Parents
When you become part of the community at Columbia Greenhouse, you are joining a group of vibrant and active parents. While many of our families reside on the Upper West Side, we also draw families from many neighborhoods throughout our city. We pride ourselves in the diversity of our community, which is authentically reflective of the population of New York City. While as individuals we have different racial, religious, and socioeconomic backgrounds, varied family structures and home languages, we are drawn together within the Greenhouse community by a shared value and respect for early childhood education as it is practiced at our school.
All Greenhouse families are members of the Parent Association (PA). The PA works to build a strong sense of community among parents in addition to supporting the work and mission of the school. They host regular meetings, workshops and events for families and parents. Parents are asked to continue the long and proud history of parent involvement at Greenhouse by making at least one volunteer contribution each year. There are many ways to be involved, including serving as a class parent, photographing school events, or acting as a co-chair or committee member of one of our fundraising events. Getting involved is a wonderful way to meet other parents and to be a part of the school community.
Listed below are the events and meetings that typically take place each year:
Parent/Teacher Welcome Meeting – A meeting for parents to meet their child’s teachers before school begins. Special attention is paid to the plans for the first weeks of school and how separation will be handled.
Family Welcome Picnic – A picnic welcoming all families to Greenhouse, held in Morningside Park. Each family brings dinner and Greenhouse provides watermelon.
Parent Group – The Parent Group is a discussion group that offers a safe, supportive space for parents to share, learn and connect. Twice a year, we offer six, 1 hour sessions, where we discuss parenting topics that are of relevance to the group.
Curriculum Night – A group meeting for parents, which is organized to share specifics about how curriculum is developed and implemented in the classrooms.
Parent Workshops – Presentations or discussion groups, held several times a year on topics of interest to parents.
Annual Auction and Benefit – A fun evening with a lively auction, food, drink and friends.
Kindergarten Admissions Information Night – A meeting for those parents who will be applying to kindergarten in the following year.
Spring Fair – An elaborate street fair on our block with games for children, wonderful food, a rummage sale, pony rides, a Castle ride, a petting zoo, and a raffle.
New Families Reception – Parents of newly enrolled children are invited to meet and gather together to celebrate the end of the admissions season and their upcoming year at Greenhouse.
Family Farewell Picnic – A closing picnic that is held at the end of the year. Parents bring a picnic dinner and Greenhouse provides watermelon for dessert.
