Class Descriptions

NTCP offers classes for 2-year olds, 3-year olds and 4-year olds, intended to gradually prepare children for kindergarten as they enjoy play-based learning and socialization. Each class starts with opening songs and activity, then during “Free Choice and Art” time students are guided as they do an art project, then choose from activities such as toys, puzzles, blocks, games, dress-up, painting easel, sensory tables, play dough, crafting, and pretend kitchen and office. Pre-K students also begin doing some basic worksheets and writing practice. One of the working parents provides a healthy snack each day, and Pre-K students also bring lunch from home on Wednesdays. Students rotate jobs such as spraying tables, passing out carpet squares and being the line leader, and Teacher reads stories and directs other activities such as show and tell and bingo. At recess, students can choose from activities such as riding trikes, making music, throwing balls and so on.

The Class Descriptions page has more information about the individual classes.

Parent Involvement

Each class is supervised by Teacher Rachel and two or three parents or caregivers, providing a high adult to child ratio and ensuring that each class goes smoothly. The class representatives assign the participation schedule and create a calendar at the beginning of each month. The monthly hours required from each parent or caregiver depend on the class size and frequency. For example, Pre-K classes meet four times a week and have a pool of 13-15 adults to choose from, so parents end up working three or four times a month.

The Parent Agreement page has more information about adult participation in classes.

Committees and School Cleaning

Our various activities and fundraisers are all organized by co-op families working together on committees. For example, the Trike-A-Thon committee usually consists of a committee chair and two or three committee members who e-mail families, put up sign-up sheets for snacks, decorate the hall for the event and clean up afterwards. Each family is responsible for participating in two school committees and one fundraising committee. We also have each family do one shift per year cleaning the school.

The Committee page has more information about committee obligations, and the School Cleaning has more information about cleaning.

Tuition and Fundraising Commitment

Each family is responsible for paying tuition at the beginning of each month or paying for the whole year in one lump sum.

The Fees and Finances page has more information about tuition, while the Fundraising page has more information about the fundraising commitment.

Parent Education

Each family is required to earn eight parent education credits per year through activities such as attending orientation, taking positions on committees, attending events and so on. For the most part, routine participation in the co-op’s activities over the course of the year is more than enough to achieve this goal.

The Parent Education page has more information about ways to earn these credits.

Enrollment

Enrollment for the 2023-2024 school year, will be open February 25, 2023! If you have any questions about the co-op, or would like to start the enrollment process, please email our Membership Chair Laura Walters at membership@tacomapreschool.org.

The How To Apply page has more information about enrolling your child in NTCP.