Our Philosophy
At Charlestown Playhouse (Playschool) we believe that it is through play that children learn best about themselves and their world, through active involvement with real materials and experiences. Imaginative play enables children to try out different roles and act out inner feelings and new experiences in an atmosphere of safety and acceptance and in a way that respects each child's individuality and interests.
Playschool teachers approach the care of young children with open minds and warm hearts and with certain basic beliefs about the preschool child. Every child needs two things: love and respect. To believe in themselves, children need to feel that the adults around them believe in them as separate individuals with the right to form their own opinions, express their own desires, and to make their own mistakes.
Every child needs a healthy amount of self-respect. We all need it, but the young child, with so much learning and growth ahead, needs confidence like a plant needs sunshine.
Children are given the time and encouragement to do things for themselves and thus gain confidence in themselves and their abilities. Teachers and parent helpers in the classroom strive to provide a relaxed and supportive atmosphere and one that provides the security that comes from knowing that we set limits on behavior that is acceptable. Children discover who they are and, within limits appropriate to their developmental age, learn patterns of behavior that are socially acceptable to peers and adults. Here at Playschool, because the whole environment is geared to the child, we can keep the rules to a minimum.
Our History
Founded in 1936 by Elizabeth Foster ("Miss Betty") Stonorov, the Charlestown Playhouse is a non-profit, cooperative nursery school and kindergarten. The school is housed in a former eighteenth-century church that was transformed into a school by architect Oskar Stonorov. It is surrounded by woods and fields and is grounded in a philosophy of love and respect for children. In this environment, teachers, parents, and children can learn and grow together. In keeping with the spirit of Playschool, parents cooperate both in attending to the physical requirements of the school and in participating in the learning experiences of the children by helping in the classroom.
NonDiscrimination Statement
The Charlestown Playhouse does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability in admission or access to, or treatment in or employment in, its educational programs or activities.