North Seattle Cooperative Preschools

Our School Day

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 hour in the afternoons.

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 hour in the afternoons three days.

Last updated: February 16th, 2023, 11:26 am