Help host the FUNraiser!

Are you interested in helping to host the Co-op FUNraiser?

Make a tax-deductible donation of $50 or more to support Co-op and become a "host" family. (Donate by check or credit card or simply add $50 when you buy your own event tickets.) 

With your $50+ donation, your family's name will be added to the FUNraiser Fall Tree and to Co-op's permanent Learning Tree mural. 

Other opportunities to help host this fun evening include: 

• Donating drinks. Please drop off any drink donations in the office within the next two weeks.
• Selling raffle tickets for two great prizes (an iPad and an exclusive "Very First Shopper" pass for the spring 2015 Hannah's Closet Children's Consignment Sale). Each ticket is $5 and the full amount is donated directly to Co-op. Tickets are available in your child's classroom as well as on the bulletin board at drop-off/pick-up. 
• Encouraging other families to come! We'd love to have every family represented. It will be an evening of fun community, fantastic raffle and live-auction prizes, delicious food and great music!!

2014-15 Co-op FUNraiser - Join us November 15!

The annual Co-op FUNraiser is back!  And this year you don't have to wait all winter.  Mark your calendars, line up a babysitter, invite your friends, and join us for a great evening on Saturday, November 15 from 7-10pm. 

The fundraising team will sell tickets before & after school Nov. 3 - 14. Tickets can also be purchased online here.  You may also buy any last-minute tickets you need at the door.  

Stay tuned for volunteer opportunities and more information about becoming a host family. 

Thank You! From Director Molly Gareis

Thank You!

Co-op is a school that truly relies on parent involvement for our very existence.  Thank you to all of our parents for the time, effort, and dedication you have put into making our year so successful.  In a day and time where people are much more reluctant to give of their personal time and energy, your children are the ones who will benefit from your willingness to give a part of yourself to our Co-op Community.  Special thanks go out…

To our President, Rani Wachter, who has led our board with grace and efficiency.  Rani is always eager to jump in to help with anything we need and she is a tireless advocate for Co-op.   Rani has done wonders to increase the communication from the board to our parents and to enhance the cooperative spirit that we strive for.   Thank you, Rani, for everything you have done for Co-op!

To our Vice-President, Shannon Rickert, who has kept the teachers happy with wonderful birthday gifts and special treats!  Once again, Shannon stepped up to organize and head our very successful spring t-shirt sale and she was in charge of all of our Co-op Sprit Days.  Altogether, over $1,000 was raised for Co-op thanks to Shannon’s efforts.  Thank you, Shannon!

To our Secretary, Amy Elliott, who has worked diligently to write our board notes and distribute them in such a timely manner every month.  It is not easy to keep up with all the information that flies fast and furiously at our board meetings, but Amy has done a fantastic job.  We will miss having Amy on the board next year but are so pleased she will be one of our Visitation Coordinators.  Thank you, Amy!

To all of our Board Members whose dedication to Co-op is nothing short of inspirational.  You are there for everything Co-op needs, ready to pitch in and help out, or to offer a suggestion or question to help us see issues more clearly.  You have kept your classes informed with wonderful notes from our board meetings.  Thank you, Meghan Freeman, Laurel Henshaw, Rachel Lenahan, Heidi Pfister, Jennifer Walk,  Jennifer White, and Jordan Windle for all the time and energy you have given to Co-op this year!

To the Winter Wonderland Fundraiser Committee, who worked so hard to plan and organize our highly successful Annual Fundraiser.  I knew we were in good hands when Amy Day came to my office in April of 2013 and volunteered to head the committee.  Amy’s relaxed attitude, vision, and leadership are what made the event not only possible, but such a huge success.   Thank you, Amy, for giving so much of yourself and your personal time in support of Co-op.  Amy’s dedicated and talented committee worked together tirelessly to pull of such a successful and fun event.    A deep thank you to Amy Chen, Jasmine Connolly, Andrea Lagergren, Joelle Griffin Russell, Meagan Schultz, Quan Nim, and Crystle Williams.  Thanks to all of you, Co-op was able to purchase the fabulous new outdoor block set and shed.  We couldn’t have done it without you!

