I PLAY WITH PURPOSE AT

MAPLE NURSERY SCHOOL

About us

Located in the beautiful natural setting of Georgetown’s Cedarvale Park, Maple Co-Operative Nursery School is truly one of a kind. This is a school where parents and teachers work together to provide quality early childhood education, where children make new friends, learn new songs and develop social skills. The cooperative nature of Maple Nursery School allows you, the parent, to be actively involved in your child’s early education.

By participating in the classroom or joining the Board of Directors you are not only helping the school, you are showing your child that you care.
Our nursery school was established in 1967, by a group of parents and continues to be managed as a non-profit organization. Thanks to parent volunteer’s efforts and participation we can offer a quality preschool experience for affordable tuition.

PARENT HANDBOOK – updated September 2024

Our Mission

Our pre-school curriculum is a body of experiences promoting the child’s total development.
The programs offer a child opportunity to grow intellectually, socially and emotionally. They are child-centered and children are encouraged to develop specific skills at their own pace.

No child is pressured to acquire skills beyond his developmental level, and no child is restrained from developing his full potential. All children are encouraged to develop independence and skill in problem solving.

What is the difference between Childcare and Pre-School?

Childcare centres are generally an option for working parents who need their children to be taken care of during the day; centres accept babies as well as toddlers and are full-time, full-year programs. Preschool refers to an early-childhood educational class for 3- and 4-year-olds. Many offer a part-time schedule (for example, a few hours a day, two to five times a week) as well as full-day care, but only from September to May. Yet the terms are often used interchangeably. A childcare centre with experienced, well-trained teachers and stimulating activities offers kids similar advantages to a preschool. “In fact, many preschools are part of childcare programs,” says Linda Smith, executive director of the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies. (To learn more about high-quality childcare — as well as preschool programs — log on to naccrra.org and download a free copy of Is This the Right Place for My Child?)
naccrra.org

How important is preschool?

“There’s increasing evidence that children gain a lot from going to preschool,” says Parents advisor Kathleen McCartney, PhD, dean of Harvard Graduate School of Education, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. “At preschool, they become exposed to numbers, letters, and shapes. And, more important, they learn how to socialize — get along with other children, share, contribute to circle time.”

Statistics show that a majority of kids attend at least one year of preschool: According to the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER), more than two-thirds of 4-year-olds and more than 40 percent of 3-year-olds were enrolled in a preschool in 2005. “Children who attend high-quality preschool enter kindergarten with better pre-reading skills, richer vocabularies, and stronger basic math skills than those who do not,” says NIEER director W. Steven Barnett, PhD.

“Every child should have some sort of group experience before he starts kindergarten,” says Amy Flynn, director of New York City’s Bank Street Family Center. Music and gymnastics classes are great, but what preschools do that less formal classes don’t is teach kids how to be students. Your child will learn how to raise her hand, take turns, and share the teacher’s attention. What’s more, she’ll learn how to separate from Mommy, who often stays in a music or gym class. All of this makes for an easier transition to kindergarten. “Kindergarten teachers will tell you that the students who are ready to learn are those who come into school with good social and behaviour-management skills,” Smith says.

In fact, educators have so recognized the importance of giving kids some form of quality early education that about 40 states now offer state-funded pre-K programs.

What will my child learn?

In addition to strengthening socialization skills — how to compromise, be respectful of others, and problem-solve — preschool provides a place where your child can gain a sense of self, explore, play with her peers, and build confidence. “Kids in preschool discover that they are capable and can do things for themselves — from small tasks like pouring their own juice and helping set snack tables to tackling bigger issues like making decisions about how to spend their free time,” says Angela Capone, PhD, senior program manager at Southwest Human Development’s Arizona Institute for Childhood Development, in Phoenix. “Plus, 4- and 5-year-olds have begun asking some wonderful questions about the world around them — what happens to the water after the rain? Do birds play? Quality preschools help children find answers through exploration, experimentation, and conversation.

But what about learning his ABCs?

“Young children can certainly learn letters and numbers, but to sit kids down and ‘teach’ them is the wrong way to do it,” says Smith. “They learn best through doing the kinds of activities they find interesting — storytime, talking to their teachers about stars, playing with blocks.” To help kids learn language and strengthen pre-reading skills, for instance, teachers might play rhyming games and let kids tell stories. Keep in mind that for small children, school is all about having fun and acquiring social skills — not achieving academic milestones. “Kids need to be imaginative and to socialize — that’s what fosters creative, well-rounded people. It’s not whether they can read by age 4 or multiply by 5,” says Flynn. An ideal curriculum? Parading around in dress-up clothes, building forts, and being read to.

Programs and Pricing

Toddler Program

Ages 18 months – 2.5 years

Operates Monday to Thursday from 9am to 11:30am.

You can choose between:

2 day programs– Mon/Wed or Tues/Thurs

3 or 4 day options– In this program there is an ECE teacher and an Early Childhood Assistant per 10 children.

Click here for more information.

Pre-school Program

Ages 2.5 years – 6 years

Operates Monday to Friday from 9am to 11:30am. Choose between 2, 3, 4, or 5 morning options. There is a ratio of one ECE teacher and one Early Childhood Assistant per 12 children.

Click here for more information.

Contact Info

Office Hours:

Mon – Fri 9:00am – 11:30am

* Our office is closed from Mid-June to Mid-September.  Please contact us via email with any questions or requests.

Maple Nursery Office

905-877-7322

Supervisor – Geraldine Hardcastle

905-873-1600

Email Address

maplenurseryschool@gmail.com

Main Office Address

Cedarvale Park, 181 Main St S.,
Georgetown, ON L7G 5S2