Community

One of the most rewarding parts of belonging to a co-op preschool is the community it is able to build up around its students. Or at least that’s the case at LPK. Here, it’s not just students who develop warm and long-lasting friendships — parents and families do too.

Parents get to know each other in the classroom, working together on their monthly “Helper Days”. They may serve together on a committee or the school’s Executive Board, or they may pitch in together to clean up the playground or make the school’s annual Bingo (a fun event in February) a success. They visit on the playground and enjoy each other’s company on the annual school field trip to a local pumpkin patch. Some parents even organize regular play dates for their children’s classes or swap childcare for siblings while they’re busy helping in the classroom.

Whole families come together four times per school year for “Family Fun Nights.” We open the year with a back-to-school Ice Cream Social in September. At our Fall Bash, held in October, families share a simple meal and children build scarecrows, decorate pumpkins, and play fall-themed games. In January we meet at a jump/bounce house location where the whole school gets to jump and play together. Our final Family Fun Night of the year, in March, changes depending on the year. Some years we have hosted the Maryland Department of Natural Resources “Scales and Tales” program, other years we have held game nights, etc.

The families of our 4-year-old friends also enjoy coming together at our Thanksgiving Feast, Mother’s Day Tea, and end-of-year graduation ceremony.