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About First Pres
First Pres Nursery School was founded in 1959 by the First Presbyterian Church of Santa Monica to serve the coastal community. As with many cities, Santa Monica has changed over the decades. In the midst of this transformation from a small town to a burgeoning urban area, the school has remained a place of stability and a reference point for considering children and early childhood education within the community. Enhancing this sense of continuity is the fact that many families return generation after generation, supported by teachers and staff who have been a part of the educational team for not only years but decades. There have only been four directors since the school began. The school functions as a private, not-for-profit school that welcomes families from all backgrounds and experiences.
FPNS has served young children and their families for over 65 years. Mary Hartzell, who retired in 2014, was director of the school for 30 years of that time, and saw the school face intentional pursuit of the Reggio Approach as an educational foundation that could inspire and serve as a reference point for what quality education could look like in our community. Since 1997, First Pres has engaged in a direct and ongoing relationship with educators, particularly with Amelia Gambetti and Lella Gandini, from Reggio Emilia, Italy, and across North America supporting professional development and learning for educators, children and their families. We work together to reflect on our practice as educators that is supported by inquiry and the participation of children and families. We endeavor to facilitate a climate of shared learning, research and the co-construction of knowledge informed by current research on children, learning and child development. This cooperation and collaboration extends into the organization of the school and is supported by the spaces of the environment, the structure of the time and ongoing initiatives such as projects, studies and explorations.
FPNS has served young children and their families for over 65 years. Mary Hartzell, who retired in 2014, was director of the school for 30 years of that time, and saw the school face intentional pursuit of the Reggio Approach as an educational foundation that could inspire and serve as a reference point for what quality education could look like in our community. Since 1997, First Pres has engaged in a direct and ongoing relationship with educators, particularly with Amelia Gambetti and Lella Gandini, from Reggio Emilia, Italy, and across North America supporting professional development and learning for educators, children and their families. We work together to reflect on our practice as educators that is supported by inquiry and the participation of children and families. We endeavor to facilitate a climate of shared learning, research and the co-construction of knowledge informed by current research on children, learning and child development. This cooperation and collaboration extends into the organization of the school and is supported by the spaces of the environment, the structure of the time and ongoing initiatives such as projects, studies and explorations.
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