Garden City Nursery School is a before or after school daycare daycare located at 50 Cherry Valley Ave., Garden City, New York NY. Find contact info, location details, and similar daycares nearby.
What Parents Say
Parents consistently praise Garden City Nursery School as a nurturing, play-based learning environment with highly qualified NYS-certified teachers. The cooperative model fosters a strong sense of community among families, and children consistently show strong academic and social-emotional readiness for kindergarten. Multiple families report their children thrive at the school and form lasting friendships.
Unqualified, unenthusiastic teachers. Incompetent administration. Rundown building and outdated resources. What you see on tour is not what you get behind closed doors. Do not send your children here
Our experience at GCNS has been nothing short of magical! My daughter just graduated this past May, and my son is currently enrolled in Nursery (3s). As my children are/were in different classrooms, we have had the pleasure of being taught by all teachers at the school. I can tell you each and every one is intelligent, kind, and fun! The play based curriculum and NYS certified teachers are what drew us to the school, but it’s the staff, and warm, loving, coop community that kept us there. My daughter is doing beautifully in Kindergarten, as she was fully prepared not only academically but emotionally as well. The only tears shed have been at graduation when both she and I came to the realization that she would be leaving the shelter of this special little school and her beloved teachers and friends! My son jumps at the chance to go to school each day! He is greeted with the biggest hello and cheer as he walks in. The teachers make special acknowledgement of each child, whether it be pointing out the safety vest he decided to sport that day he was hoping they would notice, or just by telling them how happy they are to have them in class that day. I could go in and on. We love this school with all our hearts, and are so lucky our children have this foundation to build on!
Our family was so disappointed by our experience at this school. We, like most parents, went into it with so much excitement for our child's first year of school. Sadly, we spent most of our child's days there feeling anxious, on edge, tense, and upset - not exactly the joyful and fun first school experience we had in mind. Their lack of warmth and compassion was matched only by their lack of skill in handling the varied needs of children. Our child is now at a different school and is thriving in every way - socially with friends, emotionally with self-regulation, academically with the curriculum, and so on. We have seen such a beautiful and peaceful difference since we switched schools. It has been both eye-opening and refreshing to see what a difference the right teachers/administration can make for a child's potential. GCNS should take notes on how easy it is to connect with children when you combine skill, kindness, and a genuine love for kids. I strongly advise prospective parents to explore other options.
GCNS is truly a magical and nurturing place. My oldest son graduated from their Pre-K program last spring and my 2 little boys are currently enrolled in the Nursery and Playgroup programs. Heading into Kindergarten I was incredibly nervous for my son, but his readiness coming out of the nursery school blew me away. He's young for his grade but is already a leader in his K class where the other students "look up to him". He leads on and off the playground always with a curious approach that he learned from the GCNS play based education style. He knew his letters, sounds, numbers, how to write and count. All this he learned via connection to real life at the Nursery school where they would write "letters" to their friends, or learn their addresses and phone numbers. He's currently thriving in K. I also cannot speak more highly to the Playgroup and Nursery programs. The kids come in as babies...and not only learn how to socialize but also how to gain fine and gross motor learning skills--all through play. They are happy and safe and comfortable there and that is a credit to the warm and engaging teachers and staff. Each class has at least 3 teachers present with at least one licensed in education. They all have amazing backgrounds from different careers--lending to balance in the children's education. I find myself going to the teachers and the director on a regular basis for all sorts of education and child rearing advice. What makes GCNS so special is that it is a cooperative. All parents have to participate. You get to spend time with your child and his/her friends in the classroom--a truly unique experience and you get to grow together. I already can see what I hope are lifelong friendships forming for my children. But maybe equally important, as a parent, I have made some of my closest adult friendships as well. The community that is fostered here is of inclusivity. My family could not be happier and will miss it when my 6 years are up!
My three children have attended Garden City Nursery School. It has been a transformative experience for each of them. Their emphasis on play based learning allowed for them each to grow and expand in ways a typical classroom setting would not have. The staff is intentional in how they speak and engage with children furthering the benefits of the GCNS program. As a cooperative, GCNS creates a strong community amongst the families of those who attend. It’s a very special place to be a part of.