Join a preschool where play matters!

	January 2026
Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
			1 School Closed - Winter Break School Closed - Winter Break December 29, 2025 - January 2, 2026 See more details Winter Enrichment Class Payments Due Winter Enrichment Class Payments Due January 1, 2026 See more details • •	2 School Closed - Winter Break School Closed - Winter Break December 29, 2025 - January 2, 2026 See more details •	3	4
5 Week 20 Week 20 January 5, 2026 See more details •	6 Metropolis Coffee Fundraiser Metropolis Coffee Fundraiser January 6, 2026 - January 19, 2026 Families Together is partnering with Metropolis Coffee in January to sell bags of their delicious locally roasted coffee. Metropolis (owned by FTCNS alumni!) generously gives Families Together money for every bag purchased through the school. The Metropolis fundraiser starts January 6 and will run through January 19, 2026. Current FTCNS families can forward the school order e-form to family and friends. The family who sells the most bags will win a basket of Metropolis goodies! To order, hit up your favorite Families Together family or email the school at businessmanager@ftcns.org. #metropoliscoffeecompany #metropoliscoffeecompanychicago See more details •	7 Metropolis Coffee Fundraiser Metropolis Coffee Fundraiser January 6, 2026 - January 19, 2026 Families Together is partnering with Metropolis Coffee in January to sell bags of their delicious locally roasted coffee. Metropolis (owned by FTCNS alumni!) generously gives Families Together money for every bag purchased through the school. The Metropolis fundraiser starts January 6 and will run through January 19, 2026. Current FTCNS families can forward the school order e-form to family and friends. The family who sells the most bags will win a basket of Metropolis goodies! To order, hit up your favorite Families Together family or email the school at businessmanager@ftcns.org. #metropoliscoffeecompany #metropoliscoffeecompanychicago See more details •	8 Metropolis Coffee Fundraiser Metropolis Coffee Fundraiser January 6, 2026 - January 19, 2026 Families Together is partnering with Metropolis Coffee in January to sell bags of their delicious locally roasted coffee. Metropolis (owned by FTCNS alumni!) generously gives Families Together money for every bag purchased through the school. The Metropolis fundraiser starts January 6 and will run through January 19, 2026. Current FTCNS families can forward the school order e-form to family and friends. The family who sells the most bags will win a basket of Metropolis goodies! To order, hit up your favorite Families Together family or email the school at businessmanager@ftcns.org. #metropoliscoffeecompany #metropoliscoffeecompanychicago See more details Open Gym! Open Gym! January 8, 2026 3:30 pm - 5:30 pm FTCNS Gym Come up to the gym to play! The Family Support Committee is organizing Open Gym playdates for FTCNS families and siblings throughout the winter months. Enter through the west courtyard doors. Volunteer facilitators are needed. See the whole schedule HERE. See more details • •	9 Metropolis Coffee Fundraiser Metropolis Coffee Fundraiser January 6, 2026 - January 19, 2026 Families Together is partnering with Metropolis Coffee in January to sell bags of their delicious locally roasted coffee. Metropolis (owned by FTCNS alumni!) generously gives Families Together money for every bag purchased through the school. The Metropolis fundraiser starts January 6 and will run through January 19, 2026. Current FTCNS families can forward the school order e-form to family and friends. The family who sells the most bags will win a basket of Metropolis goodies! To order, hit up your favorite Families Together family or email the school at businessmanager@ftcns.org. #metropoliscoffeecompany #metropoliscoffeecompanychicago See more details •	10 Metropolis Coffee Fundraiser Metropolis Coffee Fundraiser January 6, 2026 - January 19, 2026 Families Together is partnering with Metropolis Coffee in January to sell bags of their delicious locally roasted coffee. Metropolis (owned by FTCNS alumni!) generously gives Families Together money for every bag purchased through the school. The Metropolis fundraiser starts January 6 and will run through January 19, 2026. Current FTCNS families can forward the school order e-form to family and friends. The family who sells the most bags will win a basket of Metropolis goodies! To order, hit up your favorite Families Together family or email the school at businessmanager@ftcns.org. #metropoliscoffeecompany #metropoliscoffeecompanychicago See more details Open Gym! Open Gym! January 10, 2026 10:00 am - 12:00 pm FTCNS Gym Come up to the gym to play! The Family Support Committee is organizing Open Gym playdates for FTCNS families and siblings throughout the winter months. Enter through the west courtyard doors. Volunteer facilitators are needed. See the