Class Descriptions
Class Descriptions - 2 Day Class
For children 2 years old by Sept 1st
Tuesday and Thursday 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM
The 2 Day class is a safe and nurturing environment for gently separating from parents for a few hours each week while building independence and a sense of membership in the classroom community. Secure in their place at school, our 2 Day kids take risks, begin to form relationships with each other, and give new experiences a try.
Parents spend one morning each week working in the classroom, rotating through different classroom jobs assisting the teacher. This is a change from the 1 Day Class, and the children adjust to seeing their parent go from being by their side to having a task in the classroom and that can be frustrating for them. This gives the child a chance to notice other children to play with around them, and other adults to form relationships with by playing together. As the children feel more comfortable and ownership of the school, they feel safe to leave their parents and connect with others in the class.
The other morning when the parent is not working in the classroom, the child can be dropped off in the classroom. The teacher and the other working parents that day support the child if needed with saying goodbye to their mom or dad. And sometimes it might be harder for the parent to leave, while their child darts off to find their friends! Whatever each individual family needs to help work towards a successful separation is supported by everyone in the classroom!
In the classroom, there are many sensory and exploration opportunities that are appropriate for this age group. A great thing to remember is that “It is about the process, not the product.”
During group times, the focus is on interacting with stories, music and movement. For some children, it may be their first time sitting together and listening to others, so working parents are there to help support them if they wish to join group time. The children aren’t required to stay at group time, and can quietly explore the classroom with a parent nearby.
Most importantly, the 2 Day Class is about social and emotional development! Finding their independence, making connections and relationships with adults other than their mom or dad, building relationships with other 2 Day children, making choices and mistakes! All of these create an important foundation for the children as they learn to be an integral part of our classroom and community.
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A 2 DAY FAMILY
In our 2 Day Class, with a standard class size of 18 children, we generally have approximately 9 working parents on either Tuesday or Thursday.
Parents work on one day, and on the other day, they can choose to drop off their child if both child and parent are ready to do that. Once the workday schedule is assigned at the beginning of the year, parents work on the same day each week, with the flexibility to swap with other families to cover sick days, traveling, etc. The parents’ job on their workday is different than it was during the 1 Day Class. In the 1 Day Class, you spent time with your own child usually, supporting their exploration in class. In 2 Day, you will have a job assigned to you that day, and parents rotate through the schedule with the different jobs.
When you arrive on your assigned workday, you will grab a work-card with detailed written instructions for your area including setup, activity time, cleanup, and other details. When you are working in the classroom, you will be working with the children that come to visit you, which may be the art table, cooking experience, blocks/dramatic play area, motor area, outdoors, or special project! This give you a chance to interact with all the children in the classroom, in addition to your own. You may find that your child will want you to follow you around while they explore, and gently reminding them that today is your workday, and you are working in the classroom and helping the teacher helps them understand. This small separation will give your child a chance to bond with other adults while playing, and making connections with their classmates. Depending on their interests, some days you may see your child a lot, and other days you might not see them at all!
Being part of a co-op preschool means you are ready to engage with all the children and contribute to the school. Our school’s only paid employees are the teachers and a director’s assistant. That means everything you see and love about Sunnymont-Westside is done by the families at our school - from the moment you contact us for a tour, enrollment process, tidy and well-organized classroom, and well-maintained outdoor play area.
There is a Parents’ Aide Training evening meeting once a month with your teacher. The parents themselves are the teachers’ aides on their workdays, so these meetings are important for parents to understand their role, and help us support the children’s curiosity, emotional growth, social learning. It is also a great opportunity to connect with other parents, and to discuss any classroom issues.
Each family holds a “job” to help the school run smoothly. At a co-op school, the parents own and literally run the school, so each family either holds a job, or pays a monthly job buy-out fee, which is used to pay for getting the job done. Some of the jobs require work evenly spread throughout the year, and others are seasonally intensive, with down time between tasks.
For example, some parents serve on the school board, others make play dough, do laundry, repair toys, make library trips, help care for school pets, or help organize fundraising events. Families will receive a questionnaire in their enrollment packet where they can share their their preferences and skills, and the jobs coordinator helps find an appropriate job for each family (or if you’re buying out of this participation requirement).
As part of their contribution to our cooperatively-run school, each family helps with maintenance of our school.
Each family assists at one Maintenance Work Party each year, where adults from several families come together to work on large projects, repairs, and so on. This is for adults only.
Each family also comes in once over a weekend to do routine clean up of our school. Families can come anytime during the weekend, and do the clean up chores on one of the worksheets left for them in the Weekend Clean Up binder. On your weekend shift, the clean up can be completed any time between Friday 2 PM and Sunday 6 PM of that weekend. You may bring your children with you, however, please ensure you tidy/clean up everything they have played with (kids may not play in the 4 Day Classroom).
Every family also helps to support school fundraising efforts by:
Make a voluntary, tax-deductible donation to the school’s annual fund, and to participate in fundraising programs as works best for them.
In addition, each family is responsible for a 4 hour shift at a community event (fundraising, marketing, or social) during the year. With the exception of the silent auction (adults only!), all community events are family friendly and your child is welcome to attend with another adult (spouse, grandparents, etc!) so that the whole family can have fun!
Everyone’s efforts, big and small, helps the school and our community thrive! When you join Sunnymont-Westside, you will find a community of like-minded families, dedicated to creating an inviting and supportive preschool environment for all of our children.