January 30, 2023 Vol. 53, No.1 |
|
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
And the Winner is... | Travel Grant Applications
PCPI Awards Applications | Cooperative Spirit and Co-op Support Grant Winners
Member Profile: San Anselmo Cooperative Nursery School
Welcome, New Member!
|
|
2023 is well underway, and so is our planning for this year's Annual General Meeting in Northern Virginia, May 4-7. We hope your plans to join us are underway too! Read on to learn more about how a Travel Grant might help you get there.
Among the highlights of our time together each year is taking a moment to honor individuals in the cooperative community who have gone above and beyond. Check out more information below about how to nominate someone deserving from your local co-op community to receive a PCPI award.
We also want to acknowledge each of our member schools as you're looking toward enrollment for the 2023-2024 school year. This process can be time-consuming, but all of your effort will be worth it when you get to share the gift of co-op with a new group of families! Be on the lookout for an announcement about an upcoming virtual forum where we'll have an opportunity to share enrollment tips and tricks with one another.
Cooperatively yours,
Melissa Ranck
Editor, Cooperatively Speaking
|
|
Last month we asked about your favorite way to spread goodwill throughout the holiday season. Many of us choose to make a financial donation to a local organization, followed by adopting a family or individual in need or baking a meal or treats for someone.
Lately we've seen snow in some areas of the US and Canada, so we want to know: What is your favorite snow day activity? Of course, any of these can involve a mug of hot chocolate or tea!
|
|
|
What is your favorite snow day activity?
|
|
Go for a winter hike or scavenger hunt
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Travel Grant Applications Are Here |
|
We hope that by now you've noticed the buzz surrounding PCPI's Annual General Meeting, and we also hope you're planning to join us! To help our members attend and take part in the meeting, PCPI established the Marika Townshend Travel Grant program in honor of a longtime advocate of cooperative preschool.
The 2023 Annual Meeting will be held in Reston, Virginia, May 4th through 7th. All PCPI members – individuals, schools, councils – are eligible to apply for a travel grant. Funds can be used to cover costs to attend including registration, lodging, and travel expenses. Grant recipients must plan to attend the entire meeting.
Grant applications must be received on or by March 1 and must be SUBMITTED by the deadline in order to be considered. Applications will be promptly reviewed by the Marika Townshend Travel Grant Committee and awardees notified quickly in order to facilitate travel planning.
Still on the fence about attending? Check out Laura's story below and consider the many benefits of joining us to network and learn with like-minded co-op enthusiasts. See you in May!
|
|
Dear PCPI Members,
I was beyond delighted and honored to receive a Marika Townshend Travel Grant to attend the 2022 PCPI Annual Meeting in Portland, Oregon. I wanted to share my experience with you!
I traveled alone from Philadelphia. When I arrived at the hotel, I was directed into a packed breakfast area. In the sea of business people and families, I saw a table full of women familiar with one another, smiling and laughing and thought, “There they are! That’s my tribe!” I was right and was immediately welcomed and embraced by the group for the weekend. No one knows how to make an outsider feel welcomed like a group of co-op parents! The proficient, ultra-organized and hospitable beginning put me immediately at ease while I attended meetings, toured beautiful, interesting local cooperative preschools, and truly connected with like-minded people.
|
|
Kindness and love radiated as I watched the other attendees delve into conversations about their lives after a long COVID hiatus. It was beautiful to watch. We talked about our deep connections with our “co-op moms” and how and why so many of us have chosen to hang on even though our children are now much older. We spent time discussing some of the mutual challenges we have faced with licensing, dwindling parental involvement and participation. We shared meals and rides and many, many conversations about parenting. I returned home feeling grateful and refreshed and ready to wrap up my school year with a new vision on the horizon. |
|
Thank you PCPI! I encourage all to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity and consider applying for the Marika Townshend Travel Grant!
Cooperatively yours,
Laura Sacco
|
|
Nominate Someone Deserving
By Carole Cordle
|
|
Each year, the PCPI Awards Committee is honored to acknowledge the outstanding service and commitment of our members to the co-op community.
Is there someone you’d like to recognize for their dedication to your co-op community? Do you have a beloved teacher, enthusiastic family volunteer, administrator or board members who helped guide your co-op thought difficult times? Click here for a list of award descriptions, judging criteria and details about the application process, which can be completed here.
