Rose Scharlin is a cooperative Nursery School in Los Angeles’ Silver Lake area founded in 1939.
Mission Statement
Our purpose is to provide a safe, secure and challenging environment for our children; to offer them a range of developmentally appropriate activities; and to reflect the diversity of our backgrounds, our community and our world. We emphasize the process of parents and children learning and working together for the social, emotional, physical, intellectual and spiritual growth of all. We cherish each child’s need to play.
We acknowledge and value our differences, and respect our children as unique individuals with their own abilities and needs. We actively seek to challenge the impact of bias on our children in our interactions with them and each other and in our choice of educational materials and activities.
We work to encourage the growth and empowerment of children and adults in building the cooperative community of Rose Scharlin, respecting all individuals as we work toward our shared goals.
History
Rose Scharlin Cooperative Nursery School has the distinction of being the very first cooperative nursery school in the City of Los Angeles and the model upon which local schools patterned themselves. It was founded in 1939 as the Echo Park Cooperative Nursery School, using the facilities of the Echo Park Playground. In March 1946 a number of its members decided to start a similar school for the Silver Lake area and broke away from the original group, taking with them as the new school’s director Mrs. Rose Scharlin.
The new school began as the Lakeview Cooperative Nursery School at the present school site, which was then an abandoned tennis court. Rose Scharlin was, without doubt, the moving force in the school, fostering the idea of parents and children growing and learning together within the group. When Rose Scharlin died in 1948, the name of the school was changed in her memory. In 1955 it merged with the old Echo Park School to become one again.
School Size
Each year Rose Scharlin is comprised of approximately 30 families. Children may attend three, four, or five days a week, depending on readiness and the school’s needs. A maximum of 24 students attend each day under the watchful eyes of two-three teachers and four-six workday parents.
We strive for a ratio of three children per adult, and never reach higher than five children per adult. The school day is primarily experienced outdoors on our lovely hilltop yard, supported by a few indoor spaces for quiet play and small group activities in the classroom. Rainy days are generally treated as an opportunity to get new outdoor experiences on the yard and children are encouraged to play in the rain if they are dressed appropriately.
The Membership
Rose Scharlin is a cooperative, owned and operated by the parents of the current students. Parents participate in the school’s daily operations, administration and maintenance through regular work days as teaching assistants, committee work, fund-raising, and monthly business meetings.
