Want to keep on with co-op this summer? Check out the Woodland Park Summer Co-op! Details and registration here.
Our 4-5s Class
The Woodland Park 4-5’s program is best described as a progressive, play-based curriculum, one that starts from the premise that children learn best when given the opportunity to freely engage with the world around them, pursuing their own passions and curiosities in a community setting.
Children in this class are 4 and 5 years old, and turn 5 years old by December 31 st of the school year of enrollment.
The class meets Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Parent meetings are one evening per month.
Our outdoor classroom is designed for large motor exploration, in-depth dramatic play, investigating plants and living creatures, building, tinkering, and creating art. The outdoor space includes a garden, sand pit, water pump, and playground equipment as well as a workbench. Indoor play activities typically include art projects, a sensory table, games, and imaginative play.
Want to keep on with co-op this summer? Check out the Woodland Park Summer Co-op! Details and registration here.
Our 3s Class
The 3s program focuses on activities that foster creativity, sensory awareness, dramatic enactment of social roles, appreciation of books, small and large muscle skills and an awareness of the community.
Children in this class are 36 to 48 months. The child must be 36 months by August 31st of the current year to enter the class.
Classes meet Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, 9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Parent meetings are one evening per month.
In addition to the Pre-3’s activities, 3s includes age-appropriate art projects and constructions with wood, wire and foam, cooking and field trips.
Wedgwood Coop 3-5s Class meets Tuesday – Thursday mornings for all students. The Monday Kids (those eligible for kindergarten the following year) also meet on Monday afternoons.
The program offers a rich, child-centered curriculum based on imaginative play, creativity, and experiential activities. Frequent guests allow us to focus on a topic of interest that each child would like to learn more about. Guests have included an artist, dentist, veterinarian, soccer coaches, tea party queen, firefighters, babies, scientists, bug collector, farmer, dancers, pilot, musicians, gardeners, chefs, bus driver, paleontologist, storyteller, marine biologist, train engineer, and carpenter. We make great memories and capture our children’s unique interests during their special weeks.
The focus in the classroom is on community; snack is done family style (children are encouraged to invite a friend to have snack with them), some areas of the classroom are “adult free” zones where children ask a friend for help if needed, and small groups are seen as families gathering for learning activities based on the interest of the children. Wedgwood has an indoor climbing room, giving children an outlet for stretching their minds and muscles and a new play space that provides two levels of play. The 3-5’s Class offers children a safe and exciting place to explore the world.
3-5s Class Teacher – Katie Matesky
Katie Matesky has been a part of Wedgwood Co-op since 2014, as a parent for three years and now enjoys being the 3-5s Teacher. She has a Masters in Teaching from Seattle University and has classroom experience teaching Kindergarten and Second Grade.
Katie sees great value in the self-directed play of young children. She aims to keep the classroom child-centered and to get the class outside to play every day. Katie engages with the children in spontaneous lessons as they arise in addition to leading informal song, game and literacy gatherings of the class as a whole. Katie appreciates the joy, humor, respect and support that Wedgwood families bring to the co-operative classroom experience.
3-5 Class Schedule
9:15-10:30 Activity Time and Clean Up
10:30-10:45 Opening Circle
10:45-11:00 Small Group
11:00-11:30 Outside Time
11:30-11:45 Sharing/Closing Circle
Time Commitments
3-5 Parents attend class with their children one day/week and act as assistant teachers
Each parent has a job outside the classroom (For example: class chair, parent coordinator, equipment and repair, class photographer, substitute teacher)
Two or three weekend cleanings of the school per year (takes approximately 3 hours)
Monthly evening parent meeting includes class business and parent education
General 3-5 Class Information
Meets Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 9:15 – 11:45 a.m. (also Monday 12 noon – 3:00 p.m. for age 4 years by August 31
Age: 3 years by August 31
Cost 2018-19: Tuition $160/month ($204 for Monday kids) + North Seattle College Tuition $53.25/quarter
For more information, contact our Parent Coordinator
The Wallingford 3-5s Class meets from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM on Tuesday, Thursday, & Friday. Children must be 3 years old by August 31 of that year to participate. Those children who are 4 years old by August 31 will also meet for PreK-specific curriculum and small groups on Monday from 12:30 – 3:30 PM and Tuesday, Thursday, & Friday from 12:00 – 1:00 PM.
