Nursery Division

The Horace Mann Nursery Division is located in a landmark building on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Each year, 150 children attend the Nursery programs for 3’s, 4’s and kindergarten. They come from many areas of Manhattan and, on occasion, from the Bronx and Westchester, to a neighborhood that is within walking distance to Central Park and museums. For many children and families, the Nursery is the first taste of what Horace Mann School has to offer.

An early childhood education at the Nursery Division focuses on the child as an active, competent learner and recognizes the family’s important role in supporting this vision. The daily life in school is rich in experiences that draw on the children’s abilities and interests while stimulating new learning and curiosity. Attention to the growth and development of each child and family is a hallmark of the Nursery Division, one that forges strong relationships and supports children to make meaningful connections. We look forward to sharing this vision with you and your family.  

The Horace Mann School Nursery Division is a language-rich learning environment that supports and fosters healthy growth and development through meaningful experiences. Children dedicate time to work and play, classroom jobs, circle time discussions, and exploration and discovery. 

The Nursery program is carefully balanced to include opportunities for outdoor play, physical education or movement, music and, in kindergarten, chess and computers. A typical day includes hands-on experiences with a broad range of materials and group times that help children to develop communication and social skills. The ability to formulate and express ideas and to problem solve are central to the opportunities for individual growth.

The Nursery Division faculty includes specialists in science, physical education, music, movement and chess. The classroom teachers and specialists all work closely together to ensure that the curriculum is well-integrated and age appropriate.

One of the goals of the Nursery program is to prepare children for the transition to the Lower Division in Riverdale. Visits to the Riverdale campus begin in 4’s and extend into kindergarten with weekly classes in physical education. This opportunity to ride the school bus with their classroom teachers helps to prepare children for the experience of commuting to school as well as to build an early connection to the Riverdale campus.

There are many opportunities for parents and faculty to share vital information about a child’s growth and development. On-going communication and more formal parent-teacher conferences enable parents and teachers to work together to make educationally sound decisions with the child’s best interest in mind.

Parents also find many opportunities to participate in school through their child’s classroom. On-going communication between teachers and parents reveals appropriate opportunities for parents to share interests, careers, and skills with the children; parent participation helps to extend and deepen the curriculum within, and often beyond, the scope of the classroom.

Children who are engaged in active learning and meaningful experiences during the early childhood years are children who gain self-awareness and self-confidence, learn self-management, and make themselves known as learners.

Parents will find that a strong and respectful partnership with their child’s teachers can help to establish the best foundation for both current and future success in school.