Nicole Jackson is completing a Field School project this summer with the Hamilton-based Chenango Nursery School. She is helping the school to improve their data systems by implementing a new database, and by observing the school routines and needs to create reports that will help the teachers access the information they need at different times in the day. The nursery school is a non-profit parent cooperative early childhood program that operates through a mission of encouraging children to learn through play. To Nicole, that mission is evident in the school’s everyday activities, and she’s thoroughly enjoying helping the school to implement that mission, as described in her own words:
Nicole Jackson ’18 spends time with some of the students at CNS.
“When I walked through the doors of Chenango Nursery School (CNS) to the wails of the infants in the Lady Bug room, I have to admit I was a bit worried about what this summer would have in store for me. As I got settled in and started to actually meet and play with some of the children, I knew that I would love the job. As a certified child-at-heart, I absolutely love working with children! Now, I have no worries when I walk through the doors of CNS, and only anticipation for the fun things that are in store each and every day. I get really excited to play with the children, no matter the age group.
Though I really do enjoy working at CNS, not every bit of it is so sweet. I have never been a morning person, and I know that will likely be a problem for most of my adult life, so these early mornings are hard! But not dreading my job makes waking up much easier. Also, because I am a new member of the staff, some of the children don’t know me that well and therefore do not see me as an authoritative figure. For now, I am hoping that will change as time goes on and they begin to recognize me as an actual staff member that they should be listening to.
This summer, I am spending a lot of my time organizing/entering data into a database for CNS. Lately, we have worked out a schedule of doing the organizing and data entry in the morning and working with the children in the afternoons, which I really enjoy. It makes me feel really nice and balanced by the end of it all. Also, my boss(es) and coworkers are very accessible so I can always reach out to them if I ever have a question about anything that I am doing. Overall, I am sure that I will really enjoy working at CNS this summer, because I really enjoy the job I am doing and the people I am doing it with, so I think this partnership will work perfectly!”