To our Playground/Equipment Committee for keeping our much-loved playground in safe and working order all year long – and in all weather conditions.  Thanks to the chair of the committee, Ken Butler, who has looked out for our playground for many years now…what will we do next year when Ken moves on?!  Thank you to James DiLeo and Jeremy Waddell for rounding out the committee and helping wherever needed…we appreciate all of your hard work!

To the Carnival Committee for providing us with a wonderful family-fun Carnival in May.  Co-op’s Carnival was made possible because of the hard work and dedication of Arianna Heck, Darcy Compton, Anne Nevins, and Kelly Scheerer.  Thanks for all of your hard work and creativity and for adding so much fun to our Co-op experience.

To Heather Gardner, our Newsletter Editor.  Thank you, Heather, for all the time and energy you put into producing our Co-op Capers this year.

To David and Kristin Fly, our Parent Ed Committee, who organized and led our first ever on-line book discussion.  Thank you, David and Kristin, for all of your hard work.

To Alison Howell and Lauren Malone for serving as our Visitation Coordinators.  Alison and Lauren were responsible for organizing and hosting visits for numerous prospective Co-op families.  This job starts in January and continues into April and requires a lot of time and energy.  Thanks to Alison’s and Lauren’s  efforts we have a whole new group of Co-op families who are joining us armed with knowledge about our preschool and filled with excitement about the coming year.  Thank you, Alison and Lauren!

To Sonya Peretti-Hull for being our Publicity Coordinator.  This job used to center around making sure Co-op was in the local newspapers as often as possible; however Sonya continues to take it to a whole new level with our blog, Facebook, and all of her wonderful ideas to help us get Co-op out there on the internet.  Thank you, Sonya.

To Kristin Gartland, our Health Chair, who meticulously checked every child’s file to make sure all their immunizations were up-to-date and that their parents TB tests were in order.  Kristin also checked allergies and made sure everyone in the class was informed of the situation.  Kristin’s efforts go a long way in helping us to stay healthy and in good shape for our licensing requirements… thank you, Kristin!

To Jessica Lienard, our Recycling Coordinator, who has faithfully emptied our recycling bins and helped to keep Co-op clean and green.  We appreciate the fact that our bins fill up rather quickly and that it takes quite a bit of effort to make sure the recycling is taken out on a regular basis…thank you, Jessica!

To our See Saw Books Chair, Sarah Lichtel, for distributing Scholastic flyers, helping us transition to on-line ordering, and getting books into the hands of our families.  For a school that values books as much as Co-op does, we love seeing the smile on your children’s faces when they receive their new books…thank you, Sarah!

To Richard Paulk, for being our Auditor.  We are so fortunate that Rich gives so generously of his time and talent to Co-op.  His advice is priceless and we quite simply rely on him to keep our business going!  Many, many thanks, Rich!

To our Website Coordinators, Emma and Jim McMillan, who keep our website fresh and up-to-date.  Our website has now become an important way for prospective families to learn about Co-op and thanks to Jim and Emma’s efforts, these families are already full of information when they make that first phone call to us.  Thank you, Emma and Jim!

To our End-of Year Clean-up Crew who will help us clean, clean, clean.  It is amazing to watch how thoroughly everything in Co-op gets cleaned and packed away at the end of the year.  This would not be possible without the help of all of you…thank you!

And finally…to our many parents who hold jobs in our classrooms.  We simply could not function without all of our Class Schedulers, Art Assistants, and Field Trip Coordinators, who help make our day to day operations function smoothly and in an organized fashion.  Thanks for all the time and energy you have put into your jobs…we couldn’t do what we do without you!

With love and thanks from,

Molly

Co-op's Winter Wonderland February 22, 2014!

More details to come

Thank you!

Thank You!

