Why a Co-operative Education
Co-Operative education provides a learning environment where parents and teachers work together for the common goal of quality education for the children in their care. The Co-Op recognizes that parents are the primary educators of their children. It encourages Mothers and Fathers to share their interests and talents in the classroom, on a Board of Directors, or on Committees. (For information about parent helper responsibilities please click here) This type of education gives a powerful message to a child -- school is important to his/her family. With it, children develop a strong, positive attitude toward themselves and education. Activities include art, music, science, language arts, and drama.
Co-Operative education gives parents the unique opportunity to actively participate in their child's education. Parents are able to get to know their child's teacher and friends in their class and see, firsthand, what their child is learning. Children enjoy sharing the time in school with their parent; they are proud to bring mom or dad to the school with them.
Curriculum Philosophy
The main goal and philosophy of Central Co-Operative Nursery School is to develop in each child a strong self-image and a positive attitude towards the educational process. Teachers and parents accomplish this principal goal together in a co-operative school format. All four primary areas of development are incorporated into the curriculum equally, including the social, emotional, physical, and intellectual development of each child. These areas of development are integrated into the curriculum through developmentally appropriate practice. That is, teachers provide activities appropriate for the age and leaning differences with each group. We are guided in determining appropriate developmental practice by the position statement of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and Guidelines for Preschool Learning Experiences.
Children are encouraged to respect themselves as well as others, and an attitude of fairness is fostered among all children. We strive for a multi-cultural approach in our curriculum in order to broaden the children?s understanding of customs and traditions other than their own. By multi-cultural curriculum, we also mean to encourage an understanding and acceptance of diversity among all people. This includes age and gender difference and similarities, as well as handicap awareness.
Play is a child?s greatest learning tool during these early years. Through play, a child can learn social skills such as sharing, waiting for turns, conforming to rules, learning to become part of a group, and respect for others.
S/he can learn physical skills through play, such as fine motor co-ordination, small muscle development and eye-hand co-ordination skills that s/he can use to write, draw and manipulate. Large muscles are developed through outdoor play, and indoor gym time. This is not merely ?recess?, but a time to encourage good physical condition, spatial relationships, and good body image.
Intellectual skills can also be strengthened and enjoyed through play. These include: comprehensive and thinking skills (such as thinking games), pre-math skills (such as block play, measuring, and counting objects), pre-writing skills (such as painting at easels, cutting paper and using crayons), pre-reading skills (such as story time, free use of books, and exposure to the written word), science (such as sand and water play, noticing the change in seasons, and units like wind or bubbles), music (such as songs, finger plays, creative movement), social studies (such as holidays, and learning about our country and other countries) and speech and language (such as conversation, social interaction, and making oneself understood).
Play can help a child develop emotional skills. A good self-image can be enhanced through play when a child discovers how s/he is alike or different from others. Play can help a child become happy and secure in a group of peers, and it can aid a child in making a smooth separation from home to school and back again.
Intellectual skills are often emphasized throughout the toddler and pre-school years. Although an important part of the learning process, they are not more or less significant than learning to be away from mom or dad for several hours at a time, to learn to communicate with a friend, or to feel good about one?s self. We strive for a balanced curriculum, and in providing an environment where your child feels secure and happy.
We enroll children aged 2 years through 6 years.
Central Co-Operative Nursery School is not religiously affiliated. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, cultural heritage, political beliefs, national origin, disability, sexual orientation or parent?s marital status.
Multi-Cultural Philosophy
The multi-cultural curriculum of Central Co-Operative Nursery School will be integrated through the school year in a variety of ways. By multi-cultural curriculum we mean ethnic and racial diversity, as well as differences and similarities between girls and boys, old and young and the handicapped.
We will introduce multi-cultural curriculum with ?me? and ?family? weeks by discussing the diversity of the children enrolled in the school, and allowing the children to understand the similarities and differences between themselves and others in the school, and the community in general.
Holidays that we will celebrate at Central Co-Op include: Halloween, Divali, Thanksgiving, Kwanzaa, Hanukah, Christmas, Chinese New Year, Valentine?s Day etc. Traditions and cultures of Native Americans will be discussed during the year.
Our December holiday policy will stress celebrating the diversity and similarities between various cultures and religions. We will integrate all the cultures that may or may not be represented by children enrolled in the school. We will allow each child to share his or her traditions and cultural heritage. Common themes to be shared among all cultures are: caring for each other, sharing, a sense of community, light, candles, doing things for one another. These should be emphasized. Holidays will be discussed in non-religious ways. The holidays of Kwanzaa, Hanukah, and Christmas will be covered during those two weeks.
The two- day classes will spend one day on each of those holidays, with the fourth day spent as a joint celebration. The three- day classes will spend one or two days on each of those holidays. Our school holiday celebration, which is traditionally held on the last day before vacation, should stress the common themes discussed previously, and will be a celebration enjoyed by all.
