The Westport-Weston Cooperative Nursery School was founded in 1955
by a group of eight families determined to provide a strong supportive
environment for the early education of their children. The term
“Cooperative” was used to literally describe the school community, with
parents working both to create and sustain the school and in the
classroom, and the school committed to educating parents. The school
took root in the years to follow and was one of the first nursery
schools recognized by the Connecticut Department of Education. In
1960, under the direction of Margaret Sloan, the school left its first
home, a farmhouse on Cross Highway, and moved into its present location
at the Westport Unitarian Church. In this setting, the Co-op community
enjoys the advantages of spacious classrooms and an outdoor environment
that encourages exploration of nature.
In 1963, Patricia Nebel, who had been a teacher at the Co-op, became
Director, a position she cherished for over 30 years. Pat had been
educated in her native England and received a graduate degree in Early
Childhood Education at Bank Street College in New York. Under Pat’s
direction, the Co-op acquired a philosophy that strongly embraced Bank
Street’s Developmental Approach to educating young children. This
approach views the emotional, social, physical, and cognitive growth of
each child as individual. Through play, children and teachers apply
the educational process by connecting teaching and learning
meaningfully to the outside world. The Co-op is dedicated to the
premise that encouraging an intellectual curiosity that views the world
as a laboratory keeps one a life-long learner.
By the mid-seventies, the Co-op was hiring trained early childhood
educators to teach at the school. With parents no longer required to
participate in the classrooms, the Co-op board voted in 1972 to change
the name of the school to “The Westport Nursery School.” Though legal
documents made this change official, members of the community continued
to refer to the school as “The Co-op.” To avoid further confusion
about the school’s identity, the Board voted in 1974 to change the name
of the school back to “The Westport-Weston Cooperative Nursery School.”
The Board explained that parent participation in the classrooms was
only one element of a cooperative, and it determined that the school
should be considered a “cooperative” because it is a non-profit
organization owned and administered by the parents whose children are
enrolled in the school.
The Co-op has always kept a close ear to the needs and interests of
the community, and a strong sense of the school as a cooperative holds
true today. The school is administered by a Board of Directors, which
consists of elected parent members who manage the school’s finances and
fundraising efforts. Parent involvement is welcomed and parental
education and support continue to be an important part of the Co-op
experience. Many social events are planned throughout the year to help
the school meet its mission of strengthening not just the individual,
but the community as well. We welcome you to join the Co-op community
and experience a pre-school that is rich in history and dedicated to
the quality care and education of young children.
