Thanks to our parent volunteers and teachers for making this past weekend's events successful.
We attended the 4th Annual Mothers and More Preschool Fair where we met lots of great kids and parents who will be hopefully joining the Coop soon.
Another team was at the school, hosting an Open House with the teachers. Thanks to them, we'll soon be welcoming a new family for the Spring Semester, as well as (hopefully) finding some families for the fall.
And a MIGHTY thank you to ALL families for their help with Winter clean-up. The school looks great!
We're off to a great start on our year... I can't believe 2 months have gone by already!
I feel like I know most of this year's families already... but I'd still love to know more!
If you haven't already done so, please take the time to send Dayna your Family Profile and a family picture. Write whatever you want... just your names, or fill out Dayna's rockin' questionairre... whatever moves you.
These will be posted at the school, and the kids always love looking at each other's family pictures, and reading their family stories.
In the spirit of inspiring you all, I'll share our family profile, written last year:
Once upon a time, in a tiny village called Linden Hall, a Beautiful Lady named Kate and her Prince Charming, whose name is Tony,welcomed their baby daughter to the world. They named her Aubrey Emily Sanfilippo, because they liked the name, and because the Lady’s best friend was named Emily, too. They were very happy together, with their dog Benny and their cats Bill and Purple. Aubrey was a good baby with blue eyes and long legs. She was very smart and funny, and she loved to make music. But still, they felt their family was not yet complete. So a small time later, they welcomed another tiny daughter to the family. They named her JoAnn Evans Sanfilippo, after the Lady’s Grandma and Daddy. JoAnn was a good baby too, and her round cheeks and full lips made them all fall in love with her right away. JoAnn loved to make art and to sing, and she was also smart and funny (smart and funny seemed to be a family trait). Finally, they knew their family was complete. One day, the whole family came to visit a magical place called the Cooperative Playschool, and they knew right away that it was the perfect place for them to find more families to play, learn, and grow with. And they all lived happily ever after.
I am terribly remiss in not posting this news sooner.... sorry!
We are proud and pleased as punch to welcome Ms. Mindy to the Coop family as our new teacher of the "green team". We've only known her for a few weeks, but already she is family.
Here's a letter from Ms. Mindy introducing herself:
Dear Parents,
Hello and welcome to the three year old class! I am so excited to begin this school year with the Cooperative Playschool! My name is Mindy Miller and I am looking forward to working with your child this year!
I have been working with children for the past six years. In 2003, I entered Penn State as a returning adult student to pursue my dream of becoming a teacher. During this time, I began driving school bus while residing in Mifflin County.The job fit perfect into my busy school schedule and still allowed me time to spend with my son. Two years later I relocated to State College. I graduated from Penn State in the spring of 2007 with a B.S. in Elementary and Kindergarten Education.
During my years in college I worked in the infant through preschool rooms at Nittany Christian School. After graduation I began substituting at Nittany Christian, as well as State College & Bellefonte Area School Districts.I also spent a year employed as a long term substitute for the Central Intermediate Unit #10. I was a preschool developmental teacher working with children on the Autism spectrum.
I have two absolutely wonderful children. My son, Devin, is thirteen and began seventh grade last week. My daughter, Kinzley, just turned three in June!We have a home in Park Forest and love living in State College.
Please feel free to ask me any questions your may have.I can be reached at 814-(redacted) or you can email me at (redacted). I check my email every evening. Thank you for taking the time to read this.I look forward to getting to know you and your child this year!
This past May the Coop generously paid my tuition to attend a workshop with Bev Bos. Bev Bos was the mentor of Mrs. Nancy and came highly recommended as the ‘expert on play based programs’. I was not disappointed.She was a dynamic, enthusiastic, talented, insightful preschool teacher/director who left me inspired and motivated.Her departing advice was to “start with one or two areas and apply these ideas.”She is the author of several books which will be available on the Parent Lending Library Shelf. Please sign out these books for one week and learn what a brilliant child advocate can accomplish at her own play based school.
