Co-op Participation & Requirements

Co-Op Model & Participation

HOW A COOPERATIVE WORKS

A parent cooperative preschool is organized by a group of families with similar philosophies who hire trained teachers to provide their children with a quality preschool experience. The preschool is administered and maintained by the parents. The parents assist the professional teachers in the classroom on a rotating basis and participate in the educational program of all the children. Each family shares in the business operation of the school, thus making it truly a cooperative venture. Parents, preschool children and their teachers all go to school together and learn together.

Each family participates in the following:

Workdays

To foster the collaborative nature of the Co-op, each family has one adult work in the classroom one day per week. Work schedule preference is given by enrollment date.

Community Meetings

Community meetings are a fun way for us to grow as a community and build skills as parents and collaborative educators. One or more parent/guardian will join the monthly meeting for approximately two hours for community building and education.

General Maintenance

Having families assist with maintaining and improving the school helps to keep tuition low, promotes a sense of pride of the co-op, and provides an opportunity for community building. Each family completes at least 4 maintenance hours per year - 2 hours in the fall and 2 hours in the spring. The maintenance hours requirement may be met at one of the scheduled community maintenance days or with a special individual project available during the year.

Fundraising

Fundraising is an essential part of funding our curriculum and capital improvements to the school. Each family has a fundraising goal of $390 per year (prorated for mid-year starts), and the school community provides a variety of fun and accessible opportunities for meeting that goal each year.

Co-op Events

NPNS holds events throughout the year to promote fun, learning, and fundraising. Events include rummage sales, Trike-a-Thon, Neighborhood Play Dates, and auctions. Each family contributes at least 4 event hours per year.

Family Jobs

As part of our co-operative approach to the school, each family has an assigned job. Job choice is flexible and meant to highlight the unique strengths and skills of each family. Time commitment varies depending on the job.