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hvparent.com n Hudson Valley Parent 35 School in New Paltz was fueled by her interest in being part of an inten- tional community. "We were still fairly new to the area, in addition to being new par- ents, and we wanted to be able to get to know the families of the chil- dren our kids were becoming close to," says Skiles, who is currently the president of the school's board. Huguenot Street enlists the exper- tise of classroom teachers (both of whom are parents of alumni), while the parents of enrolled children ro- tate as helpers in the classroom daily. "Every parent gets a regular op- portunity to share the experience of being in class with his or her child," says Skiles. "It also means that every family joins the teacher in offering a perspective on their child. Not only do the children grow up together, it feels like the families do, too." What about families who are unable to volunteer due to an al- ready hectic schedule? The Pleasant Valley Cooperative Nursery School recently began offering a non-coop- erative option to accommodate these members of the community. Families who select this option pay a higher tuition rate and do not share in the Cooperative nursery schools in the Hudson Valley Looking for a cooperative preschool in your area? Check out what these local schools have to offer: Pleasant Valley Cooperative Nursery School 1576 Main St. Pleasant Valley www.pleasantvalleycoopnursery- school.com Huguenot Street Cooperative Nursery School 92 Huguenot St. New Paltz www.huguenotnurseryschool.com Ellenville Cooperative Nursery School 23 Washington Ave. Ellenville www.ellenvillecooperativenursery- school.com Brewster Cooperative Preschool 110 Main St. Brewster www.brewstercoop.org governance of the school. Most participating families find the volunteer aspect of the school to be the most rewarding element. Jennifer Giorgi of Poughkeepsie cur- rently has her second child enrolled in the Pleasant Valley Cooperative and her third will be attending in the fall. "The best part about the co-op is that I get to volunteer my time and interact with my children as they go through the program," she says. "Plus, I was able to meet and interact with other parents and their children, too." Skiles says she is amazed at the level of dedication and profession- alism in the parents who volunteer, but notes that the half-day experi- ence at Huguenot can be tricky for some if more coverage is needed. "There is a real diversity in parent- ing — both parents work, one stay- at-home parent, single parents. Each family finds a way to make it work," she says. "Being part of a co-op definitely helps me feel more present in this very fleeting moment in my children's lives." Madelaine Hayes lives in Pleasant Valley with husband and her son, Billy. Jessica Nelson, the " 3s" teacher, left, and volunteer parent Rachel Markowitz engage students while they paint at the Huguenot Street Cooperative Nursery School in New Paltz. Sophia Skiles' 3-year-old daughter, Iris, gets some help from teacher Doree Langan at the Huguenot Street Cooperative Nursery School in New Paltz. Langan has been the "4s" teach- er for 22 years, and her own son attended the Huguenot school.