Co-op is a school that truly relies on parent involvement for our very existence.  Thank you to all of our parents for the time, effort, and dedication you have put into making our year so successful.  In a day and time where people are much more reluctant to give of their personal time and energy, your children are the ones who will benefit from your willingness to give a part of yourself to our Co-op Community.  Special thanks go out…

To our Board President, Susan Zickel, who continues to work tirelessly on behalf of Co-op.  From being intimately involved in the planning of the Fundraiser to being present at every school function, Susan has generously given of her time and her many talents to Co-op.  In addition to all of her hard work as board president, Susan has taken our little garden idea and turned it into a beautiful, vibrant, and exciting learning garden that will flourish for many years to come.   It has been a true pleasure to work with Susan during her 8 years at Co-op and we wish Susan and her family all the best as they finish their Co-op years.  Luckily, Susan will continue to help us in the garden next year, so this is not really goodbye.  Thank you, Susan, for everything you have done for Co-op!

To our Vice-President, Shannon Rickert, who has kept the teachers happy with wonderful birthday gifts and special treats!  Shannon is always eager to take on anything asked of her and proved that by stepping up to organize and head our very successful spring t-shirt sale…thank you, Shannon!

To our Secretary, Amy Elliott, who has worked diligently to write our board notes and distribute them in such a timely manner every month.  It is not easy to keep up with all the information that flies fast and furiously at our board meetings, but Amy has done a fantastic job….thank you, Amy!

To all of our Board Members whose dedication to Co-op is nothing short of inspirational.  You are there for everything Co-op needs, ready to pitch in and help out, or to offer a suggestion or question to help us see issues more clearly.  Thank you, Donna Bousquet, Christian Dunn, Melissa Ferguson, Stacey Long, Rani Wachter, Jennifer Walk, and Jordan Windle for all the time and energy you have given to Co-op this year!

To the Spring Fling Fundraiser Committee, who worked so hard to plan and organize our highly successful Spring Fling Fundraiser.  The organizational skills, vision, and leadership of our chair, Lauri Wawersik, are what made the event not only possible, but such a huge success.   Thank you to Lauri for giving so much of yourself and your personal time in support of Co-op.  We couldn’t have done it without you!  Lauri’s dedicated and talented committee worked together tirelessly to pull of such a successful and fun event.    A deep thank you to Amy Chen, Ashley Hoffman, Melissa Ferguson, Betsy Lavin, Elisa Lemmon, Suzi Mills, Quan Nim, Sonya Peretti-Hull, and Susan Zickel.  A very special thank you to Rani and Brian Wachter who spent hours producing the amazingly adorable video for the Spring Fling.  It was truly the hit of the evening and we so appreciate all of your hard work!

To the Fundraiser Food Committee who provided us with the most delicious evening of food and drink.  Thank you to Chris and Stacey Long who organized and catered the entire event.  Once again, you outdid yourselves with the food for our Fundraiser.  Everything was so delicious and helped to make the evening a truly special event…thank you, Chris and Stacey!

To our Playground/Equipment Committee for keeping our much-loved playground in safe and working order all year long – and in all weather conditions.  Thanks to the chair of the committee, Ken Butler, who is always willing to go the extra mile to make sure we are in good working order.  Thank you to James DiLeo, Alan Visocky, and Jeremy Waddell for rounding out the committee and helping prepare the playground in August…we appreciate all of your hard work!

To the Special Events Committee for providing us with a wonderful family-fun Carnival in May.  Co-op’s Carnival was made possible because of the hard work and dedication of Jessica Lienard, Chon Abraham, and Mildred Janovsky.  Thanks for all of your hard work and creativity and for adding so much fun to our Co-op experience.

To Natalie Miller-Moore, our creative Newsletter Editor.  Thank you, Natalie, for all the time and energy you put into producing our Co-op Capers this year.

To David and Kristin Fly, and Martha Graves, our Parent Ed Committee, for organizing our annual Parent Ed Meeting.  We all learned so much from Jane Hersey about how to make wiser choices at the grocery store and the food you provided was excellent.   Thank you, Kristin, David, and Martha for a great evening and for all of your hard work.

To Rachel Lenahan and Lauren Malone for serving as our Visitation Coordinators.  Rachel and Lauren were responsible for organizing and hosting visits for numerous prospective Co-op families.  This job starts in January and continues into April and requires a lot of time and energy.  Thanks to Rachel’s and Laurent’s  efforts we have a whole new group of Co-op families who are joining us armed with knowledge about our preschool and filled with excitement about the coming year.  Thank you, Rachel and Lauren!

