Rose Scharlin Cooperative Nursery School

Our family spent six wonderful years being a part of the Rose Scharlin community while our two kids attended. The school's cooperative structure means that it needs to be a fit for your family, but if it is, it's a truly fantastic place for kids to go to preschool. The outdoor setting is unmatched - a beautiful oasis in the heart of the big city, and the community the school offers is also so, so valuable. That when you attend you get to know a group of families with kids the same age as yours, and you are provided with parenting resources, makes these early (and often very challenging!) years of parenting so much easier. A co-op is definitely a time commitment too, but for our family Rose Scharlin was truly wonderful and we are so, so happy with the preschool experience our kids had there.

My family has been impressed with the Rose Scharlin community. My first kid started at a non co op preschool in 2018, but by Spring of 2020 we were ready for an all outdoors campus and lots of whole family connections. Both my kids joined together in 2020 and had a great time. The parents really make this school (along with the commitment and support of our wonderful director and teacher). But I can't understate the way the families create and run this school. It is a really sweet whole family experience, with plenty of elbow grease, but a lot of care and solidarity as well. For my two kids, an all outdoor, child-driven, play-based place is exactly what we were looking for!

Our family spent 2.5 wonderful years at Rose Scharlin. The lovely campus is nestled in the hills of Silver Lake, and the play-based approach means the kids have the chance to run and play in this idyllic outdoor setting every day. The half-day structure and time commitments of the co-op will not suit everyone, but our family was grateful we were able to make it work. It gave us the chance to spend more time with our child than a traditional school affords. It was also wonderful to be part of a community of parents. Being part of this preschool gave us so much support and joy during these (sometimes tough) early years and gave our daughter resilience, confidence and hours of happy childhood.

Rose Scharlin is a magical little pre-school where young kiddos get the chance to grow and develop at their own pace in a loving supportive environment. My children LOVE going to school. They love Gilbert (the director) and Wendy (the teacher) and feel safe and supported by them. They get to be outside (on a magical yard), get dirty, play with other kids, make friends (and learn how to interact with those friends), learn new art projects, be creative and are introduced to a daily rhythm that gently prepares them for the next step of attending a more traditional school. As a co-op, this school does require a fair amount of involvement and participation. While it can be tough on time, our family loves this aspect of it. We truly feel like we’ve connected with other families and we truly feel involved in our kid’s school at an age where they love and appreciate that. This involvement has also led to a community of folks that all have a say in what happens at the school, which has been integral in us all handling the COVID pandemic with respect, understanding and the safety of all of our families at the forefront of our decisions. If you have the ability to choose a co-op pre-school, Rose Scharlin is definitely a winner.

Our son will start his 2nd year at Rose Scharlin in September. We love this place for the outdoors learning experience. Growing fruits and vegetables, hens, nature walks, climbing, bikes, all the monthly activities/themes. This place is the best.