Parent Education at Explorer Preschool

Explorer preschool supports parents in their growth as caregivers and with gaining valuable skills to support their child’s learning. Our Parent Education program is a foundational element of our mission to equip parents with the skills necessary to be confident child educators. It is a key part of the full family educational experience offered at Explorer. Your child not only benefits from your direct involvement in their education but also from being raised by caregivers who understand child development and have the tools and supports to handle common parenting challenges.

Each month from October to May, Explorer hosts a class specific parent education class led by your lead teacher on topics relevant to your child’s age and developmental stage. These meetings allow parents to connect with their teacher/fellow parents and address developmental themes arising in the classroom. In addition, Explorer hosts a variety of speakers from the community to provide our parents with an all-school evening parent education talk that focuses on a variety of larger parenting topics from positive discipline to nutrition to fostering healthy emotional regulation. These evenings offer our families the information needed to support their children’s healthy growth and development.

Advance written notice and approval by the Teacher and Parent Education Chair is required if a family cannot attend one of the mandatory PECs noted below. A make-up option will be assigned by the Teacher or Parent Education Chair. Failure to complete the make-up assignment within the designated time frame may result in loss of a family’s refundable deposit.

Parent Education Classes (PECs) are held monthly. Required annual meetings are marked below with a (*) and parents are expected to attend at least 75% of the remaining class specific and all-school PECs options in order to maximize learning and fully take advantage of our parent education program. For example: for families with 1 enrolled child (or 2 children enrolled in the same class) beginning at the start of the school year, this means they will attend the 4 required PECs (class and all school orientations, the April business meeting, and the culmination) and at least 9 of the remaining 12 PEC offerings.

In general, class specific PECs occur while your child is in class and the time commitment for the day is the same as participating in a classroom work shift. All-school PECs take place monthly on Tuesday evenings at 7:00pm (social time from 6:30-7:00pm) and are followed by a short school business meeting. PECs are adults only with the exception of infants.

Please refer to our school calendar for exact dates, the PEC schedule typically follows:

September: One class specific orientation (per child) and an All-School orientation(*)

October: One class specific PEC, one all-school evening PEC

November: One class specific PEC, one all-school evening PEC

December: One class specific PEC only

January: One class specific PEC, One optional all school PEC (attendance counts as a make-up)

February: One class specific PEC, one all-school evening PEC

March: One class specific PEC, one all-school evening PEC

April: One class specific PEC, one all-school evening PEC (Following the April PEC, Explorer has a required annual meeting where each household casts their vote to pass the annual budget and approve the Board of Directors slate for the following school year)(*)

May: One class specific PEC (May’s class PEC is the end of the year class culmination celebration)(*), One all school PEC

(*) indicates a required meeting