Program FAQ's

What is a parent participation preschool?

A Parent Participation Preschool (PPP) is a non-profit organization, founded and maintained by parents whose concern is to provide a quality educational experience for their children during the vital preschool years. Parents, children and teacher all contribute and actively participate in a rich play-based learning environment for the children.

What classes do you offer?

Currently we offer two classes:

*Afternoon classes may be added should there be sufficient registration

What are the Fees?

Tuition Fees for the 2011-2012 School Year are:

*Tuition fees are reviewed yearly

How big are the classes?

Currently the 3's class is limited to 16 students, the 4's class is a maximum of 19.

What's a typical day like for children in the classroom?

The program at Pied Piper is designed to offer opportunities for the growth of each individual child; physically, emotionally, socially and intellectually. Daily activities include free play, supervised arts and crafts, circle time, story time, a snack and outdoor play. To enrich the program, field trips and special events are planned. In the past, they have included visits to the Nature Park, Pumpkin Patch and Fire Hall. We also host special holiday events and a Mother's Day Tea.

What is the Parent-Child Ratio?

The adult-to-child ratio in our classroom is better than most preschools/ daycares and exceeds licensing requirements:

How much work is there for the parents?

The school employs one person - the teacher. All other functions relating to the operations of the school i.e. finance, maintenance, fundraising are done by the parents – with help from some hired professionals. Parents work collaboratively with the teacher as Duty Parents in the classroom a couple of mornings per month. This allows parents to be active participants in their children's education and to further their own knowledge. In additional to their direct role in the classroom, parents also work in another "job" within the preschool, share in the monthly upkeep as well as attend a monthly parent education seminar and meeting held the first Tuesday of the month at 7:15.

How many duty days do I do and how is it scheduled?

On average, parents volunteer around 2 duty days per month, depending on the month's classroom schedule. A sign up schedule is circulated by the Class Leader a month in advance and parents sign up for the dates based on their availability.

What do I do on a duty day?

Duty parents attend the preschool with their child and assists the teacher for the day by setting up before class, preparing snacks, assisting & monitoring the kids in the classroom/playground, and cleaning up afterwards.

Both my partner and I work, how much flexibility is there?

Parents can choose their duty days one month in advance to accommodate their own scheduling needs. Duty days can be covered by both parents though both would be required to complete the 10 hour Orientation Program and attend the monthly Parent Education Session. Other caregivers, such as Grandparents or Nannies, can also volunteer as Duty Parents though they too must complete the Orientation Program and attend the monthly Parent Education Session, in accordance with licensing regulations.

What is the Parent Education Program?

There are two parts of the program, orientation and a monthly parent meeting.

  1. Orientation

    Every Duty Parent must accumulate 10 hours of orientation in order to meet the Board's licensing requirements. Preschool observation days, a meeting with the teacher, attendance at parent ed. sessions and reading the preschool handbook are a few examples of how these hours are quickly earned.

  2. Monthly Education Session and General Meeting

    Parent Participation Preschools are licensed to operate on the condition that duty parents participate in 1.5 hours of parent education each month of the school year. As part of our monthly general meetings, expert speakers present topics relevant to parenting preschoolers. This year's presentations have covered issues such as communication, discipline, nutrition and first-aid. These education sessions support parents in further developing their parenting skills and further enhance relationships between families.

    Parent Education Session and General Meetings are scheduled for the first Tuesday of each month, starting at 7:15 PM. Typically they run around 2 hours in length.

How inclusive are you?

Our membership reflects the diversity of our community and welcomes children of any ability, ethnicity, religion or cultural background. Our curriculum reflects this diversity and activities such as celebrating Chinese New Year, learning about Nawruz or respecting dietary, linguistic or cultural differences are commonplace. We are inclusive of children with a range of needs and work closely with their families to support and encourage development.

My child has some special needs can he/she attend the preschool?

We have a long history of working with children with different physical, emotional, social and intellectual needs. All spaces are wheelchair accessible, child friendly and child safe. We work closely with Supported Childcare and Fraser Health and depending on the child's needs, we have Classroom Aides to support individual children. The preschool is a designated nut free zone and restricts exposure to other allergen triggers. We have developed policies and practices to make the preschool a safe and welcoming environment for all children and families