Education is a family matter at the Kennett Square Preschool Cooperative.
Parents play a vital role in keeping the 42-year-old preschool running by lending a hand in almost every aspect of the school’s operations, said director Liz Sykes.
After enrolling a child in the school, located on N. Union Street in Kennett Square, Pa., parents are required to sign up for a volunteer committee that supports activities at the school, she said. Some parents volunteer as homeroom parents and supply the daily snack for the school’s 110 students, she said, while others chaperone students on field trips to Longwood Gardens.
A “handy-parent” repaired a refrigerator door at the school, Sykes said, and another group of parents spent an entire day handing out coupons for a school fundraiser.
“I think it sends a good message to the kids and it encourages the parents to go on and continue to be involved in their child’s education,” she said.
The only thing parents don’t do is teach in the classroom, Sykes said, but they are directly involved in their children's educations.
The school’s board of directors includes Sykes and three parents who make curriculum determinations, which is fitting for the school, she said, because it was founded by a group of parents in 1966.
Parents' volunteerism also saves the school money, Sykes said, which frees up cash for attracting better teachers and spending more on supplies, while keeping tuition low, she said.
Another advantage: teachers and parents see each other every day, she said, which helps parents have more of a vested interest in their children’s education.
Everything at the school revolves around volunteerism, but Sykes is not worried about getting parents to help out. In fact, she said she hardly ever has a problem finding eager volunteers.
“It’s for their kids,” she said. “They’d do anything.”
Many parents are also willing to volunteer because they understand a preschool can provide lessons for their kids they can’t get at home, Sykes said.
The school’s curriculum, designed for the 3- to 5-year-olds it enrolls, is based around social skills -- teaching the kids to share and cooperate, she said.
“This is really their first experience working with their peers,” Sykes said.
Before preschool, most kids only spend time with their parents, so it’s important they are exposed to other kids and adults before they enter kindergarten, she said.
There are state standards for preschool education in Pennsylvania that ensure kids are prepared for kindergarten, Sykes said, and the preschool cooperative strives to make those lessons fun by giving them a seasonal theme.
The school is currently gearing up for its Thanksgiving feast where 4- and 5-year-olds will dress up as pilgrims and 3-year-olds will dress up as Native Americans to share a meal together, she said.
The students recently celebrated "yellow day," she said, where everything from the clothes they wore to the food they ate was the color of golden, fall leaves.
The lessons taught in preschool are important, Sykes said, but the school has seen slightly declining enrollment this year because of the economic downturn. Preschool is not a requirement, so some parents choose not to enroll their kids when money is tight, she said.
But the Kennett Square Preschool Cooperative has always been strongly supported by parents, she said, and their volunteerism provides a unique education environment that is always attracting new students.
