About us

We provide an exceptional learning experience

A parent led school means more community connections & supportive environment

As a cooperative school, Cherry Hill Nursery School is owned and operated by the Parents’ Association (all parents of current students). This structure provides ample opportunity for parents to be involved in the education of their children and to form a community of supportive and friendly parents. Not only do the various responsibilities around the school benefit our children, as parents we also have the opportunity to build skills and gain first-hand experience.

Some examples of important responsibilities at our school include leading the Parents’ Association, organizing parties, play dates and fundraisers, posting to social media and getting the word out about our school, conducting financial and strategic planning, acting as room parents and finding new and interesting ways to enhance and expand our children’s learning experiences. Whether a parent works full-time, part-time or stays at home, we facilitate a mutually beneficial role for each and every parent.

Founder & Head of School

Magna et nibh quam eu at viverra ut hac faucibus sed cras.

Felis mauris quisque scelerisque ac et, porta sit placerat pharetra, ac sodales vel vitae tincidunt mauris arcu placerat mi quis lorem orci, parturient rutrum.

Tortor platea nunc lorem morbi pellentesque sed enim viverra venenatis, sem pellentesque massa nunc quis lectus.

The CHNS Advantage

Small class sizes

Caring, experienced teachers

Shaded, multi sensory playground

Play-based curriculum

Music, Art & Spanish class

Hiking Mountain Lakes

Afternoon enrichment

Allergy aware school

Vision

We believe children learn how to respect others by being treated with respect. They learn how to make friends by being befriended. And their own inner voices are influenced for the better when we speak to them with kindness and patience.

Mission

For young children, learning takes place through play — socially, emotionally, physically, and intellectually. We provide a setting in which children have ample opportunity to play, explore, create and express their unique individuality. We also believe that in order for learning to take place a child must feel safe and secure. Through modeling kindness, patience and empathy, our teachers create a positive environment in which all of the children feel supported.

Meet the staff

Experts in giving your children the best start

Jennifer is entering her 22nd year at Cherry Hill Nursery School and has been a teacher in the 5s class and Head Teacher at Cherry Hill Nursery School since 2005. Jennifer was the Assistant Teacher in the 5s classroom during the 2003-2004 school year and during the 2004-2005 school year, she taught Literature and Drama and served as Consulting Head Teacher. Prior to working at Cherry Hill Nursery School, Jennifer worked in several public school systems where she taught 2nd grade, 4th grade, and 7th grade, and served as an elementary school librarian. Jennifer received her B.A. from Rutgers University and her M.A. from Montclair State University. Jennifer’s daughter, Emily, is a Cherry Hill Nursery School alumna.

Noopur will be starting her 20th year at Cherry Hill Nursery School in the 5s class. She began teaching in 1994 in India and also taught in Hong Kong before moving to the United States. She has lived in Princeton for the past twenty years. Her undergraduate degree is in Chemistry and she has a post-graduate diploma in Social Communications Media.

Alison is returning for her 25th year at the school and is teaching the 4s class. Alison has a Bachelor’s Degree in Animal Science from Rutgers University. Pre-pandemic, she taught group exercise classes at the Princeton Family YMCA and religious education at St. Alphonsus Catholic Church in Hopewell. Alison spends her afternoons during the school year and the summer at the Watershed Institute as a Naturalist Teacher. Alison and her husband Jimmy live in Hopewell. They have three children, Peter, Jessica and James, daughters-in-laws JoAnne and Amber, and grandchildren Brantley, Tommy, Mackenzie and Addisyn. She enjoys walking her dog Sierra in the woods, caring for her ponies Poco and Cowboy, raising caterpillars, spending time with family, swimming, painting, kayaking, yoga, reading and exploring nature with the children at Cherry Hill Nursery School.

Having recently earned her master’s in education degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Julia is passionate about applying research-based practices to the 4s class curriculum. Returning to CHNS for her 8th year, she brings ‘lifeworthy’ learning to the classroom, focusing on inspiring curiosity and fueling an appetite for exploration. Julia also sits on the board of Making Caring Common, a research, policy, and practice initiative based at Harvard which inspired a series of social emotional learning lessons taught throughout the year in the 4s class. Before teaching at Cherry Hill, she taught at Chapin School and St. Andrew’s Nursery School. Julia grew up in Kansas, attended Harvard College, and has lived in Princeton for 16 years. She enjoys swimming, hiking, and traveling with her husband, especially when visiting their son and daughter in Atlanta and Boston.

Joy is excited to begin her 1st year teaching in the 3s class, after being an Afternoon Enrichment teacher for 2 years. She and her family spent many wonderful years at Cherry Hill and her three children are proud Cherry Hill alumni! While a parent at Cherry Hill, Joy was involved with the parent board, as a chair, school community chair and personnel chair. Prior to having children, Joy taught elementary school in the Montgomery Township School District for 12 years. She taught special education in both in class support and resource room settings. She is now active in the Parent Teacher Organization at her children’s schools. Joy received her BS in Elementary Education, with a concentration in Special Education, from the University of Delaware. She received her Masters degree in Reading Education from Boston University. In her free time, Joy enjoys gardening, going to the beach, traveling and spending time with her family and friends.

