Page 8 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • June 25, 2014 Ridgewood Nursery school’s director steps down after 37 years Officer Bruglia and Firefighter Crug present Diane Brown (center) with her retirement plaque Diane Brown, the long-time director of Ridgewood Nursery School, retired earlier this month. Brown had been running the school since 1977, when she purchased it from a previous owner. Brown has dedicated most of her life to teaching thou- sands of children from the area. People like Ridgewood Police Officer Shane Broglia, Ridgewood firefighter Vincent Crug, and Wayne Hills High School Assistant Principal Jeffery Wojcik remember attending her school and feeling loved and encouraged to be the best they could be. In honor of this educator’s dedication to the countless children who attended her school, Broglia and Crug pre- sented Diane with a plaque at her last RNS graduation, which was held June 12 in the Glen School gymnasium. Ridgewood Nursery School is the oldest nursery school in the Village of Ridgewood. In 2015, the school will be celebrating its 80 th year in operation. When Brown began her work with RNS, the school was located inside Christ Church. For the last 12 years, the school has been located inside the Glen School at 865 East Glen Avenue in Ridgewood. Taking over the school is Brown’s protégé Maria D’Arpa, a Ridgewood resident whose own children attended RNS. D’Arpa taught at Public School 160, a demonstration school in Brooklyn, New York, for 13 years. Her knowledge of early childhood education and curriculum development will make her an asset to the school and help her continue Brown’s legacy. In keeping with Brown’s vision to nurture and educate preschool children while still having fun, D’Arpa is bringing in enrichment programs such as yoga, musical theater, pot- tery, and a pre-K reading program that utilizes thematic units incorporating subjects such as science, social stud- ies, mathematics, and the arts. RNS also has an accredited transitional kindergar- ten class for children who have either missed the public school cut-off date, or whose parents are choosing to give them an extra year of preparation. This year, the kindergarten room will be equipped with a Smartboard, bringing interactive lessons into the curriculum. Ridgewood Nursery School continues to nurture children’s innate curiosity, and lays the foundation for lifelong learning. Most teachers have been with the school for 10 years or more and are an integral part of the school’s success.