ABOUT TSONS

Founding Director Wendy Cummings and a dedicated group of teachers and parents founded The Sherman Oaks Nursery School on our present site in 1988 as a private, non-profit educational organization. We operate on a non-discriminatory basis, according equal treatment and access to services without regard to race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry.

Our Teachers:

The heart of our program is our wonderful teaching staff. This group of highly qualified, caring teachers has an average of eighteen years experience. Our staff receives ongoing in-service training and opportunities for continued education in early childhood development.

Our Facilities:

Our park-like, spacious campus features three separate age-appropriate play yards, a children’s garden, a performance stage, a heated pool, four classrooms, administrative offices, a Teacher Resource Room and a multi-purpose Family Room. We are located in a residential neighborhood, with our entrance discreetly situated in a cul de sac for maximum privacy and security.

FROM THE DIRECTOR

Dear Parents,

Thank you so much for your interest in The Sherman Oaks Nursery School, which we lovingly refer to as “TSONS”. It has been my pleasure to be associated with TSONS for over thirty years as a teacher, parent, and administrator. I believe in our philosophy which I have seen work for countless children and their families.

This is a time of phenomenal growth and development on the part of your child. At no other time in their life will they absorb, integrate and process as much as they do in the nursery school years. Our first goal is to nurture children as they grow cognitively, socially, emotionally and physically. Our second is to be your partner in this phase of your child’s development and to offer guidance as you make important decisions regarding developmental and educational issues. As well, you will find that TSONS will provide you with a community of like-minded families to share special school events, carpool responsibilities and in many cases, to begin long-lasting friendships.

Please call or e-mail us with any questions you may have or to schedule a tour. Let us share this special place with you.

Kathy Hilton, Director

FOUNDERS

The Sherman Oaks Nursery School (TSONS) is indebted to the following organizing families who were instrumental in establishing TSONS on its current site. When the Sherman Oaks Presbyterian Church decided to change the nature of its pre-school to a more religious, church based curriculum, these families found a location, financed and licensed the entity that we know today as TSONS. Founding Director, Wendy Cummings, staff and all but three families made the move to our current site in 1988, and we will always be grateful for the support given by everyone. Additional recognition must be given to the following Founding Families who were so instrumental in making the dream of continuing the philosophy and practice of TSONS a reality:

Burroughs Family	Miller Family
Cummings Family	Moynihan Family
Ferrero Family	Oran Family
Fisher Family	Salazar Family
Freitag Family	Shields Family
Heckadon Family	Silberfeld Family
Hunt Family	Wagner-Porter Family
Kelly Family	Wallace Family
Kitagawa Family	Wasson Family
McCook Family	Yahr Family

MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of The Sherman Oaks Nursery School is to provide an environment that is both stimulating and supportive to young children, where young children can discover that they are important and where learning can be fun. The school’s philosophy is to recognize and accept the uniqueness of each child; to create an initial school experience where children can comfortably and freely explore themselves and their environment to permit development in ways which are natural for every child.

• We will recognize the unique timetable of the development of each child.
• We will be aware of age appropriate guidelines upon which to base our curriculum.
• We will recognize the young child’s need for a variety of appropriate “hands on” experiences that provide opportunities for creativity and exploration.

• We will endeavor to recognize the early signs of any physical, developmental and learning disabilities and provide prompt referral to appropriate professionals.
• We will endeavor to provide a sense of community and a support system for all families, especially for those who are separated from their own.
• We will endeavor to teach understanding and appreciation of the unique religious and ethnic background of each family by explaining, respecting and celebrating holidays such as Christmas, Hanukkah, and Martin Luther King’s birthday.
• Children of all racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds are welcomed and accepted.
• We will provide an environment that encourages positive experiences and successes and where boundaries are few, explicit and firm.
• The staff and Director will be chosen for their teaching ability and demonstrated knowledge and skill with young children.
• Staff members will engage in continuing education.