whole schedule HERE. See more details • •	11 Metropolis Coffee Fundraiser Metropolis Coffee Fundraiser January 6, 2026 - January 19, 2026 Families Together is partnering with Metropolis Coffee in January to sell bags of their delicious locally roasted coffee. Metropolis (owned by FTCNS alumni!) generously gives Families Together money for every bag purchased through the school. The Metropolis fundraiser starts January 6 and will run through January 19, 2026. Current FTCNS families can forward the school order e-form to family and friends. The family who sells the most bags will win a basket of Metropolis goodies! To order, hit up your favorite Families Together family or email the school at businessmanager@ftcns.org. #metropoliscoffeecompany #metropoliscoffeecompanychicago See more details •
12 Metropolis Coffee Fundraiser Metropolis Coffee Fundraiser January 6, 2026 - January 19, 2026 Families Together is partnering with Metropolis Coffee in January to sell bags of their delicious locally roasted coffee. Metropolis (owned by FTCNS alumni!) generously gives Families Together money for every bag purchased through the school. The Metropolis fundraiser starts January 6 and will run through January 19, 2026. Current FTCNS families can forward the school order e-form to family and friends. The family who sells the most bags will win a basket of Metropolis goodies! To order, hit up your favorite Families Together family or email the school at businessmanager@ftcns.org. #metropoliscoffeecompany #metropoliscoffeecompanychicago See more details Week 21 Week 21 January 12, 2026 See more details January Board Meeting January Board Meeting January 12, 2026 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm Families Together Cooperative Nursery School All Coop Families welcome! See more details • • •	13 Metropolis Coffee Fundraiser Metropolis Coffee Fundraiser January 6, 2026 - January 19, 2026 Families Together is partnering with Metropolis Coffee in January to sell bags of their delicious locally roasted coffee. Metropolis (owned by FTCNS alumni!) generously gives Families Together money for every bag purchased through the school. The Metropolis fundraiser starts January 6 and will run through January 19, 2026. Current FTCNS families can forward the school order e-form to family and friends. The family who sells the most bags will win a basket of Metropolis goodies! To order, hit up your favorite Families Together family or email the school at businessmanager@ftcns.org. #metropoliscoffeecompany #metropoliscoffeecompanychicago See more details •	14 Metropolis Coffee Fundraiser Metropolis Coffee Fundraiser January 6, 2026 - January 19, 2026 Families Together is partnering with Metropolis Coffee in January to sell bags of their delicious locally roasted coffee. Metropolis (owned by FTCNS alumni!) generously gives Families Together money for every bag purchased through the school. The Metropolis fundraiser starts January 6 and will run through January 19, 2026. Current FTCNS families can forward the school order e-form to family and friends. The family who sells the most bags will win a basket of Metropolis goodies! To order, hit up your favorite Families Together family or email the school at businessmanager@ftcns.org. #metropoliscoffeecompany #metropoliscoffeecompanychicago See more details •	15 Metropolis Coffee Fundraiser Metropolis Coffee Fundraiser January 6, 2026 - January 19, 2026 Families Together is partnering with Metropolis Coffee in January to sell bags of their delicious locally roasted coffee. Metropolis (owned by FTCNS alumni!) generously gives Families Together money for every bag purchased through the school. The Metropolis fundraiser starts January 6 and will run through January 19, 2026. Current FTCNS families can forward the school order e-form to family and friends. The family who sells the most bags will win a basket of Metropolis goodies! To order, hit up your favorite Families Together family or email the school at businessmanager@ftcns.org. #metropoliscoffeecompany #metropoliscoffeecompanychicago See more details Open Gym! Open Gym! January 15, 2026 3:30 pm - 5:30 pm FTCNS Gym Come up to the gym to play! The Family Support Committee is organizing Open Gym playdates for FTCNS families and siblings throughout the winter months. Enter through the west courtyard doors. Volunteer facilitators are needed. See the whole schedule HERE. See more details Mandatory Parent Meeting Mandatory Parent Meeting January 15, 2026 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm See more details • • •	16 Metropolis Coffee Fundraiser Metropolis Coffee Fundraiser January 6, 2026 - January 19, 2026 Families Together is partnering with Metropolis Coffee in January to sell bags of their delicious locally roasted coffee. Metropolis (owned by FTCNS alumni!) generously gives Families Together money for every bag purchased through the school. The Metropolis