Pre-school with mom

Preschool can be a scary word for both you and your child. How could it be they are at preschool age already? It’s reassuring to know that there are many reputable preschools, some of which involve parents in the classroom and are called ‘‘Parent Participating Preschools or Co-operative Preschools’’.
These organizations enable parents to be an integral part of their child’s first taste of school life. The mandate of a Parent Participating Preschool is that first and foremost it is a Licensed Childcare Setting, Ministry approved and inspected and that it is parent run under the guidance of a qualified ECE teacher and an Parent Executive Board that has roles such as President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary.
To make a Parent Participating Preschool work, parents cooperate to provide the best experience for their children. Parents are required to assist the teacher in the daily activities of the preschool day on a rotating basis. You may find yourself helping the children make a craft, or helping to put together a puzzle, preparing snack, or pretending to be a car wash in the gymnasium.
You will also find yourself on a committee to help keep everything at the preschool run smoothly. These committees might include: Fundraising, Creative Helper, Social & Gift, Duty Day Scheduler, Dress-up, or Telephone (phoning class list about special events, or cancellations due to snow etc.) The cost of sending your child to a Parent Participating Preschool varies from preschool to preschool, anywhere from $50-$170; and it also depends on how many times a week your child goes, anywhere between 2-4 days.
Alumni families cannot say enough positive things about their years in a Parent Participating Preschool. Wendy Newbery, whose two daughters both attended Moppet Parent Participating Preschool in Kitchener said ‘‘I wanted a preschool where my child would feel secure and her emotional needs would be met. I was not so concerned about literacy/numeracy or other academic skills. The teacher was a very important element. I wanted someone child focussed and play oriented.’’
Maryanne Cahill’s five children also attended Moppet, sang praises about the preschool ‘‘they learned how to be a good friend and learned tolerance for other children with special needs. They were also exposed to different types of activities that were hard to provide in the home. I also found they made the transition to Junior Kindergarten with no problems.’’
All of Sue Salata’s four children attended Stanley Park Rosemount Preschool, also in Kitchener. She recalls ‘‘my children have fond memories of their time there, and I felt like a part of a community.’’ She went on to say ‘‘I liked the people the most, many of us built great friendships and play dates with our kids’’.
Sandy Barlen, who has been the teacher at Moppet Parent Participating Preschool for 26 years, says her greatest joys in being a teacher for these 2-4 year olds is ‘‘seeing the children and parents grow and change over the year,” as well as ‘‘watching the children’s excitement as they learn new skills’’. You can tell that Barlen loves her job, ‘‘working in a co-op Precool is a very interesting job., You get to meet and work with new families each year. Every year is different, every class is different’’. Barlen welcomes and encourages ideas and suggestions for things like crafts, special activies or anything else that would enhance the curriculum. With joys, there are also challenges, and Barlen confides that the challenge that sometimes faces is ‘‘providing a consistent environment for the children even though the staff (duty parents) change daily’’. Balren concludes ‘‘My students are amazing little people. Each one is different, and each one is special.’’