This handbook is an essential part of the success of Grow With Me Learning Cooperative. We are a parent directed school so it is important that we have a document for families to reference regarding learning philosophy, conflict resolution and more. Please familiarize yourself with all that this handbook offers and ask questions if you are ever in doubt.

The Grow With Me Community and Philosophy

Benefits of our Cooperative Learning Program

Parents are the most invested caregivers of their children and children thrive when their parents are engaged and unconditionally supportive. We believe a child’s parent or caregiver’s instrumental involvement in a child’s learning has many benefits. Our cooperative teaching environment offers children a continuous thread of experience bridging school and home, fosters a deeper relationship between parent and child and helps families better integrate their child’s personal needs and interests into their school environment.

Our mission statement:

We, as a community of young children and parents, seek to create a cooperative learning program that facilitates social, spiritual, emotional, physical, and intellectual growth in a loving, supportive atmosphere. We will nurture a respect for self, others, and nature while providing a safe environment for our children to stretch their imaginations and to explore their interests.

To maintain an open family atmosphere at GWM, parents are welcome anytime even it is not their teaching day. This might be especially helpful when a child is transitioning into the program or having difficulty. No prior notice is necessary. Teaching parents are also welcome to bring their younger child with them on their working days. We have a limited number of tag-a-long spots.

Learning Philosophy at Grow with Me

We believe children have innate wisdom, and it is our responsibility to honor and cultivate this power within children. Therefore, imagination and play experience are keys to the young child’s development at GWM. One of the foundations for learning at our school is playful learning and is fostered through:

Dramatic play
Creative play (i.e. blocks)
Storytelling
Art
Hands on activities
Music
Movement
Cooking Projects
Adventures in Nature
Curiosity provoking discussion (circle time)
Self exploration (i.e. learning what it is that they like to do)

Our Curriculum and Teaching Parents further support playful learning by:

Exposing children to new ideas and information. For example, offering materials they know will engage the children and organizing them effectively in interest areas.
Asking questions to spark children’s thinking
Offering children freedom to explore their interests and to make their own choices.
Providing inspiration but letting go of the outcome.

This program is designed to incorporate philosophies presented by Rudolf Steiner, as are incorporated in Waldorf schools; although, we do not follow this model only. Our program’s inspiration is in following values: Reverence, Repetition, and Rhythm.

Curriculum Content

Curriculum content includes subjects such as nature/science, art, culture, music, fantasy and literature. We have developed a curriculum consistent with the young child’s dreamy, playful approach to life. We offer opportunities for creative and imaginative play, activities for manual dexterity and eye-hand coordination allowing the intelligence of the child to penetrate the fingers, and practice in developing language art and social skills.

The following are some additional points that help clarify learning at GWM:

Children learn through visual, auditory, and kinetic means; and therefore, throughout the week, all of these means are offered.
Children also learn by observing; therefore, Teaching Parents are conscious models of behavior to the children.
Field trips are also an essential part of learning in our program. Generally, one field trip will be scheduled each month (i.e. apple picking, arboretum, nature center, community events).
Every child has an inner timetable for growth and therefore his patterns and ways will be respected.
We recognize the advantages of a mixed age classroom in which, through play, the children help one another to grow and learn.
Our learning environment is at its height when the Teacher, Teaching Parents and children are partners. This partnership emerges when the roles of teacher and student become interchangeable but not removed. In other words, taking pause to notice what a child has to teach us is equally as important as what we present to them.

Becoming Part of the Grow with Me Community

GWM is made up of families who are enthusiastic about being involved in a cooperative learning program based on our philosophy. If a family is interested in becoming part of the GWM community, they should schedule a visit, review the handbook, and complete an application. When receiving applications, priority is given to siblings of current and alumni GWM families.

We do not discriminate in providing services to children and their families on the basis of race religion, cultural heritage, national origin, political belief, sexual orientation, marital status, or disability.

Although rare, GWM may determine a family is unable to remain in the cooperative if parents are unable to follow the responsibilities and philosophies as outlined in this handbook.

