North Seattle Cooperative Preschools

Victory Heights Cooperative, in affiliation with North Seattle College, offers an affordable preschool experience while also providing early childhood education to parents.

Our School

Located in the former Victory Heights community club building, Victory Heights Cooperative Preschool has occupied the site for over 40 years. This stand alone building is adjacent to a park with an outdoor playground that serves an essential part of our program. We are the only cooperative preschool in NE Seattle with such facilities and park access.

Our Program

We offer classes for children ages 1-5 that will encourage your child’s socialization and play-based early education while building community for both children and parents. Our programs are child directed, hands on, and play–oriented with areas for art, sensory, dramatic and home play, table top and floor toys, books, snack and circle time. Each area has been designed for children to learn, explore and have fun in a safe and nurturing environment.  With the help of working parents in the classroom, our teachers provide children with developmentally appropriate and meaningful experiences.

Parent Role

One day per week, parents function as assistant teachers in the classroom. They also hold positions in the class co-op. Co-op business and parent education take place in a monthly meeting. These time commitments are vital in running the school and keep costs low.

Toddlers

Toddlers Co-op Details:

• For children age 1 by August 31st
• Meets: Thursdays 11:00am to 1:00pm

For enrollment and cost information: victoryheightstoddlers@gmail.com

Toddler Class Schedule

Aria Prame Hill has always found a way to combine her love of music and teaching children. After graduating from Boston University with a Bachelor of Science in Special Education, Aria went on to pursue her passion as a jazz vocalist, studying music and performing. She brings with her a myriad of experiences that include teaching at-risk preschoolers for AmeriCorps, teaching English to Nepalese school children in a remote village, working one-on-one with children with varying developmental disabilities, and bringing music classes to daycares and preschools around Seattle. Since 2010, Aria has been teaching young children and their families the early fundamentals of music through singing and movement in the early childhood program Music Together. She loves capturing a child’s focus with engaging songs, rhythms, and stories and finds that moment of connection to be the most rewarding part of teaching young children. Aria believes in finding the unique interests of each child in order to guide their learning in an ever evolving way through play and free exploration.

In the Classroom

With so many toddler milestones, our program provides a warm, nurturing, stimulating, and safe environment for this growth and learning to occur. The daily schedule includes developmentally appropriate activities for art, sensory table, home center play, block area play, fine motor manipulative play and gross motor active play (indoors and outdoors). We also have fun during our circle time with songs, puppets, flannel board stories, musical instruments, and dancing. Parent education discussion time is incorporated into the daily schedule, providing parents a time to discuss parenting concerns and issues.

Pre-3s

Pre-3s Co-op Details:

• For children age 2 by August 31st
• Meets: Tuesday/Thursday 9 to 11 a.m.

For enrollment and cost information: victoryheightspre3s@gmail.com

Pre-3s Class Schedule

Aria Prame Hill has always found a way to combine her love of music and teaching children. After graduating from Boston University with a Bachelor of Science in Special Education, Aria went on to pursue her passion as a jazz vocalist, studying music and performing. She brings with her a myriad of experiences that include teaching at-risk preschoolers for AmeriCorps, teaching English to Nepalese school children in a remote village, working one-on-one with children with varying developmental disabilities, and bringing music classes to daycares and preschools around Seattle. Since 2010, Aria has been teaching young children and their families the early fundamentals of music through singing and movement in the early childhood program Music Together. She loves capturing a child’s focus with engaging songs, rhythms, and stories and finds that moment of connection to be the most rewarding part of teaching young children. Aria believes in finding the unique interests of each child in order to guide their learning in an ever evolving way through play and free exploration.

In the Classroom

Our program is play-based and child directed. We believe that children learn and grow cognitively, socially, emotionally, and physically when they play in an environment that is both stimulating and nurturing.  We provide the children with open-ended activities in the art area, block area, dramatic play area, table toy area, sensory table area, and discovery/science area. Children also participate in a music circle, outdoor play and snack time. There are parents working in all the play areas so that they can provide support and guidance when needed.

3-4s

3-4s Co-op Details:

• For children age 3 by August 31st
• Meets: Monday/Wednesday/Friday 9 to 11:30 a.m.

For enrollment and cost information: victoryheights3to4@gmail.com

3-4s Class Schedule

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.

In the Classroom

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.

Pre-K

Pre-K Co-op Details:

• For children age 4 by August 31st
• Meets: Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday/Friday 12:00pm to 3:00pm

For enrollment and cost information: victoryheightsprek@gmail.com

Pre-K Class Schedule

Meets 12:00-3:00 M/T/W/F

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.

In the Classroom

The Pre-K 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.

Last updated: January 11th, 2024, 11:28 am