FAQs

Parent Responsibility Questions

  • What are my responsibilities as a Co-op parent?

    These responsibilities are required by the 2’s parents:

    • One housekeeping of the school during the year

     

    These responsibilities are required only of the 3’s and Prekindergarten parents:

    • Must serve in a designated job or as an officer on the board

    • Work in classroom as a parent volunteer (usually 2 times a month for 3's class and 2-3 times a month for Pre-k class)

    • Attend General Membership meetings (6 – 7 evenings a school year)

    • One housekeeping of the school during the year (one Saturday morning during the school year)

    • Prekindergarten: Preparing the classroom a Saturday morning the weekend before school opens  (Opening the Closet)

    • 3’s: Packing up the classroom a Saturday morning the weekend after school closes  (Closing the Closet)

  • What are the choices for school job?

    School jobs are only a requirement for parents of children in the 3’s and Prekindergarten Programs. 
    There are Board Member positions, but they are voted in by membership, so they are generally not available for first time members. The Board Member positions are President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Coordinator, Outreach Coordinator, and Job Coordinator. 
    If you are not a Board Member, the Job Coordinator will contact you about choosing a job. You will then be able to request a job that best suits you from the jobs that are available. However, you may not receive first choice due to parents wanting to keep their jobs from the previous year. Job descriptions are listed in the "Blue Book" and more specific directions on individual jobs are in the job folders you will receive once you have chosen a job.

    The school jobs (along with very basic job descriptions) are:

    • Arts and Crafts Coordinators. Prepares and maintains art materials for class as directed by teacher
    • Babysitting Coordinator. Works with the Scheduling Coordinators to coordinate and schedule babysitters for the classroom.
    • Communications / Website Coordinator. Responsible for entering all pertinent information into the website and keeping files up to date.
    • Creative Play Coordinators. Coordinates with teacher to create “pretend” units in accordance with themes, and rotates the science table display. 
    • Fundraising Coordinators. Coordinates and supervises fundraising projects.
    • Housekeeping Coordinators. Coordinates other parents and supervises the monthly cleaning of the Co-op classrooms and outside areas during the school year; maintains cleaning supplies. 
    • Librarian. Responsible for retrieving and returning books to the Co-op library as directed by teacher; maintains the borrowing system for students. 
    • Playground & Equipment Coordinators. Responsible for periodic maintenance or cleaning of equipment at teacher’s request; completes playground maintenance checklist according to Health Department regulations. 
    • Scheduling Coordinators. Creates and posts parent classroom work schedule sign-up sheets; maintains a record of members’ work histories. 
    • Special Events Coordinators. Arranges classroom parties and celebrations. 
    • Supplies and Recycling Coordinator. Monitors quantity of school supplies to ensure always fully stocked; purchases supplies as directed; coordinates school's recycling and environmental awareness efforts.
    • Workbench Coordinator. Responsible for maintaining workbench, cabinet, tools and replenishing supplies on a monthly basis (painted, stained or pressure treated wood cannot be used at the workbench)
  • What are the classroom jobs responsibilities?

    Two's Program

    The parent participates in every classroom activity with their child. They are asked to bring in snack one time each semester and attend one housekeeping a year.

    3’s and Prekindergarten Program

    This is a short summary of the parent classroom responsibilities. The full description is on a card inside the parent classroom aprons, hanging in classrooms, and in the Blue Book:

     

    Math / Art Parent

    Interact with children in the Math area (Room 1). After snack, assist children in the Art area (Room 2), either with the paint easels and/or the art project.

    Snack / Floater Parent

    Bring in and prepare the snack for the children. Clean after snack, then interact with children in Room 2 as needed. 

    Writing / Workbench Parent

    Interact with children at the Language Arts / Writing Center (Room 1). After snack, assist the children at the Workbench (Room 2).

    Library / Creative Play Parent

    Interact with children at the Library (Room 1). After snack, interact with the children in the Creative Play (Room 2). 

Classroom Questions

  • Which public school system calendar do you follow?

    We follow the Baltimore County Public School System Calendar, but with some additional days off for our teachers. We follow the BCPS for weather-related closures. If BCPS is 1 hour late, we are 1 hour late. If BCPS is 2 hours late, we are closed. We have worked out certain days when BCPS is closed that we will be possibly open to make up for snow day closings. 

  • Can siblings attend the school occasionally?

    In the 2’s program, a sibling may occasionally or in an emergency attend or visit during classroom time. It is not encouraged on a regular basis, as this program is set up as one-on-one time with your child. Infants attending must be in a carrier. Please notify the teacher in advance.

    The 3’s and Prekindergarten do not allow siblings to attend classes. If you have children who are not in the class, and you are working in the classroom, you may schedule with the Babysitting Coordinator to have your other children in the on-site babysitting room with the babysitter during the class. We only have certain days available for babysitting so you will need to contact the Babysitting Coordinator ahead of time. For the 3-year old program, babysitting is offered on certain days from 9 am - 12 pm and the fee is $20 per child. For the Prekindergarten program, babysitting is offered on certain days from 9 am - 12:45 pm and the fee is $25 per child. The fee is to be paid directly to the babysitter unless you have made other arrangements with the babysitter.

  • Can I visit the school before applying for membership?

