Watertown Cooperative Nursery School

This is my son's first year at WCNS. We love it here! The teachers are so kind, nurturing and attentive. We love the coop model of being involved in the school and look forward to parent help days. The space, both indoor and outdoor is great and allows children enough room to explore all types of activities throughout the day. We highly recommend this school and look forward to sending our younger son in future years.

can not stress how wonderful this school is. We left another preschool that just wasn't a good fit for our daughter, and had decided on a nanny since the experience left her really opposed to the idea of school. I read an amazing review of Watertown Cooperative Nursery School on my town's parent email list and decided to at least give them a visit. I had been hesitant to try a Co-op because I just didn't think I had the time. I work full time, have three kids, a pile of pets, and also co-own a start-up. I simply didn't think I had enough hours to commit to a Co-op school. During our visit, I completely fell in love with WCNS - the director and teachers were just so warm and kind and the atmosphere was incredible. So, I decided to bite the bullet and we signed up. My 4 year old is thriving there - she was so nervous about going to another preschool and having another bad experience that I didn't know what to expect - tears every morning at drop off? Tears the night before in anticipation of school the next day? She did a camp during the summer and made friends fast, and once she started school, she was off and running. She's so happy, and it's been a HUGE relief to us to have her enjoying herself. She talks about her school and her teachers and her friends constantly. They foster a love of learning that is rarely seen, an easy-going, calm, thoughtful atmosphere. They listen to the kids, and they treat them with respect and dignity instead of a group to be controlled and tamed, and the kids are so responsive! Such a fantastic thing to watch. My daughter gives me a hug and a kiss in the morning and races off with her friends with a huge smile on her face. I never thought I'd see the day! There are fabulous toys and play sets and play "stations" that rotate frequently; it's very clean, in a very large, lovely, remodeled space with a nice big shady playground. As for the time spent by parents? It's really reasonable and not an issue. I absolutely love my brief time in the classroom each month, the kids have so much fun and it really makes the school feel like a big family. My daughter knows all the "parent helpers" and LOVES the days I get to spend at her school. Getting to know each child is so special, and it's evidenced that we're not the only ones that feel that way, because so many kids come back and say hi after they start grade school - and so many parents with older kids are still involved in various aspects of the school. It's a wonderful, amazing place, and I am so grateful to have found them. My only regret is not finding them sooner, as we will only have one year with them before starting kindergarten! We are truly at home here.

This is my son's first year at WCNS, and it is such a loving, supportive environment! More like a big family. With two children under 4, I feel that I have toured so many of the preschools and childcare facilities in the area, and very few even come close to the wonderful feeling you get walking into WCNS. I get excited for my son to go to preschool every day! We were unsure about the co-op model, but now I can't imagine going any other way. My husband and I alternate taking the morning off to parent-help, and we both love it. It gives us a first-row seat to what our son is experiencing every day and he loves showing us his school. He looks forward to our parent-help days. We get to know all his friends and the other children in the program. They have such interesting "units." My favorite was the machine unit, where they learned about pulleys, manual drills, and all sorts of mechanics with hands-on play. They rotate out the activities every day so that it is never overwhelming and always interesting. My son drags me in every day to see "what toys are out today." I have a younger son and can't wait to send him here when he is old enough!

WCNS is just the preschool I imagined for my first child and more. The teachers and facilities make the whole environment welcoming and nurturing. My son was immediately comfortable at the school and looks forward to going every day, even crying one time when we thought he'd have to stay home sick. Their play based curriculum is impressive, fostering a natural interest in learning. They rotate toys for self directive play daily to keep things interesting without being over stimulating, even outside! There are wonderful units, like the book illustrating and writing unit. It is heart warming to see my son beam with pride when we read his books at home. There are always craft options with the process being the focus rather then the product. Outdoor play is very important at WCNS and their ample, shady playground has a lot of fun fixtures with things like seasonal toys and sensory tables and outdoor crafts brought out too! Everyone loves the professional musician who regularly visits too! They also introduce writing through the Writing Without Tears method. I love seeing my son be excited over starting to write at his pace. The cooperative model is fun! Being almost like a fly on the wall is so special and really gives me confidence in my son's experience. One time I had to switch parent helping days and easily found someone to switch with me. I'm co-chairing a committee this year and there's always parents volunteering to pitch in to balance out the work load! I toured many preschools and just felt eh about them. But really loved WCNS every time I visited and was so excited that my son has the opportunity to go there! Take a tour to see for yourself!

My son is in his first year at WCNS, and I could not be happier. I was nervous about him going from one day a week of daycare to 5 mornings a week at school but he barely looks up when I leave in the mornings. As a teacher myself, I was very detailed in my search of preschools and looked at many in surrounding towns. In the end, I chose WCNS because of the warmth and creativity of the teachers, the truly play-based model (the kids have a lot of choice and spend an hour a day outside) and the co-op model. I am thrilled with the choice we made.