Our Mission: Our mission is to provide a developmentally appropriate pre-school program for three, four and five year olds where they can develop a positive self-image and discover the joy of learning through guided play.

Philosophy: The philosophy of the Endicott First Presbyterian Nursery School program that each child is learns through guided exploration of their world with support of the teacher and family. Pre-school children learn through active and purposeful play. Through this guided play, the child develops creativity, language skills, social skills, motor skills and self confidence.

Goals:

1. To provide a curriculum that builds upon what children already know and are able to do to enable them to connect to new concepts and skills
   
   
2. To provide units with themes that integrate and teach across all content areas (English/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies and the Arts)
   
   
3. To provide a literacy-rich environment through the use of centers for reading, science, math and dramatic play
   
   
4. To provide children with exposure to a wide variety of information and literacy experiences including the use of technology in the daily activities
   
   
5. To provide a safe environment for students and staff
   
   
6. To provide a learning climate in each classroom that is active; one in which children interact with each other and manipulatives while engaging in cooperative hands-on learning with day-to-day life experiences
   
   
7. To provide a balance of classroom activities that is teacher-directed and child-initiated. These activities may be active or quiet, performed individually or in large or small groups.
   
   
8. To provide an environment that is sensitive to cultural, language and learning differences among all children and families served.
   
   
9. To provide an on-going process of collecting information from multiple sources about a child’s needs, which include observation, portfolios, screening and development checklists. This data is used to determine each child’s individual strengths and weaknesses. This information is used to plan and adapt the child’s program. Assessment information is also shared with parents in a timely and ongoing manner.
   
   
10. To provide a curriculum that promotes the students’ growth in creative development, motor development, cognitive development, and their social and emotional development.