CO-OP LIFE
What to expect
We are a family participation school. In the 2s class, the teacher leads the class and the parent or caregiver attends with the child. Both our 3s program and 4s (Prekindergarten) program are cooperative classrooms, meaning a teacher leads these classes and parents assist in the classroom on a rotating basis.
adults volunteer in class
In our 3s and 4s programs, an adult helps out about 1-2 times a month as an “in-class working caregiver.” When it’s your turn to work in class, you might have one of three roles: Art Parent, Maker Space Parent, or Snack Parent. You arrive 15 minutes early to help set up. During the day, you assist the teacher, join the activities, and perform a few special duties. The adult doesn’t need to be a parent, either: Any adult family member or even a nanny can be the in-class volunteer, as long as they register and undergo a background check.
a job outside of class
Families in the 3s and 4s and are required to perform an ongoing job outside of class, assigned based on your skills and experience. You might work on the Classroom Operations team helping the staff keep the classroom well-stocked, the Membership Experience team planning events, or the Fundraising team. Or, you could serve on the Executive Board.
co-op membership
Parents help keep the school running! Each family attends one housekeeping session a year to help with deep cleaning. And 3s and 4s families are required to attend General Meetings, where members voice concerns, discuss upcoming events, and vote on important changes to the Co-op.
Frequently Asked Questions
What public school system do you follow?
We follow the Baltimore County Public School System calendar, but with some additional days off for our teachers. We follow the BCPS for weather-related closures. If BCPS is 1 hour late, we are 1 hour late. If BCPS is 2 hours late, we are closed.
Can I visit the school before applying?
Anyone who would like to see the Co-op classes in action can arrange a visit by Contacting the co-op. Visits typically include a small tour and sitting in on “circle time” with the Co-op teacher.
Unfortunately, we are not able to arrange visits during the summer; however we would be happy to send you photos of the school and talk with you about the experience. You can also come to one of our summer playdates to meet some of our families. Refer to our Calendar (on Community) to find our scheduled summer playdates.
Additionally, interested families can come to our Open House, where they can see the classrooms and meet with the teachers and current parents to find out about how the school works. The Open House is generally scheduled on a Saturday morning in January. As we get closer to January, refer to our Calendar to see when our Open House is scheduled.
What do I do when I work in the classroom?
For 3s and 4s families, when it’s your turn to work in the classroom, you work in one of three roles:
- Art parent: Supervise the art center in the Yellow room, and supervise the swings during outside time.
- Snack parent: Prepares snack (your child can help you do this). The Co-op provides the food.
- Maker Space parent: Supervise the maker space in the Yellow room, and supervise the sandbox during outside time.
All the duties for the day are listed on a card that stays in the designated apron. The back of the card specifies your role in an emergency, so read that as well.
For all roles, you and your child arrive fifteen minutes early to set up (9:15 am), and follow the teacher’s direction. You may be asked to help with a game or activity during open play, or help at a center in the Blue room or Yellow room. At the end of the day, you have a few cleaning tasks like vacuuming or emptying trash. Since you’ll be busy setting up/cleaning before and after school, the teacher can supervise your child.
What kinds of school jobs are there?
School jobs are only a requirement for parents of children in the 3’s and Prekindergarten (4’s) Programs.
There are Board Member positions, but they are voted in by membership, so they are generally not available for first time members. The Board Member positions are:
- President
- Vice-President
- Secretary
- Treasurer
- Fundraising Coordinator
- Membership Experience Coordinator
- Health and Safety/Compliance Coordinator
- Registrar
If you’re not on the board, you’ll be asked to complete a survey in the summer asking about your skills and interest. Depending on what’s available, you may be assigned to one of these teams:
- Class operations (snack, class parents, librarian)
- Building operations (housekeeping coordinator, playground maintenance, class pet)
- Membership experience (social media, community outreach, school events)
- Digital team (historian, digital projects)
- Fundraising
- Health and Safety (paperwork, first aid supplies)
- Purchasing
Can siblings attend school occasionally?