Our 3-5s class focuses on social development and play based fun, encouraging kids to explore their own curiosities in our inviting classroom! Wallingford Co-op has a rich curriculum that provides opportunities for early literacy, beginning math and unique preschool art. Children in the 3-5s class will have fun answering a “Question of the Day” where each child votes using their picture or writing their name implementing our beginning handwriting program. Our classroom also has an extensive block collection which naturally incorporates early math, engineering, dramatic play, problem solving, and complex social play with peers.
Our Pre-K Lunch Bunch will enjoy an extra hour in the classroom each day, learning to eat lunch away from home and finishing their day with Pre-K specific activities. Pre-K children also attend school on Monday afternoons. These extended hours in the classroom allow us to dive deeper into our Pre-K curriculum, which includes author studies, dictation of “Preschool News”, specific science explorations, and special units such as our Family Study, which are meaningful for this age group.
3-5s Class Schedule for Tuesday, Thursday & Friday:
9:00-9:10 Arrival
9:10-9:25 Morning Meeting
9:25-10:40 Free Play
10:40-11:00 Clean Up and Wash Hands
11:00-11:15 Snack
11:15-11:45 Outside Play
11:45-12:00 Music and Story Circle
12:00 Goodbye to 3-4s
12:00-12:25 PreK Lunch
12:25-12:50 PreK Activities
12:50-1:00 PreK Closing Circle
PreK Class Schedule for Monday:
12:30-12:40 Arrival
12:40-12:50 Meeting
12:50-2:00 Free Play
2:00-2:15 Clean Up and Wash Hands
2:15-2:30 Snack
2:30-3:10 Outside Play
3:10-3:30 Music and Story Circle
Our Teacher – Elise Knox
Elise thoroughly enjoyed participating in co-op preschool as a parent for 13 years, the last 9 of which were spent at Wallingford. While her kids were ready to move on after their coop years, Elise found that she wasn’t! It was exciting for her to transition into teaching, and she finds her many years of coop preschool experience to be an invaluable resource. She has taught a Parent/Infant class, Pre-3’s, 3-4’s, and PreK children. Elise studied psychology at Washington State University and is devoted to the pursuit of educational opportunities that enhance her proficiency both in and out of the classroom. Elise lives in the West Woodland neighborhood with her lively family of 6. She is deeply involved at West Woodland Elementary where she runs the Enrichment Program. As time allows, she enjoys adventuring in the PNW, reading, supporting her kids in their many endeavors, and spending time with friends and family.
Teacher Elise believes in the coop preschool model because it supports families and allows children to learn through play in a safe and encouraging environment. When children learn through play, their learning is meaningful and relevant. For this reason, play is at the heart of the school day in the 3-5’s class. Children who are engaged in free play will naturally “bump into” one another and will learn much in the process. Children will develop and fine-tune social skills; grow in emotional awareness; become creative problem solvers; make progress in controlling impulses; persevere through disappointment and rejection; and gain practice in coping with strong feelings. Children will take creative, social, and physical risks; make mistakes; and try again in the context of a warm and supportive classroom community. Enticing art, science, and other areas of study are thoughtfully prepared with the children’s development in mind. Teacher Elise’s warm, calm, and engaging demeanor puts the children at ease. The connection she forms with each child lets them know that they are each an important part of their classroom community.
The 4-5s curriculum prepares children for kindergarten. The children engage in many opportunities to improve their academic and social skills. During free time, students improve verbal skills through telling stories and learning letters. The classroom discovery station provides hands-on time for measuring and experimentation through various science, math, and cooking projects. Activities to develop social skills include working together in small groups, assisting with clean-up and having a classroom “job” each week.
4-5s Co-op Details:
For children age 4 by August 31st
Meets: Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday/Friday 12:30pm to 3:30pm
Suzie Barrows received a Certificate of Early Childhood Education from North Seattle College and has been teaching preschool since 2001. Joining Victory Heights in 2006, she enthusiastically encourages creativity and exploration through play and a hands-on approach to learning. Fundamentally, Suzie believes in making a connection to every child based on that child’s individual personality and temperament. A former co-op parent herself, Suzie has four children of her own.
