Koalas

5/23-25/2023

Koalas Photo Album

Books of the Week

​Highlights of the Week

We had a really great week. It started out with almost everyone painting an egg carton to keep their special treasures in. The children worked on their fine motor skills by working on farm animal stencils. Tuesday ended with a trip to the Large Log Woods to challenge our gross motor skills by climbing on the large logs.
Wednesday was another busy day of creating beautiful sticker art work, pretend camping, and cooking in the mud kitchen. We explored the Stadium with spy glasses and measuring tapes at the end of the day.
Everyone had a blast experimenting with vinegar and baking soda with Miss Patty. It was the longest amount of time that these children have sat at the picnic table ever!!
We have been talking about how important bees are to humans. They are pollinators to make fruit and veggies. Without them we would not have yummy food for snack. We discussed that there are nice bees and mean bees. Ask your child what we should do if a bee is bothering you!
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Koalas: The Details

Koalas is a multi-aged, play-based, nature-inspired class that provides a gentle start to school. The class uses a combination of thematic and emergent curriculum intended to engage children at varying ages. Three-year-olds who are new to school may do the same activities as children who are four and who have been in school before, but each may have a different approach and will leave with an entirely different experience.

The daily schedule allows free time for children to play, explore, and experiment as they choose. The nature-based curriculum incorporates the arts, literacy and language, science, and math, all of which happen through play. A daily class meeting includes music, dance, finger-plays and story time.  Activities take place in small and large groups, and there is plenty of time for playing outdoors.   ​

While the Koalas are playing, they are also building social skills. Playing with others, problem-solving, becoming emotionally aware, being helpful to others, and self-regulation are all skills and habits that children can develop through play.

Schedule

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
9:00 am - 11:30 am

​We follow the Fairfax County Public Schools calendar for school closings.

Additional Benefits

When you enroll your child in Hunters Woods Cooperative Preschool you will also receive:

• Monthly newsletters
• Invitations to monthly social gatherings called "class coffees"
• Access to an in-house child development resource library
• Two free parent education workshops per year
• Invitations to family oriented and/or parent only social events

Cost

 2023-2024 Tuition: $325 per month; if the full year is paid in advance, you'll receive a logo tote bag.
Registration Fee:      $150 due with application (non-refundable)

Other Costs to Consider:
Families provide snacks for their children daily. Each child is required to come with a re-useable water bottle each day.

The Koalas class will meet outdoors each day in all kinds of weather.  We strongly suggest obtaining rain boots, waterproof mittens, and a water-resistant winter coat. Other options to consider include a rain suit (or pants+jacket), long underwear, wool socks, winter boots, a neck-warmer/scarf, and a winter hat. Guidance and support for acquiring the right gear will be provided.

Cooperative Expectations

​​Volunteering:  As a co-op, volunteers are at the heart of our program. Family volunteer commitments may be split up among various family members, but all classroom volunteers must attend orientation training and undergo a background check prior to serving in the classroom. Orientation sessions will be offered before school begins and on an as-needed basis throughout the school year. Each day one parent (or other trained representative, i.e., grandparent, aunt, uncle, neighbor, nanny, etc.)  from two families will be present in the classroom along with an aide to assist the teacher, keeping our adult to child ratio at 1:4.  This results in about 14-18 classroom days per-family, per-year. Parents may be asked to volunteer to chaperone and/or provide transportation on field trips on occasion. Our board of directors is made up of parents. Serving on the board is voluntary. 

Education:  As a requirement of licensing, classroom volunteers are required to attend four hours of training per year. In addition to the classroom orientation, parents should plan to attend two parent education workshops during the course of the school year.  Parent education will be offered by the school and will address topics in which parents have expressed interest, including positive discipline, child development, kindergarten readiness, nutrition, and mindfulness.

Community Building:  HWPS belongs to you! We strive to create and maintain a sense of camaraderie within the school, and to building connections to the surrounding community. We encourage families to attend as many of our social events as possible, but at minimum, please plan on attending our fall social event to get to know other families within the school.

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