Philosophy

CCNS is a cooperative school, which means that the families become part owners and share in the management and maintenance of the school. At CCNS, parents are recognized as an integral part of their child’s first school experience.

Owned by all the attending families, we are a democratic organization, managed by all and succeeding 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 has a voice in the school’s operation.

The planning, organization and maintenance of the school enriches both the parents and the school.  Value gained is proportionate to the time and energy provided by the parents.  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.

As in life, ‘cooperation’ at CCNS is a responsibility but also a pleasure.  We recommend it as a way of making friends and discovering hidden talents.  And while you are doing that, your children will be receiving the top-quality preschool education they deserve.

An added bonus of the cooperative environment is it uniquely provides adults a supportive learning environment by offering them:

• an important role in their child’s growth and development
• acceptance into a friendly group of parents who face similar challenges
• a unique angle from which to appreciate their child’s skills and strengths
• first-hand observation of their child’s interaction among their peers
• skilled guidance for their child by a knowledgeable, experienced teacher
• access to educational materials and programs

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.