Visit our website at:   www.graceneighborhoodnurseryschool.org

The History of  

Grace Neighborhood Nursery School  

When GNNS began 45 years ago, it was started with a $50 gift, donated toys, and many, many trips to the library checking out some 30 books at a time. There have been many changes as the school has grown, but there are also some important constants that remain a vital part of the school.

The mission guiding the staff was:  to create a non-sectarian neighborhood school reaching out into the community to enable 20—25% of the attendees to be children with a special need—physical, emotional, cultural, and/or financial. These were children who would benefit from the program, but who needed a helping hand to be able to attend. This Scholarship program was funded by a congregational free-will collection every Christmas, and any goodwill offerings from Grace-Trinity, most importantly the offering of space—free from rent.

This policy continues today, although with church membership having dropped considerably since 1961 and the school’s financial position greatly improved, items such as insurance are now paid by the nursery school. Due to the hard work of parents, the Silent Auction, held yearly since 1987, has played a vital role in keeping this program strong. Also, when I retired from directing the school in 1987, past and present parents gave me the wonderful gift of a generous donation to the Scholarship Fund of the nursery school. This gift established a strong base upon which to build and enabled the school to continue the policy that all tuition flow in the direction of staff and classroom benefits.

This leads to the last constant I want to mention—that of the diligent, caring and skillful staff who work with and enjoy the children every week. They are truly professional and accomplish so much in their quiet way. They are a real treasure! The Staff reports to the Director, but the Director is approved by the Church upon the recommendation of a search committee which is selected by the nursery board. The Director attends at least a portion of most church staff meetings and the Church Counsel of Elders appoints a liaison to sit on the nursery school board. This process enables a smooth flow of communication.