Hastings Nursery School "The Co-op"
Center in Hastings On Hudson, NY 10706
Hastings Nursery School familiarly known as the Co-op has always been run by parents with heavy input from the Directors and has always involved parents both in and out of the classroom. We now have more than 40 students and four classes that span three age groups.
The Co-op was started in 1968 by a small group of local parents holding classes at Hastings Grace Church. Since 1977 the school has been based at the First Unitarian Society of Westchester on Old Jackson Avenue. The building has a Hastings post office address but is actually part of the unincorporated section of Greenburgh and is under that towns jurisdiction.
The school was incorporated in 1972 as an educational nonprofit non-sectarian parent cooperative. It is chartered by the New York State Department of Education and is governed according to a set of bylaws that outline the conditions for membership the responsibilities of the staff the make-up and operation of the parent board and other matters related to the schools operation.
Hastings Nursery School does not discriminate on the basis of race color or national or ethnic origin in administration of its educational or admissions policies scholarship or loan opportunities or other school-administered programs.
This facility has limited authorization to administer medications restricted to circumstances associated with ADA compliance
- Child Ages:
- 2 years - 4 years
- Licenses & Accreditations:
- New York State Office of Children & Family Services - New York State Department of Education
- Hours of Operation:
- 8:45 am 11:30 am.
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Hastings Nursery School seeks to promote the social emotional physical and cognitive development of young children. Its staff and board believe that the real work of a preschooler is play and exploration. Consequently the school offers a rich environment of activities each day that allows children to develop social and emotional skills fine and gross motor skills a sense of the world around them creativity the ability to listen to others and to express themselves. These activities including special arts and crafts projects focus on the process rather than the finished project.
Activities such as molding clay between fingers exploring weight and balance with wood blocks investigating color and line while painting and creating and acting out stories with costumes and props are all important learning activities for preschoolers.
The nursery schools staff and board believe that young children are natural learners. The school provides a rich and comfortable environment where children can interact with a professional and caring staff and can seek out enjoyable opportunities for learning.
We offer your child…
Excellent ratio & dedicated staff
Co-directors Cindy Nibur and Irene Wemer share almost 40 years of teaching experience; and Irene the Educational Director holds dual Masters degrees in childhood and special education. Our staff consists of highly-experienced teachers and assistants with the additional presence of a parent on site most days. The adult-child ratio in the twos classes is 1-to-5; in the threes it is either 1-to-4 or 1-to-5 depending on the room; in the fours it is 1-to-8.
Affirmation of individuality
Every child is a unique blend of physical social emotional and intellectual abilities. With that in mind we strive to make school a place where everyone can feel respected and encouraged. Our first goal is to get to know the children individually so that we can then help them to build a healthy self-image within a framework of respect for others. Children are supported in finding positive ways to communicate their needs and ideas. Artwork family photos and other personal materials are on display throughout the year reinforcing the diverse personalities of our students as well each persons importance to the group.
Inclusive classroom community
We encourage children to understand and accept each other to work together and build friendships. The classrooms are lively productive spaces that provide opportunities to participate in both small and large groups. Cooperative activities are a part of each school day not only when making art projects or sitting together at circle-time but also when putting away toys or washing up before snack. Pretend play such as dress-up and housekeeping enable children to explore family and community roles. Holiday celebrations and other collective events foster a sense of the school as a whole.
Developmental stimulation
Children have an innate desire to learn and our program offers them a variety of challenging activities. Our curriculum emphasizes phonemic awareness social competence and conflict resolution skills. Learning units range from the seasons colors and emotions to plant and ocean life the human body recycling and modern art. Building counting games and puzzles develop problem-solving and social skills. Process-oriented art projects hands-on cooking sessions and lots of sand and water play all expand sensory experience and fine motor development. We also maintain a spacious private playground where the children go out each day except in inclement weather.
Enrichment opportunities
Our enrichment program is designed to help children expand their knowledge of themselves and the world. A professionally trained music teacher brings out their natural love for music through song movement finger play and the use of instruments. An animal naturalist leads hands-on demonstrations for children to learn about live animals and their habitats. Community professionals such as dentists helicopter rescue pilots and firefighters visit the classrooms and share their expertise. We make a number of field trips to explore our community from a local pumpkin farm and bakery to the Neuberger Museum and Carnegie Hall. Our program also introduces an appreciation for multi-cultural experiences by celebrating a spectrum of world holidays.
We offer our parents…
Participation in school life
The participation of parents is essential to the quality of our program as well as to the sense of community that our children enjoy. As part of a cooperative the basic requirements are that each family provide snack and supervision approximately four mornings a year; serve on a committee (such as Enrichment Publicity or Special Events); participate in one maintenance workshop; and fill a post at the spring fair. Board positions are available for those seeking more involvement as well as less formal occasions during the school year.
Access to the classroom experience
Parents and teachers enjoy an ongoing dialog with each other and there is always easy access to co-directors Cindy Nibur and Irene Wemer. In addition to two scheduled conferences there are opportunities for further discussion either informally or by appointment. You are encouraged to ask questions about your childs day at school and will receive many spontaneous updates at drop-off and pick-up times. Field trips and class celebrations take place with parental participation. Moreover our parent-of-the-day program ensures that you can learn about your childs classroom experience first-hand on the days that you bring in school snack.
Community for parents
Nursery school isnt just for children. Its also a place for parents to share experiences and ideas with other parents and form lasting relationships. We sponsor talks with professionals on child development and related subjects provide an informative bulletin board and circulate a regular newsletter. Potluck dinners an annual auction and other social occasions provide more ways for parents to get to know each other. By the time we reach the end-of year party and fours graduation it is our hope that the Co-op has come to feel like a second home for everyone.
