Prospective Families
Enrolling at Grace
The GNNS enrollment process includes a tour of the school, an application, and an annual non-refundable $75 registration fee. We are currently offering tours on TWTH mornings at 9:30AM Please contact the school to schedule your visit.
Apply to Grace Neighborhood Nursery School
Click on the link below to access a PDF file of an Application that you may print, complete, and mail back to the school with the $75.00 registration fee. You may also drop it off at the school during regular school hours. Click here for information about our scholarship program.
Applications are accepted at any time during the year. Registration for current families and siblings begins in mid-January with placements completed by mid-February. New children from the enrollment pool are then placed in any remaining open spots. Parents are notified about their child’s placement by the end of March. Once classrooms are filled, any children remaining in the enrollment pool will be placed on the wait list and parents will be notified if openings occur.
The Home/School Partnership
Parent Involvement
Crucial to the richness of our program is the strong sense of community Grace Neighborhood Nursery School maintains with the families of its students — past and present. Active parent involvement in all aspects of our program is essential to achieving this goal. When parents are actively involved in their child’s school, children feel valued and experience the security and comfort of continuity in their world.
There are many opportunities for communication, collaboration and participation throughout the school year. We encourage parents to take full advantage of being part of our community. There are many levels of parent involvement at Grace, from volunteering in the classroom to helping to organize fundraising activities or participating on the Parent Advisory Board.
Volunteering is a wonderful way to connect with other parents and to become involved in the daily life at Grace. We open our doors to all family members – moms, dads, grandparents, and nannies who would like to part of our school community. Our volunteers are the heart of our program!
Home/School Communication
Ongoing regular communication with families is essential to creating a strong community. Communication about school and community events is shared through all-school emails from the director, quarterly all-school newsletters, monthly classroom newsletters and weekly emails from teachers. Each day the director greets families at the door of the school as they walk children to their classroom and check in with their teacher. Teachers conduct parent conferences in the fall and spring of each year. The director and teachers are always available for impromptu meetings or phone calls.
Connecting At Grace
Classroom Volunteers
Parents are always welcome in our classrooms. There are many opportunities, such as helping on a baking day, assisting with a classroom project, helping with field trips, escorting kids to the picture room on picture day, helping with woodworking or construction activities, playing a musical instrument or reading a story. Volunteering in the classroom is ideal for parents who can’t commit to a larger role, but would like to give time in small increments.
Room Representatives
Each classroom has a room representative (or two or three) that acts as a liaison for communication between teachers and parents. Room reps help organize class brown-bags, after-school gatherings, weekend park dates, enlist volunteers for both classroom and all-school functions, and coordinate a classroom project for our Silent Auction.
The "Winter Fair and Book Sale" Fundraiser
Grace parents organize a “Winter Fair and Book Sale” each December, opening our doors to sell donated arts, crafts and canned or baked goods and high quality children’s books from Oleanna Books to the community. All funds raised support the operational goals of the school.
Our “Silent Auction” Fundraiser
Grace parents organize our annual Silent Auction each spring, which supports our scholarship program. We seek a wide range of volunteers to make this event successful. There is an online auction and a "party" where everyone can come together for music, refreshments, games, and a live auction Planning begins in the fall and parents are recruited to coordinate and work on various committees such as, donation procurement; data entry; setting up for the party, games and decorations, working at the event and helping to clean up.
All-School Spring Picnic
Each May we have an all-school family potluck picnic at a local park to celebrate the end of the school year. The children play and families enjoy dinner together. It is a wonderful way to bring closure to the year and say good-bye.
