Children from the Middletown Cooperative Preschool add cheese to their snack on a recent field trip to Jerry's Pizza on South Main Street. The preschool has recently hired a new teacher to replace Wendy Berlind, who will retire in June after 30 years' association with the school. Charla McCoy, of Cromwell, comes to the preschool with 10 years' experience working with young children as a teacher and director. She has taught at St. Paul Christian School in Westport, the Marlborough Cooperative Nursery School, and the Wethersfield United Methodist Church Nursery School, all in Connecticut. Ms. McCoy holds a bachelor's degree in Speech and Hearing from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. Her Connecticut credentials include a head teacher's certificate and a director's credential. Run by parents, the Middletown Co-op encourages parental involvement in the classroom every day, and provides a nurturing and developmentally appropriate environment in which children learn to get along with others and express their creativity. The school is fortunate to have found a well qualified teacher/director to carry on this work
