Co-Op Preschool Invites Alums to Join the Parade in Celebration of 50th Anniversary!

The Manchester Co-op Preschool gathered for the 2014 Fair Parade, and now is looking for Co-op alumni to join them in Friday night's Christmas in the Village parade.

This year the Manchester Cooperative Preschool  is planning a very special float to participate in the Christmas in the Village parade this Friday night. All current pupils and alumni are invited to be a part of this celebration of the preschool's 50th anniversary. Hot beverages and cookies will be served in the parking lot of Andrews Family Chiropractic following the parade. The next morning, Saturday, from 8 a.m. to noon, the preschool will be hosting a Mom-To-Mom Sale at Manchester High School.

The Co-op Preschool began in the summer of 1963 when Mr. & Mrs. Dick Kuntz, Mr. & Mrs. Roger Marrison, Mr. & Mrs. Russell Wolff, Mr. & Mrs. Titus Schneider and Mr. & Mrs. James Scott realized a need for a preschool program for their children. There were many such nursery schools, both in Ann Arbor and other surrounding towns, but distance always made the idea seem too remote to be practical for local families.

The five mothers, along with some assistance from people affiliated with the Huron Valley Council of Cooperative Nurseries and friends, began working toward beginning a cooperative preschool in Manchester. During that first summer, a possible schoolroom was investigated and the search for a teacher began. The Rowe's Corner School was strongly considered at first, but it was discovered that too many repairs were needed for the budget at that time. The group finally settled on the nursery rooms of Emanuel United Church of Christ for a location, and selected Dolores Wolff as teacher. Both decisions produced happy results.

The first session of preschool was held January 9, 1964 with five children in attendance meeting every Tuesday and Thursday from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. In 2007, after 43 years in its original location, the preschool moved to its current location in the Ackerson Educational Center on City Road.

The preschool has been privileged to have many fine teachers in its long history. The following is a list of former Manchester Cooperative Preschool teachers, listed alphabetically: Kelly Ball, Barb Boehler, Amy Chandler, Susan Cole, Shar DuFresne, Linda Ebersole, Sherri Finkbeiner, Carol Greenway, Diane Hawker, Diane Hughes, Eloise Kemner, Simendea Kissman, Arlene Klosiewicz-Walz, Judy Mann, Liz Marry, Katie Marsh, Karen Meyer, Jennifer Nesbitt-Brewer, Marilyn Schulze, Sue Sharai, Danielle VanBogelen, Jan Wizgird, and Delores Wolff. The present teachers are Shelby Chartrand and Brandi Royer.

The Manchester Co-op Preschool would like to extend a special thank you to those first five families who spent so much of their time and energy to start this enduring tradition: The Kuntz family, the Marrison family, the Wolff family, the Schneider family, and the Scott family. Who knew back then that 50 years later there would be hundreds of co-op alumni and an enthusiastic group leading this venture into the future?

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.