To Sonya Peretti-Hull for being our Publicity Coordinator.  This job used to center around making sure Co-op was in the local newspapers as often as possible; however Sonya continues to take it to a whole new level with our blog and all of her wonderful ideas to help us get Co-op out there on the internet.  Sonya also played a huge role in the Spring Fling Fundraiser.  Thank you, Sonya.

To Kristin Gartland, our Health Chair, who meticulously checked every child’s file to make sure all their immunizations were up-to-date and that their parents TB tests were in order.  Kristin also checked allergies and made sure everyone in the class was informed of the situation.  Kristin’s efforts go a long way in helping us to stay healthy and in good shape for our licensing requirements… thank you, Kristin!

To Josh Elmes, our Recycling Coordinator, who has faithfully emptied our recycling bins and helped to keep Co-op clean and green.  We appreciate the fact that our bins fill up rather quickly and that it takes quite a bit of effort to make sure the recycling is taken out on a regular basis…thank you, Josh!

To our See Saw Books Chair, Jennifer White, for distributing Scholastic flyers, helping us transition to on-line ordering, and getting books into the hands of our families.  For a school that values books as much as Co-op does, we love seeing the smile on your children’s faces when they receive their new books…thank you, Jennifer!

To Richard Paulk, for being our Auditor.  We are so fortunate that Rich gives so generously of his time and talent to Co-op.  His advice is priceless and we quite simply rely on him to keep our business going!  Many, many thanks, Rich!

To our Website Coordinators, Emma and Jim McMillan, who keep our website fresh and up-to-date.  Our website has now become an important way for prospective families to learn about Co-op and thanks to Jim and Emma’s efforts, these families are already full of information when they make that first phone call to us.  Thank you, Emma and Jim!

To our End-of Year Clean-up Crew who will help us clean, clean, clean.  It is amazing to watch how thoroughly everything in Co-op gets cleaned and packed away at the end of the year.  This would not be possible without the help of all of you…thank you!

And finally…to our many parents who hold jobs in our classrooms.  We simply could not function without all of our Class Schedulers, Art Assistants, and Field Trip Coordinators, who help make our day to day operations function smoothly and in an organized fashion.  Thanks for all the time and energy you have put into your jobs…we couldn’t do what we do without you!

Co-op Adventure: Where the Love of Learning Blooms

Thank you for your Support! Co-op’s Spring Fling 2013: Where the Love of Learning Blooms

Co-op’s Spring Fling 2013:

Where the Love of Learning Blooms

  

Sponsors:

Crayon Level: $25

Delaney Health & Fitness

Whimsies & What-Nots

Play-dough Level: $50

The Christmas Mouse

Colonial Cleaning

Llamasburg (Paige & Norman Jacobs)

Williamsburg Neck & Back Center

Eye to Eye (Dr. Matthew Gada)

Laurel & Graham Henshaw

Sam & Hannah Wawersik

Dr. and Mrs. Barton

Cars & Truck Level: $100

Williamsburg Wicker

Edward Jones

Allburn Financial Consulting

J&J Financial (Jamie Vinson)

Mr. & Mrs. McMillan

Circle & Storytime Level: $250

La Tienda

Linda Dessaint (Fine Arts)

Williamsburg Pediatric Dentistry

Arts & Crafts Level: $500

Williamsburg Smiles

Swings & Slides Level: $1,000

Johnny Timbers Tree Service

  

Donations from Businesses:

Yardworks (Ken Butler)

AMF Bowling

Barnes and Noble

Bella Fine Lingerie

Bike Beat  

Body Balance Studio

Disney World

Kingsmill Golf Club

Quirks of Art

School Crossing

Master Park’s Tae Kwon Doe

The Golden Horseshoe

Virginia Living Museum

The Whaling Company

Target

Kingswood Pool

First Colony Pool

Williamsburg Aquatic Club

James City County Recreation Center

Second Street Bistro

Bubbles Hair Salon

Nails Uptown

Hotel El Convento

Focus Field Hockey (Quan Nim)

Stonehouse Stables

Pirates Cove Golf Adventure

Science Museum of Virginia

Pampered Chef (Robin Pardee)

