June 2014

Re: Moving to N. Berkeley - looking for a preschool

You should look into Berkeley Rose School. We love it there. My active 3 year old has thrived there. It's a Waldorf school so very nature based and lots of fun imaginative play. The teachers are wonderful and community is very supportive and caring. The school is located in N Berkeley (cedar/walnut) berkeleyrose.org 510-859-7679 Happy Berkeley Rose parent

May 2014

Re: PT Half Day Preschool Fall 2014 for 2.5 yo

Hi Meghan! Welcome to Berkeley! I wanted to recommend my son's preschool - Berkeley Rose. It's Waldorf based and your daughter would be in the Rosebud classroom. That's where my son is now. Vasilica (the lead teacher) is absolutely amazing! My son is really shy and Vasilica was so warm, gentle, and caring with him. He has absolutely thrived in the setting and loves going to school now. The school has a beautiful yard and garden. The children who attend there are so sweet and lovely. The community is very supportive. I can't say enough good things about the school. I believe there's only a couple spots left which will probably fill up quickly if you are interested for the fall. Here's the schools website so you can learn more. http://berkeleyrose.org/ Ha

March 2014

Re: Seeking preschool w/ garden & nutrition focus
Berkeley Rose School (www.berkeleyrose.org) has an edible garden where the children garden and play every day (not sure the snack comes directly from the garden each day, but my kids come home with snap peas and flower seeds from the garden regularly). The Early Childhood programs serve a warm, organic snack daily, and the children are involved in helping prepare the food, set the table, and (in the K class), wash the dishes. They bake bread, make vegetable soup (wash veggies, cut them up, etc), grate cheese to put on their millet (yes! they ALL eat millet!). The food preparation is part of every day's rhythm, as is the cultivation of table manners, sitting together to enjoy the food, having friendly conversation while eating, using cloth napkins, etc. It's quite lovely, and I've really appreciated the quality and variety of foods my kids- and their friends- will eat as a result of eating the same thing together every day. It's inspired by the principles of Waldorf education, so there's singing, music, rich language arts/storytelling/puppetry, art with high quality, natural supplies, plenty of free play, and a warm, consistent rhythm for the day, week, season, all of which lay the foundation for academic success. Check it out- I think the preschool is filling up quickly. Real Food Mama

Aug 2013

Re: Preschool for 2 years old girl very attached
Hi- Just wanted to tell you about the Rosebud program at Berkeley Rose School in North Berkeley- the school's early childhood programs are Waldorf accredited; the grades program is not- yet. I think the child has to be 2.5 yrs old for the Rosebud program but am not sure about this. It's a small, sweet, gentle program with a fantastic teacher and assistant. I think they have only 6 or 8 children. It runs 3 mornings per week, which I've found is rare in a preschool as most of them expect more days/hours. Your child will experience a lovely, joyful, gentle transition to school here: lots of singing, creative play, healthy warm snacks, a dependable rhythm to the days, I could go on and on...Check them out. (full disclosure: I'm a happy parent of 2 children at the school). Sarah

July 2012

Re: Looking for a Preschool with a Garden
You should visit Berkeley Rose School in North Berkeley/Gourmet Ghetto neighborhood. Their website is:http://berkeleywaldorf.org/ We are in the midst of putting in a wonderful garden right outside the classroom in our new, permanent location on Cedar and Walnut. Berkeley Rose is a waldorf-inspired (seeking certification) preschool through 2nd grade school. The school will be growing a grade a year. My 4 1/2 year old twins attended the preschool last year and will be doing another year of preschool before kindergarten. I didn't know much about the Waldorf philosophy but have learned a lot and really believe in all of it! There are 2, 3, 4, and 5 day options for preschoolers and the regular time is half-day (8:30 - 12:30 with an option to attend the afternoon program if desired). I think Waldorf is a good fit for every child - they learn how to play, use their imagination, tell stories, sing songs, be outside, work with nature. Berkeley Rose is also lucky to have a wonderful preschool assistant teacher who is also the school's garden teacher, Willow Summer. She previously started and ran City Slicker Farms, an urban farm in Oakland. She is wonderful with both children and plants. There are several parents who drive from quite far away (Orinda, Lafayette, El Sobrante) to attend the school! A happy Berkeley Rose parent seh

Jan 2011

Re: Oakland/Berkeley Preschools with Caring Teachers
I can whole heartedly recommend Berkeley Rose School. My son, 4, currently attends and my daughter will start this Fall. Berkeley Rose is a Waldorf-inspired school. Their approach is to offer its children a complete (''head, heart, and hands'') and loving approach to education. The teachers are nurturing and caring. The classrooms are warm and inviting, full of toys that inspire their play and encourage the development and use of their unique imaginations. There is much care given to the stories, songs, activities, art projects and even food offered to the children. They try to instill magic and wonder in the world around them and a strong awareness and appreciation for nature outdoors, and the individual nature of each child.

The school is currently located in the North Berkeley Hills but the plan is to move to a new location in the South Berkeley area this summer. They will be offering part-time & full time classes and after care for preschoolers. I also believe they'll have a summer program as well.

I suggest you visit their website to learn more about the school, http://www.berkeleywaldorf.org I would also be happy to answer any additional questions you may have. Julieana

Oct 2010

I am overwhelmed by all the great preschools options in the berkeley area. We are moving from the east coast which makes this process a lot harder. I will have one week to try and cram in as many tours as i can. Does anyone know how ''strict'' the berkeley rose school is with their media policy ella

You also ask about media policy at Berkeley Rose. My son just started this year to attend the Berkeley Rose school. After the first days of school I got to see a beautiful and remarkable change in his play and interaction with his peers and brother (he is calmer, his play is directed and full of imagination, he sings, he admires and looks for ''treasures'' in nature). I give full credit to the teachers for his emotional and social growth. They offer such a rich experience to the little ones, from the poems, songs, stories, puppet shows, nature walks, gardening, crafts, painting, all done in such a respectful and loving way! Regarding your question about media: It is a Waldorf-inspired school, therefore the families that attend are striving towards media-free environment. The handbook says ''We believe that children enrolled in our school should be given the gift of a media-free childhood''. As a parent I see how all the children can play together, sometimes inspired by the gentle story they just heard from the teacher; their imagination spans out in their alive play! The school has a wonderful and strong community (I also moved from NY and was overwhelmed with the choices out here). from a very, very happy parent

In your question about Monteverde Preschool you later asked about the media policy at Berkeley Rose. This is my son's second year attending Berkeley Rose. Last year we were new to Waldorf, and he had been watching some PBS shows. It was coming out a lot in his play the first year, and he had a hard time not regurgitating dialogue and stories made up by others. The teachers were tolerant, and knew we were working to wean him from media. It was surprising easy to cut out TV and movies all together (the Leap Frog took a little longer for him to forget). And wow, what a difference. His imaginative play, and ability to work with the other children to create fascinating stories and play alone (he's our only child) has just blossomed. People are amazed by his play and verbal skills. I attribute it all to the wisdom and teaching found in Waldorf philosophy and our school. ''Strict'' isn't really applicable at the school. They don't make you sign anything, it's just a given that parents who enroll their young children in Waldorf are going to find alternatives to media, as they believe it can negatively effect the developmental and emotional growth taking place during the years of birth to seven. Good luck in your search--there are many fabulous options in the East Bay! Berkeley Rose Mom

I am a parent of a child attending Berkeley Rose (www.berkeleywaldorf.org) and asked our lead teacher to respond to the inquiry of ''how strict the Berkeley Rose school is'' regarding media: ''We at Berkeley Rose wish to help our young children (ages 3 to 6) develop as creative, fully engaged individuals. We believe they should be given the gift of a media-free childhood. We are dedicated to nurturing the childrenC-s capacities for imagination, independent thinking, and positive action. We believe--and many studies suggest--that efforts to foster the young child's healthy emotional development and meaningful relationships with their environment are undermined by encounters with media. Encounters that separate the young child from authentic experience and promote a distorted, developmentally inappropriate, and consumerist view of the world. In order to help its students develop as creative, fully engaged individuals, Berkeley Rose is committed to helping (upon request) each family through the process of transitioning to a media-free environment. Being 'media-free' is a standard we hope to maintain through the understanding and cooperation of all Berkeley Rose families. It is not a 'rule' to be enforced by the faculty, but a tenet to be mutually shared by all of our families who have these ideas in common, and who strive to give a media-free environment to their children.'' I hope this answers your question. If not, feel free to let me know. Julieana