Nurtury Preschool

As a family we are incredibly thankful to have found The Nurtury for care and early education for our two children (2 and 4). We adore their staff, their philosophy and the greater Nurtury community.
I was first drawn to The Nurtury honestly due to their hours, I needed Mon-​Fri full-​time care as my husband and I are both working parents. I did not want to compromise on the facility or program to ensure coverage for my kids to 6pm. Other highly recommended part-​time facilities I toured steered me to The Nurtury, their program and managing staff are both known and highly respected in the Early Education Community.
Upon touring, I was relieved to hear The Nurtury is a Play-​based, Developmental approach. You can see this come to life through the very active activity centers both inside and outside the school. There is always a new fun sensory activity (my children’s favorite), reading area, dress-​up, blocks and building, kitchen type area, etc. There is even an art studio. While there is not a rigorous academic curriculum, it is very apparent the children are learning and growing — even more so because it’s guided and coached through their activities and interest vs a forced approach. The school itself is very small, and the student to teacher ratio is purposely low, this really allows play-​based coaching to truly shine.
In addition to the developmental approach and a day each week in the art studio, the children are also exposed to a rotating enrichment class one day a week. Previous «courses» have been soccer, yoga and dance. Looking forward to seeing what next semester’s is!
Other impressive facets are that the school has been there over 40 years, and most of the teachers have been there 10+ years. The staff turnover is incredibly low, and the staff is very involved in the Early Education Community, both in attending numerous conferences and workshops to continue to enrich the program, but as well as mentoring local colleges/​graduate programs for the next generation of educators.
This is a very involved and enthusiastic parent community, and in fact The Nurtury requires a certain amount of volunteer hours from parents (simple acts count, such as setting up for one of the many events through the year such as The Halloween party). This is designed to develop a holistic community and enrichment, beyond just the children. If you are looking for a straight up drop off/​pickup place with little interaction with other parents or staff then this is not the place for you. There are potluck events, picnic events, holiday get togethers and performances, a beach day, monthly restaurant dinners (usually at CPK for fundraising) and even a Wine and Cheese parent fundraising event. Parents stay involved even after their children matriculate, and are there to ask questions and help navigate current parents to understanding Kindergarten programs (charter, magnet, private, public, etc).
The one detractor we can speak of is the small facilities, which being an outdoor enthusiastic family we were interested in too. It’s true other programs have bigger yards and probably more organized rooms. The school does exceptionally well working within the space, which includes the expansion of another room to use as an art studio and rotating in new outdoor play equipment. Kids don’t seem to mind the outdoor space, especially as the school is smaller than most I toured it’s likely comparable within sq. ft to student ratios. Within the past year the school replaced all windows as well as flooring, and is making continuous improvements; however this will not be a pristine school — it is lived in, loved and fully utilized by these kids — exactly what we want!

This is an amazing school with sweet, caring and knowledgable teachers. I researched every school in the area and couldn’t find one as warm and fun as this one. They are big on learning through play and I feel like my son retains a lot more information this way. He loves his school!

This is a great preschool. The staff is attentive, smart and has been there a long time. Lots of stability and happy families going back years. We have three kids; two are there now, the other is a Nurtury graduate who is excelling in 2^nd grade. We love this school because of the great education, love, and the FUN we have as families at school events and fundraisers. It’s just a fun culture of like-​minded families.

THE BEST.
Moving to Sherman Oaks and not knowing a single family, we blindly toured pre-​schools based on my online research. Parent reviews of The Nurtury were so excited that it almost seemed too good to be true. After about a month at The Nurtury, I saw exactly why they were so thrilled.
My two children, 5 and 2.5 have been there for 6 months now and as a family, we can’t imagine them anywhere else. The Nurtury lives up to its name and provides a nurturing learning environment for children from 7am-​6pm.
My children love the attention, affection and relationships they have built with their teachers and friends — and the teachers adore and cherish all of the children. Knowing that my kids are emotionally supported and feel safe is priceless. With the foundation of love and care, they are then able to grow and develop exponentially.
The teaching methods of the school are hands on/​play-​based and honestly, this scared me at first — I wondered where the worksheets and desks and writing would come in. I can say that my fears were quickly gone and my expectations exceeded. My 5 year old blows my mind on a daily basis and my little one is thriving both physically and verbally. At The Nurtury, my children GET DIRTY, they create, they pretend, they dance, sing, COMMUNICATE, learn to vocalize their wants and gain confidence and independence. The educators are constantly improving their methods and never stop educating themselves on how to better handle my children — plus the teacher to child ratio is wonderful. The parent community cannot be beat. And to top it all off, it’s culturally diverse and affordable.
The Nurtury is THE BEST!

