Our Philosophy
The Nest strives to cultivate a fun and nurturing environment for little ones to grow and learn. For many children this may be their first experience away from their families. Therefore we do everything we can to ease the transition into the school setting for parents and students alike.
Toddlers are innately curious and deeply porous and aware of their environment, so the teachers in the Nest strive to offer many opportunities for them to develop and strengthen their five senses. We provide multiple platforms for your children to learn through play and exploration across the early childhood disciplines including art, math, and literacy. A variety of toys, tools, and materials are consciously chosen to allow students to experience the world around them. Process-based activities are integral to a child’s growing mind, and we aim to foster these opportunities daily. We also use a great deal of movement and music in our room, as we know this comes naturally to young children and supports learning through the use of rhythm, rhyme, and melody.
Social and emotional growth is the most important goal for our Nest students. The entire CNS team believes that play fosters learning. Playing among peers starts in the Nest, where we model the shift from parallel play to interactive play with positive language and polite transitional statements. When children can communicate with one another kindly they can achieve anything!
Our Daily Schedule
- 8:30 - 9:00 EARLY DROP-OFF (optional), Set-up Helpers and Free Play Time
- 9:00 ARRIVAL and SIGN-IN
- 9:00 - 9:40 FREE CHOICE TIME with teacher-guided arts/fine motor: exploratory process-based art, cooking activities, gross motor play
- 9:40 - 9:50 CLEAN-UP TIME: Teachers will model sorting and putting away toys in bins
- 9:50 - 10:00 DIAPER CHECK/CHANGE and BATHROOM BREAK 1
- 10:00 - 10:15 CIRCLE TIME: Hello Songs; mini-lesson, stretch and yoga, occasionally story/song
- 10:15 - 10:45 OUTDOOR/GROSS MOTOR PLAY (Bike room for rainy and really cold weather)
- 10:45 - 11:00: BATHROOM BREAK 2 and HANDWASHING
- 11:00 - 11:15: SNACK TIME: (opportunity for positive/polite statements and new food sampling)
- 11:15 - 11:35: SENSORY TABLE TIME/ACTIVITY CENTRALIZED ART: monitored and guided for safety/ Diaper check/change 2
- 11:35 - 11:50: MUSIC/MOVEMENT/STORY: We'll incorporate movement, dancing, and music every day and eventually non-competitive games; if the children are calmer we may read a story in lieu of gross motor play
- 11:50 - 12:00: GOODBYE MEETING AND FREE PLAY
- 12:00: PICK-UP TIME AND SIGN OUT (Children line up and teachers let you inside to greet them! They’ll feel so proud!)
- 12:00 - 1:00 LUNCH BUNCH (optional)
