Garden City Nursery School in Garden City

Our experience at GCNS has been nothing short of magical! My daughter just graduated this past May, and my son is currently enrolled in Nursery (3s). As my children are/were in different classrooms, we have had the pleasure of being taught by all teachers at the school. I can tell you each and every one is intelligent, kind, and fun! The play based curriculum and NYS certified teachers are what drew us to the school, but it’s the staff, and warm, loving, coop community that kept us there. My daughter is doing beautifully in Kindergarten, as she was fully prepared not only academically but emotionally as well. The only tears shed have been at graduation when both she and I came to the realization that she would be leaving the shelter of this special little school and her beloved teachers and friends! My son jumps at the chance to go to school each day! He is greeted with the biggest hello and cheer as he walks in. The teachers make special acknowledgement of each child, whether it be pointing out the safety vest he decided to sport that day he was hoping they would notice, or just by telling them how happy they are to have them in class that day. I could go in and on. We love this school with all our hearts, and are so lucky our children have this foundation to build on!

Both my children attended GCNS with a third following next year, hopefully! Lots of play based learning and fun, very involved and caring community feel to the school, the kids have made great friends and the teachers and team as a whole are wonderful people who are fully engaged in making the pre-school years excellent.

GCNS is a special place! If you are looking for a setting that is nurturing and developmentally appropriate, this is the school. The staff & teachers provide a safe learning environment that is child centered, with an emphasis on social emotional development, as well as focusing on fine/gross motor development. I’m thankful all three of my children were given the opportunity to grow and learn in such a wonderful learning space.

GCNS is a wonderful, loving, fabulous nursery school in Garden City. The play-based, age appropriate curriculum ensures that every child thrives in the classroom. One aspect of their approach focuses on teaching early socialization skills that carry on throughout childhood, into school age children, and eventually into life. The school is licensed through NYS, which is unique in this community only to GCNS. Every classroom holds a NYS licensed teacher, and is supported by experienced and well trained staff. The staff truly loves each and every child and treats everyone with respect. While academics are a peice of the puzzle at this age, the focus lies on the growth of the nursery school age child. GCNS focuses on building confidence, social skills and teaching age appropriate curriculum. We are a multi-generational family of GCNS. My children are now thriving as school age children and credit deserves to be given to such a wonderful nursery school, GCNS. Both of them cherished their time there, and have remained close friends with their classmates years after graduation, despite attending different schools now. As for my experience as a parent, I couldn't say more positive things about my time at GCNS. It is a special place that allows you to grow with your child in and out of the classroom. The community that exists around GCNS is notable. Most of my greatest friends have stemmed from the GCNS community. As a family, we could not have been happier for the 6 years we spent at such a wonderful school.

Garden City Nursery School is such a special place for kids to learn and grow. Parents get the opportunity to participate within the school and build a community. The reason we choose the school is they are carrying and respectful. They offer a great opportunity for the kids to have play based learning. The property itself is a hidden gem located on a large property where the kids can explore.

GCNS is truly a magical and nurturing place. My oldest son graduated from their Pre-K program last spring and my 2 little boys are currently enrolled in the Nursery and Playgroup programs. Heading into Kindergarten I was incredibly nervous for my son, but his readiness coming out of the nursery school blew me away. He's young for his grade but is already a leader in his K class where the other students "look up to him". He leads on and off the playground always with a curious approach that he learned from the GCNS play based education style. He knew his letters, sounds, numbers, how to write and count. All this he learned via connection to real life at the Nursery school where they would write "letters" to their friends, or learn their addresses and phone numbers. He's currently thriving in K. I also cannot speak more highly to the Playgroup and Nursery programs. The kids come in as babies...and not only learn how to socialize but also how to gain fine and gross motor learning skills--all through play. They are happy and safe and comfortable there and that is a credit to the warm and engaging teachers and staff. Each class has at least 3 teachers present with at least one licensed in education. They all have amazing backgrounds from different careers--lending to balance in the children's education. I find myself going to the teachers and the director on a regular basis for all sorts of education and child rearing advice. What makes GCNS so special is that it is a cooperative. All parents have to participate. You get to spend time with your child and his/her friends in the classroom--a truly unique experience and you get to grow together. I already can see what I hope are lifelong friendships forming for my children. But maybe equally important, as a parent, I have made some of my closest adult friendships as well. The community that is fostered here is of inclusivity. My family could not be happier and will miss it when my 6 years are up!

