Two main differences between a traditional nursery school and a preschool / day care is the duration of the day and the age of the children in the program. Our programs are only for children aged 3 to 5 and the schedule is designed to provide a quality and appropriate length of time in the classroom as well as an age-appropriate curriculum.

We follow the philosophy that children learn through play.  The environment is warm and nurturing to encourage children to develop at their own pace. The curriculum is designed to include all areas of development and is driven by the student’s interests.  As the demands of kindergarten increase, our 4s and Pre-K program also carefully move children towards readiness in the areas of literacy, math and science.

We believe the answer can be found in your response to two simple questions. First, is your child able to follow two-step directions? And, secondly, is he or she fully potty trained? If the answers are yes, then he or she is ready!

The three-year-old class is for children who will be three years of age by January 1st of the year following enrollment in school. The three’s program is designed to focus heavily on children’s social and emotional development.  The structure of the day encourages self-help skills, listening skills, and social skills. The goal for the three’s program is for children to create new friendships and bonds with others as well as enjoy being a part of a new community. To further promote social skills for the students in this program, the teachers offer an optional weekly lunch bunch at a small additional cost. It is available on Thursdays from 11:30-12:30, beginning mid-year. For more information about the 3-year old class, please click here to view the 3-year-old class summary.

The four-year-old class is for children who will be four years of age by January 1st of the year following enrollment in school. The four’s program is designed to prepare our students for kindergarten -- but there is still a focus on social-emotional development, but students are also introduced to more kindergarten readiness activities. These include writing, literacy, math, science and social studies. Please click here to view the 4-year-class summary.

The Pre-K class is for children who will be five years of age by May 1st of the year following enrollment in school. The Pre-K class is for kindergarten preparation, recommended for older children and those children who may benefit from an extra year before kindergarten. We believe extra time allows children to work more on these skills in more depth while also giving them more time to play and grow socially and academically. Please click here to view the Pre-K class summary.

Our ratio does not exceed 1:8

We want children to enjoy coming to school -- and hope for children to go off to Kindergarten with the social skills that allow them to follow directions, confidently take chances, self-advocate, and build healthy relationships.  At The VNS, children are given opportunities to develop physical, cognitive, creative expression, and social emotional skills. Early literacy, writing, math, science and social studies are all a part of our curriculum. 

Each child at VNS is encouraged to develop at their own pace.  The curriculum is designed to give children the opportunity to take any activity to the next level. While planning the curriculum,  teachers focus on the groups needs and interests, but will present it in various ways to touch upon the individual child’s learning style.

All VNS teachers are certified in First Aid, Medication Administration, CPR/AED, and epi-pen administration.

As per state regulations, we have emergency plans in place for medical, fire, severe weather and shelter in place.  These plans are reviewed and practiced at least annually. 

Our doors remain locked at all times.  Parents needing early pick up or late drop off are asked to enter the building on the lower level and ring our classroom doorbell for entry, or to call the school landline for staff to greet them.

Our teachers encourage age-appropriate social behaviors, such as cooperation, taking turns, and respect for others. Children are also encouraged to develop self-help skills, such as washing hands, taking care of toys and materials used in the classroom, and picking up after themselves.

Your child's teacher sends out weekly emails giving lots of great information, as well as photos of the weekly activities, lessons and classroom news.  Weekly updates also may include reminders or information about upcoming classroom events.

We also hold conferences for each class, which gives parents the opportuniity to get a personalized assessment of their child at school.

Finally, teachers are always available outside of school hours so if there is a question or concern, we are only an email or phone call away!

Both the 4 year old class (Blue Jays) and the PK class (Canaries) eat both a small snack and lunch at school each day.  All food must be nut free and brought from home.  An ice pack is required in lunch boxes.  We are not able to microwave lunches.  The 3 year old class (Cardinals) does not have snacks at school.  Typically, beginning in November, lunch bunch is offered for our youngest students (Cardinals) where they can stay for lunch for an extra hour on Thursdays.  This is an optional add-on.

Yes! Our outdoor play is in a fenced-in play area where children can develop gross motor skills and engage in cooperative play during school, weather permitting. 

Yes! We make local community visits to the library and fire station as well as seasonal field trips to places such as local pumpkin patches, farms and parks. 

VNS will typically offer a 1-2 week addition to the school year that we call Fun Camp.  Sign ups are sent out in the spring.  Enrollment is optional and the cost is additional.

Our first step is to learn more about one another.  We are happy to answer any questions you may have regarding our programs and classes and to schedule a tour of the school.  Please contact us to set up an appointment.

The next step is to print and return the New Student Application that can be found on the registration page and return it to the school along with the $100.00 application fee.

Once your the application is received at VNS, the spot is yours assuming that we have spoken and verified that there is an opening in the required class.  The contract and other information necessary to complete enrollment will then be mailed to you.  You have 30 days to return the signed contract, along with the $500.00 non refundable deposit (part of the total tuition).

Registration for new families that have never had a child enrolled in VNS will begin in January. There is a non-refundable $100 application fee. Because we have a limited number of spots available each year, please contact us to see if we have spaces available. Then download our application and mail your completed form with your deposit check (if applicable) to:

The Village Nursery School

ATTN: Applications

67 Main Street

Farmington, CT, 06032

The VNS volunteer-based board of directors strives to offer quality education to our children while keeping tuition for the  year affordable. 2025-2026 tuition rates are as follows:  

• 3-year-old class (Tuesday & Thursday from 9:00-11:30 am) $2,378

• 4-year-old class (Monday, Wednesday, & Friday from 9:00-1:15 pm) $5,456

• Pre-K class (Monday thru Friday from 9:15-1:00 pm) $8,291

New student applications are evaluated on a first-come-first-serve basis. A non-refundable $500 deposit is due once we have found a spot for your child and his or her registration is accepted. The remaining balance is due in three equal payments on the following dates. We're happy to work with families on payment plans as well.

• June 1

• October 1

• March 1

Payments for the 2026-2027 school year can be made here.

You can find all the health and emergency forms and permission slips here.