Broadview Co-op is located at Grace Lutheran Church. Our room is a large and bright space that allows for dramatic play, large motor skill development, circle time, sensory and art stations and a library space. We have an outdoor play area that includes a new climbing structure, tricycles.
We offer programs for Toddlers, Pre-3’s and 3 to 5’s programs. Our Co-op has a strong history with many returning parents, children and teachers. The opportunity to spend time with our children in a preschool setting and watch their development along with their peers is a treasured experience. Many long lasting relationships between children and between parents have started at Broadview Co-op.
Our teachers and parents work to provide an interesting and meaningful learning experience for our preschoolers using the emergent curriculum model.
Emergent curriculum describes the kind of curriculum that develops when exploring what is socially relevant, intellectually engaging, and personally meaningful to our preschoolers. Emergent curriculum arises naturally from adult-child interactions and situations that allow for teachable moments.
Emergent curriculum is not built on children's interests alone; teachers and parents also have interests worth bringing into the curriculum. The values and concerns of all the adults involved help the classroom culture evolve.
Our room is large and organized into interesting stations for our children to explore and learn while developing new social relationships. We have a solid fundraising program and the sense of camaraderie among parents is apparent upon entering the classroom.
Field Trips are an important part of Broadview’s commitment to learning. These opportunities allow for children to learn outside of the classroom and experience “hands on” activities. Previous field trips have included visits to: a pumpkin farm, a grocery store, a fire station, Seattle Tilth, the Zoo and Carkeek park.
Extended day programs are for children who will be at least four years of age by August 31st, which begins in November and runs through May. The extended day program allows for the older children to develop skills appropriate to their ages and that requires more attention and detail. The teacher will determine days and times.
Each parent is required to work in the classroom, hold a position on the board or participate on a committee, to fundraise, and attend monthly parent meetings.
When you first meet Teacher Charlotte, she is quick to tell anyone over 3-feet-tall that it might take a little time to remember their name. If you’re a child, she’s likely to remember your name on the first try.
If you watch her a little longer you’ll realize why she’s been teaching co-op preschool at Broadview for 14 years, where she currently instructs all three age groups. Her passion for the children’s growth is evident in everything she does. She paraphrases Will Rogers with her own line that states, “I never met a child I didn’t like.”
Charlotte was first interested in the co-op system when she came to Seattle to earn her Master’s Degree in Education, with an emphasis on Special Education and Early Childhood Education. She has worked with preschoolers since the middle 1970s on the East Coast and in Seattle. She was so impressed with the way the co-op system supports families and children that she attended co-op with her own two children. She couldn’t tear herself away, so when the time came to return to paid employment, she became a co-op teacher.
Charlotte works with parents in the classroom to foster self-esteem, independence and learning for both them and their children. She provides an environment rich in activities like art, dramatic play, singing and climbing. She introduces students to age appropriate science experiments.
She also helps parent assistants teach preschoolers to navigate socially by communicating needs to peers and adults.
For more information about each of the classes please visit the class page links above. You can also contact the school to leave a message for a Parent Co-ordinator. Parent Co-ordinators can also be contacted via the Openings Listing.
Grace Lutheran Church
11051 Phinney Ave N
Seattle, WA 98133
(206) 363-6744