One of the biggest tenants of her program is to set up areas that encourage exploration and discovery. She has an amazing assortment of accoutrements in her block center that yield ramps, tunnels, marble runs, ping pong ball tracks and more. She asks that no toy be brought in front of the children with only one attribute. She decries the use of character toys because are locked into one identity and application.She refuses to let art be anything other than an exploration of materials.She made me cringe when she said “If there is an adult model of the project, then I question if it is really art.” While some ‘craft projects’ are acceptable, the bulk of her program focuses on developing creativity. Ileft the workshop vowing to create a clay play area, build a large sand pit and add on to their block building centers.
With the support and contagious enthusiasm of our Co-Chairs and Mrs. Lori we all took up her challenges and are doing our best to enrich your child’s experience here at Coop. Our first steps are to add a clay area and to have a large art exploration center using the bulletin board as an easel.Her book Please Don’t Move the Muffin Tins; A Hands Off Guide to Art for the Young Child has many ideas and examples of ways to rotate new materials and mediums in and around the art center. Please feel free to sign up to be the facilitator at this center as an activity.We will also be rotating the clay play area with the woodworking table to bring more exploration with a variety of materials.
Our challenge to provide open ended sand play gave rise to the construction of a large sand pit near the playground fence.Using a hose or filling the magic well with water and providing buckets gets these engineers inspired to build moats, lakes, waterfalls, and roadways.We hope to bring out the cars, shovels, sifters, shells, treasure box etc. to this area and use it as long as possible.Bev Boss has photos of children stripped down to their underwear in the cold November weather filling moats with water! This area will also become the site for our butterfly garden.If you have perennials that need dividing this fall that are insect friendly, please give us some plants. We are hoping to construct a shed with the children’s help to store our gardening and sand play equipment.If this inspires you please see the Co-Chairs or the Teachers and we will co-conspire to build a small lean-to shed together.Bev’s book Tumbling Over the Edge,A Rant for Children’s Play has many inspiring and creative outdoor and indoor ideas along these lines.
Lastly, we are hoping to have your cooperation as snack parents to help us make that a meaningful activity, rather than something done in the kitchen before the children arrive. We understand that some of you don’t have the time or inclination to cook with kids, and there will be times when a bag of pretzels and some grapes will be our snack option, but we hope to have many parents embrace our goal of making the snack preparation a chance for the children to learn and explore and make discoveries too. Some of our ideas are : husk corn and serve corn on the cob; make butter in a jar;make ice cream in a bag; bread baking in it’s many forms and incarnations (pretzels, bread, pita, doughnuts, fry bread,chapattis, tortillas) ; making nut butters; making applesauce; using the apple peeler/corer to prepare apples for snack; scrubbing potatoes and making mashed or broiled potatoes; simple soups using a few vegetables the kids wash and put through a food processor or hand slice; mixing up trail mix, making pasta, preparing pizza, baking a pie, no-bake cookies, healthy muffins etc. etc.The children will also be washing their own cloth napkins each week as part of our effort to cut down on disposables.Mrs. Kat will provide a hand wringer washer for this weekly ritual, as well as a child sized clothes hanger. We hope to make every part of our day meaningful and play-based to give your children the best experience possible.
Our Beloved Mrs. Lori has tendered her resignation from the Cooperative Playschool. We are sad to see her go, and wish her luck in her future endeavors.
This departure has opened up a great opportunity for a new teacher for the "Green Team", the 3-4 year old classroom. Follow the link below to the job posting, and apply today!
The 2009-10 Cooperative Playschool Board of Directors is hard at work, preparing the school for the new year. Shortly you will receive by post the 2009-10 Information Packet, containing valuable information about the upcoming year. Read it thoroughly, and save it for further reference.
In the meantime, join us on Wednesdays 10 to Noon for a playdate! It's a great way to meet other families and kids before the school year starts.
Also be on the lookout for upcoming news regarding painting the school and building our new storage shed for the kids. We are planning a work weekend in August. It will be a good opportunity for parents and kids to bond over purposeful work!
