[ Philosophy | Curriculum ]

School History & Organization
Huguenot Nursery School was founded in 1992 by Huguenot Memorial Church. Its purpose is to provide a quality nursery school program for Pelham and its surrounding communities.

Huguenot Nursery School is a private, non-profit preschool. The school is non-sectarian and we welcome families of all backgrounds and cultures. Huguenot Nursery School is licensed by the New York State office of Children and Family Services.

Huguenot Terrific Twos provides half-day programs for two year old children. Two year olds may enroll in the two day program or the three day program. The two year old programs have a maximum of 8 children, one qualified lead teacher and one assistant.

Huguenot Nursery School provides half day and full day programs for three and four year olds. Three year olds may enroll either three or five days a week, and four year olds attend five days a week. The three and four year old class has a maximum of 14 children, one qualified lead teacher and an assistant teacher.

Although the school welcomes all, priority will be given to members of Huguenot Memorial Church and siblings of children with prior attendance.

The school is governed by a Board of Managers, which includes the nursery school Director, the Minister, two members of the church’s governing Session, at least one other church member and at least two parents.
Parents can become formally involved in Huguenot Nursery School by serving on the Parent’s Committee, which functions as a sub-committee of the Board of Managers.

Philosophy of the Program
The philosophy of a school largely influences the types of activities and the curriculum that will be present in the school. Therefore it is imperative that parents become familiar with the philosophy behind the school in order to understand the focus of the program.

Faculty at Huguenot Nursery School feels that the program should focus on the development of the whole child. In order to do this, we look at the cognitive, physical, emotional and social development of each child. Our philosophy is largely based on the work of Erikson and Piaget; therefore we believe that children develop sequentially from one stage of development to another. Because of this, we feel that children must be provided with opportunities that will challenge them and aid their progression from one stage to the next. We also believe that children construct knowledge through experience; therefore, our program will provide children with a large variety of activities that will allow for success and encourage advancement in all areas of development.

In addition, we feel that, in order for children to grow, they need to exist in a setting that meets their basic needs. Therefore, it is our utmost concern that our program provides a nurturing, comfortable environment that is specifically structured to meet the physical, emotional and developmental needs of each individual child. In order to do this, it is imperative that we individualize our program to meet each child's specific growth needs. Last, we feel it is most important that we work closely with the families in order to secure an environment that is most beneficial to the child.

As a nonsectarian nursery school sponsored by Huguenot Presbyterian Church, we honor our Judeo-Christian heritage in modest ways that children can understand: a prayer of thanks before snack, some songs which recognize God as a presence in our lives, and, above all, a curriculum that stresses dignity and respect for everyone and care for one another. During the year we hold several brief services in our chapel, where the children gather informally to sing and participate in “church chats” with our pastor on subjects such as love and friendship, nature, and seasonal events. Services may include a prayer, a verse of scripture, or a simple parable. Parents are always welcome to join us.

In sum, Huguenot Nursery School is committed to provide:

• an atmosphere of love in which children have no cause for timidity and in which they are treated with courtesy and tenderness;
• an atmosphere of patience, allowing unhurried responses to children’s natural inquisitiveness;
• learning opportunities designed to promote physical, cognitive, emotional, social, and spiritual growth;
• an environment free of racial or sex-role bias, stereotype, or prejudice;
• an atmosphere of warm and active cooperation between parents and teachers.

Curriculum
Our activities and room structure reflect our philosophy. Just as the social, emotional and cognitive development of a child overlaps and intertwines, so do the activities and arrangement of the room. The children move freely throughout the room and may use the materials to meet their needs. Respect for each other and the environment is always stressed.

Preschoolers are usually most responsive to activities in which they are involved in a "hands on" manner. Our teachers accept that and design their classroom spaces with learning centers at which children can freely choose whether to participate or not and for how long. We rotate and add materials frequently to maintain and extend the child's interest. Young children learn best when teachers build on the interests and abilities of the children. This reflects the currently recognized theory which endorses non- pressured, child-centered activities guided by an adult with a solid child development base.

The preschool curriculum includes activities centering on communication, science, math, social studies, music, art, and large and small muscle development. Dramatic play opportunities reinforce learning of practical life experiences. A music class with a trained music specialist is offered to the children once a week, and a story teller meets with the children four to five times a year.

Click a button to view examples of activities that fulfill each area and teach curriculum skills.

Literacy/Language Development Science Math Social Studies Writing Skills Creative Arts Social Skills Self Help Skills Physical Skills