Continuing the Traditions of Union Cong Nursery School
Philosophy
At the Cooper School, children interact in a rich, nurturing environment designed to stimulate their curiosity about the world and to encourage learning through exploration and play. Within each class, the daily schedule and the classroom environment gives the children opportunities to express their interests and build confidence in their natural abilities and intelligence. Our curriculum is inspired by the Reggio-Emilia approach and informed by New Jersey state standards for preschool, while being shaped daily by the children and teachers of our school community. In a rapidly changing world, we believe these principles are more relevant than ever, and we invite families to explore how they are lived out at the Cooper School.
What is Reggio Emilia?
The Reggio Emilia Approach is an innovative, inspiring philosophy on early childhood education that values the child as strong, capable, and resilient. At the center of this philosophy is the belief that every child brings with them deep curiosity and potential, and this innate curiosity drives their interest to understand their world and his/her role within it.
This approach originated over 50 years ago in the town of Reggio Emilia, Italy, where the community wanted to provide an environment that would create healthy, capable, intelligent, and engaged citizens. The Reggio Emilia Approach is now one of the leading international educational models. The Cooper School has been at the forefront of this movement in the United States since the early 1990s.
