Thank you for your interest in the Mead Parent-Child Co-op Preschool. We hope that you will find the resources here to answer all of your questions regarding our program. If you enroll, you will find yourself a member of a group of parents, each with different personalities and interests, but all working toward the same goals: providing a satisfying learning experience for your child and more knowledge of children and family life for yourself. Your participation in the group can be a rewarding experience as well as a challenge and an opportunity for your own personal growth. The co-op is a non-profit preschool operated by the parents. Your feelings of ownership will be directly proportional to your level of involvement.

The information in this blog can be read in consecutive order or you can reference specific information by using the categories listed to your right. Please contact us if you have further questions, would like to preview a class, or want to enroll. We believe that the co-op preschool experience is one of a kind and we would love to have you and your child join our co-op community at Mead Parent-Child Cooperative Preschool.

Sincerely,

Mead Co-op Parent Executive Board

Our Facility

We have classroom space with rooms for "circle time" and instruction, centers, art and snack time. We also have an indoor large motor play space and an outdoor play area to acommodate our programs in any kind of weather.

Parent Workday Jobs

We are able to keep our fees low because we do not hire a staff of administrators, janitors, cooks, etc. We ask everyone to pitch in to cover greater co-op responsibilities and workday jobs in the classroom. These jobs include responsibilities such as Snack Parent, Art Parent, Clean-up, Calendar Coordinator, Class Historian, Fieldtrip Coordinator and many more. At Orientation each year you will have the opportunity to sign-up for greater co-op jobs. The Calendar Coordinator for your class will post a rotation of classroom jobs for your assigned workday.

Tuition & Fees

The Mead Co-op operates as an individual, small non-profit business. The parents are responsible for locating and renting classroom space. We also buy our own equipment and supplies for the children. In order to do this, we establish a monthly budget and charge a fee for our classes to cover those costs. We often do fundraising to purchase new equipment, offer bonuses, pay for building projects, etc.

Fall 2009-2010 Fees (Updated 8/18/09)

Yearly Enrollment Fee: $32.50

College Tuition: $12 per Credit per Quarter ($36/Quarter Toddler & Preschool, $48/Quarter PreK)

Toddler Classes: $35/month per child (1 class per week)

Preschool Class: $55/month per child (2 classes per week)

PreK Class: $70/month per child (3 classes per week)

Tag-along Sibling: $15/month and 1 college credit/Quarter ($12) once sibling is mobile or 10 months old (whichever comes first)

*Please call for information on scholarships and financial aid 509-533-4895

Yearly Calendar

The Mead Co-op operates on the Mead School District yearly calendar observing the same holidays, breaks, and snow days. Our school year begins the week following the start of Mead School District schools and ends the last week of May.

Executive Board Volunteers

An Executive Board, made up of parent members elected as officers and our Facilitator/Teacher (as a non-voting member) oversees all business and operations of the preschool. The Executive Board's responsibilities are defined by our by-laws and the Board ensures that the by-laws are followed. The Executive Board is a parent's board. Our elected officers include: Chairperson, Parent Advisory Council Representative, Parent Enrollment Coordinator, Secretary, and Treasurer.

Parents: Roles, Responsibilities & Requirements

Registration

Each parent registers with the co-op and Community Colleges of Spokane, filling out the enrollment forms for himself/herself and any child(ren) enrolled in the co-op.

Participates one day each week in the classroom

One family member agrees to participate one day a week. If you cannot participate on your scheduled day, you are expected to arrange to trade with another parent.

Attends parent seminars/staffings

One family member agrees to attend all parent seminars, as well as, the staffings (discussion groups), that are available on his/her classroom workday.

Attends business meetings

One family member agrees to attend all business meetings.

Payment

The family agrees to pay co-op child fees and college tuition promptly according to the rules of the co-op.

Committees

Each parent needs to be willing to serve in some capacity in his/her co-op.

Withdrawal

Each parent should give a month's notice if it becomes necessary to withdraw a child.

Illness

Each parent assumes responsibility to keep his/her child home if ill and will stay home himself/herself. Parent will arrange for a substitute. If child contracts a communicable disease, parent will notify the co-op.

Education for children

Each parent assumes responsibility to share in the development of an education program based on recognized research in the field of early childhood education.

What Is A Parent Co-op Preschool?

A Parent "Co-op" is a program that has three elements:

1. a developmentally appropriate learning environment for children

2. a non-profit organization governed by the parents

3. a parent education course offered for non-graded credits through a community college

Enrolling your child in the Mead Co-op Preschool means that you are also enrolled in a "Parent Education" Class through the Community Colleges of Spokane at a reduced credit cost (see our rate schedule). This is a non-graded 3 or 4 credit course. The requirements of the class are to attend one Business Meeting/Parent Ed Seminar per month (6:30-8:30 pm on the second Tuesday of the month at the Co-op) and 11 co-op workdays per Quarter (that's why we have to do make-ups if we miss a work day or meeting). This allows the Community Colleges of Spokane, through Washington State higher education vocational funds, to pay a large part of our facilitator/teacher's salary.

As well as helping to pay our facilitator/teacher's monthly salary, the college also sponsors speakers every year and works with the Parent Advisory Council (PAC) to lobby for legislative support for family and children's education. The affiliation also allows us to purchase liability and accident insurance for each child in our classes at a reduced rate. The college has a parent ed office to provide assistance to our program and a lending library of books and videos on parenting.

At Mead Co-op Preschool, parents and children go to school together. Your time and active participation are just as important as the fees you will pay. The only way a co-op can run effectively is if everyone "chips in to help"!

Our Classes

Classes are available for children 10 months to 5 1/2 years old with the following weekly schedule:

Toddler 1 Class Mon 9:30-11:30 am 10 months-3 yrs old

Toddler 2 Class Wed 9:30-11:30 am 10 months-3 yrs old

Preschool Class Tues & Thurs 9:30-11:30 am 3 yrs-4 yrs old

Pre K Class Tues, Wed, & Thursday 12:15-2:45 pm 4-5 1/2 yrs old

Daily Overview:

"Circle Time": developmentally appropriate singing, games, stories and instruction (content includes alphabet, numbers, colors, shapes, calendar, schedule, classroom responsibilities...)

Centers: developmentally appropriate individual and group play (home center, blocks, cars, puzzles, listening center...)

Art/Science/Fine Motor: developmentally appropriate art, science, and fine motor activities. Teacher and parent planned and led.

Snack: reinforces name recognition, sharing, serving, pouring and cleaning-up

Large Motor: inside/outside play and physical education activities (swings, basketball, bikes/trikes, bean bags, climbing...)