OUR MISSION

Our mission is to cultivate a community-centered, developmentally appropriate learning environment for young children through play, exploration and social interaction within the classroom and beyond.

 

We achieve our mission by working together as a community of families and teachers to operate all aspects of a state-licensed cooperative nursery school for children ages 3-5. Each child is considered as both an individual & part of a group as we guide learning through play, art, inquiry, exploration of the outdoors & of the wider community.

Our philosophy

Founded in 1975, The Children’s Nursery School is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organzation, non-denominational & all-inclusive nursery school administered by a group of parent(s)/guardian(s) interested in a developmental program for three to five year old children. 

Under the direction of the Lead Teacher, adults working in the classroom follow the State of Maine Department of Health and Human Services’ Rules for the Licensing of Nursery Schools and Developmental Best Practices established by NAEYC, along with information gleaned from the philosophies of the Reggio Emilia, Waldorf, and Montessori methods of teaching children.

We work to create an environment for our adults and children that focuses on the following:

  • Acknowledging our children’s feelings

  • Conflict resolution

  • Giving praise for creating a plan

  • Active cooperation

  • Building self-esteem when the child is in the moment

  • Encouraging autonomy by empowering children and allowing them to act like separate, capable, responsible individuals

  • Encouraging individuality and helping children find their own unique voice

  • Encouraging children to help one another

  • Encouraging inclusivity

  • Fostering a love of learning

Meet Our Teacher

“Children, Children, it’s time to…..”

If you visit The Children’s Nursery School you might hear this phrase being sung throughout our courtyard by a dynamic teaching team who absolutely love children. 

  • Resa has been caring for children for over 30 years. She joined CNS as a parent with her own two children in 2005, and served as the Co-Chair of the Board of Trustees before transitioning into the Assistant Teacher role in 2011. Since 2019, she has been our Lead Teacher, bringing a kind and calming presence into the classroom. She brings such joy to her teaching, allowing children to explore, create and discover in a safe and nurturing environment. Resa brings her extensive knowledge of American Sign Language, Spanish and music education to the CNS program.

    When she isn’t at CNS, Resa manages a busy Inn in Ocean Park, Maine. For fun, Resa and her two boys love to go skiing and indoor rock climbing. 

Every nonprofit organization is nothing without an incredible & dedicated Board of Directors. We at The Children’s Nursery School are grateful to have this wonderful team behind us to support our children.

Meet the board

  • Eliza and Tucker live in the Portland area with their three kiddos aged 15, 5 and 3, all of whom have attended CNS. Both parents work in the mental health field and Tucker spends many a day playing music at local Pre-K programs. Eliza and Tucker both cherish the community that CNS fosters, the ability to be part of the educational environment and CNS's emphasis on social/emotional growth.    

  • Rachel is the mom of a toddler named Miriam and a first grader named Oz. Rachel spends most of her time struggling for a world where everyone has what they need and contributes what they can with Maine People's Alliance. When she's not campaigning, you can find her breastfeeding, swimming at the Y, or walking in the woods. 

    Lev is a full-time parent to two young kiddos. When they're not parenting, they're helping other parents figure it out. Lev's approach as a parenting coach and educator is informed by lessons gleaned from their healing journey -- as a disabled, queer/nonbinary, and Jewish person whose ancestors fled from modern-day Poland and Ukraine.

  • Molly and her husband Mike live in South Portland with their three kids. Molly has worked in education and non-profit settings for over 10 years and has a background in operations and logistics, project management and creative problem-solving. She has loved watching her kids flourish at CNS, developing confidence, curiosity and lasting relationships. Molly loves the ocean, exploring the outdoors, designing spaces and spending time with her busy, Maine-loving family. 

  • Katie and Ben live with their two young children and sweet old cat in Portland. Prior to parenthood, Ben had a career in education and training and Katie worked in social services before transitioning to real estate over a decade ago. After the birth of their first child in 2020, Ben joined Katie in her real estate business and they work together to help people buy and sell homes in Greater Portland. Before joining the CNS community, Katie and Ben have each served on different local nonprofit boards over the years, including Birth Roots, Teens to Trails, and the Friends School of Portland. They feel so fortunate to now be a part of CNS where not only children thrive, but the whole family benefits from the Co-Op model and community.

BOARD MEMBERS | 2024-2025