History
Tenney Nursery and Parent Center was conceived in the fall of 1978 by
Nancy Daly and a group of Tenney/Lapham neighborhood residents who felt
the need for both a local preschool program and an ongoing support center
for parents. The idea grew, and in the fall of 1979 Tenney opened its doors
for the first time. There were about 15 students enrolled, Nancy Daly was
the only teacher, and we rented space in the Lapham Elementary School
building. The school continued to grow as did the enrollment at Lapham.
In 1992 we were told that we would have to find a new location by the end of the school year because Lapham needed the space due to increased kindergarten enrollment. Three parent committees were formed: one to find a space for the school, one to raise the money to pay for this new space, and one to develop the new site. Our current site had formerly been owned by a machine and woodworking shop and was quite a mess. All of these efforts took unbelievable dedication and time from our parents.
We moved out of Lapham in the spring of 1993 and through the dedication and commitment of our parents (some were at Tenney every day that summer) we were able to open at our new location that September.
Our school is located in the East Isthmus neighborhood near Tenney Park. We have beautiful oversized classrooms and a multipurpose room for indoor large motor activities. Our playground is a spacious environment with all wood structures and surrounded by many natural plants and gardens.