Jolly Eggs (Sonya Hull)

Virginia Zoo

Stensland Dental

AgriBerry

Panera Bread

RB’s Honey

Pinch of Thyme Catering (Marie Homer)

Amy’s Garden

Carter Day’s Canning (Amy Day)

Through the Seasons (Loralee Clark)

Virginia Aquarium

Children’s Museum of Richmond

Paint on Pottery

Boot Camp Mania (Todd Paul)

Wendy Renee Kuhn (French Pastries)

Pure Romance (Kimberly Paulk)

Disney World

Wild Birds Unlimited

Hi Ho Silver

Ken Thompson Photography

Baskin-Robbins, Prince George Street

The Cheese Shop

Bed, Bath & Beyond

The Carousel Children’s Boutique

Old Chickahominy House
Oceans & Ale
Opus 9 Steakhouse

  

In-Kind Sponsors:

Second Street

Colonial Sports

Nathan Lienard (musician)

Event Rentals

Ken Thompson Photography

Cooke’s Gardens

Williamsburg Families

Harmonious Hardscapes

Lisa Iannuzzelli (Graphic Designer)

Kacie McClain

           

Host Families:

Amy & Brian Day

Carol & Wolfgang Wawersik

Sonya & John Hull

Susan & Jim Axtell

Susan & Mike Zickel

Lauri & Matt Wawersik

Amy & Jason Chen

Shannon & Bret Rickert

Kim & Richard Paulk

Laura & Graham Henshaw

Dorothea & Graig Abraham

Reva & Brendan O’Hallaran

Laura & Graham Henshaw

Dorothea & Graig Abraham

Susan & Jim Axtell

Martha & Michael Severin

William Lagergren

Amy & Nat Elliott

Susie & Erika Powell

Geraldine Ferguson

Kveta Benes & Ali Bonyadlou

Molly & Chris Gareis

Kimberly & Bruce Thomas

Betsy Lavin & Ryan Gregory
Quan and Jeff Anderson

2013 Co-op Adventure Trailer!

The Williamsburg Parent Cooperative Preschool: A Virtual Visit

Openings Available for 2012 - 2013 School Year!

Does Play Matter

What Did You Play With?
The idea that play can shape the way a child thinks and learns is common in American history. In 17th and 18th century colonial society, play, toys, and games were recognized as vital to a child’s mental and physical development. In the 19th century many children worked on farms and in factories, but still found time to play. The development of kindergartens, increased attendance in public schools, and the introduction of public playgrounds led to new ideas about play and more opportunities for it.

Dolls, games of strategy, vehicles, and construction toys such as the ones you see here have been continual favorites for centuries. But with new technologies in the 20th century--radio, movies, television, and computers--parents and educators wonder whether children are too dependent on passive entertainment and losing the benefits of traditional play. Inventors and historians wonder whether the changes in how we play will change how we invent.


To read more about invention and play visit http://inventionatplay.org/.

Let the Children Play, It's Good for Them! A leading researcher in the field of cognitive development says when children pretend, they’re not just being silly—they’re doing science By Alison Gopnik Smithsonian magazine, July-August 2012 Walk into any preschool and you’ll find toddling superheroes battling imaginary monsters. We take it for granted that young children play and, especially, pretend. Why do they spend so much time in fantasy worlds? People have suspected that play helps children learn, but until recently there was little research that showed this or explained why it might be true. In my lab at the University of California at Berkeley, we’ve been trying to explain how very young children can learn so much so quickly, and we’ve developed a new scientific approach to children’s learning. Where does pretending come in? It relates to what philosophers call “counterfactual” thinking, like Einstein wondering what would happen if a train went at the speed of light. In one study, my student Daphna Buchsbaum introduced 3- and 4-year-olds to a stuffed monkey and a musical toy and told them, “It’s Monkey’s birthday, and this is a birthday machine we can use to sing to Monkey. It plays “Happy Birthday” when you put a zando” (a funny-looking object) “on it like this.” Then she held up a different object and explained that it wasn’t a zando and therefore wouldn’t make the music play. Then she asked some tricky counterfactual questions: “If this zando wasn’t a zando, would the machine play music or not?” What if the non-zando was a zando? About half the 3-year-olds answered correctly. Then a confederate took away the toys and Daphna said, “We could just pretend that this box is the machine and that this block is a zando and this other one isn’t. Let’s put the blocks on the machine. What will happen next?” About half said the pretend zando made pretend music, while the pretend non-zando did nothing (well, pretend nothing, which is quite a concept even if you’re older than 3). We found children who were better at pretending could reason better about counterfactuals—they were better at thinking about different possibilities. And thinking about possibilities plays a crucial role in the latest understanding about how children learn. The idea is that children at play are like pint-sized scientists testing theories. They imagine ways the world could work and predict the pattern of data that would follow if their theories were true, and then compare that pattern with the pattern they actually see. Even toddlers turn out to be smarter than we would have thought if we ask them the right questions in the right way. Play is under pressure right now, as parents and policymakers try to make preschools more like schools. But pretend play is not only important for kids; it’s a crucial part of what makes all humans so smart.

