What does our cooperative model look like?
Families at The Family Cooperative are deeply engaged in the school community. Because many of our students have parents who work, we offer a flexible cooperative structure to meet the needs of our diverse group of families.
Aspects of a cooperative that we value:
Modeling for children how we take care of and contribute to our school
- Building a community through common values, interests, experiences and passion for education
- Collaboration and dialogue between teachers and parents together in teaching-learning opportunities
- Families bring in their authentic selves through snack and participation
- Opportunities for families to connect with other children in the classroom, and be partners and participants in the curriculum
- Utilizing the expertise from educators in the field that exists within our community
Co-op Participation Policy:
We at The Family Cooperative value our school community immensely. A co-op model focused around engagement, collaboration and connection speaks to us. As a community of “teacher learners”, we believe that each family has a unique set of skills and perspectives which we can all learn and benefit from. Our co-op model strives to encourage and engage an enthusiastic community that believes in a holistic approach to education.
We acknowledge that for our community it can be challenging to fulfill the needs of a traditional co-op and as a result we have provided a variety of ways for families to meet their co-op responsibilities. We value these responsibilities as crucial elements of TFC’s health and well-being. Ideally, participation will also be an opportunity to engage with the community and to play an essential role in your child’s school experience.
We acknowledge that for our community it can be challenging to fulfill the needs of a traditional co-op and as a result we have provided a variety of ways for families to meet their co-op responsibilities. We value these responsibilities as crucial elements of TFC’s health and well-being. Ideally, participation will also be an opportunity to engage with the community and to play an essential role in your child’s school experience.
Co-op Commitments per school year:
- Join 1 of 4 possible co-ops.
- Contribute at least 15 hours over the course of the school year.
- Attend required all-school meetings (typically 2 per year).
- Assist Fundraising chair for either Winter (Sequoia and Willow) or Spring (Maple and Chestnut) fundraiser. If you have children in multiple classrooms you can choose the timing that works best for your family.
- Attend 1 “Spring Refresh” adults only work day (date TBD)
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