Upcycling: Recyclable supplies we collect all through the year

At Suburban we believe in the importance of your child’s creativity. Our teacher leads the class through guided arts and crafts daily. These projects go along with the daily lesson plan and theme. Arts and crafts help your child develop fine motor skills needed to move forward in their education. We also have free paint on easels open daily, led by our helping parent of the day, during free play time. At times you will be requested to bring in items from home to upcycle and use as supplies for our projects.

Common items we can use throughout the year are:
orange juice cartons (rinsed)
newspapers
magazines
empty toilet paper and paper towel rolls
Pringles can lids (rinsed)
Cool Whip lids (rinsed)
Empty 2 liter bottles (rinsed)
egg cartons

Meet our Teacher and Director: Jan Lorko

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Jan Lorko is the teacher and director of Suburban Cooperative Nursery School. She received her Early Childhood Education and Language Arts degree from the University of Akron, and she was awarded the Phi Theta Kappa Fraternity Honorary. She has 25 years of experience teaching preschoolers, working primarily as an early childhood daycare administrator; for two of those years she worked as an area coordinator for thirteen centers in the Cleveland and Akron areas.

Her cooperative journey began in 1989 when her oldest daughter began preschool at Suburban Co-op. She valued the diverse enrollment, as children from surrounding communities were welcomed at the preschool. In addition, she believed in Suburban’s “Education hand-in-hand” philosophy that involved the teacher, parent, and child. Seeing the benefits that a cooperative education had on all three of her children spurred her to join the Suburban Cooperative teaching team in 2000 as teacher and assistant director. In 2008 She became the director and head teacher for Suburban's program.

When she isn’t cooperatively working with preschoolers and parents, she enjoys cooking, hanging out with her family, improving her golf game, and eating her way through new restaurants in Cleveland. She is currently a supporter of her children: her youngest daughter, a college student; her son, who is pursuing a career in school counseling; and her oldest daughter, who teaches Language Arts at a school for special needs students.

Great Preschool reads for back to school!

There is so much fun, excitement, and sometimes nervous feelings when beginning the school year. Reading with your child is a great way to celebrate and reassure your child in his or her new school endevors.  Here are 9 great titles to share with your preschooler when sending them to school for the first time! 

1. It's Time for Preschool! - Esme Raji Codell

2. Rosie Goes to Preschool - Karen Katz

3. Amelia Bedelia: First Day of School - Herman Perish

4. Berenstain Bears Go to School - Stan & Jan Berenstain

5. Pete the Cat's Got Class - James Dean

6. Mouses First Day of School - Lauren Thompson

7. I am Too Absolutely Small for School - Lauren Child

8. David Goes to School. - David Shannon

9. Guess How Much I Love You - Sam McBratney