Families Together Cooperative Nursery School - FTCNS

When these FTCNS alums had their lemonade stand last week they opted to give a portion of their proceeds to their preschool alma mater! Thank you!

What I Did on My Summer Vacation: Willows, Lunch Bunch & Friday Nature Play Teacher Kirsten Ruckdeschel Edition

Kirsten and her family made the most of summer with a trip to Gulf Shores for a family reunion, and Lolla with her girls. The family also went to Bar Harbor/Acadia National Park where they did a lot of hiking including the Bar Island Trail which is only accessible for 1.5 hours before and after low tide. Cadillac Mountain was especially beautiful and it's one of the first places in the continental United States to see the sun.

Looking forward to more dance parties in the new school year!

Families Together has partnered with the Caroline Pratt Center to host an educator conference this coming spring!

The Midwest Blocks Summit will take place at our school April 23 and 24, 2027. This collaboration is the result of Families Together participation in the 2026 East Coast Blocks Summit last spring when Willows teachers Jill Victorine and Kirsten Ruckdeschel presented a workshop in New York City.

This is an exciting opportunity for our school to take the lead as a model school for early learning and play advocacy in the Chicago area.

SALE IS OPEN!
We are partnering with local JOCO Growers for a new fundraiser. JOCO grows premium greenhouse quality mums in Indiana. This sale is ONLINE ONLY, easy to share with friends and family! And we have a special prize for the current FTCNS family who raises the most money!

We are offering two products:
1. HARVEST MUMS | Stand-Alone mums in black growers pot - 4 color choices/$16
2. MUM BUDDIES | Mum Buddies come with mum. Choose a Buddy & choose a color!/$30-$34

Kick Off: Monday, August 10th, 2026
Online Store Closes: Wednesday, September 9th, 2026
Delivery to FTCNS: Thursday, September 17th, 2026 at 12 p.m.

The current FTCNS family who raises the most money will win a Director for a Day with Director Ann this spring! Your child will spend two hours with Ann, getting to experience what it's like to be a real preschool director!

Order from your fav current FTCNS family or get a link from [email protected]

Building (plastic) worm obstacle courses with the Oaks class.

School starts one month from today!

What I Did on My Summer Vacation: Director Ann Gadzikowski Edition

FTCNS director, Ann Gadzikowski, and her daughter visited their favorite spots in Door County including Cana Island Lighthouse, Eagle Bluff Lighthouse, and Chambers Island Lighthouse.