Our School
About Napa Valley Nursery School
Our school offers an immersive, sensory-rich environment for extended child-led play. Each day at nursery school offers hands-on learning with sensory-rich, age-appropriate activities and materials to promote exploratory engagement and spark endless amounts of joy and curiosity. At our school, students develop a deep sense of belonging, where they can bring their authentic selves and be surrounded by a caring and nurturing community to support their growth. Teacher Adrianne’s warm and inviting presence provides a gentle, loving space for all children, and the cooperative school model nurtures connections between peers as well as the community of parents and care providing relatives. Our school offers a beautiful bridge between home and school life while nurturing new social connections that can last a lifetime.
Our Mission
Often times our school is where parents share in their child’s first school experience outside of home and as such, our program support the growing physical, social, emotional, and cognitive needs of the whole child. Teacher, parents, and children can work, play, learn, and grow together as family and as a supportive community for one-another. We believe in a creative, developmentally appropriate, child directed learning environment – supported by family – can create a positive attitude towards self, others, and future learning. By promoting individual interests and offering a rich environment for exploration and discovery, children discover the world through their own personal and unique lens, developing critical foundational building blocks such as: confidence, empathy, and curiosity.
At our school parents and families have the opportunity to learn about child development and gain a deeper understanding of the values of the of the activities offered within the program as they work in the classroom under the guidance and direction of a skilled, accredited teacher.
The diverse, cooperative parent community is there to support not only their child, but other children and families in the school. NVNS provides parents an amazing opportunity to learn more about child development, their own child, themselves, and each other in a friendly, supportive community environment.
As members of the California Council of Parent Participation Nursery Schools, we also offer many extra nursery school and parent education opportunities for families. We believe by providing essential educational “tools” we are continuing to invest in the empowerment of a strong, kind, and resilient community – now and for generations to come.
Our Director
Adrianne Koford, our Director and fearless leader, received her degree in Child Development from California State University, Sacramento. She has worked with children and families in a variety of settings and holds a Site Supervisor Child Development permit with the State of California. Adrianne attended a parent co-operative nursery school as a child and has four children who are Napa Valley Nursery School alumni. She served on the NVNS board for seven years and worked as a substitute teacher with NVNS under the prior director (Mz. Lori) for several years.
Since most of the day-to-day operation of NVNS is administered by its membership, Teacher Adrianne is able to focus on developing a creative and engaging environment that supports the evolving needs of each child. Teacher Adrianne stresses the value of play, communication, and social skills in early childhood development. She nurtures self-expression and understanding, discovery and wonder, and friendship in an environment that values inclusivity, individuality, collaboration, and community.
Our Co-op
Not just a school, a community
A cooperative preschool is an early education program in which parents or guardians take an active role. Our local preschool is supported by families who work alongside trained teachers to provide their children with a quality early learning experience. Parents, caregivers, children, and teachers all work, play, and learn together.
As a co-op, parent participation is the cornerstone of NVNS. Our community of families works both in and out of the classroom to make NVNS a wonderful place to learn and grow.
Every family participates by holding a co-op job, by engaging as a parent teacher in the classroom under the guidance of a professional teacher, and by participating in parent education and parent community meetings. Co-op jobs include, among others, the parent-run Board of Directors, the Fundraising Committee, the Gardening and Maintenance Committee, Schedulers, and the Special Events Team.
By participating in the school and classroom together, we nurture connections and support safe and stimulating environments that sustain our children and families.
Napa Valley Nursery School isn’t just childcare. It’s a 75-year tradition of caring for children and families.
Our Vision, at its core, is about cultivating an engaging environment rooted in curiosity and kindness. A place for children, families, and community to grow and thrive, together.
Our Learning Spaces
Charm is our middle name
Rather you’re indoors our outdoors the magic is in the thoughtful and playful details all around you. We dream it up together, and we bring it to life together. That’s sort of our thing!
Fluidity between play spaces is crucial to our school’s ethos. Because our co-op is play-based and child-led its imperative that the indoor and outdoor spaces are connected, providing on ongoing opportunity for uninterrupted exploration … wherever the day takes them! We offer an abundance of opportunities to sharpen both fine and motor skills through the power of play. Each feature of our school, rather inside or out, is a collection of intentionally curated experiences. With this focus on the whole child we’re able to explore science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics in organic settings, following individual engagement and interests, deepening their relationship with the physical and emotional world around them.
Adventure Playground
Our outdoor play yard is full of twists and turns to excite and stimulate young minds. Some of the features include a climbing dome, a see saw, two story playhouse, a mud kitchen, spinners, giant sandbox with water pumps for wet or dry play, a windy track for tricycles and plasma cars, an imagination theater, nooks for open-ended imaginative play, an art easel, glue table, an edible garden, and an “always ongoing” gem and treasure hunt. This outdoor space free-flows with indoor activities and truly takes advantage of our Napa climate.
