I can't say enough good things about NCNS! My son started mid-year last year when a spot opened up in the 2's and he really flourished. He comes home excited everyday in the 3's this year too. He's making friends, learning to share and is especially animated when he talks about the 'job' he has each week. Last week he was the Meteorologist and next he's in charge of the Mystery Box. NCNS really sees the value of creating a community for the families of the students, not just the students. We've met some really wonderful people at events put on by the school! read more

We moved to Northbrook in the middle of Covid with not much of an idea where to send our daughter, as safety precautions meant we couldn't visit and we didn't know many people. When we reached out for information, Gail was so welcoming and the experience with the play-based curriculum is everything we wanted. Our daughter has absolutely thrived since starting as a 2-year-old-- her language, imaginative play, and sense of responsibility have grown so much-- and Lunch Bunch classes give her an opportunity to experience other fun classes- like Yoga-- and spend a bit more time at school every day. She's made so many friends and we've had a ton of opportunities to meet socially with families and parents, as well. We're excited for our son to start in the young 2's class next year, and our daughter to move into Pre-K! Cannot recommend NCNS enough! read more

This preschool has been everything our family has needed and more. My son started in the parent-tot class and this was a great introduction to the school for him and I. And from the moment we enrolled I felt a part of the community. My son is now in pre-k and my daughter is in the 2s class and both are so excited to go to school each day and happy when they come home. The play based curriculum is one of the reasons we were drawn to the school. My children have fun and also are actively learning, which I think is so important at their ages. The teachers are all so kind, caring, and supportive which is truly felt among the children and parents. There is also an amazing social component to the school. We have met so many families who we know will be lifelong friends. I cannot speak more highly of this preschool, which will be the foundation of learning for your child/children. read more

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NCNS has been great not only for our children, but for us as parents. Our children come home from the play-based program singing songs, reenacting "baking" in the kitchen, and talking about their friends on the playground. (Our first grader is nostalgic for this preschool, and still mentions how he misses it. :) As for us parents, we have made a core group of friends here, as it truly is a community. We have fun doing activities with our kids- but also just the adults! read more

My oldest in pre-k has developed a love for learning and making new friends over her 3 years at NCNS and I can't wait for my youngest to start their 2's program in the fall. Their play-based curriculum has made everyday exciting and fun :) the community of parents and families is a huge bonus. read more

Our family has loved being part of Northbrook Community Nursery School! The teachers and director are so warm and nurturing to the children. You can tell how much they care about the education, well-being, and safety of the children. Our daughter is in the 2-year old class, so this is her first experience in a school setting. Her teachers made her feel at ease and excited to go to school immediately! With the school having a parent-run board, there is a great sense of community in the school and many ways to get involved and meet people. Being newer to Northbrook, we have found this school to be a great way to meet other families in Northbrook as well. We have loved the family activities planned by the school as well - a family bingo night, family Halloween party, and upcoming events around the holidays. We are so thankful we found NCNS for our daughter's first experience into a school setting. read more

Our family has been thrilled with our experience at NCNS. It has a play-based curriculum, making my children always excited to go to school. My older child will be well-prepared for Kindergarten next year - working on writing upper and lower case letters and some short words. The facility is bright, inviting, clean and very conveniently located in downtown Northbrook. And the director and the teachers give so much back to the school. They are caring and concerned and extremely personable. They are also quick to communicate should there be any issue with my children. It is a social school if you want it to be - the school calendar includes almost monthly extra-curricular (optional) playdates or events. Personally, I was looking for that as my family was new to Northbrook when we enrolled. Another aspect that initially "sold" me is that a music teacher visits all of the classes each week. Also, we take advantage of the "lunch bunch" enrichment classes in order to extend our school days - participating in a yoga and a Spanish class weekly (currently, science is also offered). And I appreciate the convenience of the drop off line at the beginning of the school day; I don't have to get out of the car with my other toddler, especially nice in inclement weather. Overall, I highly recommend Northbrook Community Nursery School. read more

