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Jude's school is a cooperative, which is a big part of why it is so wonderful, I think. In case you don't know about cooperatives, let me fill you in. It really just means that we all work together (parents, teachers, and administration) to make the school the best it can be and that parents run the school. There is a board that is run by parents and all parents co-op some during each month.
Co-oping means that you go in and act as an assistant to the teachers all day. You clean, prepare snacks, help resolve conflicts, and play with the children. There are also clean-up weekends, where two families go in and do an intensive cleaning of the building. All parents also participate in fundraisers throughout the year and share their talents through lessons with the kids.
It sounds like a lot of work, and it is, but it is so worth it.
Right before school started, I participated in my first "work party," which is a day when parents come to do a deep cleaning of the school, since it was empty most of the summer. I came in to put in my three hours and found moms, dads, and grandparents dripping with sweat as they scrubbed on hands and knees, painted, sorted, and decorated.
During a break from cleaning out the upstairs storage closet, I paused while sipping some juice to look around, to really look at these parents. Wow. This wasn't just cleaning. This wasn't something we were being paid to do either. What were we all doing this for? Our kids. Our three and four-year-old kids. I actually teared up watching these parents work.
This was a beautiful sight. What better way to show how much we care about our children's education than to lovingly prepare their school space for them? There was no complaining going on here. There was pure dedication and passion. And excitement for our kids, that they would be entering into this space in a couple of days for, what would be for many of them, their first experience of school.
This love and dedication has continued through out these first couple of months. My life is extremely hectic and stressful right now for many reasons, but when I enter this building either to drop off Jude or to attend a meeting, it is almost a religious experience. My worries melt away for a moment and I am in something sacred. A truly amazing group of people who are giving my son so much, so much love and support and amazing experiences.
Every time a teacher or parent sees Jude, they immediately squat down so that they can look him in the eyes to greet him. It is almost like the adults are bowing down to the children; they recognize that the children are why we are here and show them sincere respect. They ask if they can have a handshake or a high five when he's leaving. And he never wants to leave, which is a great thing.
If nothing else is going exactly right at the moment, at least my son is part of the best school on earth. And I'm sure I'm not exaggerating. :)
Some photos of the work day:
