January 19, 2018

Cooperative Commitments

Parent Involvement

Parent participation is at the heart of the co-op experience and its day-to-day workings.

In addition to paying tuition, all teaching member families are required to fulfill certain responsibilities each school year. These include working as a teacher in your child’s main program every week and serving on a committee.

Parents’ active involvement in the school enables them to be involved with their children’s education, strengthens their community with other parents and, of course, keeps the tuition lower than other preschools. (Note: There are a limited number of non-teaching family spaces available at higher tuition rates. These are reserved for parents who cannot meet teaching member requirements.)

Playmates’ parents find their workdays to be a wonderful opportunity to participate in a child’s preschool experience. You work closely with your child and the teachers. On a given day, you might find yourself supervising play on the playground or bike area, helping with the daily art projects, or serving a snack to some very grateful children! Playmates also welcomes parents’ ideas for other projects. For instance, if you love cooking, playing an instrument, art or yoga, you can occasionally present and lead an activity for the children during the school day or circle time.


Obligation of Teaching Parents

One Work Day per Week

Applies to both Preschool & Young5 programs

Teaching families have one regularly-scheduled workday each week from 8:45 am to 1:00 pm.

Attend Approximately Two
Evening Meetings per Month

Typically occurring from
6:30–8:30 PM on Wednesday Nights

Playmates holds one parent education meeting and one business meeting on two Tuesdays evenings each month. A member or representative of each family must attend each meeting, although missing two a semester is permitted. We find these meetings essential to a parents’ role as a member of the co-op and as a teaching parent.

Host One Evening Meeting
Per Year at Playmates

Each family is required to host one meeting per year. Parents take turns providing light refreshments for the Tuesday night meetings, with usually two or three families sharing host duty at a time. Setup and cleanup is also required.

Annual Donations and Buy-ins

A donation of $250 cash or tangible goods for sale at our Spring auction; and purchase event tickets for our annual Harvest Festival and auction.

Standby Days

Preschool – Every 3-5 weeks
Young5 – Every 2-3 weeks

A teaching parent has a standby date in case a regularly-scheduled family cannot find a substitute. When you are called in as a standby worker, the family you work for is required to do a workday for you in return or pay you the current standby fee.

Committee Hours

Two-Partner Households – 45 hours
Single-Parent Households – 25 hours

Each family is responsible for actively working on a committee throughout the school year. Committee members must attend Business Meetings and meetings called by the Committee Chair. A fine of $21.00 per hour will be imposed for hours not worked.

Because Playmates families own and operate the school, there is a wide variety of fun and engaging committees to choose from. Most committees meet after the monthly business meetings, in addition to the committee work that individual members do. Some of the committees include: Design, Membership, Fundraising, and Operations. 

*Provide Snack

Preschool – Every 3-5 weeks
Young5 – Every 2-3 weeks

Each family is in charge of the daily snack –  a simple, healthy snack for the children that follows our nutritional guidelines: food made from whole wheat, no sugar or products containing nuts. Typical snack items include cut vegetables and fruit, cheese, apple sauce, yogurt and whole wheat crackers. Snack duty also involves some light cleaning.

Family Leave Work Days

Applies to both Preschool & Young5 programs. Expectation is five days if siblings are attending

Each family is required to work three workdays per school year to provide coverage for a family that needs to take leave from their teaching responsibilities (maternity/paternity or emergency medical leave).

Family leave days are worked on a day that is not your regularly scheduled work day. It’s another of the many reasons Playmates is unique – it is the only co-op preschool that provides this support to families with newborns or who have other times of need. Eligible families can take 12 weeks of leave from their workday responsibilities after the arrival of a new baby. We ask that families discuss their leave needs with the director if the situation arises.


Obligations of Non-Teaching Parents

Limited Slots Available

Attend Approximately Two Evening Meetings per Month

Typically occurring from
6:30–8:30 PM on Wednesday Nights

Playmates holds one parent education meeting and one business meeting on two Tuesdays evenings each month. A member or representative of each family must attend each meeting, although missing two a semester is permitted. We find these meetings essential to a parents’ role as a member of the co-op and as a teaching parent.

Annual Donations and Buy-ins

A donation of $250 cash or tangible goods for sale at our Spring auction; and purchase event tickets for our annual Harvest Festival and auction.

Host One Evening Meeting
Per Year at Playmates

Each family is required to host one meeting per year. Parents take turns providing light refreshments for the Tuesday night meetings, with usually two or three families sharing host duty at a time. Setup and cleanup is also required.

One Hour Per Month of Committee Work

Each family is responsible for joining and actively working on a committee for a total of one hour per month. Because Playmates families own and operate the school, there is a wide variety of fun and engaging committees to choose from. Most committees meet after the monthly business meetings, in addition to the committee work that individual members do. Some of the committees include: Curriculum, Design & Communications, Membership, Fundraising, Housekeeping, and Maintenance.

Committee Hours

Two-Partner Households – 45 hours
Single-Parent Households – 25 hours

Each family is responsible for actively working on a committee throughout the school year. Committee members must attend Business Meetings and meetings called by the Committee Chair. A fine of $21.00 per hour will be imposed for hours not worked.

Because Playmates families own and operate the school, there is a wide variety of fun and engaging committees to choose from. Most committees meet after the monthly business meetings, in addition to the committee work that individual members do. Some of the committees include: Design, Membership, Fundraising, and Operations.