Our Philosophy

At Sierra Madre Community Nursery School, we seek to meet the needs, abilities and interests of each child through play experiences. Play is the primary way children explore, experiment, discover, invent, create and learn about the world. We see play as an essential medium for developmental learning, as well as the foundation for later academic learning. Because we recognize that play contributes to all types of learning, including physical, social, emotional and intellectual, we have created an environment which allows us to structure a program based on play. Our program stresses freedom with limits. It offers a time and a place for children (and adults) to solve problems and to make choices and decisions about activities, participation and social relationships. Within that structure, the program is flexible. It meets the pace, needs, abilities and interests of each child as well as the group as a whole, with the ability to change and adapt as the day and year progresses.

Our program is family-oriented. Our objectives include providing the most favorable environment possible for the growth and development of young children, and for the learning of their parents and families. We believe young children can benefit to the utmost when parents and staff work together.

One of the most outstanding nursery schools in the country, Sierra Madre Community Nursery School has been recognized far and wide for the excellence of its program. Our handbook, Nurturing Human Growth, is regularly used by colleges to train teachers of young children. We ascribe to the recommendations of NAEYC, the National Association for the Education of Young Children, and have been accredited by that organization.