TCCP families come from a wide range of backgrounds and have different situations they work within. Below are three examples of family profiles…
Fournier Family Profile…working Mom…peanut allergy…
We began our preschool research as most parents do, by asking friends and family for recommendations. We asked everyone we knew what preschool their child attended or what preschool they would recommend and the same school kept coming up, The Traverse City Cooperative Preschool.
In addition to our informal interviews, my husband and I went to the annual preschool fair, researched the area preschool websites, went to open houses and ultimately kept coming back to the coop as the ideal place for our daughter. This is where we wanted Ella to be, but how could we make it happen?
I loved the idea of being a part of my daughter’s preschool experience, but I was a bit reluctant to fully jump into the coop experience. I had so many questions…how would this work for our family? Will I be the only working mom? What about Ella’s peanut allergy? Can we juggle the schedule? Again, deep down we felt this was the best place for Ella, so we started working on the logistics.
I quickly learned through the orientation and school social that I would not be the only working mom. Sigh of relief. The coop community is actually very diverse and I was pleasantly surprised to see so many dads involved and assisting in the classroom.
As for Ella’s peanut allergy, the school is peanut free to accommodate the growing number of children with severe peanut allergies. Also, Mrs. Render and the parents are very conscientious when reading labels and preparing food. If there is ever a question as to whether a food is safe I am always asked prior to the food being served. I feel completely confident that Ella is safe at school and that the peanut allergy doesn’t leave her out of school celebrations.
The logistics and juggling the schedule – I am fortunate to have a flexible work schedule and family to help. The two days a week that Ella is in school, I drop her off and her grandmother picks her up. On my assist days, I take Ella to daycare after school and then I work a half – day. I have had to change my work schedule slightly, and have an occasional conflict, but have always had another coop parent more than willing to swap assist days when needed.
As we enter the second half of the school year, I am more than happy with our decision to be part of The Traverse City Cooperative Preschool. This is not only the best place for Ella to learn and grow, but it is also the best place for our family to learn and grow together.
Paul Family Profile…small biz owners…Dad travels frequently
We are in our fifth year at TCCP, and loving every minute. Our daughter, Abigail, attended for three years. In her third year, her little sister Anna attended her first of two years. This year, little brother is starting his three year run. As we draw closer to finishing those seven straight years with Nancy Render – we take stock of what a blessing the TCCP has been.
When we were looking for a preschool, many of our friends attended TCCP, so we knew quite a bit about it. We anxiously awaited word from the waiting list…and the news was positive. The next issue would be: how to make it work. With one three year old, one baby, and our own small business – our lives were (we thought at the time, seems funny now…) hectic.
As part of our small business, Dad travels frequently (three days every two weeks), which we knew would be a hurdle. We have made it work, and both Mom and Dad have spent a very large amount of time there with the children. We’ve both had ample opportunity to be assist parents, which has been wonderful. And, we’ve taken advantage of some simple logistics solutions – most importantly – connecting with another family to swap younger children on those assist days. It has been very easy to find other families who are willing and able to “baby swap”!!!
It works. We wanted it to work, we made it work. Because it is important for us, and for our children. What a blessing the TCCP has been.
Hellem Family Profile…stay at home Mom, long hours working Dad…older sibling in Traditional elementary
Our family is in their fifth of six years with our BELOVED TC Coop preschool. It started back in 2006 school year, actually back that up. Our curiosity with where to send our first born to preschool started when we first moved to Traverse City in 2004 when she was only 10 months old. We moved from Denver to Traverse City with our only child at the time and part-time working Mom in Denver went to Full time Mom in TC. New town at the end of winter (March, 2004), no family or knowledge of where we moved to and a husband that worked long hours… what is a social girl (the Mom) and a baby to do? Our oldest daughter Mary Jane and I found a wonderful Moms group, Way To Grow through TCAPS Schools and many more opportunities to meet women and children just like us. It seemed as I asked women that I was started to get quite a bond with where they were going to send their children the place that was on EVERYONE’s HIGH PRIORITY list was TC Coop Preschool. The opportunity to help with our children’s education was so important to all of us. We applied in the spring of 2005 and heard the GREAT NEWS that we were accepted to the 3 year old program for 2005/2006 year! YAHOO!
