​Parents and Families

Parent Alison playing guitar to the kids
​
Volunteering
Parents at Via Nova Children’s School are an integral part of our community. We invite you to involve yourself in our program as an opportunity to build connections with our teachers and with other parents. Over the years, Via Nova has developed a volunteering policy that respects parents’ limited time and energy, recognizes that working families need flexibility in how they participate, and that makes the most of parents’ skills. Volunteer hours may be fulfilled doing a special project, sharing skills in the classroom, working at the annual yard sale, or working on school facilities or in the garden. Often these are done in groups and create strong connections between families.

Volunteer Hours
The parent volunteer requirement is:
•    18 hours per year for two-parent families
•    10 hours per year for single parents; and
•    32 hours per year for parents with two children enrolled at one time.

Parent Alison playing guitar to the kids
​
Community Building
Via Nova families also organize an annual local Via Nova camping trip (often at Tilden Park for ease of access), regular play-dates outside of school at a local park, as well as a winter party. Parents sometimes help teachers organize child-focused events like an art show and a simple ceremony to mark graduation from Via Nova.



Picture
   Via Nova Program Information

Picture
Additional Resources
Habitot - Non-profit hands-on art and exploring for 1-5 year olds
Family Paths - Non-profit community service organization
Zero to Three - Great resource for parents concerning parenting issues and all aspects of child development
Bananas - a local childcare child care referral and resources to families with young children
Family Resource Navigators - Alameda County one-on-one  assistance and support for families with children 0-5 with medical, developmental, and social-emotional concerns, as well as individuals 0-21 with special health care needs. 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Online Video Library of Developmental Milestones

​Kindergarten Enrollment Info (Berkeley and Oakland)