Welcome to

The Cooper School

A Reggio Emilia Inspired Nursery School nurturing Young Minds for Nearly 60 Years — A Tradition of Curiosity and Joy

Support Our School

Who we are

We are a part-time Preschool for ages 2.5 through age 5 located in Montclair, NJ. Inspired by the preschools in Reggio-Emilia, Italy, we believe that each child is a unique and complex human being with a keen desire to gain knowledge. We value their words, vision, and creative expression while nurturing and supporting each child’s natural enthusiasm for learning.

We offer a part-time program from mid September through early June for children age 2.5 to age 6. Children enroll in one class for the duration of the school year and enjoy strong relationships with their classmates.

Our mission

The Cooper School (formerly Union Cong Nursery School) is devoted to providing a high quality early childhood education inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach. Within a safe nurturing environment, we promote the social, emotional, cognitive, physical and spiritual development of young children.

Highlights

  • Highly qualified faculty

  • Hands-on children’s garden

  • Creative Movement/Music

  • Member of North American Reggio Emilia Alliance

  • Small class size ratio

  • 3, 4 or 5 day options

  • Large indoor play space

  • Accredited by the NAEYC

  • Competitive Tuition Rates

Family involvement

Families are encouraged and welcomed in our classrooms to share talents, holiday traditions, cooking, stories, or support in a class project. The school is enriched by our families and the community.

Through generous fundraising activities our parents support the following branches of our strategic plan: Technology and Equipment, Professional Development and need based Financial Assistance. Each class has 2 class parents that support the teachers.

Nature

Our Children’s Garden serves as an outdoor classroom where children are free to observe, inquire, and deeply explore their understanding of the world around them.

We are fortunate to have an expansive campus to investigate with room for all of our small groups. We utilize our outdoor space for most of the time children are with us.

Diversity

At the Cooper School, we believe that our separate heritages, beliefs, and choices of expression help to define us as individuals and that our commitment to learning about one another and the larger world unites us as a community.

We recognize and respect the fact that diversity exists in the languages we speak, the colors of our skin, our genders, ages, and sexual orientations, the traditions we observe, the configurations of our families, the financial and educational resources in our families.

All are welcome, join us.