We feel very lucky to have found the Nurtury. My 2 year old son started the Nurtury preschool in April 2013– and we couldn’t be happier. This place is more than a school– it’s a community.
The Nurtury is a preschool geared towards working– and single-​parents. It is a developmental school, allowing children time for self-​directed play, art, and exploration. The teachers provide love and attention, and help the children learn to cooperate with each other, a challenge for the 2-​year old Crocodile room, I assure you! I’ve been impressed with the conflict resolution skills my son is learning as a toddler, too. They are teaching him to be independent, from undressing, dealing with others, cleaning up, etc.
It is not an academic program in that academic subjects are secondary to their philosophy. This is not to say the children aren’t learning– they are. But academic topics (such as reading) are more of an osmosis-​type learning style than a forced topic. For example, for my 2 year-​old, time is not spent on the alphabet, but multiple books a day are read to the kids, they have an extensive library, and emphasize reading in a positive light.
The building they are in (a church) is not fancy, or even modern. You may even think it looks run-​down during a visit. But the emphasis of the school is almost entirely on the program they run, not the facility. Don’t be fooled by those other preschools that are sparkly and new– that does not a good learning program make. The Nurtury has been where it is since 1974– almost 40 YEARS! This is a testament to the quality and consistency of the program. Because of how the school is run, with all kids playing together at the beginning and ending of every day, all of the teachers know every child.
The school believes in fair pay for their staff, which is a relief for my social conscience. But beyond that, the school has had consistency with staff for literally decades. Many of the teachers have been there for over 10 years. And several teachers work with local colleges for teachers in training, too.
The ratio of teacher to student is low, too. For the 2 year old room, the Crocodiles, the staff is one to five kids. In the older room, Sea Turtles, it’s one to six kids. But there are more «floater» staff members that really ensure your child gets attention. As I said, the kids there are loved.
The school is parent-​owned and run. A Board oversees things, and parents are required to volunteer 24 hours over the year to the school. But this volunteer requirement also ensures parent participation, and facilitates parents meeting each other. The preschool also organizes weekend events such as a beach day (summer) or afternoon picnic (spring) to meet families and let the kids play together. It’s been an amazing community to join!
We knew the preschool was right for us after we stepped into the office last October. Kids’ art work was willy-​nilly; jack-​o-​lanterns had faces in disarray and glitter was spread about them haphazardly. When I saw this, I knew kids were encouraged to do art how they wanted– no one was telling the kids that there was only one way to put together a jack-​o-​lantern face. As I note above, the philosophy includes self-​directed play. The kids were running around and HAPPY, having a great time. We got on the wait list immediately.
During the transition where your child begins, you accompany your child to preschool for the first few days. This introduces you to the kids in the class, the teachers, and also some of the parents, while it also makes life easier for your child. During this time I saw firsthand how the school runs, and months later, I’m still so happy we got in!
I’d highly recommend this preschool to other parents.

My wife and I were moving from Culver City to the Valley and needed a preschool for our son who was approaching 2 years old. We visited and talked with many of the nearby preschools, but many of them didn’t have hours that cooperated with our schedules (we both work full time), and the other ones were focused on a structured academic curriculum that all seemed to lack an emotional connection. One of them even required children to all wear uniforms. At 2 years old! Are you kidding me?
Visiting the Nurtury was a breath of fresh air in just about every conceivable way. Their philosophy emphasizes play, both structured and unstructured. Children are taught to be strong independent people and are able to learn the essential skills without having it shoved down their throats. The teachers at The Nurtury are fantastic, they have been there for years and years with very little turnover. This is partly due to the fact they are paid good wages and because The Nurtury is a co-​op, it is owned by the parents and the participation and community of the parents (and kids) is really special. The teacher/​child ratio at The Nurtury is also better than just about anywhere else which gives the kids more needed attention and care. The Nurtury is designed for working parents, and they’re open from 7am until 6pm every day of the week.
For my children, The Nurtury offers everything I would want for them. My son loves it there and has made a number of good friends in no time. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for a happy, healthy, loving, and nurturing place to send your child. The Nurtury is a family in just about every sense of the word, and is truly a gem.
The only drawback is that the outdoor play area is on the smaller end compared to some of the other preschools. The Nurtury staff does a great job of rotating the play equipment so the children have different things to climb on.

