What is Our Cool Preschool?

Who are we?
We are a group of moms who work together to provide excellent preschool education for our own children, in our own homes. This began in 2002, and has grown stronger each year. There is no tuition, and usually no purchased curriculum. Expenses include a few shared supplies (for a Circle Time chart and basic reusable craft supplies).

What do we teach?

We are organized into small groups with a group leader, and set a calendar for the year. Each group meets to determine their own meeting times, curriculum and structure. Each mom teaches (hosts) one week at a time, then the rest rotate. So the average mom teaches one week in every 5 weeks. Each preschool gathering includes Circle Time, a lesson for that day, and play time. In Circle Time, children sit on mats and have rotating assignments to help with weather, calendar, counting, letters/word sounds, and singing. This provides a common classroom environment and structure to each gathering.

Lessons are usually based on the following:

1) A fabulous curriculum available here:___.

2) Focus on one letter of the alphabet per week, focus all lesson ideas around that letter (some begin with the letters beginning the children’s names)

3) Parents divide into their own areas of strengths and always teach that subject at their home (e.g. literacy, science, health, music, art, and social studies—including holidays and personal safety)

How are groups divided?

The following are the age divisions for the groups (children’s ages in September)

2-year-old play group—

• 4 children per group
• 1 day per week (sometimes 2 days per week 2^nd half of the year); 2 hours long (e.g. Tues/Thurs 9:30-11:30)

3-year-old preschool—

• 4-6 children per group
• 2 days per week; 2 1/5 hours long (e.g. Tues/Thurs 9:30-12)
• Includes lunch or snack

4-year-old preschool (Pre-K group)—

• 6-8 children per group
• 2-3 days per week (Usually Tues/Thurs with a Friday activity day or fieldtrip)
• 3 hours (e.g. 9:30-12:30)

What else should I know?

• We are not trained or equipped to work with children with behavioral or learning disabilities.
• We do not support stepping in and out of a group. We take our job of educating our children seriously. Joining a group is a year-long commitment. If a host teacher has a conflict (or sick child), she asks another mom in the group to teach for her, or host a playgroup. This ensures parents and children can rely on this preschool like any other.
• We divide the teaching fairly. Each mom teaches the same number of rotations. If a mom is expecting, she can calendar in extra rotations before having her baby. Obviously, unforeseen problems can arise, and we try to support each other. But we need to plan to be self-sufficient from the outset.

How do I join?

Contact Martha if you are interested in joining a group (marthaethington@hotmail.com). Groups are assigned immediately after Labor Day, when most people have moved and had a chance to settle into school districts. Group leaders hold a meeting the first week of school to discuss details/calendaring, and preschool usually begins the second week of school.