Why did our family join co-op? I wanted to be involved in the class on a weekly basis and it seemed like co-op would provide a smoother transition into school for my son and myself (which it has!) QACP was a cost-friendly option in a wonderful neighborhood, plus I wanted my family to meet other kids in the community. When we toured I also loved our co-op Admissions Team Member because she was energetic/fun and lit up the big, bright classroom space.
Why we continue to register at QACP? I don’t think I fully understood what “building a parenting community” meant until co-op, but what a great feeling it is knowing and having so many friends nearby! Those moments are energy boosters and stress relievers! QACP gave me purpose and even a few challenges because being a board member can be hard work at times. We do feel that the rewards of helping members of your child’s school and the local community are addicting in a great way because of the responsibility a co-op parent has outside of watching their own kids (which has been very motivating for me!)
What do you really enjoy about co-op? I especially like being in the classroom with my own child watching his interactions outside of his home-life because it is fascinating to me. The QACP routine has been great for the whole family and I LOVE Teachers Linda and Amy! The play-based curriculum/structure of the classroom also fits our family’s style and the multiple adults in the classroom is a great fit for us too. I also appreciate the diverse personalities of teachers and parent assistants working with my child. My son is eager to always talk about and show us his school things because he is proud that he has friends and responsibilities at school (bell ringer is a big deal at our house!)
How is Pre-K unique at our co-op? For example, the kids have more responsibilities (a job everyday), projects must be done at some point (they may choose to wait five minutes, but then need to go work on the project), children are learning to write and are given multiple opportunities to do so daily, classroom sharing involves the other kids asking questions, our school offers many field trips, almost daily adventures to the playground, cooking weekly, and reading comprehension lessons.
What were we looking for in a Pre-K to get our child “Kindergarten Ready”? Our family wanted daily exposure to a school setting, introduction to writing and phonemic awareness (pre-reading skills), a play-based curriculum (versus a strict academic routine), and an actual non-daycare type pre-kindergarten nearby so my son could hopefully meet friends in the neighborhood.
Queen Anne Co-op Preschool 