Co-op Responsibilities

As members of the co-op, families assume the following responsibilities:

Participation

One parent participates one morning per week for each child enrolled in the school. Some families alternate parents, sometimes grandparents are involved. On that day, you arrive at 8:45 am to help set up the activity you will be supervising, and you remain until 12:45 pm to clean up and meet briefly with the teacher-director. If you are ever unable to work on your participation day, you may switch days with another parent, or ask another parent or teacher to work in your place for a set fee.

Each year at CCC, a few half-participation and non-participation slots are available. Tuition for these slots is higher. CCC strongly encourages participation since this is a major component of the preschool’s philosophy.

Administrative Job

Each family also helps run the school by taking on an administrative task. It is estimated that four to six hours per month are spent on a family’s admin job. However, this time commitment may vary depending on the task. For instance, a board position may require more time per month. The Buildings and Grounds Chair job includes a half tuition credit due to the responsibilities involved with keeping up with our site and it’s many and varied needs.

Fundraising

Each school year, CCC coordinates a range of fundraising efforts that we ask families to participate in throughout the year to the extent that they feel comfortable. We do our best to provide a wide range of fundraising opportunities – “Something for Everyone” as we like to say. Opportunities range from selling raffle tickets to letter writing campaigns and working on special events such as our annual Spring Silent Auction. Every family is required to put in a minimum of four hours working on these fundraising efforts.

To meet these fundraising needs, families are responsible for donating or raising the equivalent of at least $300 during the school year, in one or more of the following ways:

  1. By securing $300 in cash donations from outside the current CCC membership. In many years,  this has happened through a “friends and family” mailing, grant proposals, or other direct requests;
  2. By securing $300 in in-kind donations for CCC fundraising events. In many years, members have solicited items for an annual auction or donated approved goods that would normally be  paid for to produce an event;
  3. By donating $300 directly to CCC

Meetings

Attendance of at least one adult family member is required at monthly meetings held throughout the year. On-site childcare for a small fee is available during some of these meetings. (No childcare available at Orientation meetings at the beginning of the year.)

  • Orientation Meetings: Changes yearly, check with membership chair to see the plan for the year.  In 2011, it was one evening meeting and one weekend morning meeting.
  • Yard Meetings: One evening per month. At these meetings, parents share information, discuss parenting topics, and/or hear speakers.
  • All-school Meetings: Held in November, March and May. These meetings replace the yard meeting for those months. Parents review and vote on budget and operations issues.

Work Party

Attendance of at least one adult family member is required at 1 maintenance Work Party each half of the year (2 total). These work parties are typically held on Saturdays or Sundays from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm.  For some families, these Work Parties are their administrative job and they agree to attend every Work Party of the year. Currently, children are not coming to Work Parties with their parents. Another Community Work Day to include children may be planned if families are interested in helping to organize.