Merrie Hines, the beloved Director of Child’s World Nursery School for the past 23 years, will step down effective July 31. Her over two decades at the nursery school, according to Hines, “has never been work.” “I truly loved my job,” she said, but it is time to retire.
Hines grew up in Queens and then moved to Long Island, where she raised her three children and was a stay-at-home mother, “subbing periodically.” “I had a very traditional family,” she said, an Irish mother and Italian father. “All that mattered to my family was education.” When she began working at Child’s World, she had many goals for the non-sectarian, non-profit community service of the United Methodist Church of Port Washington. Her overarching goal was to provide “good sound early childhood education for our children.” She oversees a staff of 10 dedicated teachers, most of whom have masters degrees in early childhood education. “I will miss the comraderie of the very smart women I work with,” Hines said. “I have not done this job alone. My incredibly supportive staff always made me look good,” she reflected.
As Director, Hines oversaw the licensing of the nursery school by the New York Office of Children and Family Services, as well as the accredidation of the school by the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs. The best part of her job has been “recognizing and honoring the unique learning styles of all children,” she said.
She has noticed many changes during her tenure. The biggest change is that more families have both parents working now. “We are a coop in that parents participate in the classroom,” she said. “It used to be every day, and now it has lessened to once a week because more parents are working.”
During her tenure, she has worked closely with all of the nursery schools in Port Washington. “We all have a common goal,” she said, which is “love of children.” “We are all advocates for children.”
Hines will remain as Acting Director until a new Director is appointed. As for her retirement plans, she has nothing definitive planned, possibly a little traveling because she “has the wanderlust.” Her husband of 44 years has already retired, and they plan to move to their beach house in Mattituck, “Merrie has made an incredible impact on the lives of so many local children,” said Pat Rush, Office Manager of United Methodist Church of Port Washington and Child’s World Nursery School. She will be greatly missed.