The following are (but not limited to) some of the reasons why a family would be asked to leave:

Failure to pick up the enrolled child on time on a recurring basis (or failing to notify the school when there is a problem)
Failure to respect the school’s illness policy
Failure to attend required meetings
Failure to perform assigned coop responsibilities
Failure to provide adequate contact information and/or to have someone available to pick-up their child from school should he/she become ill
Failing to pay fees/tuition in a timely manner without notification.

In addition, if a child interferes with the safety or learning experience of his or her classmates, the family might also be asked to leave. Much effort will be made on behalf of the entire GWM community to find solutions for this kind of situation, the following are (but not limited to) possible reasons for dismissal:

Ongoing, repeated aggressive behavior
Ongoing, repeated inability/refusal to follow directions
Some other difficult behavior pattern that does not seem to improve over time with the help of teaching parents and other children.

If, after consultation with the Teacher and Classroom Administrator, a family is unwilling to take responsibility for establishing an effective program for their child, (resulting in noticeable improvement within a time frame deemed reasonable by the plan created with teacher and parent) it may then be appropriate that GWM request the family find another solution.

Withdrawing from Grow With Me

Should a family find that Grow With Me is not the right fit and wish to withdraw enrollment, the family will give a minimum of 30 days notice. A family may choose to discontinue classes at any time but remain responsible for tuition during the notice as well as covering any scheduled shifts in the classroom.

Community Responsibilities

This entire handbook serves as a guide to GWM community responsibilities; however, this section offers a summary of these responsibilities.

Grow With Me employs a teacher who customizes the class curriculum and facilitates the every day flow of the class. Two Teaching Parents will be scheduled for each class day to assist the teacher.

Teaching Parents Responsibilities

While the Lead Teacher is in charge of planning the activities and setting the schedule for the class, the Teaching Parents will be there to support the teacher and engage with the students in various ways.

Teaching Parents are expected to:

Be familiar with GWM guidelines as described in this handbook. (Recommended reading: You Are Your Child’s First Teacher, Easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline, How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk, and Unconditional Parenting).
Arrive at school no later than 8:45 a.m. to help set up for the day’s activities.
Act as a role model for students by engaging positively in the school environment. This could include (but is not limited to) participating in activities, engaging with student individually, working through conflicts with students, and genuinely enjoying yourself and your experience with the students throughout the school day.
Assist the teacher in the greeting and goodbye transitions at the beginning and end of the school day.
Clean up classroom and bathrooms on your working day.
Help set up and break down classroom on your working day.
Stay until all children have been picked up and end of day tasks are complete.
Coordinate a substitute if you cannot be present on your teaching day.

Additional Responsibilities

Serve on a coop committee.
Attend a Conscious Discipline workshop in August.
Attend meetings and work days.
Help drive on field trips if needed.
Participate in monthly deep cleanings. Each family cleans twice during the year.
Raise individual fundraising goal – $200/family

Financial Responsibility

There is a $40 non-refundable application fee.

Each parent who wishes to volunteer in our classroom must first complete a NC Background Check. Please obtain a form from the Membership Coordinator and pay $18 to Groce United Methodist Church.

A one time $225 materials/insurance fee is due by July 1st. If you enroll after January 31, the materials fee is $120. Tuition is $240/month for each child enrolled ($120 for December). September’s tuition is due by August 1st. Monthly cost for enrollment will cover most supplies for classroom activities. You may be asked at times to bring personal supplies for your child or for special projects. Field trip costs are not included.

All checks or money orders (no cash) are to be made payable to Grow With Me Learning Cooperative.

A grace period is provided allowing payment through the 5th of the month. If tuition is not paid by the 5th, a $5 per day late fee will be charged. If payment (including late fees) is not made by the last day of the month and arrangements have not been made with the Board Treasurer, membership to GWM may be revoked. If there is a problem with paying on time, please contact the treasurer who will do his/her best to accommodate, depending on the circumstances.

Coop Responsibilities

Each family performs one coop responsibility.

