Frequently Asked Questions

A co-op, or cooperative, preschool is a non-profit organization owned and operated by the parents of the children enrolled. ICNS employs a highly qualified, certified teacher who directs the educational program. Parents run the school and work together to make sure everyone attends their assigned assisting days, does their assigned jobs within the preschool, and meets all membership requirements which make the school run smoothly. Working together, we strive to build an environment in which children can learn through play and begin to make the transition from home to full-time school.

ICNS welcomes all children and provides an environment where all children are encouraged to grow socially, emotionally, physically and intellectually, however, we are not a special education preschool. Our teacher is certified in elementary education with a concentration in early childhood and a master's degree in reading but is not certified or trained to teach special education.

If your child has an IEP, we welcome outside related service providers (speech, OT, PT, special education teacher, etc.) to provide services to the student during school hours. If this is the case, the parent(s), teacher and provider(s) will communicate ahead of time to arrange a set schedule of services and expectations for delivery of those services.

For our Three’s class, your child needs to be 3 years old by December 1st. For our Pre-K classes, your child needs to be 4 years old by December 1st.

Registration is completed online. Find more information at: https://icnspreschool.org/registration

We usually hold monthly open houses starting in January. Check our website for specific dates and times. You can also call the preschool at 585-775-8146 to arrange a time to visit.

For assisting families, our tuition cost is listed on the classes page.

Tuition can be paid in full at the start of the year or split into four payments for a small additional increase.

For non-assisting families and other options, the Fee Schedule is listed in the ICNS Registration Contract.

Although we strongly encourage your child to be toilet trained, it is not mandatory. We understand that children develop at their own rate. Each child and situation are different. However due to our policy and the health department we are not allowed to change diapers or assist in clean-up if there is a bowel movement accident. If this occurs, the teacher will contact you to come and change your child.

ICNS is independent of the church and has no religious affiliations.

Co-op parents contribute in two main ways. First, parents take turns assisting in their child’s classroom. Parents assist on a rotating basis, approximately two times per month depending on the class size. In general, the assisting parent plays, leads a craft supplied by the teacher, and helps with activities during class time, provides a healthy snack for the entire group, assists with clean-up and most of all, enjoys quality time spent with his or her child.

Second, each family also holds a family job. Jobs include a variety of board positions, community-building, maintenance and fundraising tasks, all of which help to run our school and make it a fun, well-informed, and functional community. With the variety of choices, there is a job that meets every family's time and schedule preferences. Besides completing an individual family job, every family also participates in:

2 mandatory fundraisers (each with $75 buy-out option)

Up to 4 Parent meetings throughout the school year

2 Playground clean-ups (fall and spring)

End of year classroom clean-up

When you are scheduled as an assistant, your attention needs to be on assisting with the class, so other children cannot accompany you. Siblings are of course welcome at other times you are at the school, such as for parties and functions outside of the regular school day hours.

Yes, if you personally are unable to assist, you may have an alternate caregiver associated with your extended family assist in your place such as a grandparent, aunt or uncle.

No. Participating parents are not fingerprinted or subject to background checks. All staff members are fingerprinted, and their prints and ID are run through a criminal background check.

The 3’s class has up to 12 students. The Pre-K classes have up to 14 students in each. For the 3’s class the ratio is 5 students per adult. Each class has 1 teacher and at least one assistant. The adult to child ratio varies based on the age level:

3’s class: approximately 1 adult for every 5 students

Pre-K classes: approximately 1 adult for every 7 students

The ICNS Preschool programs offer experiences that help students become familiar with skills they will need for Kindergarten. These Kindergarten Readiness skills are grouped as follows: Social Skills ( i.e. sharing, being a group member, asking for help), Motor skills (i.e. jumping, catching, using scissors, proper pencil grasp), Cognitive (i.e. colors/shapes, counting, classifying/sorting items, puzzles), Language skills (i.e. following directions, finger-plays, show and tell) and Self-Care (i.e. Class routines, caring for class items with classmates, washing hands). These are just a few examples of what goes into a day at ICNS!

Arrival/drop-off

Good morning circle

Craft/project

Free play

Clean-up

Snack

Story time/Music and Movement circle

Outdoor or upstairs play

Parent pick-up

We plan many local community field trips throughout the year. Field trips for all classes in the past have included a tour of the local fire station, a trip to a farm/pumpkin patch, and exploration of a local karate studio.

Registration for the Fall usually opens to new families in late January or early February and classes are filled in the order of application. Registration information can be found on our website.

Students may be accepted after the school year begins, if space is available. Families may email ICNS to schedule a tour or with questions. Registration forms and additional information may be found on our website.

Yes, New York State mandates that all children be immunized for certain illnesses. Immunization records must be submitted with your child’s medical forms. For more information on required NYS immunizations visit: https://www.health.ny.gov/prevention/immunization/schools/school_vaccines/