Last month, on May 12, the Roslyn Trinity Co-Op Nursery School celebrated its 50th anniversary. The event was attended by over 250 people, including teachers, parents, children and alumni, past board members and local dignitaries. Town of North Hempstead Councilwoman Doreen Banks and Nassau County Executive Thomas Gulotta both presented proclamations to the school director Lindi Nubell and President Lisa Lobley, while Legislator Craig Johnson awarded a special citation to the school.

During the festivities, one meeting room was filled with people enjoying memorabilia and photos from the school's history. Many alumni parents stated that they owed their child's transition to regular school to the strong developmental program they experienced at the co-op.

As part of their anniversary celebrations, the co-op has also scheduled a picnic to be held Saturday, Sept. 29 at Eisenhower Park from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. A catered barbecue lunch will be available, as will family games and entertainment, a professional disc jockey and souvenirs.

The school was founded as the Roslyn Country Club Nursery School in 1951 by a group of nineteen parents on the grounds of the Shibley Day School. It had an original enrollment of 26 children. The school relocated to the Methodist Church on Warner Avenue in 1953 and changed its name to the Roslyn Nursery School. By 1954, a third class was added to accommodate the 54 children now enrolled and a scholarship was established for a child who might otherwise be unable to attend nursery school. Initially, the scholarship program was funded by grants from the Helena Rubenstein Foundation, but later on, parent fund raising was the primary source of funding.

In 1974, the Roslyn Nursery School moved to its present location on the grounds of Trinity Church. There it merged with the Trinity Episcopal Day School. This merger allowed the schools to draw from a larger geographic area, to expand classes and enlarge facilities.

Concerning curriculum matters, the school, in 1959, voluntarily and successfully underwent registration proceedings with the University of the State of New York's (SUNY) Education Department. The co-op successfully met the rigorous standards set by the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs and earned their first accreditation in 1991. Roslyn-Trinity has been reaccredited every three years since then.

Throughout the years, the co-op's success has allowed it to attract and maintain dedicated teachers and directors. Teachers have a background in and a grasp of early childhood education. Bea Gross, education consultant from Columbia University observed on her recent visit to the co-op: "In each room I found teachers who were intellectually challenging to the children...Every child I saw was involved...Over and over again I saw children who felt safe and respected."

Parent involvement is another vital element in the school's success. Since the Co-op is a non-profit school, it relies on the parents' efforts to keep it flourishing. At Roslyn-Trinity, committees of parents volunteer their time to maintain the facilities, manage the finances, fundraise, purchase supplies, recruit new students and run the Executive Board, which supervises the business administration of the school. Numerous studies have shown that when parents are active in school, students perform better. Roslyn-Trinity personnel claim that many leaders in communities, schools, libraries, and other worthwhile causes have been former co-op parents. The volunteer spirit is inspired during the co-op years and Roslyn-Trinity personnel believes it manifests itself in the leadership roles its students eventually come to play throughout the community during their adult years.