Cupertino, CA
Cupertino Co-op Nursery School

Director's Comments

Question to director: Do you have any additional thoughts on what parents should consider when looking at your school? Is there any advice that you would like to provide to prospective parents?


CCNS is a true community. We have a wonderful family event committee that provides activities that promote our sense of community. Each year we have a Fall Festival, Wine and Cheese Social, Winter Festival, Spring Carnival, AM & PM Campouts at our school, Parent's Night Out, Spring Dinner Party, and Scrap Booking Nights. Friendships are made that continue long after our families leave our CCNS community. The love of the school is apparent as we have many families returning with their own children. Our school is much more than a school, it is our home!

Parents' Comments

Parent #1
I have had 3 children go through this program and I highly recommend it. One of my children was very shy and behind his peers in almost every dimension. The teacher and the director worked with my husband and I, as well as with my child, to bring him out. They had great suggestions for how to bring some techniques into our home to address his challenges and, best of all, they did so without singling him out or making him feel "wrong". We are about to start our 4th child at CCNS because I think this program does a fantastic job working with every child and parent individually.

Parent #2
This is our second year at CCNS. My daughter is in the 4s and 5s class. I would highly recommend this preschool to anyone who has a more independent learner. It offers a play-based approach to learning where kids can pick and choose what they would like to do and participate in. Ratio is great, there are 8 work parents on each day and one teacher who floats and leads circle and carrot times. We enjoy the family events, which include festivals, Super Saturday, Movie Night at school and a campout in the CCNS yard!! My daughter in particular loves the animals at CCNS and the outside play area. There are so many things you can do! Being at school with your child is very rewarding. My husband and I both have enjoyed the workdays, and have benefited from attending the parent education classes. There is a big time committment (parent work days, janitorial weekends, committee positions, monday night meetings 2x per month, special project hours), but you do get out of it what you put into it. I would recommend this to a family seeking involvement in their child's education and wanting to connect with other like-minded families.

Parent #3
Cupertino Co-Op Nursery School (CCNS) is having an Open House on January 20, 2009 (Tuesday) and January 21, 2009 (Wednesday). It starts at 9:15am-11:15am for the 3 year olds and 12:30pm-2:30pm for the 4 year olds. Your child has to be 3 years old by 12/2/2009 to enroll for the 3'sclass and 4 years old by 12/2/2009 to enroll for the 4's class. Everyone is welcome to come with their kids. They are located inside the Fremont High School Campus so you can park on the parking lot located on Fremont Avenue before Sunnyvale-Saratoga Rd. I recomment that you and your child attend the Open House so you can observe your child while interacting with the other school children and see why everyone loves CCNS.

My daughter loves going to her pre-school and playing with her classmates and singing, dancing, playing dress-up, doing arts and crafts, cooking or science, gardening, and carpentry projects. She also loves playing/feeding the animals. CCNS has 2 rats, fish, 2 rabbits, and 2 chickens. She can even borrow her favorite books and read at home for her bedtime story. CCNS has lots of blocks, puzzles, games, books to play with. The children loves pretending to have princess tea parties and cooking/baking. They have school events for the whole family like an Ice Cream Social, Halloween Trick or Treat, Harvest Festival, Winter Festival, Dad's Day Out, Movie Night, Field Trips, etc.. Your child will surely love this preschool and their wonderful and loving teachers. And your family will have a long-lasting friendship with the other families too.



Parent #4
PROS: Excellent school if your child has food allergies; the staff and working parents are very attuned to it and strictly enforce a "no-nut" policy. The variety of activities offered (e.g. field trips, arts & crafts, etc.) are great.

CONS: Teaching staff is mixed. Some teachers genuinely enjoy intereacting with all the children while others play "favorites". Children in the "non-favorite" group are subject to disparate disciplinary measures, harsh tone & demeanor by the teacher (and sometimes working parents) and limited interaction with the teacher. Heavier emphasis should be placed on teaching children how to interact better with each other (e.g. truly caring about each other and respecting differences), rather than letting them "fend for themselves".

Parent #5
This is a wonderful school where children are well loved, nurtured and respected. There is a strong sense of community and cooperation amongst the parents and teachers. Everyone there is very dedicated to the children and the school itself. The only drawback is that the school requires a great deal of work from the parents: work one day each week in the classroom, attend two evening meetings a month, hold a committee job with a minimum of 10 hours of work, perform two janitorial weekends per year, perform 2 special project hours, plan the curriculum with other parents in May, and complete a memory book of your child's year the school. Also, the parent's actual work day can be labor intensive, busy and demanding.

Parent #6
On a day when I was exasperated with my child, the director spent time with me listening to the problem, the incident and offering suggestions and resources to help me deal with the issue.

Parent #7
This school develops both parent and children social and academic involvement. CCNS bring a sense of community to parents to help each other and share ideas.

Parent #8
The strengths are the excellent teachers and director as well as the parents.

Parent #9
I think that a lot of parents can be afraid to attend a co-op preschool because of the work. And it is a lot of work, but it is worth every moment that I've had to invest in the school. My oldest children, who are 12 and 14 also attended CCNS and some of my best friends are parents I met back then. I bonded with them on our workday years ago and we are still connected. I am also a better parent because of all of the parent meetings I've 'had' to attend. I have heard over 50 speakers over the years from everything from nutrition, positive discipline, sleep issues, fathering, effects of media in our children's lives, and about 45 more. These meetings have changed our lives. My children will grow up a little happier, and my husband and I are a lot saner because of these meetings. This school has changed our lives for the best. There are few things I can look back on and feel as good about as I do CCNS. It has been wonderful!!

Parent #10
CCNS is a huge time commitment that pays off tremendously. The children learn to be caring, empathetic, well-mannered members of a community. Parents treat ALL children as if they were there own. We have a close-knit community that is reliable, responsible and loving.

Montessori? Waldorf? Play-based?

What school type is right for your child? Is one model better than another? What does the research say?

View an example from the Savvy Source guide to learn more.

Trace around your child's foot, with shoe on, on a piece of white construction paper or card stock. Have child cut out the shoe print and add a spooky face. Glue it to a popsicle stick and you have a ghost stick puppet!

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