Our Philosophy

The fundamental goal of the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Nursery School is to nurture feelings of worth and self-esteem in each and every child. We seek to communicate to each child that he or she is an individual and is important. We attempt to recognize and cherish everyone’s differences and to encourage each child to respect the uniqueness of others.

We believe that each child’s self-esteem is nurtured by helping him or her achieve competence in all domains: social, emotional, physical-motor, and cognitive.

We attach great importance to play as a mode of learning: children learn best through play – indeed, play is a child’s work. In our school we seek to provide a challenging and stimulating environment in which a child can learn through play.

B-CC Nursery School admits students of any race, color, and national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and other school-administered programs.

What makes BCC different – what makes it so special?

Ultimately, it is the qualities of its two teachers that make BCC the special place it is in the hearts of its students and parents. Kathy and Ellen are two highly creative, intuitive people whose love of children is apparent every moment of the day. They are always striving to know what makes their students tick, to know how they think, how they feel, and to encourage them to grow and learn through each child’s unique abilities and ways. Combining these two individuals with the school’s co-op structure makes for a spontaneity that is often lacking in highly structured institutions. When the children’s interests demand a change of plan for the day, the plan changes. When a new topic of interest arises because of something exciting happening outdoors or in the news, the new topic becomes the focus of the day.

Parents are integral to the running of BCC, and their own talents benefit the children and the school. They participate in all aspects of the school – working with the children and teachers in the classroom, meeting during the year to help make policy decisions, helping maintain the school facility and providing snacks on a rotating basis. Each family also assumes a role that contributes to the smooth functioning of the school.