Our Co-Op Culture

What makes a cooperative special? We recognize that an important part of a child's early social development is the meaningful connections made with adults. Maintaining these relationships helps children grow into a positive and supportive village of families ready to lend support.

As a cooperative, one role of the CNS board is to facilitate this community building. There are a number of opportunities for families to interact and get to know one another. Some of these opportunities include:

Family Contact Information

Each year a community directory with names and contact information of enrolled families is provided. This directory is great for organizing birthday parties or parent helper swap days. In addition, every year a closed Facebook group is created by the Director.

Work Parties

Once a year, families are required to meet at the CNS grounds and clean up the school. From raking to cleaning the windows, we all pitch in to get the job done. This is a great way to introduce yourself to other families and bond while working. Many great conversations have been had while painting playground equipment! 

Social Events

The Hospitality board chair organizes several group events throughout the year. Typically there is a fall picnic, a spring picnic and coffee meet and greets. CNS also participates in many Guilford events such as the Guilford parade, the tree lighting, and more. Coming to these events is a great way to meet parents.

Sometimes, parents will set up group events around a hobby, like a book club or hiking. Anyone can set up a group event. Please email theboard@guilfordcns.org if you would like an invitation for a new event to go out to the school email list. Casual meet-ups can be shared in the private FB group, like meeting at the beach or the playground that afternoon if anyone wants to join.

Classroom Helping

CNS is unique in inviting family members into the classroom with their children a minimum of four times per year. Many parents find time in the classroom to be a reassuring way to witness first-hand the classroom routine. Finding time to join your child in the classroom is invaluable for building relationships both with your child and their classmates. Participating in the classroom over the course of your child's preschool years allows you to be a part of their early education. Not just for your own child, but for all the children. Watching your child and their classmates grow together is exciting, and families bond over this shared experience.

There are a lot of ways working parents and those with childcare obligations have navigated helping in the classroom. Please email theboard@guilfordcns.org and the board can connect you with other parents in similar situations who can explain how parent helping has worked for their families. 

Board Membership & Other Leadership Roles

The CNS board meets at 7:30pm every third Monday of the month, and also has an annual holiday party and end of year party. The entire board works closely together with each other, the Director and staff. If you’re looking to make lifelong connections in the community and work to build and support our amazing mission and school, board membership is a great opportunity. 

Besides serving on the board, there are lots of other leadership opportunities at CNS. Taking on one of these roles is a great way to connect with families. Events like the parade or the annual Halloween window painting are examples of fun events that need organization and leadership. Because many students are only at CNS for two years, it is very common for new families to take on leadership roles even having never experienced these events firsthand.

Community Support

An important part of a community is that it is there for support during major life changes. At CNS, we are a community. There are a number of ways we come together to support families as they encounter challenging times, organized by The Board. Read more.

Your Role in Community Building

Community Nursery School and its board provide opportunities for you to forge connections in the community. Attending events and engaging with your fellow families is the best way to get the most out of your experience at Community Nursery School. So please introduce yourself! Ask questions! We encourage all our families to create opportunities for play and socializing outside of school.

We also ask all our community members to keep in mind that all the people organizing events are fellow parent volunteers, and given the age range offered by our school, many volunteers are leading something for the first time. If you have an idea on how to improve something, offer to help or take the lead in organizing, emailing, and setting things up! No one is too new to take on a larger role in the school.