Class administrator/Secretary –
 taking minutes at meetings and posting those to the google group
 distributing and collecting Parent Feedback Forms, typing up and provide to Katy
 collect and organize student paperwork at beginning of year
 create and distribute contact list
 advocate for current and ongoing program needs
 acting as liaison between the Teacher and Class Members, which includes attending
parent/teacher meetings as needed
 address member concerns regarding daily operations/responsibilities

Scheduler –
 Create the parent teaching schedule two months at a time
 Post the monthly schedule in the classroom

Blog/Facebook –
 create at least 1 blog post/month with pictures from the classroom (more during enrollment periods)
 maintain facebook page, including posting pictures
 create an online space for people to upload coop photos

Kitchen Committee –
 plan healthy, whole food snacks one month at a time, taking into consideration dietary restrictions
and budget
 regularly check to make sure day to day ingredients are stocked – add to purchase list as needed
 receive and put away purchased items
 clean-up/out the kitchen area at least once a month
 maintain list of kitchen equipment needs

Facilities Coordinator –
 coordinate monthly cleanings of the classroom
 initiate the repair of toys/items in the classroom
 maintain cleaning supplies/equipment in the classroom – add to purchase list as needed
 coordinate two work days throughout the year to develop/maintain our spaces, indoor and out
 communicate needs/repairs for the classroom to the church administrator
 take home the laundry each Thursday and return clean (unfolded) on Tuesday morning

Field Trip/Service Coordinator –
✔ work with the teacher to plan and coordinate on average 1 field trip every 6 weeks (calls to arrange, communicate plans with parents, coordinate transportation)
✔ work with the teacher to plan and coordinate 3 service opportunities during the year (these can be in place of field trip)

Special Events Coordinator –
✔ work with the teacher to coordinate efforts of community members for group events such as pot
lucks and festivals (fall, solstice spiral, May day, last day of school/graduation)
✔ arrive early on special event days to help coordinate set-up
✔ work with facilities coordinator to organize work days

Fundraising Committee –
✔ generate fundraising ideas to achieve the coop’s fundraising goal of $2000/year
✔ plan, coordinate and motivate for any fundraising activity
✔ communicate fundraising expectations with families

Librarian –
✔ provide quality, interesting library books that relate to our curriculum and/or children’s interests – atleast once per month
✔ work with downtown librarians to gather theme related materials
✔ change out classroom books seasonally
✔ work with teacher to stock/maintain parent library

Treasurer –
✔ collect, tally and prepare tuition checks from class members for bank deposit
✔ speak with families who are late paying their monthly tuition to arrange payment – work with class admin as needed
✔ pay and deliver the monthly rent to Jennifer, the Church Administrator, by the 1st day of each month
✔ manage fundraising money (collect and prepare for deposit) and provide updated reports on progress towards fundraising goal
✔ work with teacher to develop annual budget and present budget at February parent meetingCommittees and Other Roles

Role of the Teaching Parents

Classroom Activities

All families will be scheduled for work days in the classroom, and depending on the number of families involved in the cooperative, that may be 1-3 times per month. Parents who have more than one child enrolled may have to teach additional days. Our day generally consists of free playtime, circle time, creative and exploratory activities, snack, outside play, and story time. Parents pick up their children by 1:00 p.m.

On working days, Teaching Parents need to arrive by 8:45 to assist the teacher in preparing for the school day.

Classroom Management and Conflict Resolution

Because we are a cooperative of 13 families working together on different days, it is important that Teaching Parents find consistency in their styles of classroom management and conflict resolution. Our methods are based on the ideas of various progressive parenting experts and our collective time tested experience.

Some experts say children grow as individuals best when they are neither rewarded (with the intention to change behavior) nor punished. Therefore at GWM:

Discipline is synonymous with teaching.
Praise should come from the heart and not be given in attempt to influence a child’s behavior.
Rewards are not necessary.
Imposed consequences will be “natural” consequences, not punishments.
Under no circumstances will shame, blame or fear be used to influence behavior.

