The Carlyle Play-School Cooperative is moving to a new location and parents of three- and four-year-old prospective students are invited to an open house and registration night, Thursday, Sept. 14 from 6 to 8 p.m. The event will be held at the play school's new location - the Cornerstone Family and Youth premises, which are located near the rear of the Carlyle Civic Centre and can be most easily accessed by using the walkway between the Civic Centre and Carter's Family Restaurant on Main Street.
Carlyle Play-School Cooperative President Dawn Faber says: “The first day of class is Tuesday, Sept. 19. Three- and four-year-olds are welcome to attend.”
“Our Tuesday and Thursday spots are already full, but we have space for children to attend on Mondays and Wednesdays. There are no classes on Fridays,” adds Faber.
“The cost is $75 per month or $675 per year. To attend, a child has to be at least three-years-old by December 31.”
Faber says the play school is making some big changes this year.
“We're moving the play school from the Carlyle United Church - a space we're really grateful for,” says Faber. “But we've combined forces with Cornerstone Family and Youth, and that's really exciting, for a few reasons.”
“Aside from our new play school premises on Main Street, we've also hired an assistant from CFY to help our teacher. Our assistant this year is Jenny Halbgewachs and our teacher is Hillary Mack.”
“With Jenny as our assistant, parents aren't obligated to volunteer to fill that position, as they've had to do past years. Instead, they can come on the first day of school and on their child's Leader Day to help,” explains Faber.
Faber says that by joining forces with CFY, the play school will potentially be able to access more programming and eventually, have the CFY board take on the play school, with parent input.
“Parent boards change a lot at this age, because their children are in play school for such a short time and they're just getting back into volunteering as their kids start to enter school. The CFY board is a more permanent group with a lot of experience in things like writing grants, for example.”
“A lot of parents of young kids either don't have time for that at this stage in their lives - and it's a steep learning curve for the few years a child is in play school.”
“We're really looking forward to welcoming kids and their families for the school year,” says Faber. “We're excited about the changes and it's really important that we do well with our fundraisers this year, so we can support the play school's full transition.
“ We're already looking ahead to our Valentine's fundraiser,” says Faber. “ It's a cookie delivery fundraiser where a dozen cookies will be delivered to your special someone for $15.”
“It was our first year last year and we had a good response, so we're hoping for even more sales this year,” she says. “To support the play school through that fundraiser or any of our other fundraisers, just get in touch with a play school parent.”
“Carlyle Play-School Cooperative and Cornerstone Family and Youth are both non-profits and both organizations are assets to the community. We're happy to work together.”
For more information or to register a child, call or text Dawn Faber at: (306)-270-5678.
