Parent Participation

As a thriving cooperative community, parents are an important part of CCSC! The quality of our organization depends on the combined efforts of all CCSC adults, both in the classroom, around the Center, and in our administrative and governing bodies.

Cooping in the Classroom

The majority of CCSC families choose to coop in their child’s classroom. By working in the classrooms, family members partner with teachers in their children's care and have an opportunity to see their children in a different context. In addition to supporting the classroom in regular routines, parents have opportunities to contribute their special skills and interests with the classroom community, opening a whole new range of experiences for the children. The transition from home to school is bridged beautifully as teachers become more familiar with families and parents are able to become more familiar with our program and observe their child engaging with peers and others in the school environment.

There are many benefits associated with membership at CCSC. The cooperative nature of CCSC creates a supportive community that sees families through the inevitable crises of daily life and joins with them in celebrating its joys. The community shares the rewards and challenges of parenting through parent education workshops, parent teacher conferences, potlucks and center-wide events. Class meetings, social events, and conferences enhance relationships between teachers and parents.

Work Day Requirement

In addition to cooping in the classroom, parent help is essential to keep the Center running smoothly and to ensure that it is an engaging, clean, safe place for children. Thus, in the spirit of a cooperative, families are required to also participate in quarterly workday jobs. Each family is responsible for completing four hours of work per quarter (according to the academic calendar).

Each quarter, CCSC classrooms create a list of workday jobs to be done either on a family’s own time or at a scheduled time. Additionally, workdays are often organized for specific classrooms and periodically CCSC’s administrative team will schedule an all-center workday. You may also fulfill the workday requirement by participating in a fund development event, such as PlayFest. In addition to regularly organized workdays, there are also maintenance jobs that need to be done around the Center periodically. We also welcome individual participation as many parents fulfill their requirement by doing a variety of “odd jobs” around the center.