The Nursery School is a program offered by the First Presbyterian Church of the City of New York as a service to its members and the community. It is non-sectarian and strives to reflect in its goals and practices the shared values of a diverse population.

The School is dedicated to the social, emotional, physical and intellectual growth of all its students. Underlying development in all these areas is respect for one's own dignity and the dignity of others. Respect is a cornerstone of the School's philosophy and is modeled at all levels.

Many aspects of diversity are represented by our families, children and staff, including race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, family configuration, socio-economic status, age, and abilities. We recognize that our school community is enriched by the unique individuality of each of its members.

As we acknowledge and share our differences, we also discover our common humanity. Our curriculum includes experiences that help our children to understand and appreciate social and cultural differences in and beyond their immediate community. We hope they will grow up to be tolerant and appreciative of the range of humanity, having been nurtured by a school environment that is fair, trusting and inclusive.

It has been said that children are born into this world without prejudice, but can learn prejudice as easily as the alphabet or tying their shoes. It is known that infants distinguish between the familiar and the strange, the "me" and the "not me." Children start to form groups at a young age, drawing boundaries between "us" and "them." Therefore we must start as early as possible to instill in children positive images of themselves and others.