Congratulations to Co-op Dad Chris Long!

Coop Dad Chris Long, executive chef at Second Street won the Williamsburg Area Restaurant Associations Iron Chef competition.  We were so lucky to have Chris make the food for February's FUNraiser.  It was DELICIOUS!!

A Heart-felt Thanks

March 1, 2012 

A Heart-felt Thanks

Well, we’ve done it, or rather YOU’VE done it!

The Co-op’s Have A Heart FUNraiser was successful by all accounts thanks to you -- our families, teachers, friends, alumni, sponsors and most particularly our talented FUNraising Committee.  Thank you all so much for your support and hard work on this year’s fundraising event.  We had the highest participation level ever measured with nearly 100%!!!  As they say in Mrs. Lee and Mrs. Barton’s 3-day-3s, give yourself a silent cheer!  (Well, okay, stand up and just shout yippy! Or whatever else floats your boat!)

On a more serious note, I am so grateful to our wonderful Director Molly Gareis and all of our talented teachers who trusted the FUNraising Committee as it branched out and designed a completely different event than the school has traditionally held.  We needed a change of pace and to redirect, if even only temporarily. 

We recognize that in these tough economic times, businesses and families alike cannot realistically contribute to every solicitation received; we appreciate the moral support equally as well as the financial support.  We are especially grateful to our sponsors, donating businesses and families for this event.  We would not have been as successful without your support.  To our event sponors: Anonymous (2), The Blue Heron Restaurant, Colonial Sports, Cooke’s Gardens, Johnny Timbers, Pediatric Associates of Williamsburg, Second Street Bistro & Executive Chef Chris Long, WilliamsburgFamilies.com, Williamsburg Event Rentals, and to our event donors: Bake Spot Cookies & Cupcakes by Anna Jourdane, Barnes & Noble Bookstore, Berret's Taphouse & Grill, Bill O'Donovan of the Virginia Gazette, Body Balance, The Butler Family, Busch Gardens/Water Country, The Cheese Shop, Children's Museum of Richmond, Disney World, Ferguson Center for the Arts, First Colony Pool, Ford's Colony Golf Club, Golf Galaxy, Goodyear, Indigo Park Pool, Hampton Roads Iceplex, Indigo Park Pool, James City County Williamsburg Community Center, Keurig, Kiln Creek Golf Club, Kingsmill Golf Club, Kingswood Pool, The Kueser Family, La Tienda & the Harris Families, The Long Family, Molly Gareis, Norfolk Admirals, Norfolk Botanical Gardens, Opus Nine Steakhouse, Paige & Norman Jacobs, Pinch of Thyme Catering by Marie Homer, Rockhound Charters, RockRidge River Retreat, The Schell Family, Stonehouse Golf Club, Target, The Spa at Colonial Williamsburg, Two Rivers Golf Club, The Waddell Family, Williamsburg Aquatic Club, Williamsburg National Golf Course, The Wright Family & Gary Robertson, The Wubbles Family, Yardworks of Williamsburg, Ye Old Buggy Bathe, and Zina's Produce.

We thank you from the bottom or our hearts!