Choosing the Nurtury was the best decision we made for our son’s preschool. We went for a tour and felt a connection to the teachers and parents we met.
The teachers are extremely caring. Each has their own «style», which I love! They also do continuing education and keep up with evidenced-​based teaching practices.
I completely trust my child with the staff. I always know that he is well taken care of and is learning through fun activities and play, which is developmentally appropriate.
My son continues to surprise me with what he learns– not just academically (ABCs, shapes, etc.) but also socially (how to solve conflicts, wait turns, be assertive), and independence with activities of daily living (dressing, toilet training, hand hygiene, setting up their meals, pouring their own drinks, etc.). Sometimes I find myself saying, «I have no idea how you got him to do that, but it’s working and thank you!»
I mentioned feeling connected to other parents. I have made great friendships with amazing people who share similar values about education. Parents are very involved with volunteering and I found them to be very welcoming even before our son first started. It’s a great community to be a part of.
Other bonuses that sealed the deal for us with picking this preschool:
— low child to teacher ratios
— the hours accommodated our full-​time work schedules
— the play yard is nicely shaded (and although it is on the smaller size, they make it work. My son never noticed anything wrong with the size, it fits him just fine!)
I highly recommend this school for anyone in the East Valley area. Although I’d travel from even further :) !

Our son is thriving and we could not be happier with the Nurtury! The first place I visited in my search for preschools was the Nurtury, and after meeting Joyce Rose, the director, I knew my son would be in good hands there. Like most parents, I visited a number of preschools, but the experience only convinced me the Nurtury was the best fit for us. The teachers are highly professional, and genuinely care about the work they do. My son lovingly talks about, and is well acquainted with all of the teachers, and because of the smaller size of the school, he has the opportunity to play with a diverse group of children. As someone who works with children, I am continually impressed by their knowledge of child development and «best practices» in development preschools.

When looking for a preschool for our son, we looked at full day programs throughout Encino and Sherman Oaks. When we walked through the door of The Nurtury, we felt very much at home. We were immediately struck by how happy the children were and how welcoming and supportive the directors, teachers and other families were. Although it’s not the most glamorous or modern campus, this school has heart and soul. It is truly the people that make The Nurtury the most amazing preschool around. The directors love what they do and truly believe in the school’s mission, the teachers are well qualified and dedicated to the children (the «newest» teacher has been there for 2 years, and many have been there for 5 – 10 years) and the families are actively involved and volunteer regularly to lend a helping hand. Since joining The Nurtury community in June 2012, we have not once doubted our decision. We are amazed when we see the skills that our son has acquired since starting at the school, and it feels great to be part of a small, supportive community in such a large city. I would recommend The Nurtury to anyone looking for a developmental preschool. It is the best of the best!

I needed a preschool in the East Valley that was all day as both my husband and I work full time. After considering two other schools, we decided on The Nurtury. We like that the kids learn developmental skills they need to be prepared to start kindergarten. Kids learn to think for themselves, resolve conflicts, and gain a love for reading books. It is not an «academic» school, but rather a «developmental» one, based on child development research. We like the low ratio of teachers to students. But most of all, the kids just seem so happy. Yes, the classroom for 2 – 3 year olds is small and the play yard is also small, but it’s cozy and a big plus is that it’s nice and shady in the summer. Yes, the kids get messy and easily stain their clothes thanks to paint, pens, glue, and dirt. Yes, it’s not fancy. But what it has is a community of teachers and parents who truly care and work to make the school something special. The director, Joyce, is a wonderful, caring administrator. The teachers are so loving to their students. I also have grown to appreciate the other parents and it has become a great place to make friends myself. I can’t recommend the school enough!