About Us
Welcome!
Troy Cooperative Preschool (TCP) is a non-profit, non-denominational preschool operated by parents since 1970. TCP provides a safe and nurturing environment for children, ages 18 months through 5 years, enabling them to experience their world through hands-on, interactive, and sensory activities. Our teachers are warm, sensitive, caring, dedicated, and highly trained in early childhood development. Our classroom truly feels like a preschool preserved in time – we dance, sing songs, create art, and learn through lots of play! Our preschool is screen-free.
Philosophy & Mission
Our philosophy is simple: children, parents, and teachers all learning from one another. Our program is designed to nourish your child’s intellectual, emotional, physical, and social growth. We are committed to building a solid foundation in language arts, math, and science through developmentally appropriate activities that nurture the whole child.
What’s a Co-Op?
A co-op learning experience is truly special for everyone – children, teachers, and parents included! You will have an active role in your child’s learning experience.
Being a preschool co-op member means that you give an extra bit of your time, and in return, you help create an enriching learning environment. With parents assisting in the program, our adult-child ratio is 1:4, allowing our teachers and assistant teachers to give each child individualized attention. Parents contribute by volunteering in the classroom about once a month. Additionally, parents chose a co-op job to contribute to the day-to-day operations of the school.
What We Offer
Co-Op Curriculum
Our co-op is special because we truly learn through play! Students will be encouraged to discover new cognitive, motor, and social skills through play time with their classmates. In addition, each day they will have projects that enhance different skills – motor, writing, counting, etc. that coincide with the day’s theme. Perhaps the most exciting part is that our students learn alongside their teachers AND their parents, which allows for a low student to adult ratio and more personalized attention.
Programs
Parent-Tot Program
The tots program is a branch of the preschool where parents participate with their two-year-old child in both planned and unstructured activities that allow children to learn and explore through their senses. This program is a great way to introduce toddlers to preschool and gain valuable socialization skills to help them transition to the 3 year old preschool program.
3 Year Old Preschool
Our 3-year-old curriculum begins with learning classroom routine. Children participate in free play and structured group time. They develop their listening skills. Daily themes are discussed in circle time. Crafts, and sensory activities are designed to improve motor and social skills. As the year progresses more language, science, and math concepts are introduced.
4 Year Old Preschool
Our 4-year-old curriculum focuses on further development of social and academic skills. Journaling and new language concepts are introduced. In addition to circle time, crafts and sensory activities, children participate in reading/writing readiness activities, science and math projects that prepare them for kindergarten. Friday classes are based on an alphabet curriculum. The crafts, music, and story are all selected to emphasize the special letter of the day. Children are immersed in language which results in phonemic awareness and reading readiness learned in the best way — through play!
Our Classroom
Our preschool classroom consists of two large rooms, one where we have our gathering space for group time and is filled with lots of dramatic/pretend play, motor-skill enriching toys, and a book nook. Our other room is used for art and exploration time where students work on a variety of activities that enrich the day’s theme.
Our Teachers
Lori Ann Rumel
Four Year Old Teacher & Director
Lori Ann Rumel teaches the four-year-old preschool classes. She has a degree in Child Development from Central Michigan University and has taught preschool since 1993. She has been at Troy Co-op since 1998 and taught at another private preschool for six years before joining us. She has been involved with the Teachers Association of the Greater Detroit Cooperative Nursery Council since 1998 and has served on the board since 1999. She has presented workshops for the Teachers Association as well as the Michigan Council of Cooperative Nurseries and Macomb Community College. Lori Ann attended Troy Co-op as a child and her two children have attended Troy Co-op as well.
Andrea Huffman
Three Year Old & Parent-Tot Teacher
Andrea Huffman is our 3-Year-Old and Tots teacher. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Oakland University and went on to get her Master’s Degree from Marygrove College, also in Elementary Education. She taught in the Troy School District for 8 years prior to having her daughter, Lilly (a Troy Co-op graduate), when she decided to become a stay-at-home mom. She served on the TCP Board both years her daughter attended, first as the Auction Chair and then as President. Andrea has been the Tots teacher since 2015 and the three year old teacher since 2023.
Sarah Fraus
Assistant Teacher & Enrichment Teacher
The Child’s Role at Preschool
For the children preschool is fun! It’s a chance to exercise independence and initiative in selecting activities during the less structured portion of the day while also learning to cooperate and participate as a group member during the group activities.
After being individually greeted by the teacher, your child will have the opportunity to participate in some of the following activities each school day: music and movement, art and creative expression, dramatic play, cooking chemistry, science experiences, group time, show and tell, snack time, outdoor play, clean up time, story time, workbench projects, themed activities, parties, field trips, and more!
The Parent’s Role at Preschool
Being a preschool co-op member means that you give an extra bit of your time, and in return, you help create an enriched learning environment for your child and his or her classmates. With parents assisting in the program, our adult-child ratio is usually 1:4, allowing our teachers and assistant teachers to give each child individualized attention.
Parents contribute by attending orientation prior to the first day of school, choosing a preschool job to assist in the running of the school, assisting in the classroom approximately once a month, and attending at least three of four evening meetings throughout the school year.
Our Classroom
The Troy Co-Op classroom is split into two main rooms. In the larger room, we house our group time area and all of our toys. These toys include dramatic and pretend play areas, a reading area, manipulative toys, and a large building section. A large climber with slide is a popular spot for our students.
The smaller room is where we house our easels, art centers, playdough and where we eat our snack. Our classroom has a bathroom and a small teacher workroom.
Outdoors, we have two tire swings, a large sandbox, slides, a playhouse, and more. We try to go outside unless the weather does not allow!
