Charlestown Nursery School
ABOUT US
“I think my children are so fortunate to be at a school that treats their initial education with same regard as any great academic intuition or university, and values children as playful scholars of the world.” Parent “The school is warm and cozy, but it is also academically challenging. I know my children are learning important socio-emotional skills; but, it is school and I am grateful that they are also gaining cognitive opportunities. It is the best of both.” Parent |
MISSION AND BELIEFS
Our mission is for our neighborhood, Charlestown, to honor Boston’s scholarly tradition by better serving our youngest learners. Our preschool and education center employs current research in early childhood practice. At its core, our program celebrates the great potential of young children, the importance of parent collaboration and the richness of the world beyond the classroom. It is a school where parents, teachers and children are constantly learning and evolving to provide better educational opportunities every day. The whole community is valued as stakeholders in early education.
We
believe...
- Children deserve schools that consider the whole child
to reflect the best research about physical, socio-emotional and cognitive
opportunities.
- Children are capable of great scientific, artistic and
linguistic exploration and expression.
- An investment in the best teachers greatly impacts
teaching and learning.
- Curriculum and instruction should emerge out of the
interests and experiences of children and their families.
- Children learn best when their families are partners in
their educational experiences and involved in their early learning.
- Schools benefit from and are shaped by the expertise of
parents in fields outside of education.
- Through careful documentation and reflection, teachers
can build on children’s ideas to expand and develop academic skills in
context. Children best acquire skills within the context of their
interests.
- The learning process -- including metacognition,
strategic thinking and inquiry -- is more important than skills or
products in developing learners.
- Children and families receive many benefits from a
neighborhood school, especially as a first school experience.
- The classroom is an extension of the home, the neighborhood
and the world. It should be a place that embraces our similarities,
differences and diversity. It should recognize the connection between the
local and the global.
- Children, families and schools benefit from introducing
toddlers to educational opportunities in developmental play groups.
Building an early connection can greatly improve learning and programs.
- Schools can become educational centers with a variety
of art, music, foreign language and other enrichment opportunities beyond
their traditional programming.
- Schools should evolve to serve changing needs of families and growing research on young children.