Sarah is returning for her 4th year at Cherry Hill Nursery School. She will be teaching both the 2s class and the 3s class this year. Sarah’s background is in Art Education and she previously taught art to grades K-8 in the Chester Upland School District (PA). Sarah received her BS in Art Education from the Tyler School at Temple University. Sarah has 3 children, Violet, Nellie and Sam, the youngest two are Cherry Hill alumni. All three children attend elementary school in Princeton. Sarah enjoys working on art projects with her children and loves spending time at the beach with friends and family.

Megan joins us in her 3rd year at Cherry Hill Nursery School as the teacher of the 2s class and Little Cherries class. Previously, she taught in the Hillsborough School District for 18 years as a 5th Grade teacher, K/1/2 Self-Contained Teacher, and 2nd and 4th Grade Resource Room Teacher. Megan received her B.S. in Elementary Education from the University of Scranton and her M.A. in Special Education from The College of New Jersey. Austin, Megan’s son, graduated from CHNS three years ago and her daughter, Kaitlyn, will be in the 5s class this year. During her son’s time at CHNS, Megan was a member of the School Community Committee and also served as the School Community Committee Chair. Megan enjoys cooking, visiting the beach, reading, yoga, and spending time with her family.

Megan is excited to begin her first year at Cherry Hill Nursery School. She will be teaching in the 2s class. Previously, she taught at Elysian Charter School in Hoboken as a 4th grade teacher for 15 years. She received her BA at Rutgers University. Megan’s son graduated from CHNS last year and her daughter will be in the 4s class. We all fell in love with the school and enjoyed the amazing learning experience that each year brought starting from the 2s class and going all the way up to the 5s class. As a parent of CHNS, she was involved in fundraising and school community. Megan enjoys gardening, yoga, going to the beach and spending time with her family.

Karolin is returning for her 11th year at Cherry Hill Nursery School. She will teach in the Afternoon Enrichment program. Prior to joining the staff, Karolin was a CHNS parent and she worked on the enrichment programs, fundraising, yearbooks, and served on the Board. She is honored to be part of the Cherry Hill family. Both her sons attended Cherry Hill and had an amazing experience at the school. She holds her BA from Douglass College, Rutgers University and her Masters from Boston University. She has traveled extensively, loves photography and is an avid reader.

Rachel is thrilled to be returning to the staff at Cherry Hill Nursery School as an Afternoon Enrichment teacher. Rachel fell in love with the school and the “Play-based curriculum” when her first daughter started in the “Mommy and Me” class for 2 year olds in 2015. She became an active parent within the school holding various positions on the Board and enjoyed seeing her 2
children, and countless others, grow into well adjusted, curious, HAPPY kids! Rachel strongly
believes in the importance of early childhood education and we are excited for her to join the team! Aside from raising her 2 daughters and being “The Fun Mom”, Rachel enjoys travel, yoga, cooking and reading as much as possible!

Letitia is excited to return to Cherry Hill to start her first year as an Afternoon enrichment
teacher. She was lucky enough to work in the 2s classroom last year, and as a substitute for the
past 2 school years. She has two sons, 8 and 5, who attended Cherry Hill and she loved being
part of the Cherry Hill family so much that she had to come back even after they left! She
received her BA in Theatre Arts from Pennsylvania State University and her MFA in acting from
Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. She is passionate about reading, playing
and encouraging creativity.

Sarah Johnson joins Cherry Hill Nursery School with a deep passion for music and children. Holding a degree in music from the University of Vermont and certification in children’s music teaching, Sarah has devoted her career to sharing her love of music with young learners.

As a mother of two, Sarah was inspired to write her own children’s music when her first child, Olivia, was just one year old. This journey led to the creation of Sing Along With Sarah, her own business specializing in engaging and educational musical experiences for children.

Sarah’s connection to Cherry Hill Nursery School is personal, as her eldest daughter attended the school and her youngest is now excited to start her own journey here. With her expertise and enthusiasm, Sarah is eager to nurture a love for music in each of her students at Cherry Hill Nursery School.

Erica joins Cherry Hill Nursery School as the full time director this year after serving as co-director last year. She previously was an educational consultant and fundraising chair while her youngest was in the 4s and 5s classes. Previously, she taught in Ecuador, Chicago, and Charlotte before becoming an instructional education coach for teachers in project-based learning. Her family landed in Princeton and at Cherry Hill after her husband retired from 24 years in the Army. Erica has a BA in Secondary Education and MA in Instructional Technology with additional certificates in online learning. Two of her three of kids are now in the dual language program at Community Park Elementary School with the another at Princeton Middle School. Outside of school, Erica also owns her own wellness business, loves yoga, dancing, reading and knitting.

What parent say

Faucibus nulla tincidunt sagittis faucibus proin habitasse nunc erat sed nisi non pulvinar at ante diam nulla tincidunt lectus maecenas penatibus nam suspendisse cursus risus, ac nibh suspendisse

Ramona Altenwerth

More than just a joyful place

Letting kids develop at their own pace through play

Show Your Support of CHNS. Donate Here Today!