We are pleased to offer a Community Playgroup to better serve families in the Sound Shore towns and villages who may want or need more socialized play opportunities for their children or more well-planned, well-staffed child care opportunities. Our Community Playgroup provides supervised group play for even your youngest preschoolers from 18 months and up. Spacious classrooms are full of play opportunities: age-appropriate toys; an abundance of art materials; kitchen corners; dress-up props; sensory table play; and books for the children to enjoy. The Large Motor Room features climbing toys, balls, parachute play and ride-on toys. Activities include seasonal arts and crafts projects, story time and snack time. 

Eligibility: Our Community Playgroup is geared to children ages 18 months to 3 years.

Schedule: Community Playgroup meets five days a week: Monday through Friday mornings and afternoons. Children can attend anywhere from one to five half-day sessions per week, depending on your needs. You choose which day(s) of the week to send your child. Groups meet for 2 ½ hours and enjoy a snack.

Staff: Each class is staffed by a head caregiver and one or two assistants, depending on class size and ages of children. We meet national adult/child ratio recommendations. Many of our caregivers are early childhood specialists; all have a great deal of experience with this program. A full time Assistant Director is on site. Community Playgroup has no Parent Participation component.

Facility: Our Playgroups meet in the education building of St. John’s Lutheran Church on Fenimore Road . Playgroup is a tenant of the Church and has no religious affiliation. Two bright and cheerful classrooms are reserved for our Playgroups. We also have access to a kitchen, where supervised cooking takes place, as well as a Large Motor Room where children can play no matter what the weather.

Snack: Snack time is an important part of our day both nutritionally and socially. Playgroup will supply a simple snack Our policy requires that all snacks be healthy; we also ban foods and food products that could cause life-threatening allergic reactions in our students.

Developmental Issues:

Separation: For many children in the Community Playgroup especially the younger children, this will be their first regular activity away from home and parents. For these children almost everything will be “new”: the teacher, the children, the surroundings, the equipment, the routines. All of the children will need the support and understanding of their parents. But some will need the physical presence of their parents longer than others. This is normal. We have years of experience helping parents and children separate for the first time. Know that you are encouraged to stay in the classroom at first, out in the hall as things progress for as long as it takes: minutes, days, even weeks.     

Toileting Concerns: We have no requirements when it comes to children in diapers. Children reach toilet readiness at their own pace, so some children will wear diapers; others won’t. Soiled diapers will be changed by a staff member adhering to health codes; children who use the toilet will be escorted to the bathroom as needed. Please update teachers as to toileting particulars. We will work with you to help your child through transitions.

Communication: We believe that communication between the teacher, the school, and your family is the key to a positive preschool experience. We offer two scheduled parent/teacher conferences each year as well as an open door policy should additional questions or concerns arise. Teachers send home regular activity plans to keep you informed as to what’s going on in the classroom. Periodically, the Director sends home letters and announcements via our convenient “school bag mail system.” Teachers, staff, and parents contribute to our school newsletter several times a year. We also provide you with a Parent Handbook that details our school policies.

Registration & Tuition:  Participation in our Community Playgroup does not mean that your child is eligible for priority registration at the MCNS Nursery School . Registrations for Nursery School on behalf of Playgroup children will be treated as a new family registration. There is a 10 percent sibling discount when two or more family members are enrolled in Community Playgroup and/or Kid’s Club at the same time.