    Anyone who would like to see the Co-op classes in action can arrange a visit by contacting the membership coordinators at membership@catonsvillecoop.org. Visits typically include a small tour and sitting in on "circle time" with the Co-op teacher. Unfortunately, we are not able to arrange visits during the summer; however we would be happy to send you photos of the school and talk with you about the experience. You can also come to one of our summer playdates to meet some of our families. Refer to our Calendar to find our scheduled summer playdates. Additionally, interested families can come to our Open House, where they can see the classrooms and meet with the teachers and current parents to find out about how the school works. The Open House is generally scheduled on a Saturday morning in January. As we get closer to January, refer to our Calendar to see when our Open House is scheduled. 

  • Does my child need to be potty trained to attend?

    Your child does not need to be potty trained to join our class. The 2’s class is set-up as a full parent participation class, so you will be solely responsible for your child's toileting needs. If you are working in the 3’s or Prekindergarten classroom, you will be responsible for your own child's toileting needs. When you are not working in the classroom, the only adult with authorization to assist your child with toilet training is the classroom teacher.

  • How will I learn about my child's progress in school?

    Every parent may ask questions about their child's progress at any time. A 3’s and Prekindergarten parent may request a conference at any time. However, students will be evaluated in the 3-year old program twice a year and a conference may be scheduled at that time. Students in the Prekindergarten program will be evaluated once a year and a conference may be scheduled at that time. Parents will be notified when evaluations will be conducted by the teacher. We are using the Brigance Developmental Screening III for 3 - 5 year olds.

  • What if my child has problems with adjusting to separation from me?

    Adjusting to a school is difficult for a lot of children. If you need to remain with your child in the classroom for the first week and possibly the second week we can make a plan to work with you and your child to make the separation easier. However if the parent is able to just tell their child that they are leaving and will be back, the child usually adjust within a few minutes. Don't worry, we have had this situation in the past and we can help your child adjust.

  • Can I drop off/pick up my child early or late?

    Drop off: Unfortunately, you may not drop your child off early. This time is set up for the teacher to prepare the classroom before the beginning of the school day.  You may need to drop off your child late at times and that is fine. However, if the group is already in Opening Circle, please be considerate of the students and teacher and come in and join the group quietly.


    Pick up: You may pick your child up early anytime needed; however there will be no reduction in tuition for those days. Unfortunately, late pick up is not usually possible. If you have a conflict, please plan ahead. During emergencies please call the Co-op to inform the teacher or call/text the teacher directly.  

  • Am I, the parent, the only person allowed to work in the classroom with my child?
    No. Any caregiver, such as a grandparent, relative over the age of 18 years old, or babysitter can attend the 2’s program or work in the 3’s and Prekindergarten classroom, if they have completed and submitted the necessary paperwork mandated by MSDE and Office of Child Care, including fingerprinting and completing a full background check. Catonsville Cooperative Preschool provides these forms.

Health, Food and Safety

  • Do you serve snack?

    (As of Fall 2023) In the 2’s class, each parent packs a small snack for their own children.

    For the 3’s class: On Tuesdays, children bring their own snack packed at home, and on Thursdays group snack is served.

    For the Pre-k class: Children bring their own snack from home on Mondays and Wednesdays; group snack is served on Fridays. 

    On group snack days, every child brings in a fruit or vegetable from home to be part of a communal dish, like fruit salad. A volunteer snack parent is assigned to provide the rest of the snack, so that in the end each child is served a healthy, balanced snack. The teacher creates the snack menu so the snack parent knows what to bring in, and the parents in the Co-op rotate the responsibility of snack parent.

  • What is the allergy policy?

    The Co-op recognizes the potentially serious and possibly life-threatening consequences for children with allergies. The Preschool does not claim to be, nor can it be deemed to be, free of all food and non-food items that may lead to a severe allergic or anaphylactic reaction. However, the Preschool will make every reasonable effort to reduce the risk to children with severe allergies or anaphylaxis in accordance with this policy. There is a policy that NO PEANUT OR TREE NUT PRODUCTS BE BROUGHT TO OR USED AT THE PRESCHOOL AT ANYTIME. There is a list for adults working in the classroom to review that includes the known allergies of individual children in the class. Parents of students with allergies may bring in a separate snack for their child on days that the snack may have a food that their child is not able to eat. For further questions please contact us.  For more information, please refer to the Allergy Policy in the "Blue Book.”

  • What if my child is sick?

    (As of Fall 2023) The following symptoms should be checked for before school:

    • Fever of 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit or higher
    • Cough
    • Sore throat
    • Congestion or runny nose
    • Diarrhea
    • Vomiting or nausea

    Children or parent volunteers who have ANY of the above symptoms should stay home from school and be tested for COVID-19 or other communicable diseases as appropriate. The presence of ANY of the symptoms above generally suggests an individual has an infectious illness and should not attend school until it can be reasonably determined that (1) the illness is not due to COVID-19, (2) the severity of the symptoms had lessened and (3) the individual is not likely to be highly contagious. More details are in our Blue Book, including how to return to school and how confirmed COVID-19 cases are handled. 
     

  • What if I am scheduled to work in the classroom when my child is sick?

    If your child is sick and you are scheduled to work in the classroom, you will need to contact one of the other parents in your class to request a switch. Emergency contact lists are made available in the beginning of the school year to assist with contacting other parents.

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