Bunker Hill Parent Participation Nursery School

We were first attracted to the woodsy setting of this play based school, however, we quickly fell in love with the teachers:. They are fantastic:) My child loves –Teacher Berta (2 days) who is very loving and kind with the little ones; Teacher Mie (3 days) so creative and fun; Teacher Kelly (Freestyle Friday afternoon), energetic and fun loving.

We are going into our second year at bunker hill. Right away I was amazed at how quickly the membership chairperson responded to my email inquiry about the school, and was able to get us a tour. Once we signed up everything went so smoothly. My daughter loves going to school! Every morning she wakes up and asks if it’s a school day. We love the community this type of nursery school has given us.
The woodsy atmosphere is just lovely. The yard has a huge sand area, a waterway, club house, monkey bars, art area, beautiful garden, lots of art and sensory experiences.
Something that is especially important to me is the play-​based emergent curriculum. Children learn best while at play and that is what happens here. The awesome teachers build the curriculum on the interests of the children in their class.

I discovered Bunker Hill word of mouth when I moved brand new to the area. What a treasure. It encompasses all the aspects I wanted for my childrens’ first experience with education. This is a magical place where the child’s primary tasks are to play, explore, do, and imagine. Set in the hills away from city streets, the children experience a combination of free play, learning small group activities where they are encouraged to practice fine motor skills through creative fun projects, and go outside for significant amount of time to go on hikes across the creek and in the woods or in an expansive play yard which includes an outdoor kitchen, (where the kids can mix up concoctions with water, paint, glitter, and shaving cream), a huge sandbox (where they do build volcanoes or a forest of foam noodles), and an outdoor playhouse.
My favorite part is the instant community with others in the area; I’ve met many great moms and dads and am able to constantly learn from other parents, being able to see them in the classroom and at many opportunities to get together at school events.
Children and the learning process are the priority at Bunker Hill. My boys are thriving educationally and socially because of the incredible teachers and parent community that truly cares for each child as one of their own.

Can’t say enough good things about this school. I was initially drawn to it because of its emphasis on play and the outdoors. I keep reading about the fact that today’s kids are so cut off from nature and from the privilege of getting soaking wet, muddy and sandy on a regular basis. At Bunker Hill my son can wade through a mud pit, create rivers and streams in an enormous sandbox, and construct aqua systems in a recycled waterway designed and built by parents.
This is the next aspect I love about Bunker Hill: a truly community effort, the families here give generously of their time and smarts to put together a nurturing and stimulating environment. If you seek out this school, it’s important to be aware that it does require a sizable time commitment on your part, but you will find that the work you put in comes back to you and your children in spades. It’s also good to know that this is what I would call an «out of the box» school: while the students are introduced to the basic skills needed before kindergarten, they are not drilled or tested in any way. While there is order and routine to the day, there’s a tremendous amount of spontaneity inspired by the students’ interests and the teachers’ inspirations.
The most valuable returns I’ve gotten from Bunker Hill are ongoing lessons in parenting and child development. The monthly membership meetings include short child development presentations, and the class meetings include open forum discussions for parents to address any concerns they may have about their children. It feels wonderful to have so many amazing adults watching over my child and the other students. And teachers Roberta, Juliana and Kelly are truly gifted at what they do. If you and your family are looking for a community environment for the preschool experience, if you are interested in helping your child cultivate a sense of respect and familiarity with nature, and in giving your child an open forum for play and exploration, you definitely need to check out Bunker Hill.

This is my daughter’s second year at Bunker Hill and she is loving it! It is a dream to play in the Bunker Hill play yard, going to a tea party, making cheetah mountains in the sand box, and making soup and pie (Bunker Hill style– mixed with paint, shaving cream, and glitter). The teacher often takes them on a nature hike and kids learn to appreciate and respect being in the nature. I am really happy that we have found a such a nurturing school for my daughter to thrive in. My husband and I very impressed with problem solving skills my daughter learned at school. We really enjoy being part of the Bunker Hill Community!

My son has thrived in this Nursery School where children are encouraged to develop social and emotional skills in a child-​centered, supportive atmosphere. I am amazed at the rich opportunities for learning that the teachers create every day. My husband and I have learned so many valuable parenting strategies here that have helped us create a more positive and calm household. We are so thankful for the opportunity to participate in Bunker Hill.

I love Bunker Hill for many reasons but here are a few:
It helped me be able to communicate in healthy, respectful and concise way to not only my kids but kids classmates and their parents as well.
I learned to work with other parents in my kids classroom in a way that allowed us (parents, teachers and kids) all to share, learn and experience our kids growth in an intimate way.
Now that my kids are in elementary school, I constantly draw on my BH experiences to be a better parent to my kids, a better communicator with my kids teacher’s and a better teacher when I volunteer in their classroom. Thank you Bunker Hill

Having my daughter at Bunker Hill has provided her with wonderful opportunities to develop her social skills and explore learning through play. I have been greatly impressed with the care and attention that the teachers take in preparing for the day. When I walk into school, I feel like I want to participate in the activities myself. I am inspired to be a better parent through my interactions with the other families at Bunker Hill. I love the emphasis on nature and learning through direct experience.

What I like about Bunker Hill Nursery School:
* play-​based learning
* co-​op, which means family involvement and relatively low tuition
* accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
* caring teachers who encourage creativity
* just enough structure (and not too much)
It may seem weird for me to review this preschool because my son doesn’t go there (we’ve been to two open houses and visited during a school day). He was too young for the cut-​off age to start last fall, so we didn’t qualify (students need to be 2 ½ by September), and it’s hard to get a spot after that.
One of my son’s best friends goes there, and we have other friends who have three children who’ve attended and loved it. This is a top-​notch school if you don’t mind having your child come home dirty and wet from having a thoroughly fabulous time splashing in mud puddles and doing things kids are supposed to do in a beautiful setting (see photos).
The only downsides, as I see them, are the parent-​participation requirements (25 hours per year of an assigned job on top of working certain days when the kids are in class, cleaning, providing snack sometimes, attending some night classes, and other typical co-​op parent requirements) which are certainly more demanding than a drop-​off preschool.