Our Approach
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Suburban Nursery School is a cooperative preschool for 2, 3, and 4-year olds located in Bethesda, Maryland that has been in operation for over fifty years.
As a cooperative nursery school, we give parents the unique opportunity to be part of their child’s first school experience. Having parent involvement, both in and outside the classroom, fosters a close-knit community that benefits our children, parents and their families. We are mindful, however, that parents today have more and more constraints on their time that may make joining a cooperative preschool seem daunting. With that in mind, we do offer a range of co-oping options. For more on the options available and the duties of a co-oping parent, please see Co-op Options.
Our school’s hours of operation are 9:30 am to 12:15 pm. Classes are held from September to June. Each day has a consistent schedule that includes an emphasis on play-based, experiential learning and outdoor play on our unparalleled outdoor space. SNS is also licensed by the Montgomery County Office of Child Care as a School, meaning we follow detailed, specific guidelines to ensure health, safety, and preparedness in our classes, and quality in our teaching staff and curriculum.
In addition, SNS offers a non-co-op afternoon enrichment program, as well as sibling care for the parents while they co-op in the morning. For more details about our program, please see Curriculum.
We welcome you to join our wonderful world of play at Suburban Nursery School!
Our Philosophy
At Suburban Nursery School, we believe:
Children Learn Best Through Play
We believe that children learn best when they play and have fun. That’s why our teachers encourage self-discovery and experiential learning. And why our classrooms are stocked with materials that invite exploration, fire the imagination, require initiative and prompt collaboration.
Preschool Should Be About Whole-Child Development
At SNS, our focus is not only intellectual development but also physical, emotional and social development. Our teachers instill a respect for others, empathy, and a sense of community. These skills will serve them well as they enter the more structured and academically-oriented environment of elementary school.
Parents Should Be Active Participants in Early Education
At SNS, parents, teachers and children learn and play together. This creates a strong sense of community for students and families alike.
Each Child is Special and Unique
Children grow, change and mature along a developmental continuum in patterns that are as different as their little thumbprints. We strive to provide opportunities for them to develop fully; each, at his or her own individual pace.
Why Co-op
At Suburban Nursery School our belief is that everyone benefits from our cooperative environment:
Parents
Parents gain insight into their own child’s behavior by observing other children. They strengthen their parenting skills by seeing how teachers and other parents work constructively with children in various situations. As a result, parents gain greater understanding and enjoyment of their own children through active participation in the classroom.
Children
While sharing their first school experience with their parents, children learn to interact comfortably with other adults and children. Parents also set an example of service in their community by sharing work and responsibilities at SNS.
Community
Co-oping fosters a strong sense of community that benefits both parents and children. While sharing classroom activities and operational duties, our families at SNS form bonds and often develop friendships that last well beyond their time here.
While the parental duties inside and outside the classroom make cooperative preschools a difficult undertaking for some, our families almost all agree that the rewards of co-oping – to parents, families and most importantly, our preschoolers – vastly outweigh the commitment co-oping entails. We find that the more involved our parents are, the better their children’s preschool experience. We all benefit from taking an active role in this dynamic environment!
For more information about parent responsibilities, please visit Co-op Options and review our Co-oping Agreement.
What Our Families are Saying
