Union Congregational Weekday Nursery School has served the community as a department of the Union Congregational Church since 1968. Located in Upper Montclair, the school has well-equipped classrooms, an indoor playground and two outdoor play areas. They are accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children and licensed by the New Jersey Division of Youth and Family Services. The school is consistent with the highest standards of early childhood education and dedicated to promoting the social, emotional and physical development of its students in a warm, friendly learning environment. Staff members are trained in early childhood education and/or certified by the State of New Jersey. The Union Congregational Nursery School provides a developmentally appropriate curriculum inspired by the Reggio Emilia Approach. This Approach, developed in schools in Reggio Emilia, Italy, has impacted early childhood education in the United States and around the world. Learning is an interactive process and the environment is prepared for children to learn through active, hands-on exploration and interaction with other children, adults, and materials around them. The curriculum is sensitive to individual differences and is committed to learning based on first hand experiences. It includes a music specialist, movement specialist, and Pre-K Spanish. Documentation is an important aspect of the work at the school as teachers develop an emerging curriculum. Recording the children’s words and actions and observing their play leads teachers to understand more deeply how children are learning and provides opportunities for children to be active learners. Union Congregational Weekday Nursery School is open Monday-Friday for children ages 2 ½-5 years old, two, three, four and five days a week. Their website address is www.unioncongnursery.org.