This facility could really help those working mohers by extending the hours. 3:00 p.m. seems to be for non-working mothers who want to have their children interact with other youngsters. What about the rest of us. read more

I don't care for this school. Where to start... The communication between teachers and parents is AWFUL. The teachers can't be bothered to reply to emails or give a parent a call. I was actually told, " well I have my own kids at home you know." Does that mean you can never reply to an email?? The teachers don't really seem to ever get to know the children. I went to a conference and they proceeded to tell me what my child could not do... funny but she could do all of these skills at home, in daycare, and at the last preschool she went to. Management-- The director... what exactly does she do? Seems that parents are delegated to doing her job. Why should I have to call up a parent to get a receipt for tuition or to reschedule a conference? I don't think this is any other parent's business. Also, certain political parents and staff talk about other parents at the school... seen it first hand. Is this high school? Really? Come on now! Fundraising... ALL THE TIME. Maybe they are paying the staff too much? Maybe they are not efficient with their funds. It is a bit ridiculous. The tuition is the highest in the area, and yet they are always asking for more, more, more. Academics.... pretty much non-existent. Seems like other than reading stories, they don't do much. My child is reading and writing at 3... only thanks to me working with her. They play with play doh daily. Wow. That is a learning experience. The facility-- FILTHY! Never clean the floors... gives me the creeps... I have seen the same spills on the floor sit for months. The classrooms are cleaner, but still. Ew. In summary, if you just want socialization for your child and have lots of $$ to throw around, it would probably be ok. Don't expect too much academically or in the communication department. read more

I am so saddened to read the above post of the Northbrook Community Nursery School. I would like to address a few of the issues that were mentioned above. First Northbrook Community is a non-profit school. This by definition means that a certain amount of fundraising is a requirement to keep non-profit status by law. I am sorry that the poster feels that it is overwhelming, but this is the cross we bear as a non-profit. We try to keep the fundraising events to a minimum and attendance at any of the events is completely optional. We have one large event each year and then some smaller events at local restaurants in order to fulfill our fundraising requirements. Northbrook Community has a creative curriculum philosophy of teaching, which is learning through play. There are many beliefs and preferences to teaching preschool (you can tell by how many preschools are in the Northbrook area) and I am sorry that our philosophy was not expressed clearly so that you could have made a different choice for your child. In all of the NCNS classrooms, there are 2 teachers that co-teach, not a teacher and one to two aides like other schools. All of the NCNS teachers have been teaching in the school anywhere from 4-17 years and are compensated competitively amongst other preschools based on their education level and experience. They deserve to be paid for their time and experience - they are the school's biggest asset. Finally, Northbrook Community Nursery School is run by an all-volunteer board and has been since it was established in 1952. The Board of Directors is a group of 18-25 people who want use their skills and time to operate the school. The Director is not a bookkeeper or a scheduler - her job is to create an environment for learning, be the 'face' of the school with families, contact the Kindergarten teachers in each district to ensure that NCNS students are ready for the next step into grade school, and plan for the continuing education of the staff and make sure we are in full compliance with DCFS and NAEYC. The Board is responsible for everything else, and we are happy to do it. This school is a community and has been educating generations of students from Northbrook and the surrounding community. In fact, I am an alumni of the school and we are proud to be celebrating our 60th year in 2012. If you wish to discuss that other matters in your post, please don't hesitate to write to the ncnskids@gmail.com e-mail address. I would love to speak with you directly about your concerns. Thank you, Emily Taylor 2011-2012 President read more

I can only speak to our experience. Anyway, this is my honest review: - I do not believe the teachers took the time to really know my son. His first parent-teacher conference began with, "he doesn't know how to count to five". I know for a fact that he could count to ten and more easily. He often pretended not to know something for reaction. They didn't take the time to recognize this game. - Teachers made no attempt to build a relationship with us, the parents. In fact, after attending events and picking up my child many times they struggled to remember my name. School year was basically over and they never even knew us. I know, it's not about parents, but I expect more. We did make an effort, it was not recipricated. - The board is a clique of moms who it seems grew up together in the area. Outsiders to that clique should beware. There is definately an inner circle and you will feel the distance. This might explain the teacher attitude to outsiders. Overall, if you want warm and fuzzy, which most do for their 3-4 year old pre-schooler, this is probably not the right fit. I'm very glad we moved him because the new school is exactly what we would expect. read more