I know that is a long list, but I would especially like to tease out a few familes for their live auction and event contributions:

Y  The Schell Family of Cooke’s Gardens not only loaned landscaping materials (which were transformed by our snow storm during set up, so you may have missed them) and zillions of lights which transformed the space into a delightful, twinkly party hall.  They also donated their mountain retreat house, RockRidge River Retreat House.

Y  The Butler Family donated two rounds of lawn care during the live auction and will also be hanging the new signs on the playground for the How Far to My House and the Playhouse on the playground.

Y  The Wright Family donated a lovely painting from local artist Gary Robertson (and proud Co-op grandfather) to the live auction.

Y  The Waddell Family and Kueser Family (alumni) graciously donated Golf packages from Two Rivers and Kingsmill, respectively.

Y  The Harris Families (alumni) of La Tienda doubled their offering of a weekend stay at their Chickahominy River Cabin.  A getaway without going too far.

Y  The Peretti-Hull Family were generous sponsors of the event as Johnny Timbers and WilliamsburgFamilies.com.

Y  And of course, Executive Chef Chris Long and Stacey Long absolutely out did themselves yet again with the best food.

Y  And last but not least, a thank you to our host families for going above and beyond in your sponsorship: the Anderson Family, the Axtell Family, the Barton Family, the Berquist Family, the Day Family, the Ferguson Family, the Gregory/Lavin Family, the Hull Family, the Rhyne/Parker Family, the Schulmine Family, the Wawersik Family and the Zickel Family.

Thank you all so much for your generosity!

A special thanks to alumni father and auctioneer Rick Overy of Compass Wealth Strategies and his auctioneering associate Aaron Williams of Williams Landscaping for keeping the momentum moving during the live auction component of the evening.

Thanks to all the husbands and other family members who tended bar (and helped with set up and clean up) and did their part in keeping us in high spirits!

While the school’s families, teachers and alumni played a vital role in donating time, energy and materials as well as attending the event, I am most grateful for the time, talent, and humility of our FUNraising Chair Lauri Wawersik and her committee:  Ann Armstrong, Loralee Clark, Amy Day, Melissa Ferguson, Allison Gaschen, Lisa Iannuzzelli, Betsy Lavin, Quan Nim, Alison Peabody, Sonya Peretti-Hull, Deirdre Roesch, Megan Rhyne, Stacey Long and Jennifer White.  These women not only worked creatively and tirelessly but they worked in such a mutually respectful manner which truly embodied the Co-op spirit.  When you see them, thank and congratulate them.  I greatly admired how each committee member used their particular set of skills – from editing, to designing, to rallying, pitching in to fill in any gaps, delegating, crafting, brainstorming, soliciting, organizing, supporting – the list seems endless.  I can’t say enough good things about them.  Without a doubt, they brought out the FUN in fundraising.  Thank you ladies!

One final plug for the event wrap up  -- we are conducting a survey to provide feedback on ideas, timing, etc. in order to decide which direction we take next year.  Please take a moment to fill out the survey through the link sent to you by Quan Nim.  If you didn’t receive it, just send her a quick note at: qcnimx@gmail.com.  Even if you were unable to attend the event, your feedback is so important to us!  Just 8 questions (9 if you want to write general comments).

As Co-op parents you know the spirit of fun is essential to learning and in the end, succeeding.  We are a school that believes children learn best through play.  We offer the unique opportunity for parents (and families) to play an active role in their child’s early educational experience and to form the often overlooked, but essential relationships with other parents.  We are a community that is an expansion of our own individual family.

A hearty thanks for all of your support.  Co-opers, you are a great family!

Susan B. Zickel

WPCP Board President

www.coopplayandlearn.blogspot.com

Calling all Williamsburg Parent Cooperative Preschool families and alumni!

Calling all Williamsburg Parent Cooperative Preschool families and alumni!

Do you have a collection of baked play dough heart necklaces? Remember how to “Open, Shut Them?”  Ever hammer nails into pumpkins and paint with ping-pong balls or balloons?  Perhaps you climbed the cheese or hid inside?  Do any of these last names ring a bell:  Axtell, Fiering, Williamson, Sisk, Tatum, Swadley, Von Beyer, Johnson, Edwards, Cunningham, Lipscomb, Gates, Whitbeck, Powell, Wright, Ruby, Stewart, McMillan, Old, Gareis, Barton, Lee, Seltzer or Severin?

