It is common to see parents in the classrooms of the Puyallup Family Co-Op.
Actually it’s required.
The Co-op pairs parents and teachers in and out of the classroom in helping students achieve a successful education.
“You find a strong partnership in the home,” said Principal Amy Eveskcige.
The program is for students in kindergarten through sixth grade and emphasizes regular parent involvement in multi-age classes.
The program started 11 years ago by a group of parents and teachers interested in pairing parents with the classroom. Parents and even siblings being involved in the education of children is a critical component to learning, said Amy Hedges, who teaches first and second grade.
“It’s easy for a teacher to see and notice a student who has been read to and spoken to,” she said.
Hedges was the first teacher at Firgrove to get involved in the program. The district has seen similar programs work throughout the state and decided to give it a try, she said.
Since then it has grown from one class to four and from just offering it in a few of the grades to kindergarten through sixth grade. Parents are required to volunteer 90 hours a year, with 60 hours in support of the classroom and 30 hours of direct contact with students.
After kindergarten, the co-op classes are multi-age sets, such as first and second grade, third and fourth and fifth and sixth.
It makes it easier to start teaching right away, Hedges said.
“Because we already know half our class in the fall,” she said.
Parents volunteer regularly in the classroom, even bringing their own job expertise to the classroom, such as someone with a science background demonstrating a science experiment. Parents also run group reading, writing and math sessions.
Volunteer time isn’t limited to in the classroom, but also at school events.
“The children will tell you ‘I like having mom and dad in the classroom,’” Hedges said.
Shelley Friend has four children who have all been part of the program at Firgrove.
Being able to work with teachers to educate her children was a big draw for her.
“The more involved a parent is in a child’s learning the better off the child is,” she said.
She goes on field trips with her children’s classes and helps out during lessons.
But what she enjoys the most is getting to spend extra time with her children.
“I’ve enjoyed it,” Friend said. “It’s worked for us.”
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