Garden Nursery School

"2020 review: We started at GNS recently, but so far it’s been a great experience. The space is cozy, with plenty of natural light, and the teachers have been warm and friendly. Our son has fun every day he goes to school, and comes home excited to talk about what he’s done. He especially loves the daily dance parties! I also really like that GNS has a safe, dedicated, fenced outdoor space with plenty of toys and a sandbox. We appreciate that there are a variety of attendance options- 2, 3, or 5 day, as well as early/extended care (FYI: late pickup is at 3 pm, there is no 5 pm option). This works for our family, but might not make sense if parents work during typical business hours. Edit, three years after first review: Please note that this is a cooperative preschool. What this means is that your family will need to commit to joining the community and working in the school. For some families (ours) this is a pro- we made great friends here and loved being part of the community, but it requires a significant commitment in both time and energy, though it costs less than other programs. I personally loved the days I was parent helper and enjoyed getting to know my child’s classmates, but if you don’t like being around small children, this may not be a good fit. If you want to actively participate in your child’s education, and your schedule is flexible enough to allow you to do so, it’s wonderful. We had a great experience at GNS and ended up staying for 3 years! Although there was quite a bit of teacher turnover, this program was a good fit for our child as he grew in confidence and skills. I liked that the classroom was mixed ages and so he could take his turn as both one of the youngest and as an older “helper.”"

"We could have not asked for a warmer or more loving first nursery school experience for our daughter. She is thriving at school and brings new songs and stories home every day. We can't recommend GNS enough, particularly as a first experience to little ones given the small group size and family-like environment."

"Our daughter has thrived being a part of the GNS community. The teachers and staff are wonderful at fostering a kind, loving environment that fosters curiosity and relationships. A part-time preschool with 2, 3 and 5 day options has been a perfect fit for our family in the years leading up to kindergarten. I would highly recommend GNS!"

"Our daughter has been enrolled at GNS for about 6 months and we could not be happier with our experience so far.  She attends the two-day program and every day she wakes up asking if it is a school day because she can't wait to go back.  The facilities are bright, fun and extremely clean.  Our daughter especially loves the outdoor time and spends a lot of time in the sandbox and mud kitchen cooking up lots of creations. For my husband and I being able to be a part of the school and her education through the cooperative program has been amazing.  We've both done one day of parent helping so far this year and it was so fun to be able to see our daughter in her school environment and helped give us a better sense of what her days at preschool look like.  Finally, the teachers are absolutely amazing.  We love that they use an emerging play curriculum and are always so impressed with the activities they come up with for the kids."

"We are having such a wonderful experience at Garden Nursery School (GNS)! We love that GNS emphasizes social/emotional development and play! The teachers are exceptional and truly know all of the children. Our daughter is now in 2nd grade and still talks about her preschool teachers and the friends she made. GNS is the perfect first school experience, it gave our daughter the confidence and readiness to make the jump into elementary school. Our son is enrolled this year is having an amazing time! It is such a warm and welcoming environment. We highly recommend Garden Nursery school!"