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Growing Together: For more than 60 years, The Cooperative School has stood by its original mission—to build a nurturing educational community. At our school, generations of children, parents, and teachers have taken their first steps in learning together.

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Time to move! (16 photos)

The story of dismantling, moving, and rebuilding. Because it was time. Visit: takomacooperativeschool.org/2012/05/time-to-move-a-loose-...

Dry Creek Bed (10 photos)

Spring Gardening (60 photos)

Playground Collection (10 photos)

A Tale of Two and a Half Trays (37 photos)

A Winter Day (15 photos)

Suitcase (9 photos)

I introduced our prop box/suitcase in 2005. It has been on so many amazing journeys.

Small Worlds (125 photos)

Over the past two months, the children have been independently building small worlds using the materials we have gathered in the school. By simply standing on a chair to take a photograph of their constructions, we share an "aha" moment. They learn the language of place.

Drawing Exercises (55 photos)

This exercise taps literacy and math skills, but mostly it is about training eye, hand, and mind to reflect and express. First prompt... Draw a picture of yourself grown up. Once that is complete and adults or children have labeled the drawing on the reverse side of the paper, children are given the second prompt... Recreate your drawing using anything you find in the Classroom.

Arches, Columns, Granite, and Wood (105 photos)

Architectural field trip to Union Station in Washington, D.C. and building exploration using blocks, furniture, and bodies.

Puppet Show 2011 (65 photos)

The Tracks Class 2012 presented a shadow puppet show adapted from, "The Mitten" by E. Bulatov and O. Vasilev. This version of the mitten was selected because it is not about shoving or pushing to get into the mitten. It is about collectively coming together to make the mitten a wonderful place to live, if even for a moment.

Block Building at Takoma Park Cooperative Nursery School (29 photos)

Brick, block, beam, and rock. A photo set of a single day's building sessions.

Sense of Place 2011 (86 photos)

We begin with a first step. Lines, shapes, colors lead us to an understanding of the world and our place in it.

Jul 4, 2011 (9 photos)

The 122nd Takoma Park Independence Parade. Takoma Park Cooperative Nursery School participates in this annual celebration

Arts-based Curriculum (168 photos)

Through the Garden Gate offers children the opportunity to explore, imagine, and express through the arts, including drama, music, movement, and visual art. This set features art, music, and movement.

4 Spaces for Learning, Classroom (67 photos)

The Classroom. In this room, we greet each other upon arrival, hold circle and story time, use math, science, literacy, and social studies-related manipulatives, write and draw in journals, and play, play, play. Materials and books complement the Cooperative School's curriculum, Through the Garden Gate

4 Spaces for Learning, Dramatic Play (70 photos)

Imagination Station. In this room, imagine we are someone and someplace else, or we pretend that we are ourselves exactly where we are -- most sentences begin with, Pretend that . . . it is very loud usually and very active as the children play, play, play. Materials and dress-ups complement the Cooperative School's curriculum, Through the Garden Gate

4 Spaces for Learning, Project Center (66 photos)

The project center is a space devoted to visual art, sensory exploration, and giving voice to learning through art materials and play, play, play. Materials and projects complement the Cooperative School's curriculum, Through the Garden Gate

4 Spaces for Learning, Outside (92 photos)

Outside, through the seasons. In rain, sleet, or snow and sometimes even sunny days. This space reflects key components of the Cooperative School's curriculum, Through the Garden Gate; Move, run, jump, sit, push, pull, roll, dig, play, play, play.

$Moveable Feast (The Beauty of \$

Moveable Feast (The Beauty of "Loose Parts" and Open-ended Play) (90 photos)

We know that open-ended play materials lend themselves to rich social-dramatic play scenarios and creative problem-solving. This collection of photos show conveyor belts, nest-building, roof top sleeping quarters, and many, many more play settings all created and defined by children using "loose parts". To read our blog, Moveable Feast, visit, takomacooperativeschool.org/2011/04/moveable-feast-the-be...

The Walls (48 photos)

The environment is the third teacher. The walls tell part of our story.

2010 Solstice Celebration (13 photos)

Sense of Place, Destinations (66 photos)

An early childhood social studies exploration expressed through art

2010 Tracks Big Clean (16 photos)

Parents pitch in to get the school ready for the first day of school, August 2010.

2010 Shed Roll (24 photos)

A team of co-opers rose early on the hottest day of 2010 to relocate the playground shed.

Takoma Park 4th of July Parade 2010 (20 photos)

The Cooperative School participates in our community 4th of July parade each year. This year we made firecracker "crowns" and windsocks to carry and sang "This Land is Your Land" as we marched in the parade.

Lantern Launch 2010 (30 photos)

The Lantern Launch is a Cooperative School tradition. marking the end of the school year. We gather at Constitution Gardens, reflect on the past year, and share gifts. Then the children launch lanterns that they have made into the pond.