Groups 1 & 2 have separate classrooms, but work together as one. The children are assigned to either Denise Jones or Pam Hanna, primarily according to age. Parent conferences, child assessments, and the child’s belongings are kept by the teacher assigned to the child. The children meet for a story read aloud as they come to school, while the other teacher greets parents, receives messages, and learns about the transition from home to school that day. Once everyone is at school, the children have the ability to go from one classroom to the other by means of the “traveling door” between the two rooms. Snack, lunch, nap, and circle times are usually done in one of the rooms, allowing for alternate activities such as block and dramatic play or an art activity to go on in the other room. Other activity common with this age group is exploration with many kinds of paint, clay and collage materials, as well as experimenting with sand and water. Puzzles, pegboards, wooden alphabets, counting activities, stories read aloud, songs and music activities and science inquiries round out a curriculum which follows the individual child’s interests, and is based on the Massachusetts Preschool Curriculum Guidelines.

Denise Jones is the teacher responsible for Group 1, consisting of children aged 2 years and 9 months. The capacity for Group I is 8 children. Children in the process of toilet training will need to provide their own disposable diapers and wipes, as well as plenty of extra clothes each day. Children in both groups will need to bring in a snack with a drink for the 10:00 snack time, and a lunch if they are staying for the lunch hour from 12:00 to 1:00. Children staying in the afternoon will need to bring a blanket for the napping hour between 1:00 and 2:00.

Pam Hanna is the teacher responsible for Group 2, with children starting at age 3years and 6 months. The capacity for Group 2 is also 8 students. A large part of the curriculum for this group focuses on communication. Students are encouraged to use such sentences as “Can I have a turn with that when you’re done?” and vocalize their feelings, wants and concerns with peers and teachers. Although two and three day schedules are common in these groups, children may come five days per week. Parents may choose any combination of days, which then must stay consistent for the remainder of the school year.

Nora Richards and Jennifer Rose are the teaching team for this class of nineteen 4 and 5 year old children. Everyone in Group 3 comes to school at least three mornings per week. Children who come to The Sandpiper for an extra year, called a Transition Year, in spite of the fact that they are eligible for kindergarten, are encouraged to come five days per week. Everyone in Group 3 is well acquainted with being in child care, and may have been at The Sandpiper for a year or two already. These children are confident in a large group setting, and are interested in the daily class activity as well as the time they will have for unstructured play with their friends. The curriculum is based on the Massachusetts State Preschool Guidelines and the developmentally appropriate practice encouraged by the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs. There are field trips using the Sandpiper Nursery School bus, and special activities planned around projects initiated by the children, teachers, and families of the class. Children make choices as to which activities they participate in during the morning; such as blocks, dramatic play, art, puzzles and games and books or the computer. They are also highly encouraged to participate in teacher directed activities, class projects, and circle time activities. Samples and photographs of the children’s work are kept throughout the school year, and gathered into a portfolio which the family receives at the end of each school year.

Many children in Group 3 stay for lunch and the afternoon day care hours, and therefore bring a morning snack as well as a lunch. Children in Group 3 who come to school from 9:00 to 3:00 are eligible to be picked up and dropped off by the Sandpiper Nursery School Bus if they live in the North or East Falmouth areas. The charge for this service is $9.00 per day, and is available only for children in Group 3. The Sandpiper maintains a first come, first served sign up, with a maximum of eight children riding the bus for school transportation.

Many students attending in the morning stay on for lunch from noon to one. Children are required to bring their own lunch. There are kitchen facilities on the premises for refrigeration purposes. We do ask that parents pack a "user friendly" lunch however.

The Lunch Bunch consists of two groups. Group one is comprised of students staying from groups one and two while the second Lunch Bunch group consists of those staying from Group 3. The Lunch Bunch has a total capacity of twenty nine students so parents of Drop In students must notify the school at least twenty four hours prior to the date of their drop in.

Lunch is usually eaten within the first half hour of the period with classroom or outdoor play filling the second.

Students who stay all day and Drop in Students participate in the Afternoon Day Care Groups. These groups last from one to three in the afternoon and the total, maximum enrollment is twenty five children.

Children in Group 3 stay in their usual classroom with Nora until 3:00, continuing in a loose model of the kindergarten day. Group art, science, and literacy projects are continued from the morning section. Any students in Group 3 may be taken home on the Sandpiper School Bus.

Children from groups one and two will stay in their classrooms with Pam and Denise. Children in Group 1 will have a nap time in their room. Children from Group 2 who are used to napping may join the children in group 1. Other children in Group 2 will stay with Pam doing quiet activities such as table games, reading books, and art activities.

The After School Group is offered between 3:00 and 5:00. There is a maximum of ten students in this group with two teachers as long as there more than six students in the group on a given day. Activities include both indoor and outdoor play, art, cooking, and games with The Sandpiper providing snack at 3:30. The After School Group continues until 5:00, when The Sandpiper closes for the day.



The Drop-In program was created for the convenience of the families at The Sandpiper. Since many of our children attend part-time, we wanted to create the ability to take a child on an unscheduled day for as many hours as the parents need for care. Because the majority of our children come in the morning, there is less room for drop-in children between the hours of 9:00 and 1:00; however, children may come during those hours if there are vacancies or absentees within the groups. Parents may not substitute one day for another, as the tuition schedule is based on the exact days that the child attends, however, if there is room, the child may come for an additional day and pay for the extra time. The most available drop in time is between 8:00 and 9:00 am, and after 12:00 pm. Because of the staff flexibility needed to accommodate this program, 24 hour notice is required for use of drop-in hours. Children outside the school may also use the drop-in program, provided that the required emergency information is on file with The Sandpiper office.



We offer school vacation care for the weeks The Sandpiper Nursery School is closed during December, February, and April. With a reservation made with The Sandpiper one month in advance of the upcoming vacation week, parents are able to send their child to Friendship Garden Nursery School, on Locustfield Rd. in East Falmouth. The Sandpiper will provide Friendship Garden Nursery School with a copy of the state required forms with the parent’s written permission, and the parent will be responsible for paying Friendship Garden Nursery School tuition at their rate due at the beginning of the week.



The summer program is offered for seven weeks over the months of June, July, and August. It is separate from the school year program and must be registered for accordingly, starting on April 1. Tuition for the summer is paid in full by the last day of the school year, approximately by the second week in June. There is a group capacity of 16 children in the summer, between the ages of 2 years 9 months and 6, which is staffed by four teachers in two groups. Children aged 2.9 to 4 are placed in the School Based Group with Pam Hanna and Denise Jones. Children aged 5 and 6 are placed in the Field Trip Group with Nora Richards and one other teacher. The program is offered between 9:00 am and 1:00 pm, with surround care from 8:00 to 9:00, and 1:00 to 5:00 at the rate of $6.00 per hour. Children bring a snack and a lunch from home, as well as sunscreen, a bathing suit and towel, and an extra set of clothes. Children in the School Based Group do art and cooking projects, gardening, take walks, have visitors, and play on the playground. Children in the Field Trip Group go on a field trip every day, unless it is rained out, in which case they play in the upstairs classroom. There is an extra cost of $15.00 per day to cover school bus expenses. Parents of children in the Field Trip Group receive a calendar of field trips upon registration.

Children may come to the summer program for any or all of the seven weeks, and for any or all of the days open. Availability is on a first come first served basis. The cost is $6.00 per hour, with an extra $15.00 per day for the Field Trip Group. Payment for the summer morning program is required by the last day of the school year, approximately by the second week in June. Summer tuition is non-refundable, with no exceptions.

Massachusetts State Regulation 102 CMR 1.03(1)

We are a fully licensed, certified preschool in the state of Massachusetts. The Sandpiper Nursery School shall not discriminate in providing services to children and their families on the basis of race, religion, cultural heritage, political beliefs, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, or disability. Children must be at least two years and nine months old, and not older than seven years old by September 1st of the calendar year to attend The Sandpiper, or in the first grade of primary school.