The Clifton Park Nursery School (CPNS) is a family program. Our Parents, children, and teacher all learn to live, work, and play together. Each group represents a broad spectrum of backgrounds that will contribute particular skills, talents or enthusiasm to make a successful cooperative program.

CPNS offer parents many opportunities to become more aware of their child. Seeing your child in a group of peers helps parents to understand and to interpret behavior. Parents can become more at ease with the fact that a child does not always grow and change at a convenient pace or by a regular schedule. You will observe that each child is unique and special. Sharing time with other families at CPNS functions can help parents develop new ways of handling situations and solving problems at home. Parents can learn of new and enriching experiences for their children and can contribute ideas of their own for the benefit of other parents.

This family-centered program offers children an opportunity to grow socially, intellectually, and emotionally. The children can learn to make social contacts in groups-small and large, supervised and informal. They can learn to cooperate, to take turns, to share, to verbalize their feelings, learn appropriate behavior, and to respect the rights of other children.

They can learn to develop initiative and leadership and to respect themselves and others. Children can also develop open, happy relationships with other adults without becoming overly dependent on them.

At nursery school, children have a chance to explore the world around them through hands-on experience. A wide variety of materials and activities are provided for this propose: playground and climbing structures to define and exercise large muscles; puzzles and small toys to develop small muscles and coordination; blocks and housekeeping areas to provide occasions for replaying life situations; music, arts, and handicraft facilities to provide a base of aesthetic and cultural experience. In addition to all of this, there are special activities-cooking projects, science projects, field trips, interesting visitors, etc- to further broaden each child's range of experience.

Parents must give of their time, energy, and talents to make this cooperative program successful. In return, they will find that it is well worth the effort!