From the Director's Corner:
By Cathy Wagener
     I had some time over the Thanksgiving holiday to reflect on some the truly wonderful aspects of our cooperative nursery school and I would like to share two of them with you.
     The first is that we are indeed a co-op. This really applies primarily to the adults and I would like to remind you all of how important each of you is to this school and to thank you for being such a valuable part of this incredibly wonderful whole -- Crestwood Hills. Individually, you each contribute so very much through the various activities you participate in whether it be in the classroom, on the board, on a weekend workday, on a committee, or through all the other ways you support and contribute to the functioning of the school. I am sure that there are times when you each must feel overwhelmed by your tasks and responsibilities. One of the true wonders of the cooperative system is that the whole is indeed greater than the sum of its parts. Just as a co-op makes demands on each individual involved, I believe that the co-op also provides a rich and nourishing system of warm and nurturing empathy, problem-solving, and problem-sharing support. At this particularly hectic and busy time of year I have watched you lean on each other in amazing and genuinely giving ways. Thank you... not only for being a part of the co-op but for being the co-op and for making it the incredible entity that it is.
     Now, on to the child focused section of my reflections. Again, in this busy and hectic (although loving) season I think we can all learn something from our children. The lesson is PLAY, it's a wonderful thing to do. The very most basic aspect of the Crestwood philosophy is that children learn through play. Play, in and of itself, is not only valuable but an integral component of development.
     Play fosters self-esteem in young children because it is through play that children process their experiences of being in the world. That's what's happening in the "housekeeping area" when the children are all dressed up, putting the dolls in bed, or food on the table. That's what's going on when they're busy digging in the sandbox, or making castles, or building with blocks on the rug.
     Play is part of the socializing process fostering an understanding of the child's relationship between his or herself and others. There are many theories of how this fun thing called play allows children to get in touch with themselves, to express themselves, and to learn. On your very own next workday please take the opportunity to observe the children at play. You will probably see them argue, and with a little luck, resolve their problems. It is believed that one of the underlying motives for children's play are inner conflicts which press for expression and resolution. Eric Erickson views the preschool years(3-5) as "the play age". This is when the healthy child learns to cooperate with others, to lead as well as to follow. You will see all of this played out before your very eyes at Crestwood Hills Nursery School, in the classroom, in the sandbox, and on the playground because we support the play of children.
     Over the years the occasional parent will again ask the question -- "Why don't we teach academics(or something/anything) at Crestwood?". In Play, Dreams and Imitation(1972), Piaget suggests that each time we teach children something, we keep those children from inventing it for themselves. He goes on to indicate that anything we allow children to discover for themselves will remain with them for the rest of their lives. Through the medium of play children explore the world, rehearse for their adult lives, vent fears and frustrations, exercise their imagination, and heal themselves emotionally of pain or personal loss. They learn how to get along in the world, cope with stress, solve social, emotional and intellectual problems. Through play comes the mastery of developmental stress(such as separation and individuation), cognitive development and self-realization. Through play children learn and polish the skills that are the cornerstones to understanding themselves and each other.
     What greater gift could we give to our children than the opportunity not only to do what they do best but to do what it is best for them to do? PLAY!
     These are a few of the things which I believe make Crestwood Hills Cooperative Nursery School a terrific place to be. I hope you, too, will learn to relish these components of your children's education that you so luckily get to share because you chose this co-op.

Happy Holidays!    Cathy