fundraiser starts January 6 and will run through January 19, 2026. Current FTCNS families can forward the school order e-form to family and friends. The family who sells the most bags will win a basket of Metropolis goodies! To order, hit up your favorite Families Together family or email the school at businessmanager@ftcns.org. #metropoliscoffeecompany #metropoliscoffeecompanychicago See more details •	17 Metropolis Coffee Fundraiser Metropolis Coffee Fundraiser January 6, 2026 - January 19, 2026 Families Together is partnering with Metropolis Coffee in January to sell bags of their delicious locally roasted coffee. Metropolis (owned by FTCNS alumni!) generously gives Families Together money for every bag purchased through the school. The Metropolis fundraiser starts January 6 and will run through January 19, 2026. Current FTCNS families can forward the school order e-form to family and friends. The family who sells the most bags will win a basket of Metropolis goodies! To order, hit up your favorite Families Together family or email the school at businessmanager@ftcns.org. #metropoliscoffeecompany #metropoliscoffeecompanychicago See more details Open Gym! Open Gym! January 17, 2026 10:00 am - 12:00 pm FTCNS Gym Come up to the gym to play! The Family Support Committee is organizing Open Gym playdates for FTCNS families and siblings throughout the winter months. Enter through the west courtyard doors. Volunteer facilitators are needed. See the whole schedule HERE. See more details • •	18 Metropolis Coffee Fundraiser Metropolis Coffee Fundraiser January 6, 2026 - January 19, 2026 Families Together is partnering with Metropolis Coffee in January to sell bags of their delicious locally roasted coffee. Metropolis (owned by FTCNS alumni!) generously gives Families Together money for every bag purchased through the school. The Metropolis fundraiser starts January 6 and will run through January 19, 2026. Current FTCNS families can forward the school order e-form to family and friends. The family who sells the most bags will win a basket of Metropolis goodies! To order, hit up your favorite Families Together family or email the school at businessmanager@ftcns.org. #metropoliscoffeecompany #metropoliscoffeecompanychicago See more details •
19 Metropolis Coffee Fundraiser Metropolis Coffee Fundraiser January 6, 2026 - January 19, 2026 Families Together is partnering with Metropolis Coffee in January to sell bags of their delicious locally roasted coffee. Metropolis (owned by FTCNS alumni!) generously gives Families Together money for every bag purchased through the school. The Metropolis fundraiser starts January 6 and will run through January 19, 2026. Current FTCNS families can forward the school order e-form to family and friends. The family who sells the most bags will win a basket of Metropolis goodies! To order, hit up your favorite Families Together family or email the school at businessmanager@ftcns.org. #metropoliscoffeecompany #metropoliscoffeecompanychicago See more details School Closed - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day School Closed - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day January 19, 2026 See more details Week 22 Week 22 January 19, 2026 See more details • • •	20	21 Animal Architecture Enrichment Class 1/6 Animal Architecture Enrichment Class 1/6 January 21, 2026 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm Welcome to Animal Architecture, where nature meets design! In this hands-on STEM enrichment class, children will explore the amazing homes animals and insects build—like bird nests, beehives, tunnels, and beaver dams. Through creative model-building and playful experiments, children will discover early math, science, and engineering concepts while learning how creatures in the wild design their perfect shelters. It's a fun-filled journey of curiosity, creativity, and construction! Wednesdays from 4 to 5 pm for ages 4-6. See our website for more info and to apply. See more details •	22 Open Gym! Open Gym! January 22, 2026 3:30 pm - 5:30 pm FTCNS Gym Come up to the gym to play! The Family Support Committee is organizing Open Gym playdates for FTCNS families and siblings throughout the winter months. Enter through the west courtyard doors. Volunteer facilitators are needed. See the whole schedule HERE. See more details •	23	24 Admissions Open House Admissions Open House January 24, 2026 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Families Together Cooperative Nursery School, 1500 W Elmdale Ave, Chicago, IL 60660, USA Come see why Families Together is A Preschool Where Play Matters! Open Houses will be held Saturday, January 24 and Saturday, February 21 from 10 a.m. to noon. Bring the whole family to play in the classrooms; learn about our play-based, emergent curriculum; get to know our families and teachers; and get a “feel” for the school! Applications for new families are due March 1. Apply online at www.ftcns.org. See more details •	25
