Granville Parent Co-op Preschool's free children’s concert in celebration of their 75th
anniversary
Granville Parent Co-op Preschool (GPCP) is throwing a party—and everyone is invited.
On Saturday, August 12, 2018, from 11 am-1:30 pm, GPCP will host a free children’s concert at
Wildwood Park, 700 W. Broadway in Granville. Children will be greeted by a balloon artist, face
painting and other activities, culminating in a noon performance by Eric “Mr. Eric” Ahlteen,
whose interactive music program engages children and parents alike. Food will be available for
purchase from local food trucks Mai Chau and SteamRoller Bagel Sandwiches.
The occasion for this event is a celebration of GPCP’s 75th anniversary. As Granville’s oldest
preschool, the co-op has proudly contributed to Granville’s reputation of excellence in education
since 1943. What started as a wartime service project has blossomed into a cornerstone of the
community, instilling “a lifelong love of learning” in hundreds of young children over the years.
Some parents are preschool alumni, having attended the school as children themselves.
“We’re excited to share the spirit of our little school with the greater community,” says Samantha
Stearns, outgoing GPCP president. “A concert is an ideal celebratory act—we can applaud 75
years as a co-op while having a great time with Mr. Eric!”
Stearns and the rest of the co-op’s parent-run board are grateful to the Granville Community
Foundation for funding the concert through a grant. “The foundation’s generosity made it
possible for us to broaden and enrich the cultural experiences offered to our community’s
children,” she says.
With five classes for children ages two through five, GPCP places an emphasis on play-based
learning. Its principle educational goal is to expose children to diverse learning experiences that
will develop their curiosity, love of learning, security, self-concept and sense of belonging to a
world that is interesting to them and interested in them.
Being part of a cooperative preschool allows parents to engage directly with how the school
functions. While GPCP’s certified teachers develop all curricula and teach all classes, each coop
family becomes involved in their child’s experience, by volunteering for the board of
directors, serving as parent helper during class time and/or completing annual parent projects.
“This chance to be present in their school day is fleeting, as they go off to ‘big-kid school’ soon
enough and we are not given as many opportunities to catch a glimpse of our thriving child
among his/her peers,” Stearns says. Many co-op parents find they gain insight about their child
intellectually, emotionally and socially, because they are able to observe their child first-hand
during school activities.
The children’s concert will be held rain or shine. For more event information, visit http://bit.ly/coop75.
To learn more about Granville Parent Co-op Preschool, which is still enrolling for the
2018-19 school year, visit granvillepreschool.org.
CONTACT: Samantha Stearns, 419-349-1033, samantha.basting@gmail.com
