyone involved. Although much of the authority may be delegated to the elected officers and committee chairpersons to make for more efficient management, each parent is an integral part of the school and has a voice in its operation.

In the planning, organization and maintenance of the school both the parents and the school are enriched to the degree that the parents give of their time and energy. There are many opportunities to contribute to the operation of the school; for example, each family participates in a committee such as maintenance, fundraising, social, or newsletter.

Cooperation is a responsibility and also a pleasure. We can recommend it as a way of making friends and discovering hidden talents. And while you are doing that, your children will be receiving the best preschool education we can give them.

Our Educational Philosophy

The program for the children is based upon the knowledge that work and play, fun and learning take place simultaneously as the child makes contact with the world around him. Children accomplish learning through investigation, experimenting, taking initiative, making choices and interacting with other children. Through play, children test facts, define and redefine human relationships. Through the use of a rich variety of creative materials, they explore the world of creativity and imagination. Through trips taken to places of interest, and visits from a variety of outside instructors, children develop a broader knowledge of their community and a better sense of themselves as members within a larger society.

CCNS believes that children develop best in a climate of caring, respect and trust. Our skilled teachers provide each child with an educational experience that increases his or her feeling that the world is a good place in which to live, and helps each child to develop a sense of self worth. The teachers at CCNS are nurturing people who strive to maintain the integrity of the individual while at the same time leading children toward an awareness of and responsibility to others.