Magothy Cooperative Preschool has been operating since 1974 as a non-profit, parent-operated, cooperative preschool. Our mission is to provide our students a stimulating child-directed environment that encourages creativity, environmental consciousness, self-expression and socialization. To nurture a well-rounded and independent child who has enthusiasm for learning and a positive attitude towards themselves and the world around them. We provide a quality preschool education through the cooperative participation of the school community. Since our Green School designation in 2011, we integrate environmental education into all of our subjects and promote interaction with the natural world as part of our curriculum and operation. We revised our mission statement and logo to reflect our Green commitment.
As a cooperative, we have the benefit of a foundation of community partnerships. We are focused on bringing many environmental education partnerships into our school. Our families and community have complete stewardship over all our activities and our philosophy of being a Green School. We begin by greening all aspects of our school’s operation with best management practices. We have highlighted our commitment to water conservation, water pollution prevention, solid waste reduction, habitat restoration, and a healthy school environment. These practices are part of our environmentally-friendly everyday operations.
Our teachers integrate nature and Green practices into all subjects of our curriculum and instruction. Our school has four classrooms, one with a Science Corner with live animals and artifacts, and one with a Bird Watching Station with binoculars, photos, and sighting graphs. Our third classroom is for music and movement, and we also hold class in our Outdoor classroom. Our Outdoor classroom has evolved to include a Monarch Waystation, "Pamela's Perch" bird blind, a large tree house, a mud kitchen, a tree stump story circle in the woods and a growing wooded trail system. Students practice recycling, reusing, conserving water, composting and reducing food waste at school. Part of our school's mission is to provide parent education as well. We hold General Membership meetings four times each year to update and educate our parents. These topics include what it means to be a Green School, how to compost, and our participation in the national Healthy Schools initiative. Our E-newsletters contain a section on Green Tips so that our parents can incorporate Green practices at home. In addition, our communication platform, ParentSquare, allows for teachers and parents to share photos of children engaging in nature focused activities, connect about the daily nature lesson plans, and promote environmental advocacy.
We maintain our schoolyard gardens as part of our curriculum, educating the children on the importance of watering, mulching, composting, growing, and protecting plants. Students participated in creating the gardens in 2010 and have since added birdhouses, bird feeders, and a composting system for yard waste. Using rain barrels, rain gardens, and stepping stone paths, we rehabilitated the area to prevent further erosion around our playground. We continue to teach the importance of erosion prevention while maintaining our schoolyard.
Our preschool body is comprised of 88 students and their families, 7 teachers, and 1 additional staff member. These students are ages 2, 3, and 4 years old. As preschoolers, our students were not active participants in creating this application, but they continue to lead the way for us to know which aspects of our world they are ready to investigate next. The children are the inspiration for the Magothy Cooperative community to continue to teach about, conserve and connect to our natural world.
As a cooperative, we have the benefit of a foundation of community partnerships. We are focused on bringing many environmental education partnerships into our school. Our families and community have complete stewardship over all our activities and our philosophy of being a Green School. We begin by greening all aspects of our school’s operation with best management practices. We have highlighted our commitment to water conservation, water pollution prevention, solid waste reduction, habitat restoration, and a healthy school environment. These practices are part of our environmentally-friendly everyday operations.
Our teachers integrate nature and Green practices into all subjects of our curriculum and instruction. Our school has four classrooms, one with a Science Corner with live animals and artifacts, and one with a Bird Watching Station with binoculars, photos, and sighting graphs. Our third classroom is for music and movement, and we also hold class in our Outdoor classroom. Our Outdoor classroom has evolved to include a Monarch Waystation, "Pamela's Perch" bird blind, a large tree house, a mud kitchen, a tree stump story circle in the woods and a growing wooded trail system. Students practice recycling, reusing, conserving water, composting and reducing food waste at school. Part of our school's mission is to provide parent education as well. We hold General Membership meetings four times each year to update and educate our parents. These topics include what it means to be a Green School, how to compost, and our participation in the national Healthy Schools initiative. Our E-newsletters contain a section on Green Tips so that our parents can incorporate Green practices at home. In addition, our communication platform, ParentSquare, allows for teachers and parents to share photos of children engaging in nature focused activities, connect about the daily nature lesson plans, and promote environmental advocacy.
We maintain our schoolyard gardens as part of our curriculum, educating the children on the importance of watering, mulching, composting, growing, and protecting plants. Students participated in creating the gardens in 2010 and have since added birdhouses, bird feeders, and a composting system for yard waste. Using rain barrels, rain gardens, and stepping stone paths, we rehabilitated the area to prevent further erosion around our playground. We continue to teach the importance of erosion prevention while maintaining our schoolyard.
Our preschool body is comprised of 88 students and their families, 7 teachers, and 1 additional staff member. These students are ages 2, 3, and 4 years old. As preschoolers, our students were not active participants in creating this application, but they continue to lead the way for us to know which aspects of our world they are ready to investigate next. The children are the inspiration for the Magothy Cooperative community to continue to teach about, conserve and connect to our natural world.
Our Top Five Accomplishments:
1. Our Outdoor Classroom!
We take our learning outside in all kinds of ways and all kinds of weather!
Our Outdoor classroom became Bay-Wise certified in 2018!
2. Our focus to Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rethink, Refuse, and Rot!
Most of what you find at our school are reused and repurposed items.
We also teach and practice composting, vermicomposting, and recycling and rethinking the use of all materials.
3. Our environmental education curriculum!
At our school, nature IS the curriculum, not just one part of it!
We bring the outdoors in and model environmental stewardship as well.
4. Our Healthy School initiative!
From how we treat our Earth to how we treat our bodies, we teach and model healthy living at our school.
We encourage families to pack waste-free snacks and drinks.
5. Our environmentally-focused enrichment trips, school celebrations, and teacher development.
We strive to bring environmental education to all our staff, parents, students, and our community.
1. Our Outdoor Classroom!
We take our learning outside in all kinds of ways and all kinds of weather!
Our Outdoor classroom became Bay-Wise certified in 2018!
2. Our focus to Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rethink, Refuse, and Rot!
Most of what you find at our school are reused and repurposed items.
We also teach and practice composting, vermicomposting, and recycling and rethinking the use of all materials.
3. Our environmental education curriculum!
At our school, nature IS the curriculum, not just one part of it!
We bring the outdoors in and model environmental stewardship as well.
4. Our Healthy School initiative!
From how we treat our Earth to how we treat our bodies, we teach and model healthy living at our school.
We encourage families to pack waste-free snacks and drinks.
5. Our environmentally-focused enrichment trips, school celebrations, and teacher development.
We strive to bring environmental education to all our staff, parents, students, and our community.
