Tompkins Hall Nursery School

Our nursery school has been part of the Columbia community since the 1930s. Blocks form the basis of play, as children create structures and scenarios evolving from their own experiences. Reflecting the seasonal changes, our curriculum evolves in art, music, science, and cooking as influenced by the changing environment.

Ours is a highly social and interactive community supporting children's spontaneous friendships as well as their personal explorations with materials. As a parent co-operative, a parent may elect to work in our school one half day a week for reduced tuition. All our nursery families are invited to participate in the classroom by contributing a morning's activity based on a family tradition or holiday.

Ages

2 years, 9 months to 5 years

Hours

You may register for one of three pickup times for your three-year-old child, or one of two times for your four-year-old child on Monday through Thursday. All children are dismissed at 12:30 on Friday.

	Monday – Thursday	Friday
Morning	8:30 – 12:30 (3s)	8:30 – 12:30 (3s and 4s)
Full day	8:30 – 2:30 (3s and 4s)
Extended day	8:30 – 5:30 (3s and 4s)

Nursery Daily Schedule

Morning Program

8:30 – 8:50	Early drop-off
9:00 – 10:15	Roof play, gardening
10:15 – 10:30	Snack — eight children at a time join a parent in the kitchen for snack (crackers, rice cakes, bread sticks, pretzels) and apple juice. One day a week a special food the children have helped prepare is served.
10:30 – 11:15	Children move freely from room to room, choosing from a variety of materials. They may: Build with blocks, use small-motor toys and puzzles, look at books, play with water or sand Easel paint, cut, hole punch, do collage, use clay, fingerpaint Do animal observations of newts, anoles, frogs, pillbugs, snails Play dress-up, use playdough Help with the weekly food preparation
11:25 – 11:45	Music and movement
11:50 – 12:15	Lunch
12:20 – 12:30	Puzzles, group story, dismissal of half-day three-year-olds

Afternoon Program

	3-year-olds	4-year-olds
12:40 – 1:15	Quiet time (music tapes, story tapes, looking at books)	Quiet time (job chart, music tapes, book tapes, looking at books)
1:20 – 1:30	Group meeting	Group meeting
1:30 – 2:15	Play time with a variety of materials: blocks, art materials, imaginative play, sand, and water	Daily group experience. May be Mural painting Trip to park Group block structure Recipe chart Book making
2:15	Clean-up, music, story	Clean-up, end meeting Acting out story Obstacle course Group game with math materials
2:30	Dismissal of 4-year-olds and full-day 3-year-olds
2:30 – 5:30	Extended day program for 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds: individualized activities, trips to store/park, food preparation and snack, music time, story time, dismissal