Suburban Nursery School

POSITIVE PLAY - THE BUSINESS OF SUBURBAN

Parental participation is the foundation of our co-operative nursery school. At Suburban, parents, teachers and children learn and play together. Parents are an integral part of Suburban. Parents, through their roles as aides in the classroom and volunteers on the Board and various committees, provide a stable, nurturing, supportive school environment.

We, at Suburban Nursery School, believe that each child is special and unique. They grow, change and mature along a developmental continuum in patterns that are as different as their little thumbprints. At SNS, we strive to provide opportunities for them to develop fully; each, at his or her own individual pace.

At Suburban Nursery School, we believe that children learn through play. We believe that when children experience a multitude of rich sensory materials, their conceptual understandings will expand. We provide age appropriate materials and activities to help the children explore and expand their world through child-initiated, teacher-supported play.

We offer the children an atmosphere that encourages self-discovery and motivates active thinking and positive interactions. The children are encouraged to express themselves in appropriate ways. They also have many opportunities to learn to respect the rights of others and thus develop a sense of responsibility for themselves and their friends.

The goals of Suburban Nursery School are to help children develop social, physical, cognitive and emotional skills as well as encourage their creative expression. These skills will serve them well as they enter the more structured and academically oriented environment of elementary school.

The Yellowbird, Bluebird and Redbird classes naturally differ from one another. The children progress through each successive class, building on the experiences and skills that help prepare them for the transition to kindergarten.

Most importantly, we want the children to have fun. Suburban Nursery School is a safe, friendly place in which they will grow and develop. We want them to move from class to class and finally to kindergarten with optimism and confidence with regard to themselves and the world around them.

We welcome you to join us in the wonderful world of play at Suburban Nursery School.

Fran Warthen
Director and Bluebird Teacher
Suburban Nursery School

Suburban Nursery School focuses on the development of all aspects of a child: intellectual, physical, emotional and social. Our teachers strive to instill in all students a respect for others, empathy, an understanding that learning is more productive and fun when everyone participates, and a sense of community obligation. For many years, Suburban Nursery School has received informal feedback from educators in the area that our graduates come prepared and ready to learn in kindergarten and excel in the transition to the highly structured and rigorous curriculum typical in both public and private school kindergarten classes. Validating the approach taken by our teachers, many area schools have formally recognized our students as leaders who demonstrate strong character and moral leadership.

In recent years, Suburban Nursery School graduates have been awarded:

  • Bannockburn Elementary School's Character Award for "Demonstrating Moral Courage, Responsibility and Caring"
  • Westbrook Elementary School's "Community of Caring" award for the student who best demonstrates five core values: caring, respect, trust, responsibility and family
  • Bradley Hills' Golden Whale Award for demonstrating respect for the school's Pillar of Ethics guidelines
  • Rosemary Hills Elementary School's Good Sport Award, for being a good classmate
  • Carderock Springs Elementary School's recognition for students who demonstrate the Pillar of Ethics each month such as kindness, good citizenship, and thinking of others.

    • Parent Alumni Testimonials for SNS:

  • "In 5th grade, our daughter was appointed Captain of the 75 member safety patrol at our school. I truly believe that her ability to work out problems between students, communicate rules in a thoughtful and non-threatening way and demonstrated leadership began with her first education at Suburban Nursery School. At Suburban, the teachers' approach to both academic and social skills is outstanding, one-on-one and presented in a way that kids can easily absorb and take with them on their path to greater things! They really taught my daughter to be accepting of other people and respect our differences."

  • "I have two children who had the benefit of a Suburban Nursery School education and they are some of the best readers around. They will sit on the couch for hours reading. I visit the library once a week and bring home a ridiculous amount of books. I truly believe their love of reading was developed at Suburban Nursery School where the books the teachers read to the children are so carefully chosen for their ability to bring words to life. Whether they were large books or books with incredible illustrations, they were presented to the children in a way that catches their interest and makes them want to explore the world of reading on their own."

  • "My third grader is thoughtful, kind and considerate. She is the first to negotiate or problem solve a solution to a sticky social situation. Her ability to achieve this level of consideration for others stems from the early education she received at Suburban Nursery School where she learned the appropriate way to treat others in social situation as well as to be accepting and respectful of the world?s differences."

  • "One thing that sticks out in my mind so clearly is how Suburban Nursery School inspires creativity. There is nothing cookie-cutter about this school. The children are taught to create and come up with ideas on their own. Whether it is their version of a snowman or their version of how to problem solve their way out of a challenging social situation, they are taught to create and form their own opinions in a way that is truly their creation."