CCNS

We are a cooperative school.  The success of our programs depend upon you, the parents and families of our students.  We need your time, talents, and enthusiasm to make our school a happy and rewarding experience for your children.

Parents are asked to drive on field-trips, bring in snacks, help with fund-raisers, and assist in the classroom on a scheduled, rotating basis.  Your participation enhances the quality of our programs and gives you an opportunity to play an active role in your children's early learning experiences.

A co-op, short for cooperative, is defined as an organization that is owned or managed by the members of the group.

The first co-op preschool in the United States was founded in 1916 at the University of Chicago. The founding mothers' goal was to pool their resources to create a child care program that would allow them to participate in the war effort.

For Your Child:

• Social interactions and play with other children their own age
• The shared experience of parent and child participating in the school's activities
• Supportive and interractive relationships with adults other than their own parents and teachers
• A safe and nurturing environment specifically designed and equipped for young children which encourages curiosity and creativity

For You:

• Time to observe your child interacting with a consistent group of their peers
• The opportunity to meet, socialize, and work cooperatively with a diverse group of parents from the community
• Heightened awareness of the young child's development and needs leads to a stronger family and a closer relationship with your children
• A support network from others in similar situations, and an increased sense of community
• Close relationship with your child's teachers provides you an intimate knowledge of their early learning experiences
• A voice in school decisions and policy making

Classroom Participation - Your Child's "Special Day"   

When it is your day to assist in the classroom, your child gets to have his/her special day.  This means that he/she gets to be first to do certain things (such as being line leader), and has special duties in the class that day(such as helping serve the snack, and helping with the weather report).  Your children really look forward to having their special days, both to introduce you to their friends, and also to show you the classroom. 

In the 3s program, parents must assist in the classroom a minimum of 3 days over the course of the school year.  In the 4s program, parents must assist 4 days. Parents act as teacher's aides - supervising, reading, writing, interacting, and playing with the children as is needed during the course of each school day. Parent helpers arrive at 5-10 minutes early.  In the 4s class, the parent helper has the option of staying for lunch, or leaving after snack (at approximately 10:45 am).  In the 3s class, the parent helper stays to the end of the day at 11:30 am. 

Keep in mind that the special helper doesn't always have to be the child's parent.  We have had grandparents, aunts, uncles, and special friends spend the day in the classroom.

The parent helper calendar is set in advance by the Parent Liason, but we work with you to avoid days you are unable to help.  Most parents are also willing to swap days if something comes up in your schedule.  The calendar schedule is posted in the classroom above the mailboxes.

If you are unable to assist, we require that you contribute $75 to be used throughout the year to help defray the cost of maintenance at the school.

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