In our classroom, conflicts will inevitably arise. When this happens, Teaching Parents will maintain a calm, non-coercive response to any conflict that may arise within the group. Teaching Parents will use a firm and loving tone to give clear messages about what is and what is not allowed. For example, if a child is aggressive towards another person, the Teaching Parents will clearly restate the rule that was broken as well as clearly communicate to the parent about the incident. Teaching Parents will fill out an incident report each time an incident happens.

If a child continues to act aggressively to others, GWM will work with the family to create an effective program for their child (For example, the parent might come each day to be with their child so they can work together to improve the aggressive behavior.) If there is no noticeable improvement within a time frame deemed reasonable by the other parents at GWM, it may then be appropriate that GWM request the family to leave the cooperative.

Conflict resolution between children can be achieved by following these steps:

Holding space for each child to fully express his or her feelings and needs (possibly while holding a peace stone, playing “creative opposition” game, drawing a picture).
Teaching Parents can facilitate an agreement between the children.
Teaching Parents clearly restates the rule that was broken.

Teaching Parents will also offer productive alternatives for the child. For example, if a child is knocking down another child’s tower of blocks, the Teaching Parents might suggest that he or she create something in another area of the classroom to knock down. If a child is told not to do something, if appropriate, the Teaching Parents will suggest something the child can do instead.

Many teachable moments naturally arise. In these moments Teaching Parents support children to develop their own intellectual curiosity and respect for others as well as strengthen problem solving and communication skills.

Log Books

Because our program is cooperative, it is important that we effectively communicate with one another about the children in our program. There are three places to share information which make communication easier– Activity Binder, Incident Report Log, and Child Information Binder..

1) The Activity Binder is where the teacher keeps all of the lesson plans. All plans will be kept in the Activity Binder for any Teaching Parents to use when substituting for her. This is also a place any parents can go to see what the children have been doing in the classroom or view what is planned.

2) The second binder for documenting information is called Incident Reports. Teaching Parents or the Teacher will use this log to document “incidents” such as:

Accidents that cause injury (i.e. badly scraped knee, badly bruised arm or bump on the head.)
Acts of aggression, whether they cause injury or not (i.e. biting, hitting or kicking.)
Acts of bullying, name calling

The Teacher will review the Incident Reports with the parents of the children involved and parents are required to initial the form after review.

3) The Child Information Binder is where all copies of the current Child Information Sheet are kept for easy reference. This form includes preferences, contact information, health information, etc. The teacher will also make a weekly note on each child in this binder of the individual’s development, successes, struggles, goals, and plans.

Creating a Safe and Comfortable Learning Environment

Another important part of the Teaching Parent’s role is to create a safe and comfortable learning environment. We believe that each person has a right to feel physically and emotionally safe and that children will more freely explore new concepts, gain more meaningful experiences and learn best overall when they feel safe.

To support a safe and comfortable environment at GWM, there are few rules children are asked to follow. These rules are:

Treat others how we want to be treated.
Use your words not your hands (No biting, kicking, hitting, pushing, pinching).
Be safe – Keep our bodies and the bodies of our friends safe at all times.

Children also have a right to their personal space and to choose to participate or not participate in any activity as long as they are respectful of the other people and do not disturb others’ work or play.

A safe environment is created and maintained at GWM when Teaching Parents:

Speak to children in ways they wish to be spoken to (i.e. requests vs. demands).
Support children to freely express their feelings.
Are mindful of children’s state of being, situations they come from and emotional and physical needs.
Respect the whole child including his or her reasons, thoughts and feelings.
Take time to understand and acknowledge the child’s perspective.
Assume the child has the best of intentions.
Remain impartial and fair.

Safety Indoors

The following are safety guidelines for teaching parents to follow in the classroom.

All cleaning solutions must be kept out of the children’s reach.
Sensitivity towards food allergies and special diets is practiced actively. Our community is small enough that this is easily accomplished.
Children should not open the doors to the classroom unless with an adult.
Children should stay in designated rooms and are not allowed to wander.

Safety On the Playground

Teaching Parents and the Lead Teacher are responsible for supervising children and ensuring their safety on the playground. Teaching Parents are encouraged to stand in different areas of the playground and to interact with the children more than with one another.

