My son and I have been taking classes here with the Bellevue College Parent Education Program. This has been the place where I have made real, strong connections with other like minded parents and learned skills to better parent my child. I have gotten to watch my son as he has grown and learned so much. It is magical to be there to see him start to pretend play with other children and make discoveries about who he is and what he can do. I am really excited to be in the Co-Op this coming year and am so impressed by Teacher Si's ability to relate to children, passion for learning, and depth of knowledge about early childhood education. She is the best possible teacher my son could have. read more

When we first moved to a new state, I was so worried about creating a village for my child. This co-op offered the opportunity to build friendships with other families, while my child learns and develops. I've met like-minded parents and formed lovely friendships. And, my daughter loves this preschool! She especially loves her teacher and the art activities. read more

My family has been involved in ECP for almost three years now and it has been such a wonderful experience for our whole family. Both of my kids have just LOVED attending and I have also gained so much. As a ECP parent I have really enjoyed being in the classroom and taking part in the activities. I have also learned so much from the parent ed meetings each month. It has been wonderful to make new friendships with parents who have similar aged kids. The classroom is full of wonderful crafts, toys, and activities. The teachers and parent ed instructor are wonderful with the kids and always helpful resources for the parents. I have loved being able ask them about any parenting questions I have. I highly recommend this thoughtful, creative, and fun school! read more

I LOVE ECP, I began my search for a good co-op after I had bad experience with a different toddler group that was offered also through the Bellevue College program (awkward school layout, no secure outdoor play area, and unfriendly parents). I toured 5 different facilities and talked to different parents, and ECP is by far the BEST in terms of friendliness of the parents, quality of teachers, AND and fully fenced large outdoor play area equipped with bikes and sandbox toys. I started out wanting a play-based environment for my child and ended up becoming a true believer. The quality of learning is second to none! The teachers work with parents and students to deliver individualized learning that respect the child as an individual. My child started a bit reserved, didn't really make any friends, and even got picked on by other kids for no apparent reason. But the teacher took the time to slowly correct the behavior of the more aggressive kids and listened to my concerns while providing thoughtful recommendations to help coach my child. With patience and time, I saw my child went from a shy, reserved, and often nervous in various social settings at school, to a generous, happy, and social child among her peers. She loves her teacher and told her she loved her during the first week of school. Which kind of brought tears to my eyes because at the time she just didn't easily open up to anyone. This school is run by volunteer parents with kids going to the school, for the parents with kids going to school. You can most definitely sense the love and care that each parent bring to the co-op. People eventually got to know each other and their children well and move on to forge lasting friendships. For my daughter's last year of preschool, I am excited to be serving on the board, this is the last year before I kind of lose my opportunity to really witness her growth and to be right there with her when things get tough. Seriously, if you are looking for a co-op, you must tour the school and talk to the people, you would fall in love it too. read more

Eastgate Cooperative Preschool - Art time - Preschools Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

We've had a great experience at ECP. My LO didn't adapt to a drop off preschool setting and that's when we learned about co-ops. Our family adapted really well to ECP and we are growing as a community there. It's a positive, safe and warmth environment for the kids to learn through play, hands-on activities. The same is true about parenting. We adults have as much to learn as the kids by working in class with the them and the teachers in addition to taking the Parent Ed classes. read more

Eastgate Cooperative Preschool - Preschools Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

