What is a Co-op?

• What is a cooperative nursery school?
• How is it different from other types nursery or pre-schools?
• Why should I consider choosing to send my child to a cooperative nursery school?
• Is RPCNS accredited?
• Should I take a tour of your school before I enroll my child?
• What is your admissions policy?
• Do you have a registration date, a lottery or do you have rolling enrollment?
• What is a co-oper?
• How many co-opers are in each classroom on a typical morning?
• What does a co-oper do?
• If, at the last minute, I can’t co-op in my child’s class, what do I do?
• I have another child who is too young to attend pre-school, can I bring him into the classroom when I co-op?
• What forms do I need to submit in order for my child to attend?
• Do you have a discipline policy? What is it?

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What is a cooperative nursery school?

A cooperative nursery school is a type of nursery school organized to incorporate the children’s parents directly in the operation of the school. There are several ways this is manifested:

• All our parents are teacher assistants
• in their child’s class,
• on a regularly scheduled basis,
• which works out to be two to four times a month depending on which class your child is enrolled,
• provide the snack for your child’s class providing an opportunity for your child to experience a variety of new and nutritious foods,
• working with a professionally trained teacher, who prepares the day’s lesson and activities.
• who get to know all the other children in the child’s class and all their parents.
• Every family is required to hold a job in the school
• these jobs have a range of involvement required
• an effort is made to match you with a job that uses your strengths and talents
• helping the school to function smoothly and responsively.
• One person from each family is required to attend three workdays over the course of the school year.
• Each work day lasts for 2.5 hours
• The workdays include:
• one set-up day before the school starts,
• one Saturday clean-up days during the school year to clean the toys and perform maintenance
• one pack-up day at the close of the school year.

We subscribe to the philosophy of “many hands make light work.”

How is it different from other types nursery or pre-schools?

At a cooperative nursery school the emphasis is on community. We are all working together, in a clearly organized manner, to education our children.

• As a member of a cooperative school you get to know who all the other members are, and are encouraged to be involved. Your involvement really does make a difference.
• A cooperative nursery school really does provide you and your family with a unique educational and developmental experience. The child grows in independence and the parent in understanding. You the parent have the inner satisfaction of knowing exactly what your child does during the day at school.
• You have the support of the community during these formative pre-school years. You are working with parents whose children are the same age as yours; you are sharing similar experiences.
• The ratio of adults to children in any given class is lower in a cooperative, providing a safer, more supervised environment.
• The jobs performed by the parent volunteers enable the school to run smoothly, yet help to reduce the overhead expenses, which allows the tuition to be lower than its true cost.

Why should I consider choosing to send my child to a cooperative nursery school?

You want to send your child to a cooperative nursery school because you want to be actively involved in your child’s pre-school education.

Is RPCNS accredited?

Yes. RPCNS holds a Combined Licensed from the Maryland State Department of Education and their Office of Child Care, meeting the requirements delineated in COMAR 13A.14.13 and COMAR 07.04.02

Should I take a tour of your school before I enroll my child?

We encourage each family to take a tour of RPCNS prior to enrollment. This affords us the opportunity to show you our school, introduce you to our staff, and answer your questions.

What is your admissions policy?

Any child, regardless of race, color, ethnic or national origin is eligible for admission. All admitted students are entitled to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at our school. We do not discriminate on the basis of race. Color, national or ethnic origin in administration of our educational policies, admissions policies, and other school administered programs. All attending children must be the age of the class by September 1st of that school year. In regards to toilet training requirements children admitted into the four-year-old class must be toilet trained, unless a waiver is granted by the Board of Directors. Children in the younger classes who are not toilet trained must bring with them their own supply of disposable diapers, diaper wipes, and a changing pad. (We strongly recommend that a spare set of clothes also be kept in the child’s backpack at school.)

