Kids Co.: Quality Child Care in Seattle

Spring 2007
Kids Co. at The New School
A key ingredient to a fantastic school community
We are proud that no two Kids Co. programs are alike. Each one reflects the unique school community and neighborhood it serves. Kids Co. at The New School stands as a shining example of a high-quality child care program partnering with a school community to meet the social, emotional and educational needs of each individual child. Working with New School teachers is one key to our success in delivering out-of-school time care that supports the learning goals and philosophies of the school. For example, our staff is trained side-by-side with school teachers in using the High/Scope curriculum. We also work with school administrators and teachers to identify and aggressively address barriers to children's success. Program Director Joey Coleman has created a stimulating, nurturing environment that keeps kids engaged and learning after the school day is over. "I'm really proud of the strong curriculum. Kids arrive here after school excited to get to work. They're bringing home projects every day," exclaims Joey. "I believe that the strength of our program is not only our curriculum, but also our commitment to having fun while learning," Joey continues. SPRING BREAK FUN: We bowled all strikes at Imperial Lanes Kids from our TOPS program recently spent a great day at Myrtle Edwards Park. Weekly themes keep things exciting for everyone. "We recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Dr. Seuss classic, The Cat in the Hat with a Dr. Seuss-themed week. We read Dr. Seuss stories all week and had a fun Cat in the Hat tea party where kids performed skits from the book," Joey reports. Over Spring Break, the theme was "People, Plants and Animals." A field trip to the Pacific Science Center to visit the ever-popular exhibition:	Over Spring Break, we explored the wetlands at Pritchard Beach on Lake Washington. Grossology: The (Impolite) Science of the Human Body highlighted the week. Back in the classroom, the kids continued to "bring science alive," conducting numerous fascinating experiments. In terms of logistics, big changes are in store for Kids Co. at The New School. The South Shore building in which the New School is housed will be closed at the end of the school year. The entire program will move to the Columbia school for two years while the long-awaited new building is constructed on the South Shore site. Due to space constraints, we'll be sharing a classroom at Columbia. We will have access to the library and cafeteria. "We're grateful to the New School staff for working with us to make sure that the sharing arrangement works," says Joey. The closure of the South Shore building will also impact our summer program. Over the summer, we'll serve New School families at our Graham Hill Elementary location. Our great staff will bring their creativity and expertise to Graham Hill, so we're expecting a fantastic summer experience. Thanks to your donations, both large and small, children can participate in fun and engaging activities and are kept safe with caring adults instead of being home alone. In fact, half of the children at Kids Co. at the New School receive tuition assistance that is made possible by your support. We're grateful for your gifts that make quality afterschool programs available to all children, regardless of their family's ability to pay. Thank you!
Kids Co. had a visit from The Reptile Guy during the break.