Audrey Graduation

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Our friends Kathy and Mark had their first child a couple of years before we had Audrey. They went to a co-op preschool and it always sounded cool but kind of a mystery. But Carol checked it out and ended up getting into the Phinney Neighborhood Co-op Preschool when Audrey was an infant. That was five years ago. Charlotte started when she was a year old and went for two years. This preschool was a fantastic experience.

If you're not familiar with the concept, at a co-op preschool the parents help "teach" the school. There is a paid teacher for each class (Infant, Toddlers, Tow's, Three's and Pre-Kindergarten). As the kids get older they attend more days and the parents work less. This year Carol worked one of the four days that Audrey attended per week and one of the two days Charlotte attended per week. On Tuesday mornings Carol got a few hours to herself with no kids.

The fellow parents (it's mostly the moms who work) have been great. Carol made some wonderful friends and so did the girls. Everyone there has similar values to ours and the approach is very casual. It was a wonderful fit for us. A few of the other families are talking about house swapping with us next Summer so we can have an extended visit to Seattle.

At the end of the year celebration Audrey's class sang some songs for the audience. Then each child in her class got a certificate and a beanstalk from Teacher Trina to symbolize that the kids are like beanstalks: they have everything they need to grow and they are perfect just the way they are.

Thanks, PNPC! Kindergarten, here we come!