Business Details
29 Years
experience
Cooperative Preschool in Park City, UT
Founded in 1997, Shining Stars School is Park City's only cooperative preschool dedicated to fostering early childhood development through play-based learning and family engagement. Our program combines the nationally recognized Creative Curriculum with the Zoo-phonics literacy program to align with Utah Core Curriculum standards while maintaining a child-centered approach. With four fully credentialed lead teachers and staff trained in CPR, First Aid, and state-mandated child care protocols, we maintain rigorous safety and educational standards through regular state and county inspections. Our cooperative model uniquely integrates parents as classroom assistants, creating a 6:1 student-to-educator ratio that ensures personalized attention. As a nonprofit governed by a parent board, we emphasize community building through mandatory parent involvement, including classroom co-op days, volunteer positions, and family events.Our curriculum prioritizes social-emotional growth alongside academic foundations, with structured activities designed to nurture curiosity, creativity, and early literacy skills. The school's physical environment features purpose-built classrooms with controlled capacity limits - 10 students in our Blue Stars (3-4 year-olds) program and 16 in Red Stars (4-5 year-olds), both operating under strict licensing requirements. Through this collaborative framework, we've cultivated a tight-knit educational community where children develop foundational skills while families form lasting connections.
Services
Blue Stars Program
Red Stars Program
Extended Day Option
Cooperative Preschool Model
Utah Core Curriculum
Details
- Year established: 1997
Highlights and features
- We maintain a 6:1 student-to-educator ratio through parent co-op involvement
- All staff complete 10+ hours of annual child care training and CPR certification
- Our program aligns with Utah Core Curriculum standards through Zoo-phonics integration
- We operate under active Utah State Child Care License with regular inspections
- Our nonprofit model offers reduced tuition through parent volunteer participation
What people say
Tight-knit community
Thriving education
Close teacher relationships
Positive reinforcement
Developmental growth
Services
Blue Stars Program
Our Blue Stars classroom serves children aged 3-4 years with flexible 2-3 day weekly schedules. The program focuses on foundational social skills and sensory exploration through structured play activities designed to prepare children for formal education while maintaining a 9:00am-12:45pm daily schedule.
Red Stars Program
The Red Stars program prepares 4-5 year-olds for kindergarten with four-day weekly attendance. Our curriculum emphasizes early literacy and numeracy through Zoo-phonics integration while maintaining developmentally appropriate practices in a 9:00am-12:45pm daily format with maximum 16 students.
Extended Day Option
Available on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, our extended day program runs 12:45pm-2:30pm. This optional add-on provides additional learning opportunities through enrichment activities while maintaining the same low student-to-educator ratios as our core programs.
Cooperative Preschool Model
Our unique co-op model requires parent involvement as classroom assistants approximately once monthly. This approach creates exceptional transparency into classroom activities while fostering community connections through shared responsibilities like meal preparation and cleanup.
Utah Core Curriculum
We implement Utah Core standards through play-based learning experiences adapted from The Creative Curriculum. Our program balances mandated educational benchmarks with individualized attention, ensuring children develop foundational knowledge across key subject areas through developmentally appropriate methods.
People
Ms. Melissa
Red Star Teacher
BA in Sociology with Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. 16 years Park City resident. Specializes in early literacy development through interactive learning experiences.
Ms. Kristi
Red Star Teacher
BA in Psychology and Criminal Justice with teaching credential. 12 years local experience. Focuses on social-emotional learning through structured play activities.
Ms. Amanda
Blue Star Teacher
Interdisciplinary Studies degree with early childhood certification. Six years elementary education experience. Emphasizes outdoor learning and nature-based exploration.
Ms. Rachel
Blue Star Teacher
Elementary Education graduate with kindergarten teaching background. Ten years Park City educator. Specializes in sensory development and creative expression.
Questions
What defines a cooperative preschool model?
Our co-op model requires parent participation as classroom assistants, creating unique family engagement opportunities while maintaining professional teacher leadership and state licensing standards.
How does parent involvement work?
Parents serve as classroom aides approximately once monthly, assist with special events, and fulfill volunteer roles while attending mandatory meetings and clean-up days.
What curriculum do you use?
We implement The Creative Curriculum framework aligned with Utah Core standards, enhanced by Zoo-phonics literacy program components for early reading development.
What are classroom ratios?
Our 6:1 student-to-educator ratio combines credentialed teachers, aides, and co-op parents to ensure personalized attention in classes limited to 10 (Blue Stars) or 16 (Red Stars) students.
Are meals provided?
Children bring packed lunches daily. Extended Day participants receive snacks like crackers or granola bars. We accommodate food allergies with advance notice from parents.
How do you handle special needs?
We work individually with families to address behavioral or developmental concerns through teacher consultations and customized classroom strategies while maintaining inclusive practices.
