Toddler Nursery

Links labeled “example” open a suggested product for reference only.

• Large pack of diapers (label with child’s name) –
• Two changes of clothes + socks (store in large Ziploc; labeled)
• Large Ziploc bags (for spare clothes) –
• Backpack or diaper bag for school (labeled) –
• Bottles (one or more; labeled; no glass) –
• Sippy cup (if applicable; labeled) –
• Formula container (pre-mixed; non-glass pourable) –
• Breast milk storage bags/containers (fresh or frozen) –
• Baby food (store-bought must be unopened) –
• Lunch items (if eating table food; bring from home)
• Snacks (if eating table food; parent preference)
• Plastic 2-pocket prong folder (labeled) –
• Baby wipes (6 packages) –
• Clorox wipes (or similar; 2 containers) –
• Lysol spray (or similar; 1 can) –
• Latex-free gloves (100 count; 4 boxes) – example

• Each morning nursery parents will walk their baby to the nursery door to drop off.
• Be sure to sign your baby in each morning and let the teachers know when they had their last feeding and any other important information you wish to share.
• You will be asked to complete a form giving your baby’s teachers general information about your baby’s schedule at the beginning of the year, but we know schedules change as your little one grows. Please be sure to send an updated schedule in writing as you notice it evolve at home.
• Nursery families are issued a key card that grants you access to the Day School and toddler hallway. We have a greeter sitting at the Welcome Center desk and available to buzz in parents each morning. Only one key card may be issued per family so we recommend the individual picking up the baby in the afternoon/evening is who will need the key card each day.
• While newborns will often transition to nursery care with ease, for our older babies there may be a period of transition. Stranger anxiety usually begins to present in infants between 6 to 8 months of age, often peaking between 12 to 15 months of age. During this time a baby may cry when separating from their parents. While we know this is hard for parents to experience, we assure you our nursery teachers will comfort your baby and help them adjust to the nursery environment.
• It is uncommon for a child to cry for an extended period of time. We do not want your child to remain upset unnecessarily and will call you if your child is unable to calm down. On occasion we may develop a transition plan to help a baby slowly work up to attending a full day of nursery school.
• Make sure your child has their backpack or diaper bag and folder each day.
• Please do not leave medications, even over the counter medications like diaper cream or hand sanitizer, in your child’s backpack or diaper bag. We encourage you to dedicate a bag just for school use.
• Everything that comes to school with your child should be labeled with their name. This includes pacifiers, bottles, sippy cups, lunchboxes, jackets, etc. If your child’s name is not on an item, we will label it for you.
• If your child takes a pacifier, please make sure they have multiple pacifiers available in their backpack or diaper bag. You are welcome to leave pacifiers at school in your child’s cubby.
• When babies are mobile, we highly recommend a pacifier clip! Clips will be removed during naptime.
• Babies may not be swaddled at the Day School, but they may use a sleep sack. The Day School keeps plenty of sleep sacks on hand for use in our nurseries.
• Because your baby cannot be swaddled at school, we recommend if your baby is used to sleeping swaddled you begin working with your baby before they start school to transition to sleeping without swaddling.
• Each baby must sleep in their crib at school. If a baby falls asleep in a teacher’s arms, the teacher must then lay them down on their back in their crib. We recommend allowing your baby to nap in their crib or bassinet at home before starting school. If your baby is used to being held for sleep, please understand there will likely be a period of shortened or limited naps at school while they adjust to sleeping in a crib.
• We are happy to accommodate both breastfeeding and formula feeding babies.
• A refrigerator is available in each nursery classroom with individually labeled space for each baby. We highly encourage breastfeeding moms to leave extra breastmilk in the freezer to use in case of spills, delays in your schedule, or growth spurts!
• Please be sure all breastmilk is labeled with your baby’s name, the date/time it was expressed, and ounces contained in the package.
• If you would like to come to the Day School to breastfeed your baby, a private space is available near the Welcome Desk in room N101 across from the Welcome Desk.
• If your baby is formula fed, please be sure formula is sent to school premixed and poured into bottles each day.
• Any remaining formula or breastmilk will be poured out 1 hour after baby begins to drink their bottle and the bottles will be returned to you at the end of the day. Bottles cannot be glass.
• If you are breastfeeding, we want to encourage you to begin offering a bottle at home 2 to 4 weeks before baby’s first day. Breastfed babies do best when they are already comfortable with bottles before starting school. If a breastfed baby refuses the bottle, we will call the mother so she may come to the Day School and nurse the baby until they become comfortable with drinking milk from a bottle.
• As your baby begins to eat table food, we encourage you to send in food for them! The teachers love working with the babies as they begin to eat.
• Purees must be in sealed containers and will be discarded after baby has eaten from the container.
• You are welcome to leave shelf stable foods in your baby’s cubby- i.e. puffs, Cheerios, pouches, etc.
• As your baby’s diet evolves to include more table foods, they may begin ordering a catered lunch each day or bringing a lunch box from home.
• If sending a lunch from home, please cut food into small enough pieces to prevent choking. If ordering a catered lunch the teachers will cut your baby’s food into bite size pieces. Nuts may not be served to children under 4-years-old.
• For the safety of all our nursery students, both nursery classes remain peanut and tree nut free at all times.
• Make sure your child always has 2 changes of seasonally appropriate clothes in their cubby. When they wear their spare clothes home, be sure to send in new ones the next day.
• As your baby begins walking independently, please send in a pair of shoes in their backpack each day. Our littlest walkers will get to go to the playground as weather permits, and they will need shoes to keep their feet safe. We want to prevent scraped toes or stepping on acorns, twigs, etcetera.
• We recommend closed toe tennis shoes for school. While boots and sandals are adorable on small children, they make it difficult to run, jump and climb without tripping.
• Nursery babies will bring home a daily report each day detailing how they ate, when they slept, and how many diaper changes they had. After reviewing your child’s daily sheet, please remove it from their folder.
• Check your child’s folder each evening and empty it of all important papers and artwork.