School Co-op

Brooklyn goes to an elementary, the only school in Granite School District that offers co-op classes.  For those of you who have never heard of that before, like me.  It is a wonderful program for K-3!  It involves the children, parents and teacher into a friendly community.  With everyone working toward the best education experience for the kids in class. Parents volunteer to teach subjects. I was really nervous at first but once I got started it was actually fun.  I would like to post some of my lessons for others to use and also so I remember when I teach Annabelle's class.  They will be forthcoming.

There is only one problem that we are having now... Brooklyn only has 16 kids in her class.  That is good and bad.  Good because small class sizes are easier to teach but bad because this might be the last year of the co-op classes.  With the average class size in the school at 27 1/2 kids per class and Brooklyn's Kindergarten class having 16.  It doesn't balance out very well.  So, if we can't get registration up for next years classes, the program is done and over.  We particularly need Kindergarten and 1st Grade for next year but every grade is welcome.  They also offer open enrollment but you need to register for either before Feb. 16th.

Eastwood Elementary is located at 3300 S. Wasatch Blvd., SLC.  The phone number is 385-646-4816.  It's a 20 minute drive for us but so worth it!  I have never seen a better environment than at Eastwood.  You walk in and everyone's happy and excited to see your child. 

Here's a little bit copied from their flier.
Eastwood's Co-op Program offers parents the opportunity to become more involved with their child's educational journey. Our co-op parents work with their child's teacher to share their expertise through interesting and exciting class presentations which result in parental satisfaction and enhanced learning. As an Eastwood Co-op parent you will enjoy the following:

Benefits

• You will experience a strong sense of community as you get to know and work with all of the parents and students in your child's class.
• You will experience a new perspective of just how your child learns and interacts with other students in the class.
• You will have the opportunity to accompany your child on numerous educational field trips.
• You will find that your child's class will score well on Utah Sate Assessments due to the above average parental involvement.
• You will be a valuable member of the only Co-op Program in the Granite District.

Responsiblities

• Commit to attending one evening planning meeting a month (the 1st Thursday of each month)
• Commit to investing 3 hours per week (1.5 hrs in the classroom and 1.5 outside the class: grading, preparing for your weekly in-class assignment, etc..

Some Co-op Parent Comments

• "The community feeling is amazing! I know I have many parents who know and care about m child."
• "Co-op provides better communication between parents and teachers which benefits the student."
• "The amount of caring, attention, and hands on learning has given my child an advantage, and he has excelled in the environment."

Parent involvement is most definitely an indicator of a student's success at school. A recent study published by the University of Wisconsin-Madison states the following: "When parents are involved, students get better grades, score higher on standardized tests, have better attendance records, drop out less often, have higher aspirations, and more positive attitudes toward school and homework."  At Eastwood, we enjoy a rather rare population of parents who are willing to be involved and engaged in the education of their students. We encourage you to explore this enriching educational opportunity.