The deadline for applications is Wednesday, March 1, 2023.
|
|
2023 Cooperative Spirit and Co-op Support Grant Recipients
By Jo Salicos-Murphy
|
|
Join us in congratulating the recipients of the 2023 PCPI Cooperative Spirit and Co-op Support Grants! Thank you to the many schools that applied this year. Our committee was impressed by all of your fabulous proposals, which made for some tough decisions. We look forward to sharing photos and follow-ups from all our 2023 grant recipients in future newsletters.
Four schools shared in this year’s Cooperative Spirit Grant:
Lafayette Nursery School in Lafayette, CA was awarded $500 to help fund the creation of a vertical garden in their outdoor space. Lafayette’s program provides a farm-to-snack-table experience for their budding horticulturists (and bunnies!). We are excited to share their community’s progress as they work together to provide this delicious upgrade to their existing garden.
Oakhurst Cooperative Preschool in Decatur, GA was awarded $500 which will be used to build cold frames for their garden. These solar greenhouses will allow Oakhurst students to experience the wonder of gardening all twelve months of the year! This project brings the Oakhurst community into partnership with the Wylde Center, a local nonprofit supporting resilient communities through environmental education.
Inman Park Cooperative Preschool in Atlanta, GA received $150 to provide “forager packs” for their students. Inspired by a student who uses mobility aids, these packs will provide a hands-free method of toting the fascinating objects students collect throughout the day. We are inspired by Inman Park Co-op’s community focus on ensuring an accessible classroom for all students!
The Fayette Cooperating Preschool in Lexington, KY was awarded $200 to support an oral history project that will preserve cooperative preschool voices for years to come. This multi-year endeavor will collect stories, lesson plans, images, and cooperative philosophies to be stored at the Nunn Center for Oral History at the University of Kentucky, providing a searchable database for all to share.
Two schools were award Co-op Support Grants:
|
|
San Anselmo Cooperative Nursery School in San Anselmo, CA had already applied for support funds when their school experienced the unthinkable. Heavy rains brought down their majestic oak tree, crushing their school building. PCPI is heartened by the SACNS community’s exemplary cooperative spirit as they have banded together to support their students, school, and each other through this disaster. PCPI has awarded SACNS a $1500 Co-op Support Grant and sends our warmest thoughts and best wishes.
Consider joining in to support SACNS in their efforts to rebuild their school!
Oak Leaf Cooperative School in Winnetka, IL is an emerging nature-based program in the Chicago area. PCPI has awarded Oak Leaf a $200 Co-op Support Grant to help with startup costs as they work toward opening their school in September 2023. Welcome to the cooperative preschool community, Oak Leaf!
|
|
Member Profile:
San Anselmo Cooperative Nursery School
|
|
This month we want to share a little more about Co-op Support Grant recipient San Anselmo Cooperative Nursery School. There is far more that is notable about this community than their recent tragedy, and we want to tell you about them!
|
|
What is special about San Anselmo Cooperative Nursery School?
San Anselmo Cooperative Nursery School (SACNS) has served the community since 1947 and just celebrated their 75th anniversary! SACNS is run by parents working closely with the teachers. The strength, interests and talents of participating parents provide the energy that fuels the school, which allows them to create the kind of school they desire for their children. Many of the cooking, art, and science projects, as well as circle times, are guided by parents, so the curriculum is ever-changing. With a flexible daily routine, SACNS strives to achieve a balance between spontaneity and structure. This structure is the backbone of the community-based philosophy that is the essence of the co-op experience.
|
|
What are one or two events your school holds that are a highlight each year?
SACNS enjoys several traditions, including participating in town parades, a festive Halloween celebration, Thanksgiving gratitude feast, and Easter egg hunt. Due to COVID, they've had to put a hold on field trips to the Fire Station, Post Office, nearby grocery store, a trip to see the Nutcracker, a pumpkin patch, and three days of outdoor school. Although they can't take special trips at the moment, they do have special visitors like a fireman and dentist.
|
|
What else is unique about San Anselmo Cooperative Nursery School?
SACNS families and teachers have recently faced a hardship that none of us would wish to experience, yet from this news coverage, it's easy to see this community's resilience and the creative ways they continue to meet together. We're with you, SACNS, as you look toward the future and anticipate rebuilding. And one final plug to come alongside their efforts by making a financial contribution here.
Images and information about SACNS were collected from their website.
|
|
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!
|
|
We want to offer a warm welcome to our newest member. We're glad you're here and we look forward to getting to know you better!
|
|
|
Thank you to Jovial for your ongoing support of PCPI!
|
|
Interested in becoming a sponsor? Contact PCPI to learn more! |
|
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!
-
Click the button below to send an email to PCPINews@preschools.coop.
-
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!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
