News

Teacher Par’s Retirement

November 30, 2017

Our beloved teacher Parvaneh Farrokhmid has dedicated herself to caring for and teaching our children for 32 years at El Cerrito Preschool co-op, after her own son was a student here. Now it’s time for Par to move on to the next chapter in her life, as she has decided to retire from ECPC at the end of December.

In recognition of the service she had provided for ECPC members both past and current, we hope to provide her with a bonus that reflects the esteem and appreciation we have for all she has contributed to our children’s development and growth. It is hard to imagine the morning program beginning without Par’s warm smile to greet children and families but we wish Par the best.

Though the members may wish differently, at Par’s request there will not be any gathering in recognition of her retirement at what is certain to be a bittersweet time for a woman who had dedicated her working life to ECPC.

Halloween at ECPC

November 5, 2017

Halloween is one of our favorite holidays at ECPC! Who doesn’t love to dress up, listen to spooky stories and whack a pinata? In the weeks leading up to Halloween, parents and teachers teamed up to put together creative treat bags for each of the kids, and we celebrate with parties in each of the AM and PM programs.

Take a look at this year’s creativity in both programs.

RESCHEDULED: Fall Yard Sale Fundraiser

October 16, 2017

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!

Fall Open House Saturday, October 21

October 16, 2017

ECPC is now enrolling for Fall 2018! We welcome all parents with children who will be 3 years old by September 1, 2018 to our Open House this weekend. Come explore our beautiful indoor and outdoor spaces where our kids learn through imagination and play, and meet current ECPC parents who are the heartbeat behind ECPC!

When: Saturday, October 21, 10:00am – 12:00pm

Where: El Cerrito Preschool Cooperative, 7200 Moeser Lane (between Ashbury and Pomona)

If you can’t make it to the Open House but would like a tour of the school, or have any questions, please contact admin@ecpckids.com.

We hope to see you and your children there!

Join ECPC at the El Cerrito Showcase Parade

September 12, 2017

This Saturday, September 16, is the El Cerrito Centennial Showcase Parade, part of an ongoing celebration of El Cerrito’s 100th Anniversary, and ECPC couldn’t be prouder to be participating!

We would love for ECPC members, alumni and friends to join us as we gather with our El Cerrito neighbors and celebrate our own 77 years in the community.

Come in your vintage ECPC shirts/gear or solid bright color shirts, and invite other friends of ECPC to join you. We welcome bringing signs that says what years you or your child attended ECPC. Lets celebrate our 77 years!

When:

Saturday, September 16, starting at 10:00am.

Where:
Gather between 9:00-9:30am at the Safeway/PetFood Express parking lot at 11450 San Pablo Avenue. Look for ECPC signs and folks in pink. Please park personal vehicles in the BART surface parking lot – do not park non-parade vehicles in the Safeway lot.

More Details:
– Parade ends at Cerrito Vista Park
– Parade distance is 1.5 miles
– Young children in the parade should be in strollers/wagons, etc.
– Water will be available, but consider bringing your own drink and re-usable bottle
– At the park, there will be free sandwiches and birthday cupcakes for the first 1000 attendees (plus a food truck onsite) and entertainment following the parade including chalk art for the children.

RSVP on Facebook and let us know if you’ll be joining us! And don’t forget to let other ECPC friends and alumni know by sharing this post or our inviting them on Facebook. We hope to see you there!

Team Up with ECPC Superheroes at the Solano Avenue Stroll

September 7, 2017

ECPC will be participating in the 43rd Annual Solano Avenue Stroll Parade on Sunday, September 10, and we’d love for our members, friends and alumni join us!

ECPC has a rich history of participating in the parade, placing first or second in our use of the theme color each of the last 8 years, and we are excited to represent our wonderful school to the wider community yet again. We will be lining up on Fresno Street, between Solano and Marin, and the parade starts at 10:00am. Come meet new members and help kick-start another successful school year for ECPC.

This year’s Solano Stroll theme color is pink, and we will be sporting brand new ECPC t-shirts to represent our school’s theme this year, superheroes! Why superheroes? Aside from the fact that kids just love them, we know that even with their individual super powers, heroes can’t do everything alone. As a co-op, we couldn’t keep our ECPC community thriving without every child, teacher and member’s unique talents combined with the everyone’s willingness to work together, which makes school days fun for our kids and community events fun for everyone. This Sunday we’ll be celebrating our everyday superheroes who make ECPC such a special place to be.

And in honor of Throwback Thursday, we thought you’d enjoy a few photos from Solano Strolls from the past: