The Methodist Nursery School, 1089 Fairfield Woods Road, is a church-sponsored but non-sectarian preschool that started in 1959. The school is operated as a community outreach effort by Grace United Methodist Church and maintains an open admissions policy.
The nursery school believes that children learn best by making their own discoveries through interacting with their physical and social environment. The school says it provides a place where children can grow, at their own pace, through the use of a variety of materials, creative and dramatic play and interaction with their peers and teachers.
The school says its goals are to help children foster a positive self-concept; respect other people; develop the power to think by learning through discovery; acquire skills, concepts and competences; develop interests and learn to use leisure time well; and grow in self-direction, independence and the ability to cope with change.
Activities include arts and crafts, costumes, day trips, free play, games, gross motor equipment, manipulative toys, a music period, nature study, outdoor play, play apparatus, puppets, puzzles, a rest period, snack, story hour, tape recorders and players and dramatic play.
Tuition in 2009-10 was $2,200 for 3-year-olds who attend two days a week; $3,000 for 3-year-olds who attend three days a week; $3,200 for 4-year-olds who attend three days a week; $3,600 for 4-year-olds who attend four days a week; and $4,950 for 4- and 5-year-olds who attend prekindergarten Monday through Friday.
The nursery school holds parent-teacher conferences, parent coffees and parent evenings, and parents may visit during the day.
The nursery school also offers summer camps for children from 3.5 years old through 6 years old in June and July.