Hi Friend of PNS!

✨ Happy March from all of us at Princeton Nursery School! ✨

We’re so grateful for the incredible support of our families, staff, board, and community over the past year and into this new chapter — you make everything we do possible.

This year is shaping up to be an exciting one for PNS, filled with celebrations, events, and new opportunities to grow and connect.

We can’t wait to share all the special moments ahead with you!

2026 Princeton Nursery School Gala

Thanks to the generosity, joy, and commitment of our community, Starry, Starry Evening 2026 was not only a beautiful celebration — it was a powerful investment in local children and families.

Together, we surpassed our fundraising goal, raising critical funds that directly support high-quality early childhood education, family stabilization services, and access for families across income levels.

Because of you:

• Children will receive nurturing, high-quality early education in a 4-star Grow NJ Kids classroom.
• Families will have access to wraparound supports through our Community Resource Hub.
• Alumni families will continue to stay connected to summer programming and year-round services.
• Our commitment to ensuring that high-quality preschool remains accessible to working families grows stronger.

One particularly moving moment was our impact video, which reminds us why this work matters so deeply. If you haven’t had a chance to watch (or would like to again), you can view below!

(April 1972: Photo of Former Executive Director & Educator Jean Riley, whom our sliding scale scholarship is named after. Ms. Jean Riley began teaching in 1955 & was a teacher at PNS before becoming Director for 27 years. She retired in 2000)

Black History Month offers a special opportunity for Princeton Nursery School to reflect on the history that shaped our founding and continues to guide our mission today.

Established in 1929, Princeton Nursery School was created to support working mothers in the historically segregated Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood—many of whom were Black women working in Princeton households and institutions while raising families of their own. At a time when few childcare and early education options existed, the school was founded to ensure that their children had a safe, nurturing place to learn, grow, and thrive.

Nearly a century later, that founding purpose remains at the heart of our work. Princeton Nursery School continues to provide high-quality early childhood education while supporting the stability and well-being of working families.

As we celebrate Black History Month, we honor the families, educators, and community members who built this incredible legacy and continue to inspire our commitment to equity, opportunity, and community care for every child who walks through our doors.

Please Check out one of this years Gala sponsors,

 the Witherspoon Jackson Historical & Cultural Society, below!

(April 1972: Photo of Princeton Nursery School during an open house recital)

Thanks to the generous support of the Olivia & Leslie Foundation, Princeton Nursery School’s Art & Math Program brings creativity and critical thinking together in joyful, hands-on ways that help our students explore numbers, patterns, shapes, and problem-solving through art and self expression.

This school year, the experience expanded beyond the classroom when our students attended a professional exhibition at the Arts Council of Princeton.

We are deeply grateful to the Olivia & Leslie Foundation for investing in enriching opportunities like this, ensuring that our children—regardless of income—have access to inspiring experiences that nurture both imagination and academic growth.

Senator Andrew Zwicker

Visit to Princeton Nursery School!

We were grateful for the opportunity to welcome Senator Andrew Zwicker to Princeton Nursery School and to share more about the work happening at PNS each day.

His visit provided a meaningful chance to highlight our mission and the impact of high-quality early childhood education and wraparound family support services for children and families in our community. We appreciated his time, thoughtful engagement, and interest in learning more about how PNS supports families during these critical early years.

Thank you, Senator Zwicker, for taking the time to visit our school and for your continued support of children, families, and early education!

Valentines Day Celebration

Valentine’s Day at Princeton Nursery School is a joyful reminder of the kindness and friendship that fill our classrooms every day.

Our students celebrated by creating handmade valentines, sharing treats, and practicing small acts of care for their classmates and teachers.

This year, the kids also made structures out of Valentines Day gummies to build new shapes & buildings - fueled by the power of kindness (& sugar!)

Princeton Area Community Foundation: Critical Needs Response Grant

Princeton Nursery School (PNS) is deeply grateful to the Princeton Area Community Foundation, in partnership with the Bonner Foundation and the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, for awarding the school a $25,000 Critical Needs Grant.

This funding comes at a critical moment as local nonprofits respond to increased community needs and funding disruptions. Recent cuts to New Jersey’s Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) created a more than $64,000 budget gap that PNS absorbed to ensure families could continue accessing affordable, high-quality early childhood education without additional hardship.

The grant will also help support emergency rental and mortgage assistance for families affected by the pause of the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP).

We are incredibly thankful to the Princeton Area Community Foundation and its partners for their leadership and generosity in supporting organizations like PNS that are working every day to stabilize families and ensure children have the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive.