Welcome to the Dandelion Web site! Here you will find information about our wondereful parent cooperative preschool. If you have any questions that aren't answered here, please click here to email us and we'll get back to you.
Welcome!
Welcome to the Dandelion Web site! Here you will find information about our wondereful parent cooperative preschool. If you have any questions that aren't answered here, please click here to email us and we'll get back to you.
Enrollment and Tuition
Dandelion accepts children aged 2 years 11 months through 5 years for fall enrollment. Dandelion will hold an Open House for Fall 2013 enrollment on October 27th from 10am - 12 noon. This is an adult-only event and is an opportunity to see the school and meet the teachers. To RSVP please email dandelion.enrollment@gmail.com or call (510) 725-4304. Inquiry forms will be available at the Open House or by mail afterward, and will be due along with a $15 application fee - date TBA. Upon receipt of the Inquiry Form by the Enrollment Officer, you will be placed on a list. A balanced roster is created from the list with consideration for balancing age, gender, and diversity. Beginning in February, tours of the school are given to families for whom we have a space.
Dandelion maintains an equal opportunity admissions process and does not discriminate on the basis of ethnic/cultural background, national origin, religion, income or sexual orientation.
Dandelion maintains an equal opportunity admissions process and does not discriminate on the basis of ethnic/cultural background, national origin, religion, income or sexual orientation.
Hours
Monday Through Friday, 9 a.m. to noon
Extended care available from 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. and noon to 2 p.m.
Extended care available from 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. and noon to 2 p.m.
Family Participation
Parents participate in the following ways:
- Participating in the classroom beginning with set-up at 8:45 a.m. and finishing with wrap-up at 12:30 p.m. We maintain a 4:1 ratio. The number of times a participating adult works in the classroom depends on the attendance schedule, i.e. if a child attends 3 days/week, his/her adult works in the classroom 2 - 3 times a month.
- Attending and participating at the parent evening meeting the first Monday of every month. The first part of the meeting involves Dandelion business and the second half includes parent education and discussion.
- Contributing to the functioning of the school by holding and performing a Family Job, i.e. purchasing, classroom animals care, gardening.
- Working on two Saturday mornings a year to clean and maintain the school.
- Fundraising, which includes scrip and two or more fundraising events each year.
Tuition for 2011-12
Child attends Monthly tuition Participation 3 days/wk $269/mo ~3 days/mo 4 days/wk $360/mo ~4 days/mo 5 days/wk $448/mo 1 day/wk
Our Teachers
Abby Pletcher, Director/Teacher
Abby Pletcher is the new teacher/director at Dandelion. She comes to Dandelion with 14 years of early childhood teaching experience. Abby started her career in 1995 in St Louis, Missouri after earning a B.A. degree in Psychology at Washington University in St. Louis. At her first job she quickly discovered a passion for working with young children and continued her teaching when she moved to the Bay Area in 1996. After spending four years as a lead teacher in preschools Abby decided to pursue more education. She attended Mills College and in 2002 earned her Masters degree in Early Childhood Education. After graduating from Mills Abby became the Associate Director at BlueSkies for Children in Oakland where she enjoyed her role as both a classroom teacher and an administrator. Abby is also adjunct faculty at Mills and has extensive experience teaching teachers at the community college level.
Abby is the proud parent of a three-year-old. When not working she enjoys spending time with her family, hiking and reading a good book.
Sonia Rawal, Teacher
Sonia Rawal is the new teacher at Dandelion. She has worked in the field of Early Childhood Education for over 20 years, both in the capacity of a childcare provider, and for the past 9 years as a teacher in the preschool setting. After moving to North America from the U.K. she studied in the field of Child Development, obtaining a BA degree from New College of California in 2004.
For the last 8 years she has been a teacher at Aquatic Park School in West Berkeley where she gained experience in the Reggio Emillia philosophy, held the role of parent education facilitator, maintained and expanded the school library, and coordinated the school garden.
She is the mother of two young sons who keep her busy when she is not at school. Her other interests include gardening, working on various art projects with her sons and spending time in the great outdoors, especially hiking in Point Reyes.
Abby Pletcher is the new teacher/director at Dandelion. She comes to Dandelion with 14 years of early childhood teaching experience. Abby started her career in 1995 in St Louis, Missouri after earning a B.A. degree in Psychology at Washington University in St. Louis. At her first job she quickly discovered a passion for working with young children and continued her teaching when she moved to the Bay Area in 1996. After spending four years as a lead teacher in preschools Abby decided to pursue more education. She attended Mills College and in 2002 earned her Masters degree in Early Childhood Education. After graduating from Mills Abby became the Associate Director at BlueSkies for Children in Oakland where she enjoyed her role as both a classroom teacher and an administrator. Abby is also adjunct faculty at Mills and has extensive experience teaching teachers at the community college level.
Abby is the proud parent of a three-year-old. When not working she enjoys spending time with her family, hiking and reading a good book.
Sonia Rawal, Teacher
Sonia Rawal is the new teacher at Dandelion. She has worked in the field of Early Childhood Education for over 20 years, both in the capacity of a childcare provider, and for the past 9 years as a teacher in the preschool setting. After moving to North America from the U.K. she studied in the field of Child Development, obtaining a BA degree from New College of California in 2004.
For the last 8 years she has been a teacher at Aquatic Park School in West Berkeley where she gained experience in the Reggio Emillia philosophy, held the role of parent education facilitator, maintained and expanded the school library, and coordinated the school garden.
She is the mother of two young sons who keep her busy when she is not at school. Her other interests include gardening, working on various art projects with her sons and spending time in the great outdoors, especially hiking in Point Reyes.
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