STONINGTON — After a year of being shuttered due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the venerable Calvary Nursery School, a Stonington institution, will reopen next fall with a new community partner.
The school — nestled in the heart of Stonington Borough — will reopen in collaboration with a neighbor, New England Science & Sailing Foundation. It's a partnership that has brought a fair amount of excitement to both organizations, according to nursery school chairperson Dana Dupont.
"This is where the fun used to happen," a smiling Dupont said one morning last week as she stood inside the school's main classroom with Eric Isselhardt, the science and sailing foundation’s executive director of education, and the Rev. Gillan Barr, rector of Calvary Episcopal Church, reminiscing about pre-pandemic days when the space was bustling with activity.
It's where the fun will begin again next fall, she said. Here, inside the Church Street headquarters, and a few blocks away at the foundation's headquarters on Water Street, the three agreed as they chatted about plans for the collaboration and how it all came together.
Because Spike Lobdell, the science and sailing foundation's founder and CEO, also serves on the church vestry, Dupont explained, a conversation about the two organizations working together began almost organically. Once Dupont began chatting with Megan Strand, the foundation's program director, the idea for a possible collaboration took a giant step.
"It will be an adaptation of the existing curriculum," said Dupont, who has served on the school board for seven years and is currently in her third as chair. "We will still be play-based and nature-based."
"It's a natural fit," said Isselhardt, who has more than 25 years of leadership experience in both nonprofit and for-profit educational organizations. "It was such a low lift."
Both the nursery school and the foundation are focused on experiential learning, said Isselhardt, who served as the CEO at Calvert Education and was chief academic officer at Green Street Academy Foundation where he designed a project-based learning curriculum tied to Common Core standards, "and a student-first" approach.
"One child at a time," he said with a broad smile. "The child right in front of you."
"The partnership is a natural intertwining of Calvary’s focus on creating an awareness of, and an appreciation for, the natural world and our role within it with NESS’s four core values of inclusiveness, experiential learning, personal growth and stewardship," said Lauren Lyons, the foundation's director of administrative services and advancement, in a statement released last week.
The nursery school, founded in 1994 with a mission to nurture the development of each child in a safe and inspirational learning environment, will bring the foundation's Ocean Adventure Education Programs to their students this coming academic year.
Foundation educators and Calvary teachers will work closely together to develop lessons that will include the foundation's accredited curriculum, one that is tied to both Connecticut Early Learning and Development Standards and CASEL Social-Emotional Learning standards, Lyons said.
"Calvary Nursery School students will participate in two NESS programs a week throughout the school year, while still taking part in the beloved traditions of Calvary Nursery School," she added.
Dupont said the decision to close the nursery school last year because of the pandemic had been a difficult for the school board to make, so the ability now to welcome back families while expanding off-campus learning opportunities with NESS is a delight. The board is in the process of hiring a new lead teacher, a staff, registering children and "planning for an exciting year."
An open house is scheduled at Calvary Nursery School for Sunday, June 6, and applications are being accepted for two-, three- and five-day full- and half-day programs.
"It will be so exciting to have kids back on campus," said Barr, who became Calvary Church's first female rector in 2019. "And it's exciting to formally partner with NESS."
After all, Barr pointed out, the Episcopal Church is pro-science and pro-nature.
New England Science & Sailing Foundation is a nationally recognized and award-winning ocean adventure education nonprofit with a mission to empower students with a love of learning through ocean-based experiential programs that serve schools, teachers and families. The foundation is known for offering a unique education model that empowers students with leadership, teamwork, confidence and problem-solving skills to ensure academic success through marine science, sailing, powerboating and adventure sports programs.
Calvary Nursery School was founded in 1994 by a group of parents from Calvary Episcopal Church who wanted to create a "dream preschool." They believed that complementary teaching philosophies — including the Waldorf and the Reggio Emilia approaches — would provide a well-rounded curriculum and allow each child the opportunity to learn in an environment best suited to their strengths. Instilling values of faith, hope, love, service and forgiveness were also important in providing children with a base from which to interact and go forward in the world, they said.
Since the beginning, the school has evolved but has remained steadfast in honoring those traditions and philosophies that continue to influence the culture at the school.
Because the school's philosophy is that young children imitate and absorb their surroundings, Calvary takes special care to create an environment that is beautiful, harmonious and secure. A natural aesthetic is always maintained — from the use of simple hand-crafted toys in the classroom to placing importance on the outdoor environment and the traditional celebrations of seasonal holidays.
To register for a tour or the June 6 open house, visit calvarynurseryschool.net. To learn more about New England Science & Sailing Foundation, visit nessf.org.
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