History
Palo Alto Friends Nursery School (FNS) was started in 1955 by a group of mothers from Palo Alto Friends Meeting.
In 1968, Friends became an independent non-sectarian program. But true to its Quaker roots, it maintained a philosophy of non-violence and a policy of decision making by consensus. Meeting allowed the school to remain on their premises on the condition it provide scholarships for needy families. They've continued to sponsor the school by providing our facilities and helping with the cost of building upgrades. It's Meeting's generosity that allows us to keep our fees within a reasonable range.
From 1968-1974, a variety of configurations for morning and afternoon programs were tried. FNS became a cooperative, with parents working on the Board, in the programs, and on fundraising to support the scholarship fund. During this period the children's programs were excellent but the business side of the school was unstructured, and the facilities were badly in need of maintenance and updating.
Our current Administrative Director, Annette Daniels came to us in 2006, and brings to us over 25 years of teaching experience and directing experience, in addition to her work with children with special needs. Today we've a staff of nine teachers and serve up to 90 preschoolers a year in our two morning and two afternoon programs. Through the concerted efforts of the staff, Board, and parent fundraising, we've been able to completely renovate the yard, refurbish the playrooms, and build much needed storage for our supplies and toys. The school building is up to code and passes all inspections with top ratings. Throughout the years we've maintained our close knit community, even as we've improved our business practices and extended the number of children for whom we can provide a quality nursery school experience. It's this "mom and pop" feeling that makes Friends the wonderful school it has been, is, and will be in the future.