Haight Ashbury Community Nursery School

Haight Ashbury Community Nursery School deposited the $ 50 fee I sent in with my son’s application and then never got in touch with us. No interview, no informational session invite, not even a «sorry we’re full» letter — nothing. Which is rude, considering admissions are part of their job. I tried my best to find out what happened — emailed the address they have listed as their contact on their website — no response. Called — the phone rang 30+ times before I gave up. Finally I contacted them via Facebook. Someone responded saying they would look into what happened and yup, you guessed it, that was over a month ago and they haven’t gotten back to me, even when I sent a follow-​up message. Clearly these folks are disorganized and they don’t care about having families from the neighborhood as part of their school. Lesson learned, HACNS. Can I have my $ 50 back please?

Both of my children went to this school. I have nothing but wonderful things to say about it. It is a co-​op and the strength lies with its members. It is open, play-​based, and the children thrive.

This school is so great, we decided to come back! We’ve been involved with some other cooperatives in the city and HACNS truly lives by the tenants of cooperative education. Cocoa sets the standard for a loving and welcoming environment while the parents build a community of supporters for children’s growth and development.
We first joined this school with our oldest in 2006 and had a great year. Our son was nurtured while at the same time offered space to express his individuality and creativity. He is now an honors student with beyond grade level skills and has been a key member of his classroom. HACNS is very diverse and this has helped our son in recognizing ability and working to include everyone. As Cocoa says, «everyone is a friend at school.» Many languages are spoken, many different families are represented, lots of different backgrounds are celebrated. This foundation for inclusion has given my son the background to now be a leader in his class in including all children. Since 1^st grade he has been placed next to students who need a little extra help, whether from learning or behavioral issues, and he has helped them during class to keep them focused on the correct page, or helped to answer questions or remind them to sit in their seat. It’s a big responsibility but I know he’s comfortable in this role, due in part to his experience with inclusion and acceptance at HACNS.
Eight years later we’re back. When I came with my youngest for a play time at the co-​op Cocoa and the parents welcomed us warmly. We felt right at home and in many ways it felt like a home coming. One of my favorite aspects about this school is that after all these years we still know what to expect. There is a level of consistency that isn’t so true for some of the other co-​ops in the city. Even though the families change, as children grow and move on to elementary education, Cocoa’s consistent and whole hearted presence means the things you love about the school the first time you visit, will still be there when you graduate. If you have more children later, you’ll enjoy the same, wonderful experience with future children as well.
We choose to live in San Francisco because of the diverse population and the opportunities it affords our family to interact with and enjoy all types of people. One of my favorite parts of HACNS is listening to the helper parents and children speaking in a variety of languages (on Friday alone I heard 4 different languages within 5 minutes at pick up). I love the community that is built from city families coming together to create a space for our children to learn and grow.
When I ask my children why they love HACNS they extoll the virtues of the outdoor space, the time reading and snuggling with Cocoa in the good-​morning room, the bubbles and water play, digging big holes in the sand with their friends, music with Gail, and most of all, HAVING FUN.
If you are at all interested in cooperative education, HACNS is a wonderful place to check out. A true community spirit that has grown for 40+ years, in a city space, maintained and nurtured by the amazing Cocoa, with help from generations of families, all working in concert to create a space where children experience the best parts childhood — freedom, creativity, love, and exploration.

We wanted to find a place where our boy could play. Where he could meet friends, learn how to use his growing limbs, practice new skills, hear amazing stories. And most of all, have fun! So we plodded into Grattan Playground, heads hung low because we hadn’t found the right place to be in the world. And then… with warm sand between our toes, giggles and swings all around us, Cocoa appeared with a big smile and a band of happy children following her. This co-​op has been there longer than most of us parents have been alive. And it’s as perfect as you could hope it would be. Friendships are made, stories are read, potions are created, forests are explored, frogs are held and songs are sung. Parents follow Cocoa the Director just as the children do — because she knows just how to make everything perfect. Every day, I’m grateful that my family is part of this wonderful place.

