History of the Laurel School and the Laurel School Day Camp

The Laurel School, originally The Children's Way, was founded by Constance Michnay in 1982. Miss Connie started teaching several children in the basement of her home. She used art as a means to help children who were struggling in school. In 1983 she opened The Children's Way  in Harwich Port, MA  which was Preschool – Kindergarten, with the Elementary students in an off-campus annex. In 1990, a parent of two of the students, William Dobson, purchased land in Brewster and built the building The Laurel School is now housed in. Once in Brewster, Miss Connie renamed the elementary portion of her school The Laurel School. Throughout the changes and growth of the school, Miss Connie's philosophy of teaching children through the arts, individualizing teaching to meet the children's needs, and helping the children reach their greatest potential, has remained the constant core of the Laurel School. Laurel is founded on the belief that "children learn best when they are treated with love and respect and when academic content is presented in varied and interesting ways." Laurel School employs a Total Human Development approach to child development. Laurel’s whole child approach to education is well known on Cape Cod and serves as the foundation for the success The Laurel School and Laurel Day Camp has enjoyed since 1982.