The difference is Parent Involvement, a rewarding chance to learn about — and contribute to — your child’s early educational experiences.
As one dad put it, “I love that I get to know the teachers and the other parents. They aren’t just people I see briefly during pickup and dropoff. It’s not transactional; it’s a real community.”
Parents help keep the school humming in key ways:
Work side-by-side with teachers as classroom Parent Helpers
Engage in special events and activities
Join in workdays to improve our buildings and grounds
Serve on the IPCP Board of Directors and its committees
Summary: What Each Family Contributes to Keep the School Humming
Parent Helper Days (6-to-12 per year, 4.5 hours per day)
Buildings and Grounds Workdays (2 per year, 4 hours per workday)
Committees (1 per family, usually with monthly meetings)
Auction: Secure a donation and staff a shift at the event (1 shift per family)
Total: approx. 5-to-7 hours per month (per family)
Parent Helper Days
Walk into any IPCP class, and you’ll see a devoted team of teachers — and a Parent Helper, an IPCP parent who assists during the school day. Our parents have been an integral part of the classroom ever since our 1981 founding.
Parents look forward to their Parent Helper stint as a unique opportunity to spend time in the classroom and be part of their child’s day, help them in their activities, and meet their friends. Our parents often report that their Parent Helper day made them better moms and dads at home. And children love it when their parent is at the school. It’s a true gift for both.
To spread the load, each family is required to serve their share of Parent Helper Days per school year. The precise number ranges from 6 to 12 days and depends on whether your child attends 2, 3, or 5 days per week. Grandparents and other family members can play the role, too.
Events and Activities
From seasonal celebrations to social meet-and-greets, we like to find reasons to hang out. Here are some of our traditions to bring IPCP families together — usually in our Outdoor Classroom:
Back-to-School Night – If it’s August, it must be time to start the school year with hot dogs and kegs to swap summer vacation stories and meet the new families.
Hallowgreen Party – A “spooky” night in October where the children (and some parents) get dressed up and celebrate fall.
Alumni Play Date – Each fall we invite IPCP graduates for a big playdate — a great time for families to reconnect.
Auction – Book your babysitter for our biggest grownups-only party of the year. Our largest fundraiser invites the public and IPCP families to come in from the February chill to the famous Trolley Barn to bid on gift certificates, unique items, and activities for all tastes and budgets. Live music, food and drinks, and a live auction round out the parent-run evening.
Grandparents and Special Friends Day – Invite the special people in your child’s life to join this picnic lunch in the beautiful April air, see the school, and spend some time with your child.
Art Night – Each May, the teachers celebrate the year by putting a collection of the students’ artwork on display in the Outdoor Classroom. It’s a fun night with food and drinks and plenty of children running around playing.
Planting Days – Parents are invited to help us with Spring and Fall planting. Both green thumbs — and not-so-green thumbs — are welcome
Buildings and Grounds Workdays
Parents also help keep the school in tip-top shape is by joining the monthly weekend workdays to maintain and improve the buildings, furnishings, or grounds -- creatively called "Buildings and Grounds Days." Each family is responsible for two B&G days each year.
Each 4-hour shift starts at 9 AM or 1 PM (depending on the month). A B&G leader brings the worklist, and the parent "crew" gets to work: installing new play structures, seasonale planting, or applying a new coat of paint, etc. It's a fun way to get some exercise, learn a new skill, hang out with fellow parents, and make your (physical) mark on the school.
Committee Work
All families are required to serve on one of our eight committees. The Chairs of each committee serve on the Board of Directors. Committees typically meet once a month and divide up responsibilities. The current committees are:
Admissions
Auction
Buildings & Grounds
Communications
Development
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Outdoor Classroom
Parent Education and Involvement
Personnel
During the admissions process, a family has an opportunity to prioritize their committee preferences. Each family serves on one committee. When a committee meets, only one parent per family is expected to attend.
In addition to these committees, parents make up the IPCP Board of Directors; parents staff the management team positions of President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary.