Fence Painting at 8th Street Site 
The sign at the 8th street location
| Locations |
| Phones |
| 1447 Danbury Street |
| (530) 757-5375 |
| 426 West 8th St. |
| (530) 757-5377 |
| Hours |
| Variable |
| Website |
| davisparentnurseryschool.com |
| https://www.facebook.com/DavisParentNurserySchool |
The Davis Parent Nursery School (DPNS) is a non-profit parent participation pre-school associated with the DJUSD Adult School. Parent participation and education is required to varying extents in all programs. Though it is a non-trivial time commitment it is widely regarded by the participants as well worth it.
DPNS offers several programs including:
- Mixed age playgroup (15 months - 27 months)
- Older playgroup (24 months - 33 months)
- 2 day AM preschool (2 years 3 months - 3 years 3 months)
- 3 day AM preschool (2 years 9 months - 4 years 8 months)
- 5 day AM preschool (3 years 3 months - 4 years 8 months)
- Extended Day program (3 years 6 months - 5 years)
The Extended Day program is now available Monday through Friday afternoons from 11:45am-4:30pm. This program allows the children more time to play in our spacious 8th St yard. No parent participation required. If interested, more information can be found on our website : www.davisparentnurseryschool.com.
Pictures
The 8th street campus:
The Danbury campus:
2005-10-01 01:52:25 My daughter was enrolled at DPNS for the 2003/2004 and 2004/2005 school years. We were in the 5 Day AM program with Teacher Sandy Rendig. May daughter absolutely adored Sandy. Now that my daughter is at Cesar Chavez Elementary attending Kindergarten she still asks me if she can go back to DPNS. If you ever visit their 8th Street facility you can understand why kids want to go there. It has over an acre of areas where kids can play. (The site was established over 50 years ago when the real estate was much cheaper. And the entire site was built by parent volunteers.) Some people have been put off by the extensive volunteer time that you need to put in to be a DPNS parent. But I must say that I enjoyed the time with my child. DPNS can be hard if you have 3 or more kids (because you have to volunteer for each child). But I have known quite a few Moms & Dads that have done it. —SherryOneal
2005-10-01 02:08:12 I can speak as an alumni of DPNS - class of 1962. I still have fond memories of this nursery school. The original fort is still there on the property, but the mud area is now a sandbox. I remember that there were parents there but I don't recall them participating in our play that much. Maybe it is different now with parents hovering more over their children. It was a place for me to make friends and play with other children, learn to get along, take turns, paint, ride tricycles up and down the hill, play in the mud and eat graham crackers. —SharlaDaly
2006-11-03 08:12:32 Everybody raves about this place. I have anly seen the W8th place from the outside and the play yard looks awsome. They have a fleet of trikes in all shapes and sizes. The only downside so far is that the wait list to get in is looooong (ofcourse that is a good sign ina sense). I wish I'd be a tot again. —ArneAnka
- As of September 27th, there were a few spots open in the South Davis school. They're probably filled by now, and might not be for the age group you need, but the waiting list is probably shorter. —JessicaLuedtke
2007-03-01 09:48:45 What you don't realize about this preschool is how much you get out of it for you, the parent. Not only is it a fantastic place for kids (every teacher is amazing) but as a parent you obtain many skills that you don't even realize you're obtaining until you are in other situations where you find yourself using them. It's hard to even explain. —WesHardaker
2010-02-01 13:28:17 My oldest child attended DPNS for three years, and my son is currently enrolled in his second. I can not say enough wonderful things about this program. It is a magical place for kids to learn, play, and grow. By working in my child's classroom and attending parent classes I have learned many valuable parenting skills. I feel so lucky that we found this program and would highly recommend it to others. —emianddrewsmom
2010-04-29 10:47:46 The long waiting lists are a thing of the past. There are still several openings for this fall (2010-11 school year). This will be my third year with DPNS with my two children and have experienced 3 of the 5 sessions and they are all terrific. You won't find a better preschool program out there and you get to be part of your child's learning experience...how great is that?! If you are considering a preschool for the fall (actually there are a few spots currently open in 3day pm right now) you need to check out this school. Parent participation is required but only once a week or every other week depending on your session....it is so worth it to witness your child's development in a school setting. I drive all the way from Woodland to bring my kids to school here....it is that great! —rileyandkyrasmom
2011-04-17 22:12:07 I would 110% recommend DPNS. I did A LOT of driving to check out dozens of preschools in Davis and surroundsing cities. I wanted to find the best preschool for my daughter. She's attended the 8th street site the last year and LOVES it. The yard is the biggest I've seen for a preschool. The kids can really run-run-run. What mother doesn't love a tuckered out kid after preschool? She brings home lots of artwork, they eat healthy snacks, have a cute garden, and birthday celebrations are special. The teachers are kind and focus on the children learning good social skills. On the weekend, my daughter asks when she can go to school again. I also love being able to volunteer and spend time with my child in the school setting. —MonicaGarciaOBrien
2011-04-17 23:03:03 I have to say my second favorite thing about DPNS is that they accept your child at 15 months of age. I have not found another Parent Nursery School for miles that accepts children this young. I also of course refused to "drop" my daughter off somewhere so this school worked great for us. The Playgroup for the youngest kids one parent (or your private caregiver) stays with them for the whole class. The teacher for this youngest level is WONDERFUL!!!!!! She is my favorite thing about DPNS, her name is Sandy (Danbury site) and the first second I saw her I knew she was perfect. She is like a preschool teacher from the movies... the kind that don't really exist but you wish they did. She even retired and came back. I FEEL SO LUCKY!!!! My daughter loves her and loves the school. She has learned to count to ten by age two and is learning her alphabet. I taught her this on my own. The school teaches other things like how to interact with other kids, how to come to circle time, sing songs, some counting, how to share, grabbing books and having us read to them, imaginary play (which IS REALLY IMPORTANT DO THE RESEARCH!!!), play dough, coloring and drawing, blocks and so much more. There is a garden there they can look at (at Danbury site). They love the toy boat outside and play imaginary play there as well. She is excited to go there every Monday. Teacher Sandy also taught me a lot. Sandy is extremely intuitive, loving, caring and wise. She teaches you how to be a better parent and you don't even realize she is doing it as she is so subtle and considerate. She never scolds anyone or makes you feel small. She knows how to teach. She also knows which kids need the most help (shy ones, slower developers, etc) and she gives them special attention but in a gentle way. I can't say enough about Sandy and I feel very strongly that she is DPNS. I hope DPNS focuses on hiring more "Sandy" type teachers...if they can find them HAHAHAHA!! I wonder if after Sandy was made they broke the mold. Sigh. I just hope DPNS can find people to teach there that aspire to Sandy's greatness. I look forward to finding out what our two teachers will be like with the next level (2 day program) that we are enrolled for in the fall of 2011. I wish we could take Sandy with us all the way through to Pre-K. —danalynngalvin
2011-04-18 10:21:36 As I looked around our PTA meeting the other night, I was struck by how many DPNS parents were there. My youngest graduated from DPNS Pre-K program at 8th street 2 years ago after a family total of 10 years in DPNS! DPNS is amazing for the kids, but you'll find that it is also amazing for the parents, long after your kids move on. The most involved parents in Elementary School are the DPNS alums. The parents who look out for my kids (3 kids at 3 different schools) are my fellow DPNS alums. The parents I can count on to tell me if they've heard something funny or sweet or worrisome about one of my kids are DPNS parents I met all those years ago. It's an amazing community that will nuture you and your child(ren) long after you leave. —ConnieSteele
2013-06-16 21:15:04 My son participated in the Danbury playgroup with teacher Sandy Rendig. We loved this program and will be participating again next year. Everyone in the program was so warm and inviting. The indoor and outdoor play spaces are truly amazing. My son's favorite activities were sending cars down the parking lot structure, using the dump trucks in the giant sandbox, and pushing the lawnmower all around. It is nice to connect with other parents and kids in the community. Parent participation in the program has been a valuable experience for me and is easy to accomplish. I would highly recommend this program to anyone looking for fun ways to connect with their child and the community. DPNS is a true gem! —AliLoge
2013-06-23 21:59:35 I have been apart of the DPNS community now, for 3 years (with many more to follow). My daughter, now 4, began her journey in the "playgroup" session at Danbury with teacher Sandy. It was incredible. I would call it more of a "mommy and me" class because you get to be a part of this amazing experience along side your child. Since, we have gone through the 2-day and 3-day programs as well, and she will start 5-day in the fall. I now have a 16 month old, whom will begin his journey in the fall too. The support, teachers, and friendships I have made, make every minute spent at this school, well worth it. You should check it out, if you haven't already. You're kids are missing out. —Ashleyjb
2013-06-25 21:59:16 Our daughter was in 2 day last year and loved it. Everyone morning she would eagerly ask, “Is today a preschool day?” I am constantly amazed at how warm the teachers and other parents are towards the children, and I love that it is play based. It was a great year for our whole family, and we are looking forward to our daughter going back next year. —AmyHuey
2013-06-27 09:38:31 We were in Teacher Sandy's playgroup last year at Danbury and my son LOVED it! Every time I told him he was going to school, or we even passed by the school, he would start yelling "School! School!" Teacher Sandy welcomed him with open arms, and always had time to look at diggers with him, play cars, sing songs, look at bugs ... the quality of the relationship she developed with each child in the playgroup was amazing. She is a great example of the connections the entire school creates—this school becomes your community and so much more than just a school. We are very excited to be continuing with the program and look forward to our future children enjoying the same joy, passion, and excitement that DPNS creates. —KristiLinkCrosier
2013-06-27 15:37:31 My son did the playgroups with me when he was a baby/toddler and now he is in the 3 day program at the Danbury location. He LOVES it so much and I can understand why. Everyday there is a different theme, PJ day, Backwards day (where some outdoor structures are inside and indoor toys are placed outside), Carnival day (he came home covered in face paint!), Butterfly day, Friendship day and so on. There are always at least 6 different areas with activities going on, 3 art areas inside and often at least 1 outside. The teachers change around the outdoor play structures so there is always something different to try, like the whirly gig (a self propelled merry go round built for two children, with saftey belts and everything), a balance beam, lots of sensory tables, water tables, the list goes on forever. But more importantly what sets DPNS apart from other schools is the parent's involvement. A common misconception people have is that the parents are the only teachers there, but there are actually two teachers who run the program (that means two for the 2 day program, two for the 3 day program, two for the 5 day program, etc.). In addition to the teachers there are 6-7 parents who "work" on any given day. Each parent is assigned to a specific area like the art table, the kitchen, the play structure, etc. The teachers check in with every area and if there is conflict between the children the teachers are there to intervene. All the parents are required to take parent education classes on a monthly basis, so the quality of the parents there is very high. DPNS parents are generally loving, patient and genuinely care about the children. And because there are so many adults, the ratio is about 4 children per caregiver, which is remarkable. You won't find children crying for their mommies at the door unnoticed because there are more than enough people there to comfort them. Often times a nursery school aspires to comfort every child and create a true play-based environment, but simply cannot because there are not enough assistants to do so. DPNS stands apart in this respect. It's really an amazing first school experience for a child. I highly recommend it. —CarolinaWonder
2014-12-03 20:47:26 I used to drive from Vacaville to attend DPNS with my older son. That is how invested I was in being a part of this amazing play based co-op preschool. Being a preschool teacher myself, I hold a high standard for what a great preschool should look like. DPNS hits all the markers! My younger son now enjoys his time at DPNS and he comes home from school to tell his big brother about his day. They talk together about their favorite activities, play ground features and teachers. When we finally moved to Davis we had such a smooth transition because all our friends were already here. We had a built in support group and plenty of recommendations from DPNS families for doctors, dentists, chiropractors, etc. What a blessing this community has been to me and my family over the years. Another part of DPNS that sets it apart and makes it such an enriching experience for children and families is the parent participation. The ratio of adult to child at DPNS is fantastic, and each parent is invested in making the classroom a great place for the kids. The continuing parent education classes made available for the parents are always though provoking and have made me a beer parent. If you are looking for a preschool in Davis, DPNS is the best! —DanielleDavidson
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