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Parents Nursery School

FAQ

What does it mean to be a cooperative?

A parent cooperative preschool is organized by a group of families with similar philosophies who hire a trained teacher to provide their children with a quality preschool experience. The parents assist the professional teachers in the classroom on a rotating basis and participate in the educational program of all the children. Each family shares in the business operation of the school, thus making it truly a cooperative venture. Parents, preschool children and their teachers all go to school together and learn together.

What does Parent Education mean?

Parents Nursery School is part of the PAUSD Adult School Parent Education Program and is designed to offer parents an opportunity to learn about parenting issues and to actively participate in their child's education. The parents are enrolled as students (rather than the children), attend adult educational classes, and participate in their child's classroom experience once a week.

What happens on your teaching day?

A parent of each participating family teaches one morning a week in each classroom in which they have a child enrolled. You should plan to be at PNS from 9:00AM to help the teachers in the day's preparation until at least 12:45PM to assist in the daily housekeeping/cleanup. Typically a parent is assigned a job for the day which might be working at the play-dough table, doing art, making snack or leading the children in games or other activities.

Can someone else do my teaching day?

If you cannot work on your regular day, you must arrange a substitute, preferably by trading workdays with another parent. It is important for you to find a replacement because your absence decreases the teacher/child ratio in your class and because each parent is vital to the effectiveness of the program. Since family members are the enrolled students, and our program is subsidized by state funding, babysitters and extended family may not substitute for teaching parents.

Are siblings are welcome at Parents Nursery School?

Yes, however extreme care must be exercised by the parent when younger children are exposed to toys and equipment which are inappropriate for their age. Parents may also be more effective on teaching days if their younger children do not attend with them. If a parent wishes to arrange a babysitting trade with another parent, this can be facilitated by a teacher.

What are the hourly night meeting requirements for adults?

One parent per child attends a 2-2 1/2 hour parent education class 2-3 times per month. These Parent Education classes are held either Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday evenings depending on the class in which your child is enrolled. Our tuition would be at least double if we were not a part of Palo Alto's Adult Education program. The amount of state funding we receive for teacher salaries is based on adult attendance at the Adult Ed meetings and attendance on classroom teaching days.

Wow, this sounds like a lot of work! Is it worth it?

PNS families say it was well worth their commitment. Parents and children have the pleasure of learning and playing side by side. Families build a strong community of friends that can last a lifetime. Teachers provide invaluable insights into parenting and child development.

How do I register myself and my child?

In February, we have Open House for registration for the following school year. During this time, interested families will have a chance to view the school, ask questions, talk to teachers and parents, and complete an enrollment application. Applications are not available before the open house. Your child must be 3 years old by January 31st of the school year they are enrolled. We do not accept applications or have waiting lists for future years beyond the current (2008-2009) school year. We encourage interested families to spend a morning visiting our school to get a good sense of our school, teachers and play yard.