San Anselmo Cooperative Nursery School
Our Community
The CoOp is a unique, community-based philosophy that involves the active participation of parents in their child’s education. By sharing experiences, insights, joys and struggles, relationships are nurtured and friendships are made within the entire community of our school. Parents work closely with our teachers to enhance their ability to interpret child behavior and to influence it constructively. They also grow more objective about their own child's development by observing and understanding many children, each time they work at the school. Many of the cooking, art, and science projects, as well as circle times, are provided by parents, so the curriculum is ever-changing and draws upon the experience and knowledge of participants. This structure is the backbone of our program, and relies on parent ingenuity, teamwork and labor, to help keep fees low and the program available to a wide spectrum of people.
The CoOp is run by an experienced board of current parents that use their experience at the Coop, as well as guidance from alumni board members, to make decisions that will positively affect the current and future years of coop students and families. All parents are required to participate in monthly business meetings to play an active part in how the school is run and be involved in the important decisions for the school. This parent-run approach provides a feeling of ownership for all families and allows everyone to have a say in how their children learn.
Outside of the classroom, the CoOp fosters a creative and loving community amongst the members. There are multiple events throughout the year to help grow our tight knit community and create relationships between the parents and children.
A few highlights include:
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Fall and Spring Camping trips in Olema
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Pumpkin Patch Visits
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Beach Days
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Halloween Parade
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Thanksgiving Potluck
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Dine Out Fundraising Events
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Movie Nights at the CoOp
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Holiday Parties
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Spring Fundraising Event at Peri’s
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Participating in the Fairfax Parade
The backbone of the school is the parents' involvement. The CoOp is a place for families that want to be involved in their child’s early education and find a group of like-minded parents and caregivers that strive to create resilient, loving, and nurtured children that will succeed in today’s world.
Our Incredible Teachers
Miss Rebecca
Director
Rebecca Nowlen has been an educator in California since 1999, with over ten years of experience directing cooperative preschools, including at San Anselmo Co-op Nursery School, preceded by five years as a co-op parent herself. She is a graduate of UC Berkeley in English Literature, holds a Master's degree in Educational Leadership, and has completed Associate Degree programs in liberal arts and music. She has been a certified Hand in Hand Parenting instructor since 2015.
Both of her children are co-op children, and Rebecca is inspired by the community of support that co-ops foster. Her highest goal is to foster a community that honors individualism while providing mutual understanding and trust among the children and between the families.
Miss Lizzy
Lead Morning Teacher
Lizzie's Co-op story began as a parent when her two children attended the Co-op (her husband is also a Co-op alumni!). After her second child moved on to kindergarten, she began her studies in Early Childhood Education and waited patiently for a position to open up at the coop. In the meantime, she worked as a teacher at another local preschool, volunteered in her children's classrooms, and ran a playgroup in Fairfax. She is now very excited to be entering her fifth year as a teacher in the morning and afternoon programs.
Lizzie brings a thoughtful and nurturing approach to her work at the Co-op with the hope that every child in her care feels seen and valued. She holds an AA in Behavioral Sciences from College of Marin as well as coursework in Child Development and ECE. Lizzie lives with her family in Fairfax. She enjoys all things artsy- painting, drawing, good music, quirky films and so on. She also really likes cats.
Love & kind words from our community
"San Anselmo Cooperative Nursery School has been an incredible experience for our family over the last three years. The school and the community are truly unmatched. We've faced challenges together, from an oak tree falling on the school to moving to a temporary location, and now we're in the process of moving back to the Myrtle location in San Anselmo. Every challenge has only brought the community closer. Coming from a more conventional preschool setting, where I mainly saw other parents at drop-off and pick-up, this co-op has been such an eye-opener. The level of involvement and connection is amazing. We moved to Marin three years ago, and without the co-op, we wouldn't have adjusted to our new home so quickly. I highly recommend this school to any family looking for a nurturing, tight-knit community for their child." ~ Kang Family
"The quality of care that the Director and Teachers provide and then teach to the Parent Teachers is exceptional. Kids learn to check in with each other when there's a conflict and are provided uninterrupted space to play and sort out their disagreements with support. The community built each year amongst the parents is like no other and so crucial for us during the intense years of raising little humans." ~ Scott Family