My three children have attended Garden City Nursery School. It has been a transformative experience for each of them. Their emphasis on play based learning allowed for them each to grow and expand in ways a typical classroom setting would not have. The staff is intentional in how they speak and engage with children furthering the benefits of the GCNS program. As a cooperative, GCNS creates a strong community amongst the families of those who attend. It’s a very special place to be a part of.

Garden City Nursery School was such a welcoming community for a young family from Queens that moved into a new town. Because of this community, our family "and most of all", our children are thriving. Juliana recently graduated from GCNS and is now flourishing in Kindergarten! Elliana just started her GCNS experience and is now in Playgroup. This school is a cooperative. Every parent plays a role in the experience that our children have at GCNS. Although we have very busy schedules, both parents in our household are members of the board. I personally am Co-Head of school maintenance and GLADLY volunteer my time and LOVE six Saturdays per school year (when all other parents need only commit to 2) in order to make our children's experience just that much better. Additionally, many teachers also sacrifice their Saturdays to be there with us while upkeeping the school grounds. At GCNS, you are part of a community. You're not just some Social Security number that won some lottery.

My family arrived in Garden City in the middle of the pandemic and we witnessed firsthand how this school and its community can be scrappy, inventive, and agile to ensure that the children remain in a loving, caring, and encouraging environment so they can grow. The ethos of GCNS is play-based learning. Gaining fine and gross motor skills through play is the foundation of your child's ability to recognize and write letters. Children spend vastly more time outdoors at GCNS than any other school in the area and they have the rest of their academic life to be indoors and drilling rote facts. This is a rarity and a differentiator for schools in the area. The staff is HIGHLY qualified, with top-notch credentials and experience. Our kids were loved, nurtured and supported by the entire staff while they were there-the teachers assistants are truly special! The GCNS parent community is consistently dedicated year after year. As families come and go, the common theme is each Board finds the next generation of parents to keep the torch lit and the spirit of this school alive --even during adversity! When Universal PreK was introduced in Garden City, all PreK programs saw a huge decline in their numbers. They could have been in danger of closing - BUT - the Directors and Board did extensive research and made adjustments in the programs they offer to remain an appealing choice to families, even in a town where PreK will soon be universal and free. My family loved this school and it was a huge part of our lives for 3 years. My children and I made friendships we'll have for life from our time there. For the families who are searching for info on the school, I promise you will be met with as much welcoming, care, and enthusiasm as you put into this very special school.

This is my second year with GCNS and can’t say enough great things about this school. The staff is so thoughtful and attentive to all the children. I’m so impressed that the students are developing their fine motor skills and learning to be independent. My daughter shouts hooray every morning she has nursery school!

Nothing but the best memories of GC Nursery School! Can't imagine why anyone would post anything negative about such a warm, loving place that kids love and can never get enough of (yes poor grammar but not because of the school 😜) Go check the place out and then sign up - it's the place you want your kids to be and you'll want to be there too!!

Our family was so disappointed by our experience at this school. We, like most parents, went into it with so much excitement for our child's first year of school. Sadly, we spent most of our child's days there feeling anxious, on edge, tense, and upset - not exactly the joyful and fun first school experience we had in mind. Their lack of warmth and compassion was matched only by their lack of skill in handling the varied needs of children. Our child is now at a different school and is thriving in every way - socially with friends, emotionally with self-regulation, academically with the curriculum, and so on. We have seen such a beautiful and peaceful difference since we switched schools. It has been both eye-opening and refreshing to see what a difference the right teachers/administration can make for a child's potential. GCNS should take notes on how easy it is to connect with children when you combine skill, kindness, and a genuine love for kids. I strongly advise prospective parents to explore other options.