If you answered yes to one or more of these, chances are you’re a Co-op Preschool alum, parent or both!  For 42 years, the Williamsburg Parent Cooperative Preschool (fondly known as Co-op) has occupied a unique niche in the hearts of young Williamsburg families.  With a learning-through-play philosophy, the preschool nourishes the growing minds and curiosities of children between the ages of 2-5.  In addition to planting the seeds of a love for life-long learning, strong friendships between kids and families that last long beyond the preschool years blossom at Co-op.  Parents who are in the classroom find comfort in knowing they are not alone in facing many of the typical battles of parenting young children.  Further parental support comes in the resources of the school’s exceptional teachers, informal playground chats and opportunities to befriend other parents.  Sometimes in raising children we forget that our own parental nurturing and development is equally important to our children’s education.

With this in mind, Co-op is calling all alumni – whether you are parents or students, adults, grandparents, or still in grade school or college.  Have fond memories of Co-op?  Can you dig up those old photos?  We are collecting memories of friends, teachers, projects, etc. for our upcoming, first-ever February FUNraiser for the school.  We are looking forward to a fun and relaxing way to say thanks to our families, alumni, and friends.  Mark your calendars for Saturday, February 11, 7-10 pm at the Williamsburg Community Center at 401 North Boundary Street.  This ticketed event will feature heavy hors d’oeuvres from Second Street Bistro, dancing, raffles, and reconnecting with old friends, whether they are alumni, current families, or both!

While we are still looking for sponsors and hope to raise some money, the greater aim of this year’s event is to bring Co-op fans (and fams) together.  Co-op is very community-oriented and there’s no time like the doldrums of winter to celebrate with friends!  Come reconnect with alumni of all ages – businesses are welcome to advertise free of cost in our school newsletter, The Co-op Capers.

If you have memories to share, photos to send, or want to update your information as a Co-op alum, family, or friend, please email the school at: info@williamsburgpreschool.com or visit our FUNraiser blog at: http://coopplayandlearn.blogspot.com/

We hope to see you at the event, but more importantly, we hope that whether you are young or old, in Co-op or long graduated, you still love to learn, you continue to grow in your sense of wonder, and that you share your love of learning with those around you!

Susan Zickel
WPCP Board President

Williamsburg Parent Cooperative Preschool

Williamsburg Parent Cooperative Preschool is a special kind of preschool which fully involves parents, teachers, and children in the educational process. The program and environment of the Williamsburg Parent Cooperative Preschool are designed to enrich the lives of young children by providing for:

• Building positive social relationships
• Creating and exploring with art, science, manipulative and play materials
• Developing strong motor skills
• Growing in the love of books and the use of language
• Gaining a greater understanding of the wider world beyond home and school
• Promoting feelings of self-confidence and dignity
• Finding enjoyment in music and movement
• Experiencing growth based on individual needs, interests, and capabilities

CO-OP PHILOSOPHY

We believe children 2 ½ -5 can be taught almost anything. We CHOOSE to create an environment that allows them to teach themselves as much as possible by exploration and discovery, building confidence and competence. We don’t wish upon them a veneer of learning acquired to please adults, but promote self-motivated, practiced listening skills, and a love of learning for its own sake. Just as discipline and courtesy must be internalized to work well, so building blocks of learning must be embraced before more overtly academic approaches can succeed. Lots of pencil and paper tasks lie ahead of them in school. When asked to write something, we want them to have something to write about! Current brain research tells us that children have one minute of focused attention span for each year of age – for tasks not of their own choosing. We owe it to children to help them use their time well, so that they – and we – can be lifelong learners.

Our learning through play philosophy incorporates the use of the following to deepen and broaden the spectrum of intellectual empowerment:

• Art Projects
• Blocks
• Books, Music, and Movement
• Dramatic Play
• Goo, Gak, Playdough, and Clay
• Table Toys
• Science Area
• Water and Sand Play Tables

For more information visit: www.williamsburgpreschool.com