About the Burr Cooperative Nursery School

Burr Cooperative Nursery School (BCNS), located in the Auburndale section of Newton, celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2003. What started as a dream of a handful of parents in 1983 has grown into one of Newton's most successful preschools. "What makes BCNS special," said a BCNS parent, "is the day-to-day involvement of parents. People choose a parent cooperative because they want to participate in their children's education, and the preschool years (ages 3 and 4) are such an exciting time for kids and parents alike."

A BCNS parent admits she didn't know much about parent cooperatives until she started searching for a preschool for her son a couple of years ago. "Even working in the field for as many years as I have, I just didn't understand what they were all about. Now I know they are one of the most enriching preschool settings."

Parent cooperatives are nothing new.In fact, the first one was started in 1916 by a group of faculty wives at the University of Chicago. Interest in cooperative preschools grew out of the burgeoning realization that the early childhood years are a foundation of social and academic success. Head Start is a legacy of the cooperative preschool movement. Today, the Newton Early Childhood Association lists five parent-cooperative preschools in Newton. Many still consider them the best-kept secret in education.

There are three key factors in a successful parent cooperative, and BCNS has done so well for 20 years because of a focus on the three C's: curriculum, comfort, and community.

Curriculum

Teachers skillfully develop the curriculum based on the interests and needs of the children. For example, when children became interested in treasure last Fall, teachers buried "jewels" in the sand table, loaded treasure into the water table, and made glittering playdough. The kids drew treasure maps, counted and weighed treasure "jewels," and read many books about the subject. This style of curriculum design is called emergent curriculum because it builds on kids' interests to create learning opportunities in all developmental areas. "People watch a nursery school classroom and think that children are 'just playing' but there's really a lot more going on," says a BCNS parent. "By using children's interests and needs to shape what they learn about, we can address math, science, social skills and early literacy in a way that's fun and engaging."

Comfort

The BCNS teachers know that nursery school is often a child's very first school experience. "It's an important part of our job," says our Director and Lead teacher, "to make sure we create an environment that nurtures children and creates a safe, comforting first school experience." BCNS staff put a lot of effort into creating a smooth transition to school - no abrupt goodbyes in the mornings. Kids wear their slippers in the classroom, which boasts a couple of cozy nooks just right for curling up with a book. A BCNS Parent Marjorie Saul confirms, "I can't imagine a more nurturing, affirming, and caring place than BCNS."

Community

BCNS thrives in large part from the community of parents who are involved in the school. Parents derive a sense of belonging and ownership from being part of a cooperative. Parents at BCNS sign up for positions on the Board of Directors and on various committees, such as hospitality and fundraising. BCNS parents also spend between 8 and 10 days of the school year in the classroom as a "parent helper." Parent Julie Scaramella, whose son Ian is enjoying his second year at the school, explains, "What I love about being in a parent cooperative is being in the thick of it all, not only with my son in the classroom on my parent help days, but helping to shape the current and future vision for the school."