About Us
Princeton Nursery School (PNS) is an educational preschool and child care facility for children between the ages of 2 1/2 and 5 years. Located at 78 Leigh Avenue , PNS is nestled in the heart of the John Witherspoon community of Princeton, Mercer County, NJ.
Celebrating 80 years of service to the community, it is the mission of Princeton Nursery School to maintain a program of quality preschool education and child care. We seek especially to serve families in need, providing a multicultural environment and a broad array of educational services. Each classroom has a certified head teacher who is qualified in Early Childhood Education and two assistants. There is Spanish speaking staff in both classes.
Our History
Founded by Margaret Matthews-Flinsch in 1929, PNS has been laying the groundwork for brighter futures for children and families by offering affordable child care and an excellent preschool experience for eight decades. Originally conceived to help working mothers who had to make a choice between the income they so desperately needed and the care of their children during working hours, PNS was unique at its inception.
Following the philosophy of Dr. Maria Montessori, PNS provided the children of working mothers with an appropriate educational experience—encouraging development of the whole child.
Today, an Executive Director is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the school. Certified teachers support the development of the whole child. The governance and control of the property and affairs, as well as the direction of the school is vested in a Board of Trustees. It remains affordable for families, with a sliding-scale tuition based on income and family size.
Multicultural from its inception, our diverse student population reflects the community of which we are proud to be a part. As we celebrate 80 years of service to the community, we remain committed to the “life of the imagination” that was and still is a fundamental belief of Margaret Matthews Flinsch.
Curriculum
The PNS curriculum—High Scope—is based on the belief that children learn best through active experiences with people, materials, events and ideas, rather than through direct teaching or sequenced exercises. It is designed to support each and every child in developing social and academic self-confidence and readiness.
Our goal is to ensure that children who attend PNS are on a level playing field with their peers when they enter elementary school.
We provide a variety of classroom and field trip activities that foster development of the well-rounded child .
Our program is accredited by the NAEYC Academy for Early Childhood Program Accreditation.
Our Partners
Throughout the history of PNS, building strong families has been a central theme. To that end, we work hand-in-hand with the parents and with community organizations. We collaborate with the following agencies:
Trinity Counseling: Provides an on-site psychologist who works with the children and staff and is available to provide counseling for parents and children. Trinity Counseling also provides workshops for staff.
Arts Council of Princeton: Provides weekly art instruction to our students. They offer opportunities for children to experience theater and other productions and reach out to our families in an effort to include them in their family events.
Music Together: Weekly music lessons are provided to all the children.
Business partners include PNC Bank, J&J Consumer Products and the Rotary Club of Princeton.
Location:
78 Leigh Avenue
Princeton, NJ 08542
Hours:
Mon - Fri: 7:30AM - 5:30PM
