Photograph by Robert Scheer
Students play "rebellious robot," doing the exact opposite of the teacher's requests. Here they respond to the command "hands down."
by Cristy Shauck
Thirty-three years ago, Mary Schaadt entered Cupertino Co-Op Nursery School as a squirmy 3-year-old; two years ago, she returned to her nursery-school alma mater to enroll her son Peter.
Schaadt and her four siblings all attended the Co-Op. The experience meant so much to the family that the children all chipped in and framed 11 by 14-inch candid black-and-white photos of themselves taken at the co-op by the same photographer. Those early childhood mementos now decorate a wall of their parents' San Jose home.
Since 1953, teachers and parents at the Co-Op, which moved to a rainbow-clad portable building on Fremont High School's campus 10 years ago, have been helping preschoolers prepare for kindergarten.
"This was a parking lot when we first got here," said director Lynne Noel, pointing to a gigantic grassy area filled with swings, climbing structures, a bike path, a sandbox and a basketball court.
"In the garden, children grow things they can eat during snack time, like potatoes, peas and carrots. We also grow flowers and maintain a compost heap," Noel said.
When the children come out to play, three hens leave their coop to wander about the yard. Two rabbits, Brownie and Spreckels, survey the merriment from a pen which the children are allowed to enter.
"Those two are escape artists," said Noel. "They have to stay behind bars."
Balance beams, hula hoops, tunnels and other equipment come out of a storage shed; so do hammers, nails, clamps, glue and other odds and ends that future carpenters might enjoy experimenting with.
"We even have saws for the afternoon group of older children," said Noel. Several easels invite young artists to create masterpieces, and two deck tables serve as craft centers.
Inside, Noel said, children can get away from the hustle and bustle by entering the game room, which is filled with puzzles, blocks, books, fish in a small tank and two tame caged rats. Children build mazes and houses out of the blocks for the rats.
A painted giraffe and a monkey in a coconut tree greet wee ones who will participate in group activities such as singing, dancing and listening to stories in the music room. Benches upholstered in blue vinyl line the walls.
In one corner of the ceiling, a video camera records the proceedings.
"That way a parent can see how the child behaves in a group when the parent isn't around," Noel explained. "If you are deciding whether to enroll a child in kindergarten, you have an opportunity to see what we mean when we say, 'Your child doesn't seem to follow how the group is going' or 'Your child is having trouble paying attention,' " she said.
A playroom contains dress-up clothes and miniature appliances. Another room is chock-full of wooden blocks. One wall of the arts-and-crafts area is covered with little aprons and shelves full of canisters labeled "wiggly eyes," "yarn," "crayons" and other creative necessities.
"I have fond memories of playing dress-up at the Co-Op. That activity was a real magnet for kids," said Schaadt, who graduated from Santa Clara University and moved to San Francisco to pursue a marketing career, then moved back to within a few blocks of Fremont High School with husband Russell and children Hillary, 7, Peter, 5 and Joseph, 2.
Peter will graduate from the nursery school in June. Joseph will follow in his footsteps next fall.
The only requirements for admittance to the Co-Op are that the child turn 3 by Dec. 2 (and be no older than 5), and that a parent must be able to participate in the child's class one day a week, attend a general meeting one evening a month, a staff planning meeting one evening a month and perform janitorial duties one weekend a semester.
Parental commitment allows the Co-Op to boast a staffing ratio of one adult for every three children. Four groups of children attend classes three times a week, with the younger children coming mornings and the older children afternoons. Each group consists of 24 children, eight adults and a teacher. In this way the nursery school serves about 90 families.
In a profession where staff can turn over annually, teachers Barbara Pon and Debbie Long keep coming back; Pon has taught here for nine years and Long for seven. The director before Noel lasted 32 years.
Nearly two years ago, Sunnyvale resident Terry "Pop-Pop" Whittier was driving along Fremont Avenue and noticed the Co-Op's sign. Intrigued, he ventured inside.
"I was looking for a preschool for my granddaughter Kelsey," Whittier said. "Teacher Lynne showed us around. I saw the bunnies and knew this was the place. Kelsey immediately took off to explore the yard."
Now 5, Kelsey said she likes her school: "My friends are here. I'm going to start kindergarten next fall. I like to paint and do all the crafts."
"We not only learn how to teach our children respect, we learn how to respect our children," said Lynn Wagner of Sunnyvale, the mother of Geoffrey, 5.
"At my first parent orientation meeting, the school-board president said, 'This will be as much a learning experience for you as your child.' I learned a lot about my parenting style, my values and priorities for my children's education," Schaadt said.
Cupertino resident Chris Anderson, president of the parent board, is completing her eighth ("and final") year here, having accompanied Michael, 10, Brian, 8, and now Stephen, 5, through these doors. "The school feels like a large family unit," she said.
Residency in the local area is not a requirement. People come from Santa Clara, Milpitas, Cupertino, Los Altos--even as far away as Pleasanton, Noel said. The Co-Op helps parents arrange carpools.
"Parents know that at the Co-Op their child will be loved and watched by people who care," said Noel. She should know: her two children also attended the co-op before she became a teacher here 19 years ago.
On May 19, parents considering enrolling their child in the September 1997 session may bring their child to a "backyard carnival" featuring age-appropriate games for 3- to 5-year-olds. The cost is $2 for kids age 2 and up.
"We have a waiting list for next fall," Noel said. "We've gone through as many as 15 children on our waiting list by the time school begins, and we admit children as openings come up during the year." Those interested must complete an application form and pay a $20 deposit. The monthly cost is $62 per child plus a $6 adult-education fee per semester.
For more information, contact Lynne Noel at 739-8963.
This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, May 1, 1996.
©1996 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.