Earthplace Nursery School

Since 1967, Earthplace Nursery School, licensed by the State of Connecticut Health Department and accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, offers a unique nature-oriented program, with a child centered curriculum and developmentally appropriate activities. We are dedicated to providing enjoyable learning experiences that enable children to develop a strong sense of self and an appreciation of the world around them. As of April 28, 2010, Earthplace Nursery School is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. The NAEYC accreditation system was established in 1985 to set professional standards for early childhood education, and to help families identify high quality preschools. The new standards set in 2006 introduced a new level of quality, accountability, and service for children and families. These standards reflect the latest research and best practices in early childhood education and development.

"At Earthplace Nursery School we believe that children learn through exploration and discovery. Our caring teaching staff help the children explore, create and participate in concrete hands-on, multi-sensory activities. All of us at Earthplace are proud to have earned the mark of quality from NAEYC and to be recognized for our commitment to reaching and maintaining the highest professional standards."
Laurie Linton, Director Earthplace Nursery School
Current Activities
Earthplace Building Closed
The building will be closed starting Monday, August 23rd until Friday, September 3rd. It wiil closed in order to finish the roof and to have the rooms ready for the opening of school. The building will be open for our Parent Orientation and Open Houses. If you need to contact us you may call and leave a message on our voice mail and we will call you back. Please mail in forms or place them in the envelope on the front door. The playground, outdoor animals and trails will be open for you to enjoy!

Juniors and Seniors Parent Orientation
Thursday, September 2nd at 7:30 p.m. Meet your child's teachers and parents from your class. We will also be introducing the Animal, Music and Gym Teachers with activities for the parents.

Open House for the Junior and Senior Children and Parents
Friday, September 3rd. Come with your children for an hour and explore the classroom.  Here is the schedule:

Juniors (3 year old classes)
AM
Monday-Wednesday-Friday
Last Name A-H  8:45 a.m.-9:45 a.m.   Last Name I-Z  9:45 a.m.-10:45a.m.
PM
Tuesday-Thursday  10:45 a.m.-11:45 a.m.
Monday-Wednesday-Friday and M-F  12:15 p.m.-1:15 p.m.

Seniors (4 year old classes)
AM
Monday-Friday
Last Name A-J  8:45 a.m.-9:45 a.m.    Last Name K-Z 9:45 a.m.-10:45 a.m.
PM
Last Name  10:45 a.m.-11:45 a.m.      Last Name L-Z 12:15 p.m.-1:15 p.m.

Open House for the Twos Children and Parents
Please join us on Thursday, September 16th.  Come with your child to get aquainted with the teachers, parents and children who will be in your class.  And remember the first day of school for two year olds is Tuesday, September 21st.

Twos Open House Time
8:45 a.m. class 9:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m.
10:30 a.m. class      10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
3:15 p.m. class 3:15 p.m.-4:15 p.m.

First Day of School
Tuesday, September 7th is the first day of school. This means that the morning Seniors will start on Tuesday, but the morning Juniors will begin on Wednesday. The afternoon classes will begin on their appropriate days.

Enrollment for Fall 2010
Our morning Seniors and Juniors are full for next year. We do have spots available in our afternoon classes. The teachers and the rooms are the same in the afternoon. Your child may also come at 10:30 a.m in the morning to Lunch Club and then go to his or her class at 12:15 p.m.

The 8:45 and 10:30 Twos classes are full at this time. We are still offering tours of the program and we are taking a wait list. We are reopening the 3:15 to 4:45 p.m. Twos class for the Fall. Currently we have 3 openings in this class.

Parent Workshops with Cindy R. Bess
Our Early Childhood Consultant, Cindy R. Bess, will be conducting three Parent Workshops in the fall.  there will be childcare for the ones given during the day. Please RSVP via e-mail for the childcare.
Adjustment to School: From Summer to Fall- Wednesday, September 22nd 9:10 a.m. to 10:25 a.m. and 12:30 p.m to 1:45 p.m.
Discipline and Setting Limits: What's a Parent to Do?-7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Prepping for Stress: Tuesday, November 16th 9:10 a.m. to 10:25 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.-1:45 p.m.

Snacks
Our snacks are provided by Whole Foods. Although they are no longer able to provide them at cost, we buy cases and then receive a 10% discount. We will continue to pick up the cheese, hummus, yogurt, melon and carrots as needed.

Planning Forms
Check out the Planning Forms for the Juniors and Seniors to see what is going on in the classrooms this week. On the Planning Form page, the Twos Form comes first. Then scroll down to the Juniors and the Seniors.

Lunch Club
Please remember to sign up on both the regular Lunch Club attendance list and the Pizza List if your child would like pizza; place the $3 in a separate envelope. Our pizza is from Joe's Pizza in Westport. Thank you!
Our snack partners!
Earthplace: The Nature Discovery Center

Founded in 1958 and accredited by the American Association of museums, Earthplace, The Nature Discovery Center, is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting environmental awareness to people of all ages and backgrounds.
Earthplace maintains a 62-acre wildlife sanctuary with trails, an interactive natural history museum, houses a diverse collection of live wildlife for public viewing, and hosts many public nature programs and events. Additionally, Earthplace runs a wildlife rehabilitation program, after-school programs, a state-licensed Summer Camp, and the Harbor Watch/River Watch water quality testing program.

For more information about programs and events taking place at Earthplace please click on the green logo below. 
Weather Concerns
In case of inclement weather please call the main Earthplace office at (203) 227-7253 after 7am to hear a message about delays or cancellations. If you wish to leave a message for the Nursery School remember you need to dial (203) 227-7253 ext 119 or 114. Additionally please check your email for updated status. Thank you!