About Us - The Harpswell Community Nursery School

The HCNS was founded in the fall of 2003 by Elizabeth Davis, who saw the need for a high quality, center-based preschool serving Harpswell children. The school is licensed by the Maine Department of Human Services. The Nursery School Committee, made up of the school director and representatives from Kellogg and the Harpswell community, manages the financial stability of the school. The teachers and director plan the curriculum on a monthly basis. Curriculum is based on children's emerging interests. While the staff teach children values of kindness, respect and service to others, the curriculum is not based in, nor does it adhere to, specific religious teachings.

Our 1:6 teacher to student

ratio allows us to provide

lots of individual attention.

The mission of the Harpswell Community Nursery School is to provide a high quality early childhood education program that emphasizes developmental learning, social relationships, family involvement, and care for the environment. Guided by the values of inclusion and equity, the school aims to serve a diverse population in terms of socioeconomic status, cultural background and ability levels.

Respect for children as well as for other staff and parents guides our practice.

We believe that young children are capable of self-initiative and deep engagement with materials and ideas.

We believe in the Social Constructivist view that children learn by doing and through relationships with other children and adults.

We believe that children learn through a variety of different modalities---Howard Gardner's "multiple intelligences"---and represent their knowledge through many different "languages", such as drawings, sculpture, writing, painting, construction, drama, and music.

We believe that the teacher's main roles are those of listener, observer, researcher, and guide. We believe that teachers must be committed to reflection about their own teaching and learning.

We believe that team teaching is a cornerstone of quality early childhood education.

We believe that children who play and work with the same teachers and classmates for multiple years take their learnings to greater heights and depths.

We believe that a strong family and school partnership is essential for children's optimal growth and development.

We believe that diversity among people leads to richness of experience, and that people from diferent cultures and backgrounds should be treated equally and fairly.

We believe that school should be a place where everyone---children and adults alike---feels welcomed, safe and nurtured.