Longtime favorite COW Preschool readying for fall return
The College of Wooster Preschool, which is returning this fall for the 2024-25 school year, is a screen-free environment. This means all stories are read aloud, songs are sung live, and movement games and activities are led live rather than watching on a SmartBoard or big screen.
This coming fall The College of Wooster Nursery School will reopen as The College of Wooster Preschool.
School Director Tessa Hammond said the preschool has a philosophy of education that values the practice of play-based learning through a nature-inspired curriculum. She said, “This distinctive combination of play and nature creates a truly enriching environment for students to learn and grow.”
Centered on the holistic development of the child, the program prioritizes character-building through child-led learning, integration of nature, open-ended art projects, and resolving conflicts through problem-solving and restorative practices.
“This broad mission cannot be taken lightly,” Hammond said, “especially in the growing era of awareness regarding mental health and the development of self-regulation strategies. This healthy, nurturing environment implementing developmentally appropriate practices has a profound impact on childhood development.”
Additionally, the school is a screen-free environment. According to Hammond, this means all stories are read aloud, songs are sung live, and movement games and activities are led live rather than watching on a SmartBoard or big screen.
“(This) aligns with the CDC and APA recommendations for screen time for children of that age and yields many positive outcomes for children in language development, attention, self-regulation as well as fine and gross motor development,” Hammond said.
Housed on The College of Wooster campus, college students majoring in education or psychology are assigned to the preschool for experiential learning opportunities.
“This allows our program to have lower staff-to-student ratios, ensuring that each child receives the attention and engagement that they need,” Hammond said.
Hammond said the campus location also offers the opportunity for safe walking field trips. “Campus has numerous buildings, sculptures and gardens that we utilize in our curriculum, such as trips to the geology lab or the campus post office,” she said.
For the 2024-25 school year, the preschool will extend hours by 30 minutes with classes running Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to noon. Parents may select two-day, three-day or five-day enrollment. Before care from 8-9 a.m. and lunch care from noon to 1 p.m. also will be offered at an additional cost.
The College of Wooster Preschool is nondenominational and open to anyone in the community for age 3-5, accepting children who turn 5 after the kindergarten cut-off date.
The preschool has been fully licensed since 1947 when Jean Bates came up with the idea and began it with the support of the Junior Women’s Club. Initially opened in the basement of the old Memorial Chapel, the school moved to its current location in Westminster Church House in 1966.
The College of Wooster Preschool is located at 353 E. Pine St. on The College of Wooster campus. Students are currently being accepted for the upcoming school year with a capacity of 22 students.
Visit www.Wooster.edu/preschool to register or email the director at thammond@wooster.edu with any questions. Tuition cost is listed on the website.
Gifts and donations are accepted and can be done online at https://wooster.edu/preschool/gift/.
“They will go toward increasing our scholarship fund, classroom updates and materials, and play-yard equipment,” Hammond said.
Find the school online at https://wooster.edu/preschool.
“We are proud to build upon the history of the nursery school as we re-establish a community of learning for both preschool and college students at The College of Wooster Preschool,” Hammond said. “The preschool is simply magic.
“When you walk through the doors and see the tiny wooden chairs that have held little ones for over 70 years, you can feel it.”