Fast forward to the spring of 2006, we now have our second child and my husband and I were thinking of Mary Jane’s future and starting 4 year old preschool. PREVIOUS to my experience with this MAGICAL preschool I had told my husband that volunteering might not be my strong point. What a 180 turn I made! Our whole family fell in love with this school so much I couldn’t see any other way to help out more than to apply to be on the Board of Directors, we were hooked! Our second year with Mary Jane flew by and each class we enjoyed learning and experiencing all that this preschool had to offer not only our children but us as parents and our whole family unit! I didn’t seem to want to leave this environment, knowing that our second daughter wouldn’t start for 2 full years! Mary Jane was about to start kindergarten that next fall, we would be preschool-LESS. It seemed the best thing to do was to find another way to stay connected, a position opened for the Enrichment Facilitator. I applied and have been honored to have this position for two years now. Our second daughter is LOVING every moment of 3 year preschool currently and it can be quite a juggling schedule having a child in public school and another child in preschool.
Our family has realized that our main focus is taking every opportunity that is offered to us to volunteer and be a main part of our children’s’ education. Being a part of TC Coop has enriched our lives more than we can describe. The other families we have met and become friends with, our children’s friends that carry over to public school and don’t even begin to mention the wonderful education environment the preschool creates! We are blessed to have been able to be a part of this amazing school.
Sill Family Profile …Child with a food Allergy..Wanted less school but a more meaningful experience
It is impossible for me to share why we are so thrilled with the co-op without sharing how we thankfully ended up there. When our oldest son Austin was 3 ½ we began feeling the pressure from others that it was “time” for him to start preschool. I truly enjoyed having him at home and wasn’t in much of a rush to begin formalized school. Nonetheless, we toured a few preschools and ended up sending him to a program that Austin attended 3 mornings a week. This program was offered all day, everyday for preschool aged children. He was one of only 3 students that attended half days. Looking back it was labeled a preschool but seemed to be more of a daycare program that was housed in a elementary school.
Austin cried dreadfully each time we left him and although we realize this behavior is not out of the norm for first time preschoolers the environment wasn’t inviting for us to stay for 10-15 minutes to help ease him into the day. Quickly, Austin began complaining of having to sit at his desk all the time and frequently came home with “ditto” sheets or what we felt was busy work. Austin also has a severe peanut and sesame allergy. We never felt confident that he was really being looked out for. The class size was large and there was turnover in his teachers. We began feeling very left in the dark because we really had no idea what he was doing while at preschool. Around Thanksgiving we became frustrated because we hadn’t had any input, conferences or notes home about Austin’s adjustment to the program or progress. When January came around we decided to pull him out of the program. In hindsight, I wish we had done it earlier.
We heard about TCCP from friends and put him on the waiting list. Austin wasn’t able to get in until the next fall but it was well worth the wait! Each area that had caused frustration or concern in the previous setting surpassed our expectations at the co-op. Austin was delighted to attend, actively engaged in hands on activities that we developmentally appropriate. He had the freedom to choose activities based on his interest and to move freely from the sand/tactile table, building center, costume. role playing/ area, art table, and gross motor area to name a few. He instantly became a special and important young person with the staff and assist parents as opposed to one of many.
I remember assisting for the first time and listening to the other assist parents using children’s first names without them wearing name tags. I was so impressed and then I really began to realize that TCCP is a community that values and respects children for who they are at this very moment. I also realized the connecting power of using a child’s name. I quickly began studying the class pictures so I could do the same.
TCCP takes food allergies very seriously. I was encouraged to do whatever I needed to feel comfortable with Austin sharing snack while at school. That included posting a picture of him at the snack table that delineated his allergies, bringing in a box of “safe” birthday treats, and providing the school with a set of epi-pens. I received numerous calls from the main teacher double checking about certain foods and even from other parents who wanted to double check. The relief I felt is indescribable. Unless you have a child with a food allergy or other life threatening issue it is difficult to understand the anxiety associated with leaving your child in another’s care.
Last of all, my husband and I were quickly enveloped into the TCCP community. Between the initial home visit, personal school visit, class conference, personal conference and several evening phone calls and e-mails between the head teacher and myself, I felt extremely connected to my son’s time at school and The Traverse City Cooperative Community. The open door policy allowed us to feel welcome to walk Austin inside and even sit through circle time if needed. Until I experienced the co-op first hand I found it difficult to understand what people were so excited about. Now, our second child is finishing her second year at TCCP and our last child will start next year, I have become a board member and feel strongly that TCCP provides the best foundation for our young learners and their families. I only wish we had found this program earlier.