About us

Philosophy

We are a school community where teachers, parents, and children respect each other, nurture each other, and learn from each other in an atmosphere of true cooperation.

Mission & Vision

Our mission is to provide a joyful, play-based learning environment that helps children develop their unique selves, their capacity to connect with others, and their love of learning.

Our vision is children who attend our school emerge from a deeply enriching experience eager to learn, embracing of others, and empowered to share their gifts with the world.

Read Our Story

Our story

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60 Years in Community

In the fall of 1962, a group of neighbors in Norwich, VT formed a playgroup for their three-year-old children and met in their homes a few days a week. The parents wanted a situation more structured than the neighborhood group that was already playing together but did not want their children in the five-day sessions offered by the only preschool in the area at the time. The group began by funding necessary materials, a teacher's time, and also by serving as assistant teachers on a rotating basis. They met regularly in the ground level basement garage of one of the families. The modest space was accommodating; there was a low, large table for crafts, a couch for reading stories borrowed from the library, and a spot for a record player. Materials and supplies were basic, consisting of drawing paper, crayons, chalk, and borrowed puzzles. Storage was the trunk of one of the parent's cars. When the year ended everyone assumed the playgroup would end, too.

Given the success of the group, one parent offered their basement and another suggested there might be space available at the Church of Christ at Dartmouth. An agreement was soon reached to use the preschool room at the Church of Christ. The parent group firmed up rules about participation and tuition, adopted the name "Hampshire Cooperative Nursery School," and opened in the fall of 1963 with a class of twelve three-year-olds.

HCNS obtained state licensing in 1970 and created the head teacher role to assist the president in running the school. One of the most important and fortunate decisions of the school's history was when Sue Denhartog was hired in 1968 as a teacher. In 1970, she was named head teacher, and she developed and nurtured the role for more than 2 decades.

In 1987, HCNS became the first early childhood program in New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine to become accredited by the National Academy of Education for Young Children (NAEYC). This was and still is a distinction shared with relatively few programs nationwide.​

Patricia Wells Knowles became the Director after Sue Denhartog and led the 30th anniversary celebration for the school. The Valley News dedicated a full-page article with pictures on the front page of the "Close-Up" section to acknowledge the remarkable occasion. At that point, the school was growing rapidly and needed to expand. Patricia Wells Knowles, along with the Board of Directors, enlisted the help of the Tuck School at Dartmouth College to develop a study to help determine the future of the school. This study led to the decision to move the location of the school from the Church of Christ at Dartmouth to the school's present location on Lyme Road. Trumbell Nelson led the renovations to make the space more accommodating for a preschool.

Linda Shemanske became the Director in 1995 and her very first endeavor was to pack up and move the entire school to Lyme Road. Linda joined the HCNS community as a parent in 1983-84 when her daughter was enrolled in the preschool. She was hired as a teacher in 1986 and was ready for a change towards the end of the 1995 academic school year. It was perfect timing for her to take on the role of Director, which she held for 18 years. 

In 2015, veteran teacher Meg O’Leary took over as Director. In the years since, Meg has nurtured hundreds of students and families – including four of her grandchildren – and mentored our teachers. In 2022, Meg was joined by Jess Grant, an educator and HCNS parent, as Co-Director.

There has been tremendous growth for the school in recent decades. A soccer program was established and summer camp programs were created; both of which are open to all children of the Upper Valley community. HCNS has offered numerous enrichment activities to enhance the experiences and love for learning for our children and families: field trips to Cedar Circle Farm, maple sugaring with Dartmouth Organic Farm students, and hikes guided by members of the Hanover Conservancy are just a few of the famously fun and exciting opportunities for the children. The school's outdoor space has been transformed to create a play environment rooted in nature, based on the belief that children thrive when they spend time with the natural world. Our tuition assistance program has tripled with generous support from the Jack and Dorothy Byrne Foundation and the Couch Family Foundation. 

Over the school's first 60 years, there have been over 20 teachers and hundreds of very committed parents who have dedicated their time and energy to making the school the success it continues to be.

Leadership

Best Practices

Our school is stewarded by our Programming Directors in collaboration with a Board of Directors that is drawn from current parents, alumni families, and education and nonprofit thought-leaders.

Jess Grant

Director

Haley Evans

Assistant Director and 4-Day teacher

educators

Wisdom, Care,
and Expertise

Our teachers are exceptional. They draw on their professional training, experience as educators, and experience as parents and grandparents. It is the application of all of this knowledge and experience that is the wisdom that permeates our classes and community.

Adrienne Flower

Teacher

Adrienne Flower

Teacher

Through the years, my three children (now ages 13, 10 and 6) have played and learned at HCNS where we have found that our entire family has benefitted from our involvement in the school community. I live in Lyme with my husband, children, our border collie Pip, an ever-evolving flock of chickens, two rabbits, and a cat. I enjoy hiking, especially the NH 4,000 footers, Nordic skiing, cooking with the seasons, and reading nature-inspired books. I have Masters degrees in Mental Health Counseling and Curriculum and Instruction, and have attended trainings through Four Winds Nature Institute. I have experience as a school-based clinician, youth counselor, special education assistant, and a homeschool teacher.

Danielle Pollard

Teacher

Danielle Pollard

Teacher

I joined our HCNS team in the fall of 2022. I am our lead teacher of the Afternoon Program, and have been an assistant in our Three Day, Four Day and STEAM programs. Outside of HCNS, I like to spend time with my friends and family, go hiking, camping, and exploring nature. I have a background in teaching at dancers’ corner in White River Junction, VT since 2016 and assisting at Stoneledge Stables in Norwich, VT since 2019. I grew up in the Upper Valley and graduated from Lebanon High School in 2018. I have a level one certification in the Framework for Wise Education and am in the process of completing my degree in Early Childhood Education through the ECEA.

Erika Breton

Teacher

Erika Breton

Teacher

I have been a part of the HCNS community since 2012, when my eldest son was enrolled in the 3 Day class. Since then, I have sent my younger son through preschool at HCNS, helped out in the afternoon Outdoor Program, and been an assistant in the 4 Day class, as well as a teacher of the STEAM class. My family lives on the Connecticut River in Lyme, with our dog and chickens. In addition to teaching at HCNS, I also am a ski instructor at the Dartmouth Skiway, and a Nordic ski coach. I have Bachelor degrees in Anthropology and Surveying, I am in the final stages of completing my Associates degree in Early Childhood Education, and I have attended Four Winds Nature Institute trainings.

Sandy Bailey

Teacher

Sandy Bailey

Teacher

I have been a member of the HCNS community since the Fall of 2003 when my oldest son Duncan was a member of the two day class. My younger son Van also attended HCNS for his preschool education. During these early years I found myself involved as a parent helper, board member and soccer coach. As the years passed I stepped in to be the Assistant teacher in the Three Day classroom and eventually took on the Lead teacher role. Outside of HCNS I love being active in nature with my family. We also enjoy cooking together and playing board games. When not teaching at HCNS I connect young children with rescued farm animals for social emotional development at StoneLedge Stables. I have a Bachelors degree in Equestrian Science and Business Administration, and a Masters degree in Early childhood education. I have also completed my Framework for Wise Education certification and participated in numerous Four Winds Institute trainings.