Our experience here was truly horrific. The director is, at best, socially awkward and, at worst, plain rude. Our daughter's teacher wasn't warm or loving as you'd expect for 3-year-olds, but instead was callous, snarky, unapproachable, unknowledgeable, and very unprofessional (rolling her eyes and snickering at me in meetings, etc.) We learned that the teacher's background was in corporate banking, which explained a lot. When we asked if the aides were certified, the director said, "They don't legally have to be!" None of this was disclosed before enrollment. I had the chance to spend some time in the classroom, as our daughter, who was used to being home with us for 3 yrs, struggled to adjust without us at first. We were told to get her evaluated because she was "throwing too many tantrums." (As a 13-year, dually-certified kindergarten teacher myself, I knew this was ludicrous. However, in trying to keep an open mind, I mentioned this to her pediatrician's office. Knowing our child well, they laughed and told us to "get her out of there and into a school not run by idiots.") When we asked my child why she was so upset at school, she said because the teachers were "not so kind" and they wouldn't listen to her until she cried. We were obviously very upset by this and arranged to "observe" the play sessions. The things I saw during my time there were unacceptable. From a teacher's POV, there were many issues (failure to follow proper teaching models, content not appropriate for developmental age, lack of preparedness for lessons, unsafe play conditions at times, etc) but what upset me the most was the behavior I observed. If parents really knew how their babies were being treated (many of whom were too young to retain it or tell them), I doubt they'd be so quick to praise the school. My first day, the class mom's son was hysterically crying alone, missing his mom, and the director told me not to comfort him because he needed to stop on his own. They told his mom at pickup that he had a great day. Multiple times, I heard the staff talk meanly about one of the board member's son and insult her parenting. They'd nastily yell at him for acting out but were SO SWEET to both mom and him whenever the mom showed up. Eventually, I was going in with my child every day, as I no longer trusted her in their care without my supervision (but she, being an innocent 3-year-old, wanted to stay with her friends, which was the only reason I didn't pull her out right away). One aide once grabbed a boy very hard by his arms and screamed at him to stand up straight when he was playfully slumping his body to the floor, and other times yanked kids by their arms to put them back in their circle time spots if they (unintentionally from singing or dancing) moved off their mats. She would speak harshly to the kids who were "not following rules," though not once did the teacher ever go over expectations, class rules, or even classroom routines with the kids at any point. (Of course, the aide was very sweet to all the parents, though.) I could probably fill 20 pages with all the rude and inappropriate interactions that took place with us and around us if Google didn't have a word limit, but instead, I'll just say this place was nothing like what it promised at first glance. At parent orientation, they said the school was in jeopardy of closing in 5 years if enrollment kept dropping. As a newcomer at the time, I couldn't understand why, but after seeing the school from the inside out, I absolutely understand now. Our daughter is now enrolled in our district school for Pre-K, and we couldn't be happier. Her teacher is warm, loving, supportive, kind, educated...everything a preschool teacher should be. Our daughter is well-adjusted and happy, and she wakes up excited to go to school every day. The principal and administration are absolutely wonderful. We feel happy and safe sending our daughter to school each day knowing that she is in great hands. THAT is what a parent's (and child's) preschool experience should be...NOT the horror that is GCNS.

These incoming reviews are hilarious and have me cracking up. Every child is a genius, every child "shouts hooray!" on their way to school, every child learned how to read novels from picking up a bug once on a twig 3 years ago. …

This school should be ashamed of themselves. My niece attended here very briefly, and they were just awful to her. She was crying a lot in class (we later learned from my niece that it was because they were unkind to her but didn't know …