Rancho Co-op Nursery School
Preschool in Los Angeles, CA 90064
In contrast to typical Preschools or day care, co-ops allow the parent to participate in the childs learning environment. Parents are rewarded when what they learn in the classroom extends to their homes, families, and friends.
at RCNS, parents and guardians are responsible for fulfilling all the functions necessary for running the classroom, with the guidance and instruction of the Academic Director. Co-op members elect a governing Board of Directors that assumes various oversight duties, which are outlined in the schools By-Laws. Parents assist the Director in class by performing various tasks which include, but are not limited to, monitoring a portion of the classroom, distributing snacks and cleaning the school. Being a Preschool co-op member means giving an extra bit of time and, in return, creating an enriched learning environment for your child. Co-op nursery schools are among the most succesSFul, long-lived cooperative endeavors in the U.S. They work because members care deeply about their childrens Preschool experience.- Licenses & Accreditations:
- California Department of Social Services: Community Care Licensing Division
- Preschool:
- Yes
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Here at Rancho Co-operative Nursery School, we believe that children learn through play. To a passerby, it may look like the children are simply having fun. Well, they are; but at the same time they are learning many important concepts. They are experiencing gravity when they shovel sand into a bucket. They are learning about motion while riding a tricycle. They are practicing their communication skills when they are working together during dramatic play. If the children are safely engaged in an activity, I encourage adults to refrain from interrupting or directing their play. We let the children create their own dialogue (even if it seems disjointed or fragmented to adult eyes and ears.)
We also direct and encourage them in their social skills how to communicate with their peers and with adults. We believe that when a child is accomplished in their social skills, they are better prepared to enter Kindergarten.
Our daily activities include a full hour of outside play. The children are free to play in the sandbox, ride tricycles, swing and climb on the play structure. We offer painting each and every day and encourage the children to use unlimited supplies to enhance their creativity. Many times we see children seemingly paint the same image over and over again. We believe that they should have the freedom to continue until they have succesSFully worked through their individual creative process.
The remainder of our morning is spent indoors enjoying a snack, engaging in circle time and exploring free play. We offer the children a myriad of choices including dramatic play, blocks, kitchen, writing desk, and our library, just to name a few.
Each day a different artistic activity is set up for the children. We present the materials and just let the children explore. I discourage parents from making suggestions or showing the children how to do it because we want the children to use their own imaginations and to learn how to execute their own ideas. When an adult draws a picture or molds clay as an example, children become frustrated because they are not yet developmentally skilled to perform as an adult. This frustration can cause the children to simply give up and stop trying on their own. We also set out a different manipulative toy each day for the children to enjoy. The manipulative toy focuses on the childrens fine motor skills, which are necessary for future literacy.
As a co-operative nursery school, we work together to ensure that the school runs efficiently. Parent participation allows us to keep our tuition low and it allows parents to spend a little bit of time with their children during their first school experience. Our co-op is small compared to others, and this affords a very strong sense of family. We encourage and support each other and many times we make friendships that last a lifetime.
It is our mission to give a child the base upon which to build socialization, creativity, and self-esteem. To enable a child to think independently, confidently, and succesSFully in cooperation with supportive adults. To nurture the whole child so that he can develop to his fullest potential socially, emotionally, physically, creatively, and cognitively. A Rancho Co-op Nursery School graduate is ready to enter Kindergarten with confidence. She has a great sense of how to solve problems independently, how to respect her surroundings, and is eager and ready to learn.