Playground Rules

Gates should be secured at all times when children are on the playground
No climbing on the fence
No throwing (dirt, rocks, sticks, etc)
No leaving the fenced area
No taking off shoes and socks or clothes
Children should slide down, feet first, on their bottoms or stomachs only (no head first sliding); no toys on the slide; an adult should be standing at the slide when children are using it.

Emergency Preparedness

CPR: The lead teacher will maintain certification. It is strongly recommended that Teaching Parents complete a formal CPR and choking training for infants and children course.

First Aid: A first-aid kit is available in the classroom. Teaching Parents should familiarize themselves with the contents. Attached to the first aid kit is a list of children’s individual needs regarding first aid.

Fire Safety: Fire safety procedures will be reviewed with the children and Teaching Parents

Policies and Other Useful Information

What to Bring to School

Water bottle for your child, clearly labeled.
A change of clothes, appropriate for the season, to be kept in their cubby, along with a pair of indoor slippers.
Weather appropriate clothing including rain gear (boots, jacket), winter wear (coat, gloves, hat, etc).
A Healthy Lunch

Field Trips

Field trips are scheduled throughout the year. The number of parents needed on the trips will be determined by the location and activities expected.

Holidays

Grow With Me begins the week after Labor Day and ends the Thursday before Memorial Day . We will observe:

Thanksgiving and the Wednesday before

Winter Break: begins the third week of December through the first week of January

Spring Break: week before Easter

Memorial Day

Inclement Weather Policy

In the event of inclement weather, Grow with Me will follow the Buncombe County School closures. If Buncombe County Schools are closed, Grow With Me is closed. If, however, Buncombe County Schools are delayed by one or two hours, Grow With Me will open at 10 a.m. If we miss more than 3 days due to inclement weather, we will make up any additional missed days.

Guest and Visitors

Guests are welcome. Please make arrangements with the teacher for that day. Families interested in becoming future members are considered visitors and should receive some preliminary information from the program’s Membership Coordinator and then may visit by appointment.

Health and Well-being

GWM leaves decisions regarding childhood immunizations up to each child’s parents.

Illness Policy:

GWM’s illness policy has been developed in an effort to establish a consistent guideline for what constitutes “illness” in our children. Our goal is to decrease the amount of illness spread from one child to others. One child’s illness can affect the group as a whole so it is important to keep your child home if he or she has one of the following:

Illnesses:

Fever (100° or higher)
Conjunctivitis (pink eye)
Flu
Unusual rash
Severe cough
Rapid breathing or labored breathing
Severe cold (heavy nasal discharge)
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Head lice
Contagious illness of any sort
Too ill or fatigued to participate in daily activities

GWM will not accept a child for care if the above symptoms are present or have been present within the last 24 hours. If the child shows any of the above symptoms while in care, we will remove the child from the group and notify the parent or authorized adult to pick up the child. Parents have one hour from time of notification to pick up the child.

The child may return 24 hours after a temperature has returned to normal, 24 hours after the child is no longer vomiting, or 24-48 hours, depending upon the illness. If there is any doubt, please contact the Lead Teacher to confer.

Likewise Teaching Parents should stay home (and arrange for a substitute) if it is their working day and they:

have had a fever within the past 24 hours
have vomited or had diarrhea within the past 24 hours
are feeling ill and may be unable to perform your work duties
have a contagious condition
have a rash or other significant symptom

Medications Policy:

The teacher will administer emergency medications only (ex. For asthma or allergic reactions). All medications must be brought in original containers. Parents will be required to fill out administration of medication release and dosage form for the medication. Hand medications directly to the working teacher with the signed medication form.

If you would like your child to wear sunscreen/mosquito repellant on the playground, please apply it before sending him/her to school. Teaching Parents do not distribute sunscreen/mosquito repellant or any type of non-emergency medication.

Maternity/Paternity Leave

A six-week leave is granted to working parents following the birth or adoption of a child. During this time, your child may continue to attend school. At the end of six weeks, the Teaching Parent, a friend, family member or caregiver will need to resume teaching. If someone comes in place of the working parent, this person needs to be interviewed and approved by the Lead Teacher.