Man I love this coop. I may have grown up in the area but after a move away for a good 6 plus years-and birthing children while away....navigating the parenthood life made the landscape so different when i finally returned home. after lots of research I decided to try ECP for my three year old. Here are some of the reasons why ECP appealed to me: ~The preschool is affliated with Bellevue College and has a parent educator that comes once a week to be a resource for parents. The parent educator for this location is just a treasure. She had kids who went through this very same location and having her listen to challenges you are facing, validating your efforts and also reassuring you of what may be developmental versus unique to the child has been a sanity saver. ~The school stresses a play based curriculum. The more I learned about the importance of play, the more I wanted to have my child in an environment where play was of the utmost importance. Academics are starting younger than ever and I know there is going to be so many years of us focusing on this ahead of her. I wanted preschool to be a time, for both of us, to figure out how to enjoy learning and have it be organic-but also introduce structure and guidance into it...something then i could bring home and apply in our home play time. To this end, ECP has been tremendously important and given us both a lot of tools to work out social and emotional issues in a way that lets my three year old feel empowered and thrive. ~The cooperative model necessitates involvement from the parents. This, at first, had me a little nervous. I had a new baby and the idea of working twice a month in the classroom seemed overwhelming. In reality, it was not only doable, but if ever I needed the support, there was a coop led nursery on hand I could rotate baby through. The classroom apron jobs also became a wonderful way for me to get to know all the kids. Towards the end of the year we had a get together and my husband remarked how comfortable and familiar ALL the students were with other parents. this is true. Because we had had the time and opportunity to get to spend time two-three times a month with the kids, we knew their temperment, the social dynamics, and also felt that we were part of the village supporting the development of the kids in our school. Knowing that, if my kid was ever sick, other moms would be there to help comfort her while I made my way to pick her up (which happened) or if she was stung, moms would follow up with texts and questions throughout the day (which happened)...this showed that they were invested, they cared-and she also felt known and looked after by them. this was priceless ~as a "new mom" to the area, it was hard to know how to make new mommy friends. The coop made it the kind of environment where I got to meet a ton of cool people who were always open to hanging out and putting play dates together. This was nice ~the teacher we had had amazing energy! she really supported the play and helped the kids make leaps and bounds through the school year. I got to witness a lot of social devlopement, but also preliteracy, lots of development in math, patterns, and increased curiousity in new things, new foods, etc. The classroom always had such creative stations and our teacher Monica had such a dedication to her profession. We were super lucky to have her! The classrooms are made up of two groups. Three year olds, who meet twice a week and four year olds that meett hree times a week. the 3's and 4's meet together and then the 4's get one day by themselves. the mixed range has been a benefit for both age groups and read more

There is so much I love about Eastgate Cooperative Preschool. Don't let the exterior entrance fool you this place is awesome. Initially I was unsure of the parent participation a cooperative preschool requires but honestly after 3-1/2 years being with my first born 24/7, I simply was not ready for a drop off preschool environment. We had gone through the Bellevue College toddler program(which ECP is affiliated with) and the cooperative environment seemed like the best fit for us. Working in the classroom gave me a chance to observe what my Son gravitates to and I got to know the kids that my Son would talk about from school. The parent education component is amazing. I really don't like talking in front of big groups of people, but once I realized that we are all going through the same struggles it got easier. You really get to know everyone on a level I don't think happens at a drop off preschool. It gave me comfort to know that if anything happened at school my Son would have not only a teacher but also 4 involved caring parents to turn to on any given day. The play based environment is really important to me. Our kids have a whole life of controlled learning ahead of them and I want my Son to have as much time to learn naturally as possible. There is so much I love about this school but what first sold me...was the outdoor play area. It is huge, fully fenced and has so much to do and explore. I have a boy who has a lot of energy and having a large creative outdoor space for him to get his wiggles out before I pick him up is awesome. We are excited for the coming year to reconnect with old friends and make new ones. read more

Eastgate Cooperative Preschool - ECP Outdoor space - Preschools Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

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ECP has been a great school for our family. The play-based curriculum allows children to explore activities at their own pace and focus on their own interests. The parent education component is very insightful and applicable to all families as we navigate life with young children. The teachers are passionate, caring, and fun! As new residents to the area when we first discovered ECP, it served as an incredible opportunity to meet and connect with other families. ECP a place where the best interest of the children is the top priority. We've been so pleased with our experience at Eastgate Cooperative Preschool! read more

We love this preschool! Teachers are awesome here. Excellent school board. Interest of the children is the top priority. Play based curriculum is really exciting. read more

We love this preschool! It's so nice to be surrounded by parents who are involved and people who really care. The added element of the parenting class makes me feel confident in our choice of preschools. Come and check it out! read more

I am so happy this school exists. I love not only what my child gets from this school but also what I as a parent gets with the parent education. There is a great community of kids, parents, and educators. read more