Following up on a comment from another reviewer, I wanted to say that the 2013 – 2014 year brought us some challenges that have since been resolved: it wasn’t the right fit for a few parents who chose our co-​operative school and ultimately, those families chose to leave our nursery school at the end of 2013.
I thought it was worth pointing out that unanimously, each of us reviewers agree in our reviews that our Director, Cocoa, is fantastic. To that end, I am reprinting below Cocoa’s letter in full, which was printed in our school’s monthly newsletter in January 2014, which demonstrates the qualities and values Cocoa shares with our children, our families, and our community:
***
Cocoa’s Corner
Naomi White’s Legacy: The Haight Ashbury Co-​op Nursery School
There are numerous problems in this world. I won’t list them — you’re familiar with many. Having said that, I would like to convey to you how grateful I am to work for a program that is so positive, healthy and rare — an island of goodness and humanity run by people who pay for the privilege of working for their children’s school as well as serving the community.
I well remember the first day I visited our school in search of a good place to gently expand my own children’s horizons. I spoke with Naomi, the incredible woman who designed and lead our school through its first twelve years. I was impressed with her kindness and wisdom and the genuine, reciprocal love she had for the children. I intuitively felt the positive energy of the lucky, free-​ranging kids playing. I looked no further; I knew I wanted Naomi as my children’s first teacher. Naomi became my mentor and inspired me to become the teacher of young children, also. That was more than 20 years ago. I felt honored when the co-​op hired me when Naomi decided to pursue other work. (She became the teacher of pregnant teenagers in the school system, instructing them about child development and care.)
Our co-​op is a place where children are nurtured and have a sense of belongingness. It’s a place where children thrive. Our school is, also, a place where grown-​ups have their hearts open up to other children, other families. It is a living work of art that unfolds day-​by-​day and year-​by-​year through the pooling of diverse temperaments and talents that spreads a ripple effect of positive energy through the community and through the world. Our co-​op family continues to expand as the lasting bonds of friendship are formed.
Each year the co-​op has had to face challenges and each year I am reminded how vitally important our alumni are with their collective experience, wisdom, support and fields of expertise they consistently bring to help meet our challenges.
Our school continues to maintain the strong traditions of generosity, tolerance and flexibility that Naomi established 40 years ago. Hope prevails here in spite of apprehensions of uncertainty. Working for this school has been deeply soul-​satisfying. Thank you, Naomi, for being the best teacher I ever had and for helping me find my life’s purpose.
Love and friendship,
Cocoa

We decided to give this co-​op a try in 2013, and YES, we Cannot Recommend Cocoa ENOUGH! A truly giving and gifted teacher (for children and parents) who would be a blessing to ANY school she should be employed by. HOWEVER, unless one wants to feel they aren’t welcome at the middle school lunch table without pledging fealty… let the smoke clear, and skip this place for the next couple of years. Don’t expect to come in on common ground or have much of a voice with the current legacy families here. A cracked egg or two, as well. Also note they don’t do initial background checks on any of the incoming families, something we found alarming since it’s 90% parent run. (Who’s taking our kid to the bathroom?: No Idea.).
Very, very best wishes to the co-​op as an entity. The heart is in the right place, schedule is fun, and some of the families are downright fantastic. Glad to be elsewhere, though.

This school has done and continues to do wonderful things for our family. Cocoa, the director, has an amazing spirit! This school has been around for 39 years and has a tried and true method of creating a community with a diverse group of members. I recommend this school 100%.

Simply put, love it! What an incredible community.

A wonderful place to send the kids for a morning. The director, Cocoa, has been there for over 25 years and she is amazing. The HACNS is a play-​based nursery school. They foster a love of learning through imaginary play, developmentally appropriate art and science projects, books, music, and movement.
The HACNS is a cooperative. The parents participate in running the school and fundraising to keep the tuition affordable. Currently its at $ 250 per month. Parents are expected to volunteer one morning a per week to look after the 24 children. Also there is one meeting per month to take care of school biz and to learn about the latest teaching and learning theories.
see more at the website
Sincerely,
Bob Smolenski
President of the parents co-​op