Philosophy: Nosworthy's Nursery School

Welcome to Blanche Nosworthy’s Nursery School. We provide a safe, positive and supportive environment where each child can explore at their own pace. Here school readiness develops through age appropriate activities and unstructured play.

We are alert to opportunities to aid social growth and use teachable moments. Teachers use their knowledge of languages to help children learn basic phrases and counting, expanding their world to include people from many cultures. We invite families to share with our students something of their language or culture. The staff’s goal, to ensure your child see him/herself as a bright, valuable, interesting, caring, helpful individual and member of our School and community.

We have three Teachers on site. The Teacher to child ratio is generally 1:6. We consider it a privilege to be a part of your child’s and your family’s support system.

You may drop by and visit your child at any time. The play yard and schoolroom close promptly at 12:30 pm for our daily cleaning and preparation for the next school day.

Celebrate Play

Play is the child’s work
From this fountain of creativity
Comes the foundation for success
Building skills, Understanding…
Discovering another Question.
When your child is engrossed in play
Celebrate your success as a Parent.

Nosworthy’s Philosophy:

Much like the approaches to learning of Reggio Emillia or Waldorf Schools, Nosworthy’s philosophy allows curriculum to emerge from the child’s interests. Teachers guide their discovery not direct it. Teachable moments happen daily across the learning spectrum, from reading books and developing social skills to scientific discoveries and artistic endeavors.

At our preschool, we are active listeners. Teachers help each child develop their own voice and ideas while listening to the ideas of others as well. Circle time develops both listening and oral language skills. They might talk about a toy or do a summersault or jumping jacks. Children sometimes sing a song or give us an idea of something we all can do to help our planet. Circle time is also is a time for music and rhythm, zoo-phonics and other things of interest to the children.

Here we learn by doing. Play is paramount.

Free Play Develops Concepts Key to Success:

Arriving on Time and Predictable Activities:
Provide comfort and safety for children learning to become independent of Mom or Dad, a few hours at a time. This is also an opportunity for children to make “Meet and Greet” connections with others.
Skills fostered: Independence and Autonomy.

Independent Play:

Leads to setting personal goals and working towards achieving them.

Skills fostered: Self Motivation, Attention Span, Problem Solving and Self Esteem

Building with Blocks:

Develops understanding of spatial relationships, weight, distance and size while improving visual memory.

Skills fostered: Math and Science and Reading Readiness Skill Set

Working with Clay, Cutting and Pasting or Stringing Beads:

Develops small motor skills and eye hand coordination.

Skills fostered:Writing and Real World Jobs

Putting Things Away:

Develops visual memory, sorting and classifying.

Skills fostered: Math and Science

“Writing” and Drawing:

Pre-reading skills that develop understanding that symbols can represent ideas. Eventually directionality emerges from content.

Skills fostered: Reading and Writing Concepts

Working Puzzles:

Develops discernment between figure and ground, background or picture, shape, space and size. Concentration and Attention Span lengthen to meet their challenge.

Skill fostered: Interdisciplinary Skills

Painting and Mixing Colors:

This activity develops Cause and Effect relationships, ideas and questions emerge through this medium of Self Expression.

Skills fostered: Science and Discovery

Water Play:

Develops an understanding of conservation of volume; 1 cup is always 1 cup and buoyancy or water displacement by an object.

Skills fostered: Math and Science

Making Mud Pie or Sand Castles/ Wet and Dry Sand Mixing:

Develops observation skills regarding combining things together to make new things.

Skill fostered: Scientific Inquiry

Playing Grocery Store/Restaurant/Tea Party:

Develops a sense of order. They are developing an understanding of social expectations and attitude of others and what that interplay is about. They “practice” how to act in social situations.

Skills fostered: Self Concept, Oral Language, Conflict Resolution and Learning to Problem Solve

Role Playing:

Develops perspective; ability to step out of one’s self, becoming, Fireman, Cook, Cowboy, Mom, Dad, “Little” brother/sister, thinking, acting, feeling as that person might, showing an expanded understanding of relationships.

Skills fostered: Empathy and Feelings for Others.

Cleaning Up Together:

Develops a Sense of Belonging to a larger community.

Skill fostered: Social Responsibility.

Music, Movement and Rhythm:

Develop understanding of Patterns and using Body Memory.

Skills fostered: Interdisciplinary Skills

Exercise Circle:

Develops group participation thru strengthening warm-up activities.

Skills fostered: Physical Abilities and Listening Skills

“Show and Tell Circle”:

Develops a desire to share something important with others and creates opportunity for understanding that others view them as having something to contribute.

Skills fostered: Self Esteem Building and Oral Language Skills