We are proud to present our Cafe Press shop, available anytime, for all you Cooperative Playschool merchandise needs.
This is a fundraiser for the school (we get $1+ for each item purchased), so of course we thank you very much for your support. Plus, you'll look great!
Don't see what you want? Email kate at communications@cooperativeplayschool.com, and I'll see what I can do about adding an item/size/whatever.
We'll link to this site permanently soon, but for now, visit us at
Please join new, current, and alumni families at Co-op’s Summer Play dates! All play dates are from 10:00 - Noon, although you can show up anytime and also bring a picnic lunch. If you have Co-op T-shirts, it’s great to wear them to help incoming families recognize you.
WedJune 3Del Grosso’s Park
WedJune 10Co-op Playground
WedJune 17Sunset Park
WedJune 24Sunset Park
WedJuly 1Sunset Park
WedJuly 8Children’s Day at Arts Festival—Face Painting on Old Main Lawn
Rugrats Resale was a resounding success for the Co-op, and it was fun, too!
Thanks to all who donated, both Co-op folks and community members, and to the sale volunteers.
To those who helped with all that tagging: we were a small but dedicated crew, and we really appreciate your help.
A special thanks to Balfurd's for donating hangers for all those clothes!
This was so easy and fun that we have decided to do it again! The Fall sale is the second week of August. Keep a look out for dates as they are announced, and keep on saving your stuff! Want to get it out of your house NOW? Call Kate at 814-883-3174 and I'll store it for you.
“Please remember when you are a working parent that the teachers need you to post your activity or snack 2 weeks in advance of the work day.” We’ve been hearing this at least once a week, and maybe we, as parents, need some help in this area. With that in mind, I offer the following FAQ:
Q: Where do I sign up for an activity or snack?
A: Right on the sign-up calendar, on the line below your name. A very brief description will do, i.e. “play outside” or “make kites” or “clay table”. Or, in the case of snacks, “muffins” or “berries”.
Q: Then I just show up that day?
A: Not quite. We ask that a week or so before your working day, you briefly get with the lead teacher for your work week and check in. The teachers try to get with you, too, but if both sides try, you’ll be sure to connect. Remind the teacher of your plans. The teachers will often plan other activities around parent ideas, and this is a great way to get the whole team on the same page.
For example, once I did a craft where the kids colored their favorite kinds of ice cream, and made up new flavors. Mrs. Lori set up an ice cream stand that same day, so the kids “sold” the ice cream they had colored back and forth all morning. Another mom had planned to put on a puppet show, so the teachers made a big deal of the kids going to the show, and needing tickets, etc.
Q: Help! How do I decide on an Activity?
A: Remember, this is a play-based and child-driven environment. Your activity doesn’t need to be anything fancy, and will hopefully be something you enjoy. I’ve included a list of ideas for springtime here to help jog your imagination. Or ask the teachers for an idea—they’re full of them! Or ask another parent, or go into the supply closet and pray for inspiration, or check out the idea shelf in the hallway…
As for me, I try to remember the stuff I liked as a kid. Playing doctor with the dolls, playing restaurant, dress-up, painting, running races, dancing… one of my most successful working days was when it was cold out and I brought in a CD of kids music, and we just danced around.
And remember: the weather and the kids could make you ignore your planned activity anyway! That’s the way the Co-op bounces….
Have more questions about being a working parent? Please reply to this post, and we'll be happy to answer them!
We are grateful for your support of our recent and successful family variety show at the State Theatre. If you could not attend, please take a moment to imagine the joy and laughter emanating from the children in the audience.
As you know, your business was recognized in appreciation on promotional materials before, during and after the show. It is our hope that the community acknowledges your presence with new or more visits to your business. Meanwhile, we would like to share with you what we have accomplished with your help.