The 3-4s preschool program provides many opportunities for creative and imaginative play. The children engage in open-ended art projects, lots of pretend play, block construction, sensory table play, storytelling and dramatization, concrete investigation of science and math concepts, and various types of manipulative activities. We encourage the children to share ideas, thoughts, and concerns in small and large groups. Those activities build confidence, self-esteem, and group cohesiveness. We provide a safe place where kids can learn about their world through play, while building lasting friendships.
Our Teacher, Alyssa Powers has a Master’s degree in Education with a specialization in Literacy from Seattle University and a teaching certification through the University of Washington. She has worked with and taught children for over 15 years as a literacy program coordinator, reading specialist, and classroom teacher. As a local Seattleite, a Victory Heights Preschool alumni and neighbor, we are excited to have her return as our 3-4s teacher.
With Teacher Molly Wilson and Parent Educator Melanie Salonen
Fee: $290/Month
Children should be 4 by Aug 31st
Curriculum in this class has been thoughtfully developed to give your child a strong foundation for their transition into kindergarten. Kindergarteners enrolled in morning Kindergarten are welcome to join this afternoon class!
Vashon Maury Co-operative Preschool admits students of any race, color, national origin, and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. VMCP does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship programs, and other school-administered programs.
The 3-5s class is for children who will be between the ages of 3 and 5 by August 31st. The class meets four times weekly, three morning sessions and one afternoon. Parents attend one session a week with their child, supervising a learning area and assisting the teacher.
Teacher Liz:
Teacher Liz was born and raised in NE Seattle and has been involved in the University Ravenna Cooperative Preschool with her own two children since 2008. She has many years of experience working with children both nationally and internationally and takes great joy in teaching. She believes that the formative years (from birth to age five) are critical and provide the foundation for children’s success in school and life. Because of this belief, her teaching is centered around a play-based curriculum that fosters creativity and strongly focuses on social and emotional intelligence. Liz is fluent in Spanish and works together with Teacher Christi (Pre-3’s) to introduce and build Spanish language concepts and phrases to the classroom.
Profesora Liz nació y creció en NE Seattle y ha participado en la University Ravenna Cooperative Preschool con sus dos hijas desde el ano 2008. Tiene mucha experiencia trabajando con niños aquí en los EEUU y también en otros países y le gusta muchísima la enseñanza. Piensa que los anos formativos (desde el nacimiento hasta los cinco anos) son critícales y dan la fundación para el éxito de los niños en ambos la escuela y también en la vida. A causa de esa creyencia, su enseñanza esta enfocada en un programa de estudios basado en dejar que los niños jueguen (que ayuda en la creatividad) y un enfoque en la inteligencia social y emocional. Liz habla español y trabaja con Profesora Christi para introducir y enseñar conceptos y frases en español a los alumnos de la escuela.
In your search for a preschool you may view many styles of early childhood education. Many programs, even cooperative ones, have a great deal of structured time. With each adult-led change of activity comes a corresponding transition for the child. Current research shows that children are busier and more scheduled than ever before. Yet research also points to a child’s need for uninterrupted time to imagine and explore.
Through imaginary play, children process information, acquire pre-literacy and pre-math skills, learn conflict resolution, and explore fears and doubts. The Sandhurst 3-5’s program enables children to practice making developmentally appropriate choices in an enriched environment.
Our Teacher
Last winter, Maddy Urdal became our 3-5’s teacher. Maddy has been thrilled and honored to move into the lead teaching position of our 3-5’s group. As a former teaching assistant in the 3-5’s classroom, and a parent to two Sandhurst graduates, Maddy has witnessed first hand the power and importance of play to the cognitive and social-emotional growth of children. Her curriculum features opportunities for hands-on learning, deep imaginative play, and lots of outdoor exploration. She finds inspiration in the passions and interests of her students, and is dedicated to fostering a fun, enriching, and creative classroom. Maddy loves the wonderful uniqueness of each student and considers creating a safe and loving space for all kids to be a top priority. Through neighborhood clean-up projects, field trips, and literature, Maddy hopes to inspire the seeds of stewardship and empathy for our little co-op family and the larger community in which we live.
Maddy was born and raised in Seattle and has a degree in History from Whitman College. She and her wife, along with their two girls, love living in the neighborhood, having impromptu family parties, walking the duck ponds at Magnuson, and escaping to the coast. Maddy is an avid reader, co-op junkie, and life long lover of live theater. Sharing her creativity and love with preschoolers is exactly where she hoped to be when she grew up.
