FAQ

How do the children learn through play?

See our Registration Page for all the details

2. What are the differences between MVPNS and other parent participation schools in the area?

1. MVPNS is the only NAEYC accredited co-operative nursery school in Mountain View.
2. Our curriculum is built by the teachers, while taking the children's specific interests into consideration.
3. The MVPNS Director (and teacher of the 3's program) is on faculty at Foothill College's Child Development Program.
4. The teachers for our M/T/W/TH afternoon program published a book inspired by the MVPNS curriculum, which won the national 2011 Teacher's Choice Award from Learning Magazine.

MVPNS is a developmental and play-based program where both children and parents receive a great foundation for the child’s future success in the academic environment.

There are numerous social events throughout the year such as picnics, outdoor movies, ice skating, and more. There is a Parent-Child Project, which gives the child and parent who does not attend weekday classes a chance to work together on a project.

At our school, the curriculum is well thought out in advance by the teachers and all projects are well organized. Each parent is given an “area” such as bikes/swings, sandbox, project, snack. Instructions for the area are spelled out clearly on work cards, and the teachers give full and clear instructions about how the parent is to facilitate the project experience for the child. Our orientation sessions are very helpful in finding out more about this. In short, parents are not expected to be teachers, but are expected to be positive and respectful toward the children, asking open-ended questions and allowing the children to find their own answers through discovery.

If you or your child are sick on your workday, or if you cannot come to school for some reason, we always have a backup “Emergency” parent scheduled to fill in. If you know in advance that you will not be able to attend, you are expected to try to find a substitute via email or phone calls. You can always switch days with each other.

You will need to arrive 15 minutes before the regular start of class. This is vital to the smooth and safe running of the classes because:
1. There are tasks that need to be done before the children arrive.
2. Project parents will need to be briefed by the teacher on the projects of the day.
3. The teacher needs to be able to greet the children at start time, instead of talking to the work parents.
4. The Emergency (extra/fill in) parent will only be able to leave when all work parents are there, so it’s important not to keep them at school unduly long.

Our goal is for you and your child to have a gentle transition into the nursery school. Our teachers are adept at minimizing the anxiety that a child feels when at school without their parent. Each situation is considered and handled individually.

MVPNS has had many children with a variety of food allergies. We are a nut-free school. No nuts of any kind are allowed on campus at all. At the start of each school year, we all discuss any food allergies in the classes, and the severity of the children’s reactions. Any foods that are deemed dangerous to a child are not used during that child’s class. Any foods that cause life-threatening reactions are kept out of all classes in order to ensure a safe environment. Some classes will have few or no allergies at all, and other classes will have a long list of foods that children are allergic to. The teachers work with parents to work out a policy to fits the needs of the children.

Absolutely. We have families whose parents can participate in the work days themselves, and other families which have a caregiver or extended family member who can consistently attend school with the child. We will work with you to find a solution that fits your family.

Babies are welcome up until the age of six months, at which point they get very active and you will need to find an appropriate childcare situation. Often, parents with younger siblings will watch each other’s children on work days.

We currently accept online banking checks which can be mailed to our P.O. Box.

With regards to work day requirements, a family with multiples in the 3's class will be assigned approximately 4 - 6 work days per month. Families with multiples in the 4's or 4/5's class will work approximately 6 - 8 days per month.
Job responsibilities are per family, not child, so each family is only assigned one committee job or board position, such as membership team, class photographer, laundry, president, etc.

Since all the operations functions of the school are performed by the parents, we have a huge variety of jobs for families to choose from. You can choose a job that makes use of your unique talents and fits your families schedule. Some examples include laundry, playdough, curriculum support, technical infrastructure support, event organization and promotion, beautification, etc.

We have monthly meetings which usually last one hour. Each board member is responsible for an area of operation. Some are more time intensive than others. They range from Adult Education Speaker Bookings to School Auction organization, Treasurer, Secretary, Beautification, and Co-President. In exchange for your service, we waive the six hours of beautification work required of all families. Often, the board committee responsibilities can be shared by co-chairs.

If you are interested in joining our community of families and the financial commitment is stopping you, then please contact Membership or our Director to confidentially discuss tuition assistance.

Have more questions? Please contact us at info@mvpns.org.