Thanks to each of you, despite a challenging economic period and an established competing fundraiser, we are delighted to have raised roughly $2700 for our scholarship fund among cash donations, tickets & raffle sales. We also wish to thank businesses for the post-Co-opalooza fundaisers that send profits from Cooperative Playschool-related purchases to our scholarship fund. We also greatly enjoyed the wonderful food and flowers donated for our After Party, and the special goods and services donated for our raffles, give-aways and Co-opalooza publicity.
It was thrilling to celebrate 60 years of play-based pre-school education with the State Theatre, our sponsors, our Co-op families, and the State College and surrounding communities.
At 9:50 am, children at the “Co-Op” are busily stacking blocks, drawing on blueprint paper and pouring water through funnels at the water table.“Watch out! Here comes the lava,” shouts one of the children.A small group is preparing bouquets for a princess wedding while another child is talking to felted snow fairies as she weaves them in and out of fabric-draped branches adorned with crystal beads.Everyone is lost in their own world of imagination, exploration and self-expression.A teacher sings,“Ten minutes ‘til clean up time.”
Five year old Jolie earnestly responds, “ I can’t yet because first I have to work on this important thing that has to go in here like this. . .” her voice trailing off as she bends to pick up an uncooked noodle that has fallen under the table.She has a basket full of noodles, sparkly pipe cleaners, a pile of cotton batting and a blue scale lined up on what had been the nature table just twenty minutes before.
By the end of clean up, the noodles are on the scale, the batting is draped over a felt bird and the pipe cleaners are loosely twisted around the scale’s top.Ten minutes later, it’s no wonder Jolie says she’s tired and needs a snack for “new energy.”Play is hard work!
While it seems obvious that children’s play is their work and that having fun can promote learning, there’s more to it than meets the eye.Dr. James Johnson, professor-in-charge of Early Childhood Education at Penn State, says that play contributes to the emotional, cognitive, physical, social and over-all development of the child.He adds that teachers and parents can help children reap the promises of healthy self-directed play, namely:knowing one’s self and others better, heightened creativity and imagination and problem-solving skills, greater emotional and personal and spiritual well-being, self-motivation and will- power to control one’s experiences, achieving and maintaining a sense of contentment, having confidence and a good moral compass and, finally, being a compassionate and a loving person. All these promises are possible for our children when the power of play is unleashed, and harnessed.
Providing opportunities for children to engage in rich, imaginative play doesn’t have to be costly or require a full schedule of play dates.Simple household props, toys that have open-ended or multiple uses and some quiet time and space are often all that’s needed for a child to launch into rich, self-sustained play.Quality children’s literature is also an excellent springboard for imaginative play.
For more information on the importance of play visit: www.earlychildhoodnews.com, www.aap.org (American Academy of Pediatrics, keyword: play), www.npr.org(Article: Old-Fashioned Play Builds Serious Skills.) The public is also invited to attend, “The Power of Play” at Schlow Regional Library on Sunday, March 29th from 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.The free program is sponsored by The Cooperative Playschool of State College and the library.Info at: www.cooperativeplayschool.com.
Believe it or not, spring is just around the corner, and it's time to start planning for this year's garden! Whether you grow foods or flowers, the purposeful work of gardening reminds our children of the gifts the Earth gives us, and teaches them responsibility and appreciation for nature.
The flyer, available here, allows you to order from Fedco's most popular varieties. Feel free to print out and distribute as many as you want to friends, family, neighbors, etc. Our friends at Fedco Seeds (a coop!) will contribute 50% of profits to our school.
Thank you all so much.
Remember: COOPALOOZA is Feb. 21. Buy your tickets TODAY!
Thanks to the 60 or so Co-op families and teachers, both past and present, who joined us for a festive kickoff to our Anniversary year. I saw lots of familiar faces, and met some new ones that I have heard about. Thanks to all who came by for the festivities. And thanks for the wonderful food! My, we are good cooks, aren't we?
Are you alum? Did you or your children attend our school in the past 60 years? We want to hear from you! I am trying to compile contact information from as many past parents and students as possible. If you have information for our database, please share it! Please contact the school through this website, or contact me, your humble webadministrator, at communications@cooperativeplayschool.com. Or mail it to the school. Or call. Whatever is easiest for you...
