Plymouth Nursery School (PNC), tucked in the Plymouth Congregational Church on Pleasant Street, is easy to miss. This unassuming structure, surrounded by lush greenery and a private playground, has been welcoming children for 78 years.
After operating out of the church at 582 Pleasant St. for many years, the school has served generations of families. Rachel Hardin, who attended the school around 30 years ago, plans to enroll her daughter soon.
“How could I not, after having such a wonderful experience as a student?” said Hardin.
After touring the facilities and speaking with several friends who had sent their children in recent years, she was convinced that this was the right preschool for her child.
“The teachers and staff members at PNS contributed essential building blocks to my early childhood development that led to a love for learning both inside and outside of the classroom,” Hardin said.
Dawn Messer, meanwhile, has been in the Plymouth Nursery School family for over 25 years. She sent her four kids to the school and is now a teacher’s aide. She attributed the school’s success to its joyful ambiance.
“When people are happy, they want to keep coming. And for years and years, there was no need to advertise. There was word of mouth,” Messer said. “I’ve heard former parents say, ‘Plymouth Nursery School is Belmont’s best-kept secret,’ because people don’t realize until they’re there.”
Started by the church as a parent-run co-op in 1946, the school has evolved into its own entity, establishing itself as a community cornerstone. According to Lori Howard, director and lead teacher of the younger class, parents play a pivotal role in the classroom, serving on several committees and attending family activities.
Howard, who has been with the school for 40 years, explained that the nursery school follows a “play-based” teaching model.
“We’re starting spring, and we’re doing the metamorphosis life cycle of a butterfly,” Howard said, pointing to the drawings on the wall. “Our caterpillars turned into chrysalises; now they’re in their cage hanging up. So we’re doing math, science, language arts, all within the play of the morning.”
Linda Tilden, the school’s director of admissions and assistant teacher, calls this “freedom within limits.” The teachers make sure children learn through play. If the students pretend to be police officers, they carry clue books around the class, finding hints like a detective would. The school believes dramatic play is a big part of children’s growing up.
Long white corridors that double as an indoor playground on rainy days lead to two big classrooms filled with small colorful chairs, painting stations, and dress-up areas. The walls of the rooms are decorated with students’ artwork, and neatly stacked piles of books adorn the shelves. Each room accommodates 12 students – one serving the younger class between ages 3 and 4 and the other for the older class aged between 4 and 5 – around 70% of whom are from Belmont, according to Tilden, who has been involved with the school for 23 years.
Since the pandemic, parental involvement has become more flexible depending on their schedules. They no longer serve as teachers’ aides in the classroom but work more on the sidelines, fundraising and organizing family activities that help children engage outside the classroom.
Howard said the teachers emphasize socializing because it helps the children learn the conflict-resolution skills they will need later in life. Since this is the first introduction to school for most kids, the instructors want to bring a sense of community and friendship. Tilden and Howard shared that students who met in preschool years ago are still friends to this day, a testament that they have done a good job. Plymouth Nursery School alumni now send their kids to the school.
The school’s curriculum is diverse and well-rounded, Tilden said, allowing students to learn in various styles.
“We take aspects from all different kinds and put it together because each child is different, and they need different ways to learn,” she said. “Some are visual learners, some are auditory learners, so that’s why we do the singing, and a lot of sensory things go on.”
Nancy Burke, a teacher at the school for 24 years, recalled that when students found a snail in the playground and wanted to learn more about it, they looked through books in the reading corner. Now, the kids turn to the class iPad for answers.
“My favorite thing [about the school] is the kids,” Burke said. “They’re inquisitive. They act like everything is new and exciting and interesting to them.”
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