A day in the life of a WPC preschool family

8.02am – Wake up and juggle sleepy kiddo snuggles, making snack for the day, having breakfast, toileting and oh, yeah, remember to change out of PJs and into grown-up clothes for the day.

8.17am – Somewhere in the middle of getting ready for the day, remember to check your Slack messages (the preschool day-to-day communications are on an application called Slack) and the schedule to check if you are working; or if you are an emergency substitute, if anybody needs cover for their work day. Any other urgent announcements or discussions will also be on Slack.

9.07am – Mentally run through if you have everything you need before: rainwear if it’s raining, warm layers if it’s chilly, the right footwear and hats, changes of clothes, the bag you so carefully packed for your kiddo. 

And all these things for you if it’s your co-op work day too.

9.25am – Arrive at Woodland Park Co-op Preschool and dress your child in remaining needed layers/rub in suncream/put shoes on that were kicked off in the car.

9.30am (Unless it’s your work day, when you arrive a bit early to help set up) – Go into the mudroom with your kiddo, ensure they deposit their bag in their cubby, and wash their hands.

After that, if MWF preschool with Teacher Althea, go outside and settle your kid in for drop off. If Tu-Th with Teacher Cheryl, you start inside.

Note: If your child has separation anxiety the parent educator and teachers and other co-op members can work with you to make a plan working towards drop-off. Many kids go through ups and downs with this at preschool and it is well understood and accommodated.

If you are working, find your assigned job for the day, whether it is at the art table, workshop bench, sensory play, blocks area or others. 

Basically, you play with the children, remind them of safety considerations and help with conflicts.

In the middle of the class, for Teacher Althea, there is snack/lunch outside and then a transition to play indoors. Kids take their outside clothes off and wash hands. 

For Teacher Cheryl’s class, there is story and song time first, and then getting suited up to have snack and then play outside.

12 midday – Teacher Cheryl’s class ends after ten minutes of story time and the classic “boom, boom see you later” song.

1pm – Teacher Althea’s class ends after clean up indoors and then ten minutes of story time. The day finishes with the “boom, boom” song, the signal that parents and caregivers have arrived to collect children.