Meet our Program Director, Erin Crouse
A Brief Q&A:
Q: What is your teaching philosophy?
A: I believe children are active participants in their own learning. My role as an educator is to guide and facilitate situations to support and expand upon and sometimes challenge prior knowledge.
The main focus of my curriculum is social/emotional development. I want RPNS students to know how to be productive members of society. The small, interpersonal interactions children navigate on on a daily basis in the classroom help form their view of how they fit into society on a larger scale.
Q: What sets River Park Nursery School apart?
A: River Park is a family. The class size and 1:5 teacher:students ratio allows for a deeper connection, not only with each student, but also with his/her family. Children are given the ability to develop a sense of ownership over their classroom environment. Also, our part-time schedule allows children to be children outside the structure of a full time school day.
Q: Describe the typical River Park Nursery School student?
A: The typical RPNS student is like any other 3, 4 or 5 year old; excited about the world around her/him, eager to grow from new experiences/challenges and supported by a family looking for a nurturing environment to foster a sense of self/independence.
Q: Where do students head after River Park Nursery School?
A: RPNS students end up all over the DC area; public as well as private schools. We have alumni in a number of DCPS programs as well as school like Capitol Hill Day School, St Peter School, Burgundy Farm Country Day School, St Patrick's and Friends Community School.