I cannot say enough good things about the Northbrook Community Nursery School (NCNS) or my experience there. It's led by a dedicated and knowledgeable Director who is always willing to talk with parents at any time about anything; and a volunteer Parent Board, with lots of hardworking parents all with the same goal of providing a caring and supportive early education environment. The facilities are clean and safe and colorful - a little older since they are renting space in an older church - but lovingly cared for. Recently some improvements have been made by the church that help to improve the preschool experience including resurfacing the parking lot and replacing the tile floors. NCNS has a private enclosed playground... in the time I have been there I have seen at least 3 new playground items added for the kids, which helps make it new and fun. NCNS is NAEYC accredited and each classroom has two teachers, both of whom are CPR certified, which means I feel very comfortable leaving my children there. And the teaching staff here are some of the nicest, kindest, warmest people I have ever met - perfect for preschoolers! NCNS also offers a quick drop off process (you get to stay in the car while the Director greets, unlatches and escorts each and every child to the playground where the day is started) - a lovely benefit! We first discovered NCNS when moving to the suburbs 4 years ago. We were new to Northbrook and did not know anyone and NCNS was a perfect place to immediately meet lots of wonderful and friendly families, first at a Class Playdate a few weeks before school started and again at the Fall Fest a few weeks after school started. Throughout the year we had many more opportunities for fun events through NCNS - including many family friendly functions that included siblings, and the occasional adult function where my husband and I got to really know the other parents. In addition to the social aspects, my son loved the classrooms and teachers in the two years he was there - lots of new and constantly changing activities to help keep him interested and excited. When the teachers noticed that my son had some difficulty pronouncing some of his words, they recommended I take advantage of free speech therapy - a resource that I did not know was available to me and I would have missed had someone not taken the time to share with me. When my son left NCNS, he was completely prepared for Kindergarten. He knew everything a typical new Kindergartner should know, had a healthy respect for teachers, understood how a classroom works and his role in it, took personal responsibility for himself in ways I didn't know he was ready for, and was excited to learn. I now have my three year old twins enrolled in an Early 3 year old class. We've only been in school for a few weeks, but I've been impressed and amazed at their teacher's patience and their ability to calmly handle all of these new little preschoolers - many of whom are a little scared of not being right next to their caregiver. My twins been introduced to lots of new activities and are thoroughly loving their first school experience! read more

We have been so happy with NCNS. Our son has thrived since starting school there 2 years ago. The teachers and director are wonderful and really take the time to get to know each child. Communication is great. There are weekly emails sent to parents letting you know what activities are happening in the class. The school goes out of it's way to hold family friendly activities so you can get to know other families. I feel my children are being more than prepared for their future academic careers. read more

Overall, this is a great preschool. The teachers are experienced, caring, and take the time to get to know the children. The class sizes are small and always have two teachers co-teaching. It is a play-based creative learning curriculum. I love that when the students read a book, they have a chance to act out the story, use finger puppets or art to express themes in the story, etc. I think the approach fosters creative thinking and expression-which I favor over rote learning for this age. The children also have opportunities to develop their social skills on the playground and in the classroom. Teachers help students learn to share, take turns, and problem solve. They have a great music teacher who comes weekly. They have science and math day. The lunch bunch program gives children a chance to practise getting ready for eating at school. There are weekly emails sent home, daily updates on what they did outside the classroom, newsletters from the director, and parent conferences. I found the communication to be good. Yes, there are several fundraisers. Yes, some parents aren't my favorite, but overall there are many great parents and great kids. In comparison to other schools in the area, this one had the best creative play-based curriculum, great teachers, and was a great fit for my children. I would recommend it. read more