El Cerrito Preschool Cooperative
Play, Learn and Grow at ECPC
October 9th, 2019 – 9am-3pm
Come out and support ECPC’s play-based preschool program by shopping from our wide selection of gently-used donated items including:
ECPC is now enrolling for Fall 2022! If your child will be at least 3 years old by September 1, 2022, and you would like to learn more about the co-op life at ECPC, we invite you to join us at one of our Virtual Open Houses. These will be held via zoom on the following dates:
Thursday, Oct 7th
Tuesday, Oct 12th
Thursday, Oct 21st
Tuesday, Oct 26th
Please email irene@ecpckids.com to save your spot at one of these events! Spaces are limited for each night
What do families have to say about ECPC?
Being back at the school has reconfirmed our love for this preschool, the play-based model and the teachers. Our second son loves the school as much as our first did. We have watched him thrive in the environment with the guidance of the teachers and other parent participators. We love that the teachers focus on helping the kids with conflict resolution and navigating the social world. Teachers Nga and Jenny are firm, but kind and compassionate with the kids and have a good sense of who our son is and how to guide him. There is also great attention to setting up the different areas of the school to continue to engage the kids throughout the year while providing many different types of learning opportunities. In addition to the fixed features such as the sand area and play structures, there are sensory bins, manipulative play areas, art projects and more. I highly recommend this play-based preschool. – Jennifer
ECPC is to Bay Area pre-schools what the Golden State Warriors are to the NBA: the absolute best! Just like the Dubs, the talent (i.e. the teachers) is off the charts, world class. My son is in the afternoon program, and he couldn’t be happier. Jenny and Nga are the masters of teaching with a firm yet compassionate compass, and I’m amazed by their ability to connect and make kids feel special. The best part of the ECPC community is that it feels like a family – parents look out for one another’s kids like they are their own. If you are lucky enough to get in, you won’t regret it – it’s the kind of place that you will miss dearly when the time has come for your kid to move on. Glad we have one more year! – Sean
This place not just a school but an experience for the entire family. It’s simply amazing. The play based curriculum has allowed my son to grow in ways that were unimaginable at his former school, a montessori. From the gigantic sandbox to the huge structure in the tan bark to a new art project or two everyday to the games room to loft room, the physical infrastructure is second to none. The teachers are world class. Every morning my son runs through the gate a smile bursts on his face as he is ready to play and learn. The community that is fostered through parent participation and the co-op style is an experience that I wish every family could have. Not only has my child grown, but I have grown as a parent. I cannot wait to send my younger daughter to ECPC. – Jacob
Ecpc isn’t just great for kids, it provides a warm and welcoming community for parents as well. The membership is actively engaged and their are opportunities for getting to know the community with many potlucks, mom’s and dad’s night outs, parenting enrichment classes, cpr and even camping excursions to Tilden park. I highly recommend this affordable,play based co-op preschool for anyone looking to join a great community – Kathy
See what other ECPC parents are saying about their experiences on Yelp and Berkeley Parents Network.
It all starts with milk jugs. 700 of them, in fact. For six weeks, starting in mid-November, ECPC members collected empty milk jugs daily from our partners in crime at Peets Coffee and Starbucks. They washed them out, piled them up, and brought them over to ECPC where they awaited their New Year’s Eve transformation.
Then, after Christmas, members took the ornaments off their trees and brought them over to the school, where they too would be recycled into what has become a favorite annual tradition at ECPC – the Magical Forest.
On New Year’s Eve, while many were preparing for their evening parties or settled at home watching the 49ers close out their season with their fifth consecutive win or the Raiders finish with a fourth straight loss, over a dozen ECPC members gathered at school to transform our huge front yard sandbox into a spectacular forest, at the front of which sits the pièce de résistance — a giant igloo. Some planned the layout, others sawed and planted the trees, while another group of dedicated engineers glued, zip-tied and constructed the igloo from scratch.
Seeing the kids’ faces as they walk into this winter wonderland on the first day back to school is a highlight of the year for us, and we know parents, alums and friends enjoy it too.
If you have a child under 3 and are considering ECPC, come to our Open House Sunday, January 12, from 10am – 12pm, and let your child see the magic themselves.
Many thanks to Peets on Solano and Starbucks on Solano and at El Cerrito Plaza for their generous donations of empty milk jugs, all the ECPC families who donated their leftover trees and helped build the forest, and Patrick, our Magical Forest Coordinator! We couldn’t do it without all of you.
Find more photos on our Facebook and Instagram pages.
Photo credits: Linda Craig, Sasha Tierney and Patrick Stockstill.
Our next Open House is January 12th from 10:00am – 12:00pm!
If your child will be at least 3 years old by September 1, 2020, and you would like to learn more about the co-op life at ECPC, we invite you to visit us .
Our Open House will give you the opportunity to talk with current ECPC teachers and families about our philosophy and the co-op experience, while your child explores our indoor play rooms, outdoor play structures. All are welcome, and snacks will be provided.
When: Sunday, January 12th, 2019. 10:00am – 12:00pm
Where: El Cerrito Preschool Cooperative, 7200 Moeser Lane (@ Ashbury Avenue)
If you can’t make it to the Open House, or would like to visit sooner, please email admin@ecpckids.com to schedule a tour.
Wondering what current and former ECPC families have to say about their experience? Find out on Yelp, Berkeley Parents Network, and Nextdoor.
Let’s Get Messy! Join us on Sunday, March 15, 2020!!
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This annual free community event returns on Sunday, March 15, from 10:30am – 2:00pm.
Come celebrate play and creativity, where kids can explore colors, textures and a variety of media in a safe and fun environment. Messy Art Day is all about the process of art, not the product. Our art stations, custom-built by our members from recycled and donated materials, are fully experiential and immersive. Human Spin Art, Slide Paint, Crave the Shave, House of Fetti, Oobleck and Clean Mud are just a few of our favorites!
Please dress your children in clothing appropriate for getting MESSY. We also recommend bringing towels to clean off afterwards.
We will have snack packs for purchase, the proceeds of which benefit ECPC’s play-based preschool programs. Food trucks will also be available on Ashbury Street, between Moeser Lane and Waldo Avenue, with a variety of food and drink options.
We look forward to getting messy with you!
Have friends with kids under 5 who would be interested in Messy Art Day? Share our posts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
If you run a local business and are interested in being a Messy Art Day Community Partner, please email marketing@ecpckids.com.
Due to the unhealthy air quality as a result of the wildfires in Napa and Sonoma Counties, we closed ECPC on Thursday and Friday of last week, and we had to cancel the Fall Yard Sale originally scheduled for Saturday, October. The health and safety of our kids, members and community are always are top priority, and we hope it wasn’t an inconvenience for any of you who were planning on donating or stopping by to find a new treasure. Of course, we know that these were minor inconveniences compared to many whose lives have been displaced by the fires, and our thoughts are with our community members who live in in the North Bay, or have friends and family who have been affected.
The air quality in El Cerrito is much improved as of today, and all programs are now back in session. Thank you to all the parents who juggled their schedules to accommodate, and to those who hosted playdates last week for the parents who couldn’t.
We were also quickly able to reschedule the Yard Sale and will host it Saturday, October 28 from 9am – 2pm at ECPC. Have gently used clothes or toys you’d like to donate? Drop them off at ECPC on Friday, October 27 between 5-8pm.
You can see more information and RSVP on our Facebook page. I found 2 of my favorite coffee mugs at last Spring’s sale, so you never know what you’ll come away with. We hope to see you there!
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