Kensington Nursery School serves 2-5 year old children in a traditional preschool setting. Our program includes three age-based classes that meet throughout the week and make use of our two welcoming classrooms. Families can choose from Full Co-op, Half Co-op, or No Co-op enrollment options, with Half and No Co-op classroom responsibilities supported by a paid aide. Annual tuition is broken down into ten (10) payments with the first being due upon enrollment, and the remaining nine (9) being due the 1st of each month we are in session (September through May). Learn more about our Classes, Learning Philosophy, and Extended Day Options below.
2026-2027 School Year Information
The Twos (For Children who are 2 by September 1st)
Tuesday and Thursday 9:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M.
Lunch Bunch available from 12:00 P.M. - 1:00 P.M. ($45/month)
Full Co-op $3,050 annually/$305 per month
Half Co-op $3,800 annually/$380 per month
No Co-op $4,600 annually/$460 per month
*If space allows, the 2s class may operate on a “rolling enrollment” as children turn 2 throughout the school year. Children admitted during this enrollment period, and with birthdays after September 1st, are required to repeat the 2s class before moving into the 3s program.
The Threes (For Children who are 3 by September 1st)
Monday, Wednesday, Friday 9:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M.
Extended Day available from 1:00 P.M. - 2:30 P.M.
Full Co-op $3,750 annually/$375 per month
Half Co-op $4,800 annually/$480 per month
No Co-op $6,150 annually/$615 per month
The Fours (For Children who are 4 by September 1st)
Monday through Friday 9:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M.
Extended Day available from 1:00 P.M. - 2:30 P.M.
Full Co-op $5,750 annually/$575 per month
Half Co-op $7,600 annually/$760 per month
No Co-op $9,650 annually/$965 per month
*If the age-appropriate class is full, the threes and fours may operate on a “rolling enrollment” as the child becomes of age for that class. The child will be required to repeat the year before moving onto the next class.
Curriculum
Curriculum at Kensington Nursery School is created by teachers and delivered with co-oping adults. It’s play-based, thematic, developmentally appropriate, seasonally aligned, and offers small/large group, active/quiet play, and indoor/outdoor exploration. Children choose independently where they wish to explore and develop physical, cognitive, sensory, and social emotional skills through play, experimentation, and exploration through the various classroom offerings.
Art
During art, teachers offer materials like paint, crayons, chalk, clay, glue, collage supplies and other various found objects. These activities help develop motor skills, self-expression and creativity. At Kensington Nursery School, we value the idea of process art. This means our focus is on allowing the children to explore materials and not always on the finished piece.
Kitchen/Dramatic Play Area
Both classrooms have a play kitchen and housekeeping items like furniture, dishes, a washer/dryer, clothes, and other familiar materials. Dramatic play lets children act out pretend and real-life roles, helping their creativity, language, social skills, and self-confidence.
Block Building Area
This area has blocks in different sizes, shapes and materials (unit, hollow, foam, etc.) plus accessories like vehicles, train tracks, animals and play people to enrich play. A large carpeted space lets children build big constructions. Because blocks are open-ended, they support both simple and complex play and help develop math, science, language, motor and problem-solving skills.
Sand/Water Room & Table
The versatility of sand and water provide a framework for many developmental concepts. These materials (and other sensory materials that are similar) are used both indoors and outdoors. Sieves, funnels, hoses, shovels, spoons and a variety of containers are used extensively for sensory play. Motor, mathematical, creative, and social skills are encouraged with this early scientific exploration.
Manipulatives
Small motor materials such as puzzles, pegs, beads, etc. promote the use of cognitive, hand-eye and problem-solving skills. Generally a quiet activity, Manipulatives may be used individually or with a small group, and are provided by the teacher daily at the fine motor table.
Book Loft
A comfortable space, adorned with pillows and a soft carpet, invites children to explore the world of books. Books of fiction, poetry, non-fiction, seek & find, and more are made available on a rotating basis throughout the year. Stories are part of every day’s routine both through access to the book loft and story time.
Outside Play
The playground is considered an extension of the classroom at KNS. Outdoor time happens every day. Children try ideas, play games, take roles, and explore nature. They run, jump, skip, hop, climb, slide, swing, push, throw, dig, and collect things to examine. We provide climbers, ride-on toys, digging spots, swings, slides, a mud kitchen and sand pit, and more.. We play outside daily unless the weather is extreme, so please keep outdoor gear ready!
Music/Circle Time
Circle time lets all the children join together as one group to practice being part of the whole. For ten to fifteen minutes, the entire class will come together to engage in social activities such as games, singing, dancing, role-playing, and listening to a story with relevant discussion.
CLASSES
The KNS curriculum is play-based and includes developmentally appropriate and thematically based activities. Daily planning includes opportunities for small and large group, active and quiet, and indoor and outdoor activities. Children are encouraged to make choices. Physical, cognitive, sensory and emotional skills are developed through opportunities for play, experimentation and exploration in classroom “centers.”
The Twos
Tuesday and Thursday
9:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M.
The curriculum focus for our youngest children is primarily on their social-emotional growth. Typically, this is their first time in school, and one component of this experience is helping them master their feelings concerning separation from their parents and/or caregivers. The building of positive relationships between parents and teachers is the foundation for a child’s constructive experience with starting school. The twos class creates a safe and age-appropriate setting, while providing an introduction to the routines and tasks of a typical school day. Experiential activities offer learning through dramatic play, simplified art and other projects, music, outdoor play, toys, blocks and games. Story times and group gatherings are kept purposely short for this group. There are no field trips for this class.
The Threes
Monday, Wednesday, Friday
9:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M.
Most children in this class have been in school already for a year. Some art projects include multiple steps, and music and stories are more complex. Books may be acted out, and pre-literacy skills such as patterning, predicting and extending are encouraged. The children have daily job assignments to teach cooperation and increased responsibility. Activities include music/movement, art, sensory table, dramatic play, manipulatives, reading, and outdoor play. An emphasis on self-help skills, sharing, and cooperation drives this curriculum. Several field trips are planned throughout the school year.
The Fours
Monday through Friday
9:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M.
The fours consists mostly of children who will be attending Kindergarten during the next school year. An important focus in this class is helping children develop the emotional readiness for the Kindergarten experience. An atmosphere of cooperation, shared responsibility, and competence is created with daily jobs, responsibilities, and logical consequences for the students. The themes and centers in this classroom allow for more in-depth learning and independent problem solving. Physical, cognitive, sensory and emotional skills are developed through opportunities for play, experimentation and exploration in “centers” including art, dramatic play, water/natural materials, manipulatives/fine motor, block building, books/storytelling, gross motor/outside play, music/circle time. Several field trips are planned throughout the school year.
Extended Programs
For The Twos - Lunch Bunch
Tuesday and Thursday
12:00 P.M. - 1:00 P.M.
For The Threes - Extended Day
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
1:00 P.M. – 2:30 P.M.
For The Fours - Extended Day
Monday through Friday
1:00 P.M. – 2:30 P.M.
The Extended Programs are unstructured class experiences open to all children enrolled at KNS.
Lunch Bunch is a time for The Twos to enjoy lunch with their teacher and classmates.
Lunch Bunch is $45 per month.
Extended Day begins when the morning classes end. There is a paid assistant so no co-oping is necessary.
Extended Day is $50 per month, per day. For example, if you are enrolled one day per week, it’s $50 per month, two days is $100 per month, etc.
We also offer drop-in Extended Programs when space is available. Please reach out to enrollment@knscoop.org, your child’s teacher, or refer to the KNS Handbook section about drop-in policies and procedures.
