Our Program
Our Program
HACNS is a parent-run cooperative nursery school. Alongside four to five parent helpers each day, our director leads the school in a variety of activities. Our program is play-based, with an emphasis on community building and imagination.
Hours
- Half day
- 8:30 am to 12 noon
- Full day
- 8:30 am to 3:30 pm
- Aftercare nanny share
- 3:30 to 5:30 pm
We follow the SFUSD calendar. The school year runs from mid-August to early June. Tell us your preferred hours when you apply and we will try to accommodate your schedule.
Age Range
Children can start as soon as they turn 2. You do not have to wait for the start of the school year: whenever your child's second birthday falls, that is when they can begin, and we have openings throughout the year.
Children usually stay with us until they are ready to go on to TK or Kindergarten.
A typical day
- Science exploration and gardening
- Building with blocks, play-doh, sand, and other manipulatives
- Riding bikes and scooters
- Swinging and climbing on the play structure
- Art and creative expression through a variety of media
- Imaginative play and dress up
- Stories and plays
- Playing with friends
And so much more.
Benefits of Co-Ops
Build a community for your family that extends beyond after-school hours and vacations and into your child’s school years. Co-op nursery school bonds last a lifetime, and they provide continuity and reassurance to a child and parent as you make this early step together out of the home and into the school environment. Parental involvement makes the experience easier and the environment more nurturing for all the children in the school.
Expand your awareness of children’s varying temperaments, behaviors, and needs. You will learn, or be reminded of, valuable lessons about childhood by interacting with other people’s children as well as your own. Your child will benefit from observing you interact with other children and will form their own bonds with other caring adults. The school also provides parent education activities and additional learning opportunities.
Act as a stress valve and support group to other parents and families. The other parents in the cooperative are great supports to each other, especially during a time when many experience isolation, or a lack of perspective and humor, at some point during their child’s preschool years.
The low cost matters to city families who know raising children in San Francisco can be very expensive. Because parents are responsible for most of the work required to operate the co-op, tuition is a fraction of what other preschools cost. Scholarships are also available.
HACNS is a member of the California Council of Parent Participation Nursery Schools (CCPPNS), a state-wide community of families and educators that promotes active partnerships between parents, teachers, and children.