In the 2’s program, a sibling may occasionally or in an emergency attend or visit during classroom time. It is not encouraged on a regular basis, as this program is set up as one-on-one time with your child. Infants attending must be in a carrier. Please notify the teacher in advance.
The 3’s and Prekindergarten do not allow siblings to attend classes. If you have children who are not in the class, and you are working in the classroom, you may schedule with the Babysitting Coordinator to have your other children in the on-site babysitting room with the babysitter during the class. We only have certain days available for babysitting so you will need to contact the Babysitting Coordinator ahead of time. For the 3-year old program, babysitting is offered on certain days from 9 am – 12 pm and the fee is $20 per child. For the Prekindergarten program, babysitting is offered on certain days from 9 am – 12:45 pm and the fee is $25 per child. The fee is to be paid directly to the babysitter unless you have made other arrangements with the babysitter.
Does my child need to be potty trained to attend?
Your child does not need to be potty trained to join our class. The 2’s class is set-up as a full parent participation class, so you will be solely responsible for your child’s toileting needs. If you are working in the 3’s or Prekindergarten classroom, you will be responsible for your own child’s toileting needs. When you are not working in the classroom, the only adult with authorization to assist your child with toilet training is the classroom teacher.
What if my child has trouble adjusting to being separated from me?
Adjusting to a school is difficult for a lot of children. If you need to remain with your child in the classroom for the first week and possibly the second week we can make a plan to work with you and your child to make the separation easier. However if the parent is able to just tell their child that they are leaving and will be back, the child usually adjust within a few minutes. Don’t worry, we have had this situation in the past and we can help your child adjust.
Can I drop off/pick up my child early/late?
Drop off: Unfortunately, you may not drop your child off early. This time is set up for the teacher to prepare the classroom before the beginning of the school day. You may need to drop off your child late at times and that is fine. However, if the group is already in Opening Circle, please be considerate of the students and teacher and come in and join the group quietly.
Pick up: You may pick your child up early anytime needed; however there will be no reduction in tuition for those days. Unfortunately, late pick up is not usually possible. If you have a conflict, please plan ahead. During emergencies please call the Co-op to inform the teacher or call/text the teacher directly.
Am I, the parent, the only person allowed to work in the classroom with my child?
Do you serve snack or lunch?
The Co-op provides snack each day for 3s and 4s. Food offerings include a fruit and/or vegetable, a whole grain, and a protein. Offerings are all nut-free, meat-free, and dairy-free. The only exception is low-fat cow’s milk, which is always offered on request.
In the 2s class, parents pack their child’s own snack and bring it to class.
What is your allergy policy?
The Co-op recognizes the potentially serious and possibly life-threatening consequences for children with allergies. The Preschool does not claim to be, nor can it be deemed to be, free of all food and non-food items that may lead to a severe allergic or anaphylactic reaction. However, the Preschool will make every reasonable effort to reduce the risk to children with severe allergies or anaphylaxis in accordance with this policy. There is a policy that NO PEANUT OR TREE NUT PRODUCTS BE BROUGHT TO OR USED AT THE PRESCHOOL AT ANYTIME. There is a list for adults working in the classroom to review that includes the known allergies of individual children in the class.
Parents of students with allergies may bring in a separate snack for their child on days that the snack may have a food that their child is not able to eat. For further questions please contact us. For more information, please refer to the Allergy Policy in the “Blue Book.”
What if my child is sick? Or I'm sick when I'm scheduled to work?
(As of Spring 2024) The following symptoms should be checked for before school:
- Fever of 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit or higher
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting or nausea
Step 1. If you/your child have symptoms of an illness, such as the symptoms above, stay home and monitor for fever and symptom progression
Step 2: If symptoms have been improving and there’s no fever for at least 24 hrs, without the use of fever-reducing medication, you/your child may return to school, but masking is recommended for as long as mild symptoms persist.
Step 3: If you/your child develop a fever or start to feel worse after resuming normal activities, go back to Step 1.
What if I am scheduled to work in the classroom when my child is sick?
If your child is sick and you are scheduled to work in the classroom, you will need to contact one of the other parents in your class to request a switch. Emergency contact lists are made available in the beginning of the school year to assist with contacting other parents.