Lake Forest Park Preschool began serving families in this community more than 30 years ago. Initially, classes were held in empty retail store spaces in the Lake Forest Park shopping mall. It was not unusual for the location of the school to change every month as they chased the empty spaces around the mall. In 1988, the preschool moved to a small rental home in Kenmore. The home had been converted into an infant childcare center a number of years previously so it seemed an ideal spot for the Preschool. Although the co-op moved out of the city of Lake Forest Park and into the city of Kenmore, the preschool retained the name of its original location. At that time, not only did a strong allegiance already exist to Lake Forest Park, but the option of choosing a location name was limited because a Kenmore Cooperative Preschool already existed on the eastern border of Kenmore. By then, LFP Preschool had established a fine reputation in the community. In the early 1990's, the school purchased the property - a unique and outstanding accomplishment for a cooperative Preschool. Lake Forest Park Preschool is an integral part of the north end community. We serve families from many surrounding school districts including: Shoreline, Northshore, Seattle and Edmonds. Our school is well known for providing an outstanding early childhood education experience for young children and an excellent parent education program for adults Cooperative preschools provide members with their first formal opportunity to become involved in their children's education. With the guidance and support of a skilled educator, parents and guardians can learn effective ways of dealing with their children. Research has clearly demonstrated that children whose parents are involved in their education are more successful in all areas of development throughout their school careers than children of parents who were not involved. Children learn best by freely interacting with people and things in their environment. The richer the environment, the more opportunities there are for learning. When parents or guardians choose a parent cooperative preschool experience for their child, they also provide a way for the entire family to share and learn together. Children attend preschool and enter a new learning environment that is structured to meet their individual needs. Adult members are enrolled in a credit course in parent education and are given an opportunity to increase their understanding of human behavior and development, child guidance, and appropriate learning activities for young children. In addition to helping out in the classroom, members assume responsibility for the operation of the preschool. In a sense, when parents or guardians become members, they become part "owners" of this cooperative. Members participate in a parent-ed class that consists of hands-on learning in the classroom, parent education discussion groups during class, and evening meetings. In addition, parents are required to serve on a committee, participate in fundraising and occasional weekend cleanings (depending on how often your child attends school). Parental involvement is the reason our tuitions are so reasonable. For Parents: To gain confidence and enhance parenting skills To share individual ideas and concerns about child rearing To broaden their understanding of child development To learn effective communication skills and child guidance strategies For Children: To provide a safe, stimulating environment to encourage children's natural love of learning To provide a developmentally appropriate environment that promotes their physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development To offer them highly individualized attention and support as they learn to communicate and problem-solve with others. Shoreline Community College Co-op Program Other SCC Parent Co-op Web Sites Crystal Springs Co-op Preschool Inglemoor Co-op Preschool North City Co-op Preschool Shoreline Co-op Preschool Shorenorth Preschool Woodinville Family Preschool School District Web sites Edmonds School District Northshore School District Lake Washington School District Shoreline School District Everett School District Mukilteo School District Seattle School District