Oakland Mills Nursery School, Columbia

Oakland Mills Nursery, Inc., (OMNS) was established in 1970, is a non-profit, cooperative nursery school. The mission of OMNS in partnership with teachers and members, is to ensure a safe, fun, and educationally enriched environment that successfully introduces young children to school. OMNS welcomes a diverse community of members and celebrates cultural diversity in the classroom. We strive to create and maintain a supportive and nurturing environment for all families. OMNS Philosophy: The OMNS philosophy affirms the individual learning styles of each child. The spirit of play is present in all activities to promote the social, physical, intellectual and emotional development of the children. Our individually developed and MSDE approved curriculum is focused on kindergarten readiness through the discovery approach and learning through play philosophy. The OMNS curriculum provides thematically based developmentally appropriate activities to foster a love of learning and growth in all domains of learning. While the majority of the school day is devoted to child-directed exploration, it is balanced by structured small and large group activities. A wide variety of toys, games, books, music, and art supplies enhance the learning process; build thinking skills and stimulate a child’s imagination. All aspects of the OMNS program incorporate research based best practices, and are aligned with MSDE early childhood standards. We are committed to on-going program evaluation and improvement. Using yearly school-wide surveys and the MSDE accreditation self-evaluation instrument, we continuously strive to improve our program. (Accredited since December 2010) OMNS supports and requires on-going professional development for our teachers. A quality program depends on a high level of continued professional training. Teachers attend classes and conferences to improve their teaching skills and knowledge. OMNS promotes and builds relationships with families, community agencies and resources. By partnering with our broader community, we strengthen our program and better support our members.