Siblings

A tag-along is a child not enrolled in the class who accompanies a Teaching Parent on his/her workday. Workday schedules will depend on number of tag-alongs and their ages. While there is no tuition charge for a tag-along child, if the child regularly participates in school activities that involve material costs (such as crafts projects), that child’s parents may be asked to pay a materials fee, to be determined on a case-by-case basis.

The number of tag-a-long spots available each year will depend upon the ages of the tag-a-longs. Please be considerate of others if you do have a younger child with you. The tag-along should not be disruptive to the activities of the enrolled children.

Grow with Me Policy on Child Abuse and Neglect

Definitions:

Abuse occurs when a parent or caregiver injures or allows another to injure a child physically or emotionally. Abuse may also occur when a parent or caregiver puts a child at risk of serious injury or allows another to put a child at risk of serious injury. Sexual abuse includes fondling a child’s genitals, intercourse, incest, rape, sodomy, exhibitionism, and commercial exploitation through prostitution or the production of pornographic materials.

Neglect occurs when a child does not receive proper care, supervision, or discipline, or when a child is abandoned.

Reporting

North Carolina law requires any person who suspects child abuse or neglect to report the case to the county department of social services (250-5900 during business hours/252-4357 or 211 evenings, weekends, or holidays). In addition, any person can call the Division of Child Development at 919-662-4499 or 1-800-859-0829 and make a report of suspected child abuse or neglect in a child care operation. Reports can be made anonymously. A person cannot be held liable for a report made in good faith. If you suspect child abuse or neglect, you can make a confidential report to the Lead Teacher or make an anonymous report by contacting the numbers listed above.

Meetings and Communication

Parent Feedback

It is important to us that we have an ongoing, open dialogue with families involved in this cooperative. One tool we use to facilitate that is the Program Feedback Form. Each family is required to submit a completed form one week prior to the Monthly Parent Meeting. The Teacher and Administrator will review the feedback and will summarize comments and suggestions to be reviewed at the Parent Meeting.

What to do if you have a Concern

Process for complaints:

Try to address the concern on own first
If this does not solve the problem, then issue a confidential complaint to the Lead Teacher or Administrator via the Program Feedback form.
Observations and/or complaints will be followed up with either a letter, speaking privately with the person about the issue, or hold a meeting with all persons involved to resolve the issue.
If the offending behavior continues, then the family may be asked to leave Grow With Me.

Communication

Google Group

There are various bulletins and memos that are communicated to GWM families. Our google group is the primary method of disseminating this information. This is a convenient way for parents to communicate about issues that may be too difficult to discuss before and after the class day.

Texts

Classroom Calendar

A calendar is located in the classroom marking who works on which days. It is also posted in the yahoo group online. It is the responsibility of Teaching Parents to note their schedule changes and child’s attendance changes on the calendar at school whenever possible (i.e.: work day exchanges, vacations, scheduled appointments, etc.).

Parent Meetings

GWM meetings include:

Orientation

Families new to GWM will attend an orientation meeting where one or more of the board members will familiarize the working parents with the information in the handbook and answer questions.

Quarterly meetings

Meetings include discussions about classroom issues, Treasurer reports, and allow for open discussion and voting on issues affecting Grow With Me. All Teaching Parents are required to attend ameetings. In the event that a Teaching Parent absolutely cannot attend a meeting, the other parent is expected to attend.

The meetings are held at school. Except for nursing babies, children do not attend these meetings. If a member finds it absolutely necessary to bring a child to a meeting, please contact the Class Administrator or Lead Teacher prior to the meeting to seek approval. Parents may chose to coordinate cooperative child care for these nights with other GWM families.

Minutes of the meeting will be compiled by the Classroom Administrator and posted on the google group within one week of the meeting.

Enrichment Sessions

Because we are a parent participatory program it is helpful for us to strengthen our skills through enrichment meetings. These meetings are sometimes open discussions about progressive parenting books. Other times speakers are invited to come and facilitate the session. We also draw from our own GWM community for quality speakers. The frequency of enrichment sessions varies; however, there will not be more than one per month.