Class Details
Our 3 to 5s class meets Monday and Tuesday mornings from 9:30 to 12:30 and on Wednesday from 12:30 to 3:30. Children who are 4 by August 31st attend for a fourth day, Thursday from 12:30 to 3:30. Three day tuition is $190 per month and our four day tuition is $215 per month.
Our school day emphasizes creative and imaginative play and includes a free-play time with children choosing activities in the art area, the manipulative toys and puzzle area, the blocks area, the home center, the sensory area, and the art area. Pre-reading and pre-math skills are introduced in the play, and we often work with the children during activities to scribe descriptions of their art and their own stories. We have a snack time focused on social interaction; opening and closing circle times with songs, activities and stories and a large muscle time. For large motor play, our school site offers a choice of an indoor space as well as an outdoor space. We have a large sandbox; a hill with stumps, plants and bark; a climbing toy; a ground level slide and a flat pavement area. We love to get the children outside to run, climb, play ball or dig in the sandbox.
We encourage social skills development and provide a safe and secure environment for children to develop friendships, explore expression of their feelings and practice problem solving skills. During the day children have the opportunity to take initiative through choice and practice co-operation in large and small groups.
PreK meets an additional three afternoons each week.
Our Teacher – Karen Murphy
Teacher Karen was a coop parent for 5 years with her own two children and she is excited to be part of the NSC coop teaching family. She has a BS in Kinesiology and past experience teaching preschool and working in an after school program for elementary students. She loves the joy she finds in observing preschoolers play and explore in the coop classroom. Teacher Karen creates the environment for the children and engages them in rich language to enhance their learning. She uses routine to create predictability which allows the children to thrive.
Teacher Karen believes that preschool is a place for children of all backgrounds to come together and that play is how they learn best. In her classroom, children have many opportunities for creative and imaginative play.
In 3-5s, Karen’s goal for the kids is to learn who they are, how to be a part of their community (whatever that is for them), how to advocate for themselves, and working through conflict and dealing with disappointment. But mostly she wants the kids and parents to have fun learning!
Karen lives with her husband, 2 daughters, and a cat in the Maple Leaf neighborhood and enjoys cooking, exploring new places, and searching for the best Mexican food in Seattle.
Eligibility
To enroll in a three-to-fives class children should be age 3 by the 1st September of the new school year. PreK meets an additional three afternoons a week.
For each day of class, Teacher Lauren prepares the curriculum, sets up the classroom, and supervises the assisting parents. The classroom is organized into distinct areas for: snack, art projects, dramatics, library, fine motor skills, blocks, and circle time. For exercise and gross motor skills, the preschool utilizes the Loyal Heights Community Center playground and the church’s indoor gym. Each class has a parent educator from North Seattle College who participates in the classroom on a weekly basis and teaches at the monthly parent meeting.
Daily Schedule
All children attend the morning session, 9:00am – 11:30am.
4-5 year olds eat lunch together and attend an additional Pre-K session until 1:30pm.
Children learn and grow as they play: exploring the world around them and finding their place in it. At the Latona Co-operative Pre School we foster a child’s natural curiosity in a spacious, sunlit, play based classroom setting. We are located on the North Seattle College campus in the Northgate neighborhood. The Latona Co-operative Preschool helps facilitate a community of children who are free to WONDER, DISCOVER and EXPERIENCE. Our classroom, with its many windows and high ceilings, gives our kids room to spread their wings and expand their minds. At Latona we cultivate a classroom that honors diversity by providing a warm, inclusive, environment in which children can grow physically, emotionally and creatively. Our play based curriculum allows the innate playful nature of children to be the guide in the process of learning.
A lack of seriousness has led to all sorts of wonderful insights. — Kurt Vonnegut
Teacher Cynthia Mastin’s Biography and Teaching Philosophy
In 2014 we were lucky to hire Cynthia Mastin to teach our 3-5s class. Teacher Cynthia has had the pleasure of being a Latona Co-Op parent and has seen firsthand what cooperative preschool (and Latona in particular) can do to benefit both child and parent. She has worked with children in many capacities since 2004; as a Nanny, in the Latona Co-op and in the Seattle School system as a Kindergarten Teachers Assistant. Cynthia cultivates a classroom that honors diversity by providing a warm, inclusive, environment in which children can grow physically, emotionally and creatively. Her play-based curriculum allows the innate playful nature of children to be a guide in the process of learning. She emphasizes open-ended play where children are allowed to express themselves freely and creatively, not bound by preset limitations. Cynthia has infused Latona with her joyful and playful nature – and the children blossom under her guidance.
