Visit the Eliot Chapel Nursery School website

Email the Nursery School

The school was founded in 1963 by the Eliot Chapel Women's Alliance. In the many years of the school's existence, there have only been three directors. 

The nursery school is non-sectarian and staff is a mix of people with differing religious backgrounds. The classes meet every weekday morning and four afternoons per week September through May. There is also a six-week summer play program. 

The church and the nursery school have enjoyed a pleasant coexistence all of these years. The school is run at capacity, often with waiting lists to enroll. We have an excellent staff made up of well-qualified teachers, some who have been with us for as many as 28 years. 

The school's relationship with the church is symbiotic in many ways. The school furnishes the classrooms and the church RE program uses them for their activities on Sundays. The playground was built and is maintained by the nursery school. 

In 1983 a scholarship fund called the Mary Lu Durbin Scholarship and Enrichment Fund was established. Between $4000 and $20,000 in scholarships are awarded annually. When Sally Schoenecker, a previous director, retired, the fund was renamed to honor her as well.  It is now known as the Durbin-Schoenecker Fund.

We have worked hard to ensure that this fund will last into the future and conduct a fund raising campaign each fall.

More information about ECNS can be found here on the ECNS website.