Creation Stations
This room hosts a multitude of micro spaces ripe for blooming creatives, and the creative curious. There are a series of constantly evolving seasonal activities as well as classroom staples the children can decide to engage with. Some examples and highlights include the Kids Can Cook kitchen – where they assist a dedicated in-class parent to prepare a snack for that day (scrambled eggs, mini muffins, blueberry pancakes, for example), reading corner with rotating age-appropriate books, a play dough station, sensory bin, daily art station with selected mediums, daily craft and cut station, a daily changing tactile table that includes puzzles, educational games, beading, string art – to name a few!
Imaginative Play
A space that embraces the imaginative mind and body together. In this room children can freely explore fine and gross motor materials such as blocks in all sizes – from Legos to oversized, an imaginative play “house” dedicated to dress-up and dramatic play, a two story tree house with climbing opportunities, a music and instruments corner, puppet theater, quiet sensory swing, vehicle tracks, natural science materials … and so much more. Our staff and parents utilize this space to set up sensory and science activities that change daily. We also are home to several fish, a cockatiel named Squirt, and a slew of rotating creatures.
Our History
Celebrating 75 Years, providing generations of early education in Napa
Napa Valley Nursery School, a Parent Cooperative, has been a part of the educational history of Napa Valley for over 70 years. It began in 1950 as the Mt. George Play Center with Donna Connel as the school’s director. In 1957 Mrs. John L. Lucas was the teacher in a different location and the name briefly changed to St. Mary’s Cooperative Nursery School. In 1962 the school came to it’s present location, the Kindergarten room of the iconic Napa Methodist Church. Jan Clark became the first director there, followed by Mrs. Larry Dybe in 1966. Jane Whitehair, an experienced kindergarten and first grade teacher, began her tenure as director in 1967. She continued in this position until 1983, when Karen Frisinger was hired. In 1987, Lori Ware (Mz. Lori) began her tenure as director until her retirement in 2021, when Adrianne Koford, who had been part of the school as a parent, board member, and substitute teacher was asked to step into the role of school director.
Since its beginning, the Napa Valley Nursery School, a Parent Cooperative, has provided quality preschool experiences for the children of Napa in a closely supervised atmosphere, with a high standard of parental involvement and support.
At the time of our school’s creation, our area was objectively more rural with a population roughly 1/6 of the size it is today. The importance of starting this school, of building a community of families and children to grow together, has remained the beating heart of NVNS for all these years. Even as times have changed, and early childhood education has become well established, our sweet school has continued on, raising generation after generation of our county’s children.
As a nonprofit, cooperative model, we have evolved and grown with our families throughout the years – always being sure to stay true to that original dream born in 1950.
Our Next 75 Years
Join us in celebration this coming May! Whether you’re alumni, current family, co-op supporter, friend, or just like spending time with a wide range of fantastic, inspirational, creative, talented, and immensely kind people – we invite you to take part in an evening of intense merriment as we pay tribute to the fine people who have contributed to making this fine community what it is today. Everyone is welcome to come as you are … it’s the co-op way.
Our annual fundraiser will be bigger and more spectacular than ever as we ring in our diamond anniversary in this 75th year. With guest speakers to thrill you with their linguistical prowess, a live band to coax you out of your seat for a swingin’ good time, a quick witted auctioneer that will delight your senses, and a number of very special guest appearances that will have you singing: Hey lo di o do!
Our Location
Right in the heart of downtown Napa
NVNS is an established preschool in Napa, California and we have called 641 Randolph Street our home for more than 50 years.
While we’ve deeply cherished the years and memories made at this location, we’re excited to share a relocation project is underway. Our commitment to keeping our school in Napa – our home for over seven decades and counting – serving families within our local community continues to be a guiding principle.
To learn more about our treasured history and our upcoming relocation project visit Our Legacy page.
At NVNS we believe that Together we’re Better. Thank you for your unwavering support today and always!
Our Team
Diversity Statement
Governance Structure
Our School Director
Our Board of Directors
2024-2025 Board of Directors
| Executive Board of Directors | Board of Directors | School Employees |
|---|---|---|
Vice President: Heidi Contreras - Vice_President@nvns.org Secretary: Hollis London - Secretary@nvns.org Treasurer: Caitlin Modern - Treasurer@nvns.org |
Relocation Chair: Tracy Skelton - Welcome@nvns.org Communications Chair: Jennifer Wall - Communications@nvns.org Fundraising Chair: Megan Gonzalez - Fundraising@nvns.org Maintenance Chair: Ryan Cooledge - Maintenance@nvns.org Scheduling Chairs: - M/W/F Class: Kee Tran - Schedule_MWF@nvns.org - T/Th Class: Liz Strole - Schedule_TTh@nvns.org Alumni Coordinator: Lois Montague - Alumni@nvns.org | Director: Adrianne Koford - TeacherAdrianne@nvns.org Administrative Coordinator: Heather Shumaker - Admin@nvns.org |
Want to learn more?
For more information about scheduling a tour, admissions and fees, and family commitments, please see our Frequently Asked Questions page, or Contact Us directly.