Any child with a physically handicapping condition must be advised that Rockville Presbyterian Cooperative Nursery School, located in the basement of the Rockville Presbyterian Church’s Education Building, has no ramp facilities for a wheelchair. A child with a physically handicapping condition is eligible for enrollment if he or she has received an assessment, a diagnostic evaluation, or a recommendation by a qualified person familiar with handicaps, that mainstreaming is recommended. In addition, this child must receive special services outside the school for the handicapping condition. Any child with a mentally or emotionally handicapping condition is eligible for enrollment if this condition does not require specialized care on a one-to-one basis. The Board of Directors and the appropriate teacher will have the final authority in all enrollment decisions for a child with a mentally, emotionally or physically handicapping condition. RPCNS holds a Certificate of Approval from Maryland State Department of Education under COMAR 13A.14.13, which pertains to private nursery schools. Under these regulations none of our staff are required to be certified in special education.

Do you have a registration date, a lottery or do you have rolling enrollment?

RPCNS has open enrollment, accepting applications through out the year. Re-enrollment is held in January. Remaining spaces are filled in the order in which the applications are received. RPCNS only enrolls students on a full-time basis. This means that once a child is enrolled in a class that child is expected to attend that class each time it is scheduled to meet, unless the child is physically unable to do so. The school reserves the right to strive for a boy-girl balance in the classroom. Once a class is filled a wait list is started.

What is a co-oper?

A co-oper is a parent/relative of a child in the class who performs the duties of a teacher’s assistant.

How many co-opers are in each classroom on a typical morning?

There are two co-oping adults. One is designated on the schedule as the “A” co-oper, who is predominately to help with set-up and is to bring the snack. The other adult co-oper is designated as the “B” co-oper, who is predominately to help with “clean-up” activities.

What does a co-oper do?

The co-opers help the teacher successfully execute her lesson plan for the morning by comforting the children as needed, by providing support to both the teacher and the children as needed in transitioning from one activity to the next, and by supervising the children throughout the morning. The teacher will direct your activities at some points during the morning, and don’t hesitate to ask her what she would like you to do.

If, at the last minute, I can’t co-op in my child’s class, what do I do?

You call the school and let us know. If there is time to call the other parents in your child’s class to arrange to switch co-oping days with another you are expected to do so. We also have a parent each day scheduled as the Stand-by co-oper. The Stand-by is expected to be available to stay the entire morning in any class where she is needed. This allows us to maintain our adult to child ratios.

I have another child who is too young to attend pre-school, can I bring him into the classroom when I co-op?

No, you may not bring your other children into the classroom when you co-op. Only those children enrolled in that class may actually be in that classroom. We have a Sibling Nursery at the school where you may leave your little one while you are co-oping. The parents using the sibling nursery take turns babysitting each other's little ones.

What forms do I need to submit in order for my child to attend?

When your child has been accepted for enrollment you will be mailed an acceptance packet with all the state required forms, mostly medical, for both you and your child.

Do you have a discipline policy? What is it?

At RPCNS, the philosophy of discipline is the firm and loving establishment of rules or a code of living that respects the integrity of each person. It is supportive, nurturing and educational. It is the guiding of children toward self-control. Good discipline is based on respect, honesty, trust and caring. It’s what we do and say to children to help them learn to respect the rights of others and to behave cooperatively within our society.

Children need to learn the difference between the inner world of feeling (for example, the right to feel angry) and how to act on their feelings. We emphasize consideration of other’s feelings and instruct children of the appropriate actions they may use.

Children will test the limits of their environment. Young children do not know automatically what is right or wrong; therefore, they need adults whom they can trust to help them learn. An adult should be fair, and act matter-of-factly and confidently to limit a child’s unacceptable behavior. When the child knows that the adult will stop out-of-control acts when necessary, s/he can relax and feel free to explore and experience the environment.

We expect all adults working in the classroom to be positive role models at all time enabling children to learn appropriate social behaviors and skills. Simple, understandable rules will be clearly established so that expectations and limitations are clearly defined. Discipline will be constructive in nature, including such methods as diversion, separation of child from situation, praise of appropriate behavior, or gentle physical restraint, such as holding. “Time out” will be used if it is deemed necessary as a response to the child’s action. However, no child is put in the “time out” situation for longer than a three-minute period per incident. The younger the child, the less amount of time spent in “time out”. A parent-teacher conference will be scheduled if further action is considered necessary. We believe that these methods, if used consistently and in a positive way, will serve as a means of helping our children learn appropriate social behaviors and skills.