OUR MISSION
Our mission is to provide an engaging first educational experience that fosters a sense of curiosity and compassion, empowering children to see themselves as capable changemakers and valuable members of their community. We aim to inspire a lifelong love of learning by inviting children make meaningful connections to the world around them, within the context of developmentally appropriate, play-based learning experiences. We are committed to providing an environment that can recognize and serve the diverse needs of our children and families and to being continually informed by current research in early childhood education.
Children
We provide a safe and nurturing environment rich with play-based learning opportunities that engage your child’s innate sense of curiosity and wonder. We support children’s growth and development, by honoring their individual learning styles, developing their emerging interests, and fostering their social and emotional skills. We believe it is essential to create a learning environment which supports an inclusive, anti-bias approach to ensure that all children are able to freely participate and engage in their learning experiences. We will work closely together to observe and document children’s milestones, and will communicate with families as to how and what children are learning in their time with us.
Families
We work closely with our families to ensure that they are connected to their child’s experience at Stony Brook School. We welcome parents to visit our classrooms, stay involved with our daily learning experiences through our weekly communication, engage through parent/teacher conferences, and to participate in school events and activities throughout the year. In addition to communication, and to ensure continuity of care, we are also committed to better accommodate working parents by offering full day options and by operating our program on a year around school calendar.
Teachers
We provide a professional atmosphere that we believe will attract and retain well-trained teachers. In addition to offering a competitive salary and benefit package, we invest in ongoing professional training and continuing education, and provide incentives for extending teacher careers at Stony Brook School. We offer an excellent working environment based on a culture of collaboration, camaraderie and dialogue. We maintain a high staff:child ratio within the classrooms, furnish our classrooms with quality materials and supplies, and provide weekly time for reflection, documentation, collaboration, planning, and support.
Environment
We provide a safe and well maintained learning environment that is engaging, warm and welcoming. Our classroom spaces are purposeful and ever-evolving, and are designed to cultivate curiosity, communication, relationship-building and exploration. However, we believe that our classroom extends beyond our physical space and into our community. We explore local green spaces, collaborate with neighboring businesses and others that can enhance our learning.