26 Week 23 Week 23 January 26, 2026 See more details Vision & Hearing Screenings - Junipers & Willows Vision & Hearing Screenings - Junipers & Willows January 26, 2026 9:00 am - 11:00 am See more details Vision & Hearing Screenings - Oaks Vision & Hearing Screenings - Oaks January 26, 2026 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm See more details • • •	27 Story Studio/Winter Edition Enrichment Class 1/6 Story Studio/Winter Edition Enrichment Class 1/6 January 27, 2026 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm Families Together Cooperative Nursery School, 1500 W Elmdale Ave, Chicago, IL 60660, USA Tuesdays, 3:30 to 5 p.m., for 6 weeks from January 27 to March 3 Open to current and alumni FTCNS students as well as the broader community, ages 4 (by 9/1/25) to 6. 10 spots available. Back by popular demand this winter edition of Story Studio will feature all new books and activities! Art, movement, puppets, and pretending are just a few of the creative play activities offered in Story Studio. We’ll base our play on folk or fairy tales drawn from a variety of traditions and cultures. Using many different methods and media, children will be invited to represent the story, setting, and characters. For example, children might enjoy a reading of the tale “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” followed by opportunities to act out the plot using puppets or costumes, build “cocoons” out of clay, and draw maps or pictures that show different scenes and locations in the story. Taught by teacher Jill Victorine and alumni teacher Molly Roudebush. Story Studio/Winter Edition Application - Winter 2026 See more details •	28 Animal Architecture Enrichment Class 2/6 Animal Architecture Enrichment Class 2/6 January 28, 2026 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm Welcome to Animal Architecture, where nature meets design! In this hands-on STEM enrichment class, children will explore the amazing homes animals and insects build—like bird nests, beehives, tunnels, and beaver dams. Through creative model-building and playful experiments, children will discover early math, science, and engineering concepts while learning how creatures in the wild design their perfect shelters. It's a fun-filled journey of curiosity, creativity, and construction! Wednesdays from 4 to 5 pm for ages 4-6. See our website for more info and to apply. See more details •	29 Vision & Hearing Screenings - Junipers & Willows Vision & Hearing Screenings - Junipers & Willows January 29, 2026 9:00 am - 10:30 am FTCNS See more details Open Gym! Open Gym! January 29, 2026 3:30 pm - 5:30 pm FTCNS Gym Come up to the gym to play! The Family Support Committee is organizing Open Gym playdates for FTCNS families and siblings throughout the winter months. Enter through the west courtyard doors. Volunteer facilitators are needed. See the whole schedule HERE. See more details • •	30	31 Open Gym! Open Gym! January 31, 2026 10:00 am - 12:00 pm FTCNS Gym Come up to the gym to play! The Family Support Committee is organizing Open Gym playdates for FTCNS families and siblings throughout the winter months. Enter through the west courtyard doors. Volunteer facilitators are needed. See the whole schedule HERE. See more details •

It was in this little classroom that my child got to experience “school” for the first time, in the most beautiful sense of the word. This little classroom where everything is, quite honestly, just right. Just the way it should be. Full of passion and creativity; song and movement; exploration and encouragement. This is what preschool should be. And I’m the lucky mom who made the choice to set my kids up for success and joy by giving them the absolute best start to school that any kid could get.

We all see what’s here, the amazing teachers and staff who are treated fairly and with respect. The incredible classrooms and the wonderful hours we all spend here. The community that supports each other ways I’ve never seen before. But Families Together has done so much more than that for us. it has been an honor and a privilege to have been part of it for so long.

At Families Together our son is gently and joyfully challenged to explore new ideas. The "emergent curriculum" takes into consideration the students' interests and honors their natural sense of curiosity. Our son is also learning how to work with others, advocate for himself and peacefully work through peer-conflicts. But, best of all, he wakes up every day excited to go to school!

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January 2026

What our parents have to say…

Come See Why Families Together is a
Preschool Where Play Matters!

Open Houses for the Whole Family

Saturday January 24, 2026, 10 a.m. to noon
Saturday, February 21, 2026, 10 a.m. to noon

For more information, click HERE.

Applications for new families due March 1, 2026