Cathedral Nursery School Celebrating 45 Years

This year, Cathedral Nursery School is proud to celebrate 45 years of exceptional early childhood education.

Founded and sponsored by the Cathedral Women of the Cathedral of the Incarnation in 1968, the nursery school was originally located in the Cathedral House on Cathedral Avenue. There were 12 children in the first class and over the years enrollment has continued to grow.

In 2003, Cathedral Nursery School moved to its new home at the cottages – 110 Rockaway Avenue, and received an Absolute Charter from the NYS Board of Regents to operate a not-for-profit nursery school. Today, with an enrollment of over 275 students and a staff of 30 dedicated teachers, Cathedral Nursery School is a leader in early childhood education. They are committed to age appropriate education with emphasis on all areas of development. Their goal is to encourage young children to be self-confident, eager learners ready to face the challenges of Kindergarten.

The last 10 years, at the cottages, have seen the school grow in leaps and bounds with exciting new programs such as Mommy & Me, TOTS and Early Steps, as well as a summer camp for five weeks during June and July.

Enrichment programs were introduced in reading, math and science. These classes have proven to be very popular for the Pre-k students. The teachers are able to concentrate on important specific areas of education in a small group setting.

In an effort to make the children aware of the needs of those less fortunate, Cathedral Nursery School has reached out to many local charities. They support the Alford Family Foundation at Thanksgiving, have collected “Coins for Kids” for the American Red Cross and collected over 100 bags of clothing for Rotary donations to Haiti. Each week seniors from the adjacent Garden City Senior Center participate in “Let’s Share a Story” where they read to nursery and pre-k classes.

Cathedral Nursery School plans to celebrate their birthday during the week of May 28 with some surprises for the children as well as cake and ice cream.

“Forty-five years is something the village should be very proud of as our school has become such a treasure to the community. I have been a part of Cathedral Nursery School for the past 26 years and have enjoyed watching and contributing to the growth of the school as well as the children!” said Diane Cina, director of Cathedral Nursery School since 2003.

During their 45-year tradition, Cathedral Nursery School has touched so many lives here in Garden City. Many of today’s students are children of alumni.  Cathedral Nursery School is proud to be such an integral part in the growth of the youngest residents of the Garden City community and they are committed to continue to serve the village for many years to come.

Submitted by Cathedral Nursery School