Classroom setting is a rich environment that provides many areas for children to learn through free-choice play including Art, Blocks, Sensory, Dramatic Play, Large Motor, and the Library.Highlights :
Time is devoted in each class period for music, singing, movement, and stories.
We have TWO outdoor play areas
Class Schedule
Our main outdoor play area is located in a grassy field perfect for running and obstacle courses. It has a large sandbox, a music pergola, a sound garden, and a climbing structure with room for all.
Our covered play area is perfect for rainy days. It has a sandbox, smaller climbing structures, riding toys, and room to run.
3-5 year program: Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings from 9:00am-11:45am
Discovery
9:00-10:20
Clean up
10:20-10:30
Circle Time
10:30-10:50
Small Group
10:50-11:05
Outside Large Motor
11:05-11:35
Closing Circle
11:35-11:45
Eligibility
To enroll in a three-to-fives class children should be age 3 by the 1st September of the new school year.
Students will participate in an outdoor based preschool that connects our Nature Explore certification with the NSC cooperative preschool model.
This class is an outdoor based 3’s class that meets 3 days a week for 2 ½ hours each day.Parents attend one class a week with their child. Children attend three classes each week with the age-appropriate goal of separating from their parent. Board and parent education meetings are held one evening a month throughout the school year (children do not attend these meetings).
If you have questions about the school, would like to be placed on the wait list or apply, please contact our Parent Coordinator.
Our class schedule:
Outdoor time 11:15-12:00
Lunch 12:00-12:20
Science Circle 12:20-12:40
Free play 12:40-1:25
Closing Circle 1:30-1:45
The 3-5s Class is for children who will be at least three years of age by August 31st. Class takes place three times a week, with two drop-off days. This allows children to continue to develop autonomy and begin to prepare for kindergarten. Parents are able to maintain an active role in their children’s education by working once a week in the classroom. Parents are expected to stay and work in the classroom one day per week and attend monthly parent meetings. All parents will also be responsible for holding a board position or participating in a committee and participate in fundraising activities. Parents will also bring in an age-appropriate snack for the entire class on a rotating schedule.
Classes meet on Monday and Wednesday mornings and Thursday afternoons from late September through May. A typical class schedule follows:
Monday and Wednesday
9:30-10:30 Free Choice
10:30-10:40 Opening Circle
10:40-11:05 Snack and Small Group
11:05-11:35 Outside Play
11:35-12:00 Closing Circle
Thursday
12:00-12:30 Lunch
12:30-12:40 Opening Circle
12:40-1:40 Free Choice
1:40-2:10 Outside Play
2:10-2:30 Closing Circle
Broadview Co-op’s Pre-K Program
A fourth day is available for children who will be at least four years of age by August 31st. Pre-K begins in late fall and runs through May. Pre-K students work on kindergarten readiness, including early math, literacy, and social skills. Class typically takes place on Tuesday afternoons. Parents will need to rotate in to help in the classroom, typically on a monthly basis.
Tuesday Pre-K Program
12:00-12:30 Lunch
12:30-12:40 Opening Circle
12:40-1:40 Free Choice (focus on kindergarten readiness)
Elise thoroughly enjoyed participating in co-op preschool as a parent for 13 years, the last 9 of which were spent at Wallingford. While her kids were ready to move on after their coop years, Elise found that she wasn’t! It was exciting for her to transition into teaching, and she finds her many years of coop preschool experience to be an invaluable resource. She has taught a Parent/Infant class, Pre-3’s, 3-4’s, and PreK children. Elise studied psychology at Washington State University and is devoted to the pursuit of educational opportunities that enhance her proficiency both in and out of the classroom. Elise lives in the West Woodland neighborhood with her lively family of 6. She is deeply involved at West Woodland Elementary where she runs the Enrichment Program. As time allows, she enjoys adventuring in the PNW, reading, supporting her kids in their many endeavors, and spending time with friends and family.
