Why a Co-op?

Advantages of a co-op preschool for your child:

Higher adult to student ratio. With a teacher and several parents working in the classroom children benefit from greater richness and variety in the program and the chance for more attention and more help for individual children. Grace Cooperative Preschool’s child to adult ratio is around 4:1 to 3:1.
Easier transition between home and school. Since parents are such an integral part of the school, they are able to stay with their child until the child becomes comfortable with separation from the parent. Additionally, with parents participating in the classroom they are more likely and able to provide consistency in the environments provided at home and school.

An opportunity to learn and develop with your child.
A chance to share experiences with other parents and create lasting friendships. Since parents don’t just drop their child off at the door, they get to know each other. Working together in the classroom, sharing during parent meetings, and working together to run the preschool tends to bring parents close together.
A place to gain useful ideas for parenting your child at home and outside of school.
A way to understand your child and other children from an educational and developmental perspective. Co-op parents see their child’s behavior in the group, they see other children’s behavior, they see a school program at work.
An opportunity to shape your child’s school with your energy and ideas.
We love Grace Cooperative Preschool! It’s a co-op so parents are pretty involved and there are many other events to get non co-oping parents involved like Saturday school, movie nights, and an annual school organized family camp. – Jason L., parent
A chance to share and participate in your child’s first school experience.
Co-operative preschools cost less than non co-op preschools. Co-op parents pay less, but in turn, they obligate themselves to some very definite responsibilities.

Co-oping in the classroom. Parents are scheduled to participate in the classroom based on the number of days their child attends. (Attend 2 days/week = Co-op 2-3 times/month; Attend 3 days/week = Co-op 3-4 times/month; Attend 4 and 5 days/week = Co-op once weekly)
Attend regularly scheduled membership meetings. There are 5 parent meetings throughout the year including orientation.
Participate in 1 maintenance work party per child during the year. Maintenance parties are usually held on Saturday mornings from 9-12. Families who are not able to attend on Saturdays may arrange with the staff to work on alternative days and/or take projects home.
Each family is assigned a job for the year. Parents are matched with jobs that align with their interests and talents. Some examples of parental job assignments are: helping the teacher prepare art projects, arranging the monthly co-oping calendar, or being the class photographer.
Participate in our one mandatory fundraiser. Grace Preschool has one mandatory fundraiser each year, currently the Earth Day Art Show and Bake Sale. Families contribute baked goods, work at the event and make a financial donation of $200. Other fundraisers such as a dine and donate may be offered throughout the year, but participation is not required.