About

The Highland Presbyterian Church Nursery and Weekday School was originally established in the fall of 1949 as The Weekday School and was a part of the Church’s Religious Education Program, provided as a service to the community.  There were two classes: one for fifteen three year-olds and one for fifteen four year-olds. Both groups attended Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. until noon, October through Memorial Day.  September was considered too hot as the Church had no air conditioning.

The facility used was the original educational facility attached to the Church.  A “large muscle” activity room was in the basement. The play yard was an empty lot owned by the City at the end of Highland Ave. next to the Cave Hill Cemetery wall. When the Walker-Nevin Educational Building was constructed, the school moved to its current location. Parent meetings were held every other month. The roll was called at these meetings and all mothers were “requested” to attend.

Some years later, a Mothers’ Day Out Program was established to offer a nurturing sitter service for infants through four year-olds one day per week. The Mothers’ Day Out Program evolved into a Parents’ Day Out Program and expanded to offer services four days per week. The program also expanded its mission to provide caring and appropriate programming for the children enrolled and was no longer just a sitter service.

Sixty four years later, the two well-respected programs became one unified school serving infants through Kindergartners.  We now enroll 160 children in eleven different class groupings.  While our primary focus is still our morning three-hour program, we now hold optional early play and extended play sessions, and operate from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Monday-Friday.

The Nursery and Weekday School provides a warm, nurturing, educational environment where children can discover and explore new concepts, meet new friends, learn to trust new adults, and as a result, build a strong foundation of self-esteem and confidence. Through these child-centered, hands-on explorations children also develop creative thinking, problem solving skills, and a life-long love of learning.

Parents partner with the school, and together we support the growth and development of each child. Teachers still visit the children in their homes before school begins, meet at least twice a year with preschool and kindergarten parents for conferences, and the school offers speakers and support to parents in their parenting journey. Parents volunteer in numerous ways to support the operation of the school. 

The School is operated by a Board of Directors composed of both Church members and parents. Thirty-four qualified and experienced faculty and staff implement our program.  They include classroom teachers, music specialists, studio art specialists, an early interventionist, classroom facilitators, an office manager, a program coordinator and a director.  For over seventy years, these and many talented educators before them have offered the finest in early education to numerous children in the greater Louisville community.  We hope to continue this tradition for many, many more years to come!