December 30, 2022 Vol. 52, No.11 |
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
And the Winner is... | A Note from the President
Reminder: PCPI Dues | The Importance of Play
Teacher Education Opportunity | Sponsor Profile: Jovial
Welcome, New Members!
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As we wrap up 2022, we reflect on the successes we've seen over the past year, including the ways we've continued to overcome the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was so encouraging to meet with some of you in November for our virtual forum, Reigniting the Cooperative Spirit. It was a great reminder of the love we share for co-op and the wealth of knowledge we have at our fingertips when we come together to exchange our ideas and experiences!
Looking ahead to 2023, PCPI is planning on hosting additional virtual forums to give us all more chances to connect and share with one another. Better still, plan to join us in person for PCPI's Annual General Meeting in May! Be on the lookout for more information coming soon about each of these opportunities to come together.
Wishing you all a happy New Year!
Cooperatively yours,
Melissa Ranck
Editor, Cooperatively Speaking
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Last month you weighed in on your favorite traditional Thanksgiving food, and it turns out we're fans of both sweet and savory! Our two favorites were stuffing and pumpkin pie. (Does this picture make anyone else hungry?)
As we wrap up the season of giving, we're curious about your top methods for serving those around you.
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Which is your favorite way to spread goodwill this time of year?
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Serve meals at a soup kitchen
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Sing carols at a nursing home
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Adopt an individual or family in need
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Bake a meal or treats for someone
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Leave a generous tip at a restaurant
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Donate items to help the homeless
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Do housework or yard work for someone
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Donate money to a local organization
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A Note from the President:
Do You Have a Plan?
By Dianne Rose
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At this moment, when most preschools are experiencing a few days of quiet, it’s a great time to do a little reflection, and maybe some big-picture planning for the rest of the school year.
Some questions to ponder: How has your year gone so far? Are there successes that should be applauded? Is there a person or people you have come to know in your co-op community for whom you are especially grateful?
After several challenging years, it is critically important to take account of all of the positive changes that have taken root, to make a plan to celebrate all that is good, and to recognize the person or people who have held your community together through creativity, persistence, and possibly sheer hard work.
Over the next few months, you’re going to see announcements from PCPI about award nominations, travel grants, and attending our annual meeting. I urge you to make a plan to take advantage of ALL of these opportunities as a way to offer thanks to someone who has earned it. The actions are simple:
NOMINATE a teacher, a parent, a director, a friend of your co-op for an award. REQUEST grant funds to make it possible for this person to EXPERIENCE the PCPI Annual Meeting, at which they can be HONORED in front of an audience of their peers.
We hope you'll make a plan!
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Save the date for PCPI's 2023 Annual General Meeting in Northern Virginia, May 4-7, 2023. And be on the lookout for the travel grant and awards applications mentioned above: coming soon!
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**Don't forget to submit your PCPI membership dues!**
Dues for the 2023 calendar year must be paid in order to remain on the website direc tory and continue to receive PCPI benefits. Dues may be paid via check payable to PCPI, in US or Canadian dollars, mailed to:
PO Box 230327
Portland, OR 97281
Dues may also be paid electronically via the PCPI website. Canadian members can request a PayPal invoice to send dues in Canadian dollars.
Thank you for your continued partnership with PCPI!
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The Importance of Play
By Melissa Ranck
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As a parent who did not enter the co-op world with an established background in early education, I'm so grateful to the teachers and parent mentors that "raised me" and taught me the ways of play-based education. While my children (ages 11, 9, and 6) have moved on from co-op preschool, I continue to see the benefits of these years where they were encouraged to imagine, had freedom to make choices, and learned how to negotiate with and empathize with their peers. |
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The benefits of play are not just subjective: research shows that play is essential to the development of preschool students. It allows their brains to release chemicals that impact things like attention, motivation, memory, and regulation of emotions. And research also shows that play can close achievement gaps between preschool aged children. Amazing!
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"Experts and educators generally agree on a few main principles when it comes to quality play for young kids: It should be a defining feature of the day and not just a brief diversion, like recess; there should be some element of choice — allowing kids to pick an activity and decide how to pursue it; it should be enjoyable and spontaneous; and, in most cases, a supportive adult should provide at least some guidance and help reinforce academic and social emotional concepts." The Hechinger Report
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My children moved from co-op preschool to a Montessori environment, which offers some degree of choice. Still, nothing compares to the freedom to play that they were afforded in our cooperative school. Unfortunately, increasingly rigorous curricula finding its way into preschools, a lack of understanding about the connection between play and learning, or pushback from caregivers who fear their child might not be ready for challenging early elementary programs are all barriers we face in maintaining our play-based philosophies.
My family's story is not unique as so many of us in the cooperative community have seen firsthand the benefits of this kind of early education experience. Whether you are a co-op teacher, parent, or advocate, we hope that you'll continue to promote the benefits of play-based learning to those you know!
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Teacher Education Opportunity |
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Teachers! Sharpen your skills, deepen your knowledge, and get fresh ideas for the classroom! Parent Child Preschools Organization is pleased to offer two more virtual professional development workshops on Zoom! Each workshop will be recorded and a link to the recording will be available to all participants for 10 days following the workshop.
Healthy Bodies (1/25, 7 pm PST)
This panel presentation will cover gardening and nutrition resources for teachers, ways to incorporate mindfulness and movement in the classroom as well as the importance of providing opportunities for risky play.
Justice and Inclusion in Early Childhood Education (2/23, 7 pm PST)
This workshop will give an overview of the key elements, identities and implementation strategies for teaching, and practices that are grounded in justice and inclusion with young children and their families.
Cost
$25/workshop
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If you've been around the co-op world for a bit, it's likely you may have heard of Jovial, a generous sponsor of the work we do at PCPI. This month we'd love to highlight the work they do!
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Jovial was developed by husband-wife team Hermann and Helen Calabria with the mission "to help lift early childhood education, across the US and Canada, by offering preschool management software -- at no charge." Developed with co-ops in mind, their software is designed to ease the administrative burden of running a preschool and is available to all non-profits and smaller for-profits. |
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Jovial can help your school in several ways:
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Enrollment Management & Attendance - Manage class rosters, waiting lists, authorization of caregivers to volunteer in the classroom, and more. Track time for students, teachers, and classroom volunteers.
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Tuition Billing - Automate tuition billing, tracking, and invoicing. Easily add scholarships and volunteer discounts. Automate tuition billing using e-payments (optional).
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Forms & Requirements - Track and process forms, volunteer jobs, immunization requirements, contracts, questionnaires, and more.
Interested in learning more? Check out some Frequently Asked Questions, read testimonials, or request more information about Jovial here.
Thank you to Jovial for your ongoing support of PCPI! Interested in becoming a sponsor? Contact PCPI to learn more!
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We want to offer a warm welcome to our newest members. We're glad you're here and we look forward to getting to know you better! |
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Vancouver, British Columbia
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Is there something special about your school community that you just can't help but share? Interested in being highlighted in Cooperatively Speaking? Reach out and tell us more!
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A PCPI Members Google Group has been created to give us another avenue to share ideas and information. This has replaced the Yahoo Group which is no longer active.
Joining is easy!
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Click the button below to send an email to PCPINews@preschools.coop.
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Use the subject line: Add to Google Group.
- Include your first and last name, your school and/or council name, and the email address you'd like to have added. (If there are multiple people in your school who should be added to the group, you are welcome to include all of their information in one email.)
Group members will receive a daily digest of messages exchanged. Message threads will be grouped by topic for easy searching later. Spread the word!
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