|
OBLIGATION Participation in the Co-op
involves time and commitment.
Most importantly, you will aid the
preschool teacher on the days you work in the classroom. You help with
projects, materials and organization, engage in play and activities at
the children's level, provide encouragement and support to the children
to try new activities and help the children negotiate and cooperate.
The preschool teacher assists the parents
in understanding their role in the classroom, including supervising all
children in the class at all times. Parents also help one another with
their role as teacher assistants. Members are required to:
·
Be on time for class
and assist one day a week in class, which lasts from 1¼ to 2½ hours,
depending upon the age of your child
·
On a rotation basis,
bring a snack for the class (no snack in toddler classes) and assist in
cleaning the classroom
·
Attend monthly parent
meetings, lasting ~ 2 hours to discuss parent education, class and Co-op
wide issues, announcements and other items among parents in their homes
·
Volunteer for a job,
such as class Parent Coordinator who organizes the snack and cleaning
schedules or Field Trip Coordinator or one the other jobs presented, and
·
Support the major
fundraiser, typically the auction, through purchasing auction tickets
and by procuring an auction item. Fundraising monies are used to
help keep tuition low, fund scholarships, keep curriculum new by
providing for new teaching materials, provide ongoing teacher education
and allows for enhancement of our facility.
Parent education is an
important focus of the Co-op. Our preschool operates under the direction
of the Seattle Central Community College (SCCC).
Parent advisors from the college's Parent
Education Program are assigned to each class and make formal
presentations (on topics the class chooses) at the monthly parent
meetings.
Advisors observe and assist in the
classroom and are available for both informal and private consultation
with the teachers and the parents. These advisors are also a source of
community and legislative information regarding issues related to
children. Co-op members become students of the Parent/Child study lab of
the SCCC and receive non-transferable college credit, student discounts,
library privileges, counseling time and other student benefits. Members have
the opportunity to sign an agreement describing their participation at
the orientation meeting at the beginning of each school year.
|