Do you ever buy food from the State College Subway or Dominos shops? Our kids' preschool, The Cooperative Playschool, offers discount cards for Subway and Dominos. It's a good time of year for the Co-op to start this program, since it saves everyone money while sending a portion of the profits to our school. These cards make great gifts for coworkers, or to show appreciation to friends, stylists, teachers, etc.
Please consider paying LESS for your own food or gifts while helping out our kids' preschool. Easily order your Co-op Discount Cards from the link below.
We all want to help the Co-op meet (or exceed!) its expenses, right? But we really don't want to buy more stuff beyond what we purchase already for our families. That's why the Co-op has joined the SCRIP program.
Essentially, the Co-op families are eligible to buy "scrip" gift cards and use them like cash for everyday expenses. There's a huge selection of vendors (grocers, restaurants, retailers, gas stations, etc.).
Here's how it works. We purchase the cards at face value ($5, $25, $100, etc.), but the Co-op only pays a discounted amount. Thus, the Co-op earns a profit for each card purchased of anywhere between 2%-15%. This profit can REALLY add up if people use these cards for their regular purchases in place of (or as a nice supplement to) your own credit cards, checks, or cash.
Families pay for the cards by check or electronically ("PrestoPay"). Initially, I've scheduled two ordering deadlines per month: the 1st and 3rd Fridays. Order anytime online at shopwithscrip.com (Enrollment Code: A71F7C3819945), but please keep these two ordering deadlines in mind. All deliveries are shipped in bulk to the Co-op.
For people who can't or don't like to order on-line, I can order for you by "proxy." Please let me know if that's your preference.
Meanwhile, I've attached some quick reference documents and will post some at the Co-op. Call me (238-2351) or email me with any questions or problems you encounter.
Thanks for taking the time to consider using SCRIP to help the Co-op meet expenses and more. This effort is all about perpetuating the wonderful Co-op experience for our families and those who come after us.
To use this service, you just create an account with SCRIP (use whatever email and password you choose), then use the enrollment code above to link your purchases to our school account. To Pay, you just create an additional account with PrestoPay. Feel free to contact Deb or leave a comment here if you need help getting started. -K
Many, many, many thanks to Bien at Concepcion Design for designing our new website. What a wonderful way to kick off our 60th Anniversary year! Bien designed and built the new site for us, and DONATED all his time to the school.
For you other corporations and businesses out there: We are a non-profit organization: Donations are gratefully accepted and receipts lovingly provided.
By using one of the links below to begin your purchase at Amazon you can help the Coop earn between 4% and 15% of your purchase through the Amazon Associates Program. YOU DO NOT NEED TO PURCHASE THE BOOKS LINKED TO! You DO need to begin your session from one of the links below and complete your purchase within 24 hours and in a single visit. A portion of your entire purchase when started from one of these links will be credited to the Coop. For more information contact Tony at toekneesan at gmail dot com.
What: Cooperative Playschool Children's Day Face Painting Booth When: July 9, 2007 10:00-3:00 (See below for time slots, or look at current available time slots online here) Where: Old Main Lawn
Please volunteer for an hour or two at our table. Bring the kids and enjoy the festival! No artistic talent needed.
Any questions? Call or email Ona Feinberg 353-8290, ofeinberg@verizon.net
Thanks!
Greg and Ona Feinberg
Publicity/Communication Chair 2007-2008
We need a line leader and 3 face painters each hour from 10:00 - 3:00. We also need volunteers to help with set up at 9:15, and clean up from 3:00 - 3:45.
9:00 - 10:00 Set up
10:00 - 11:00 Line Leader(1) /Face Painting (3)
11:00 - 12:00 Line Leader(1) /Face Painting (3)
12:00 - 1:00 Line Leader(1) /Face Painting (3)
1:00 - 2:00 Line Leader(1) /Face Painting (3)
2:00 - 3:00 Line Leader(1) /Face Painting (3)
3:00 - 3:45 Clean up
