Saturday: Multi-Generation Preschool Celebrates 60 Years with Casino Night for Parents

 (CVPNS), a school that was established in 1949, will host a fundraiser that doubles as a community celebration on Saturday.

The Hawaiian-themed event, complete with a Hawaiian buffet and entertainment, is titled “Vegas in the Valley” and will run from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Castro Valley Moose Lodge, .

CVPNS, best known in the community for having the coolest float in the annual , is located in a modified private home. Families from San Leandro, San Lorenzo, Hayward, Castro Valley and Livermore attend.

Patti Brohard is the school's director and emphasizes a play-based preschool philosophy. She is also vice president of the state board of the California Council of Parent Participation Preschools. 

“The key to successful participation in a cooperative preschool is hard work, preparation and learning from one's mistakes, said Brohard. "I believe this motto has helped me to successfully lead this terrific community. I’m so happy to be its director as we celebrate this significant milestone in our history.”

Saurday's adults-only event celebrates the preschool's more than 60 years as a part of the Castro Valley community. It will include dinner, blackjack tables, a roulette wheel, live entertainment, dancing and a silent auction.

A raffle will offer prizes including a Pier 39 family fun gift pack, an Apple iPod, Great America tickets, two rounds of golf at Los Positas Golf Course, and trapeze lessons.

Like Parent, Like Child

Some of the parents with children currently at CVPNS attended the preschool themselves at ages 3 and 4.

Monica Hubbard, a Castro Valley resident, is one of them. 

 “I remember most the creative aspects of my preschool days," said Hubbard. "I met my best friend there and even today I have a picture of her in my kitchen. My friend and I wanted to open our own preschool because we wanted to emulate the CVPNS experience, the free play.

"It turns out we both went into teaching. Miss Jean, the school’s director at that time, had much to do with our decision to do so.“ 

How does Hubbard feel about having her son at the same preschool now?

“I always knew I would send him there," she said. "I love that the kids get to be kids.  It is fun to watch them learn to play, learn to socialize, learn to learn.” 

Every day, five parents join the director to help oversee the children. Kids dress up like astronauts in the dramatic playroom, help with creative food crafts in the kitchen, discover “what gets trapped in a spider’s web” in the science room, or play “house” in the doll room. Outdoors, they assist in the fruit and vegetable garden, dig in the huge sandbox and run around and between two large yards with play structures.

Katey Pronske’s 4-year-old has an older sibling, age 6, who attended the school and another, age 2, who will attend in the future. 

“My kids have really blossomed as they have learned how to interact respectfully with other children while gaining confidence in themselves under the care and guidance of our fantastic director, Patti,” Pronske said.

Some families with multiple children enroll their first child at the preschool and find themselves part of the community for more than half a decade.

“I feel very fortunate to have found Patti and CVPNS," said Castro Valley mom Stacey Teshima. "With three kids, we'll be at CVPNS for six years. Because CVPNS is a co-op school we are very involved. We work one day a week at the school, we attend weekly parent education meetings and I serve on the board. If we had chosen a "drop off and pick up" preschool, our kids would learn, but as parents we would have had very limited opportunities to learn new parenting skills." 

The Details

Businesses wishing to donate goods or services to support the school, in exchange for publicity at the event, as well as those wishing to purchase tickets should contact Gwen Schlatter, 510-331-4020 or by email, Tschlatter3@comcast.net.

Admission to the fundraiser is $20 per person, which includes dinner and $5 in gaming chips. VIP packages are also available and include admission for two and $60 in gaming chips.

If you cannot attend the event but wish to support the preschool, please do so online  (www.cvpns.org/donate.)

Parents interested in learning more about the preschool can visit it online (www.cvpns.org) or contact the membership director at membership@cvpns.org.

For more information, to arrange a visit to the school or on the night of the casino event, please contact Katey Pronske at 510-728-1235 or at kateypronske@yahoo.com.