More than 30 preschoolers, clad in brightly-colored swimsuits, gathered on the playground of Crescenta-Cañada Cooperative Nursery School (CCNS) to get to know each other while splashing around in water and playing with pumps and buckets. The gathering, called Water Play Day, was part of a series of activities for students leading up to the start of the school year. Just a couple of days later the children and their parents met again for Howdy Day when new and returning students met with their teachers and learned where their classrooms were while their parents discussed upcoming activities. The school year officially started in September for the 3-to-4-year-old “Darling Ducklings,” and 4-to-5 year-old “Busy Bears.”

CCNS is a nonprofit organization that has served the local communities for almost 60 years. Staffed by three salaried teachers, CCNS emphasizes the importance of play as a tool for learning, developing positive self-esteem, forming sound relationships and actively engaging in the world. As a cooperative nursery school, parents play a crucial role in guiding and implementing the school’s objectives by serving as teacher aides two to three times per month, attending meetings and serving on committees. A select group of parents also serves on the governing board of the school each year.

For more information visit www.ccnsonline.com or look for Crescenta-Cañada Cooperative Nursery School on social media.

Provided by Octavio & Mary ZAVALA

  Mary ZAVALA, Octavio ZAVALA