Russell Cooperative Preschool

Russell Cooperative Preschool is such a lovely school for young minds to grow and wonder! We love the themed organic snack days prepared by the children, the «all-​weather» outdoor play and the storytelling. The sunny and beautifully decorated classrooms immediately fostered our daughter’s imagination. Our daughters growth and development has been gently supported and encouraged by all of the teachers. Russell has also provided us with a sense of community and parent involvement that we were seeking. Our daughter has bloomed into such a thoughtful and creative child! I strongly recommend to go and check it out and be pleasantly surprised as we were!

We love Russell School! Both of my kids went there (one 2007 – 2009, the other 2012 – 2013) and it is the most special place.
Russell fosters independence, but in the kindest way, in a loving and supportive environment. It’s always warm, cozy, and welcoming at school, with wonderful natural light and natural toys/​materials. The warm snack every day (which the kids help prepare) is special and unique.
My kids adored every teacher they had at Russell. There was never a day they didn’t want to go to school.
Parent helpers are more behind-​the-​scenes, which I liked, as it didn’t distract my kids from being at school. They could focus on their school day as usual, without focusing on their mom. I didn’t find the cooperative aspect to be onerous at all.
The only downside of Russell is that, administratively, things can feel a little disorganized, though I suppose this is partly the nature of the beast in a co-​op. This doesn’t affect the kids at all, it can just make some of the committee work and getting things done a little frustrating.
Overall, I would definitely recommend Russell as a very special, unique, nurturing place for your preschooler!

My older son attended Russell and now my twins are students there. I love, love, love this place! If you are looking for a preschool in the Watertown area I strongly suggest you schedule a tour. Once you experience the environment for yourself you will understand why it is so different from other preschools.
It is truly a unique and wonderful place for both the children and the parents involved. From the songs sung at circle to the classical music that plays in the background during free play to the aromas of the homemade snack of the day in which the children help prepare. I cannot tell you how many mornings I have dropped off my children and wished I could stay too.
What I appreciate the most about this school is that it is a break for the children from the constant clamor of characters and technology that is our day-​to-​day life. They enter this environment and have an opportunity to use their imagination and enjoy nature. My children often come home so excited to tell me about the explorations of that day. Perhaps my favorite was when they and a group of friends made a batch of soup outside. It began with some rain water and was seasoned with sand from the sandbox as well as a little dirt of course. Finally, they added a few leaves as a final touch.
I have been part of this community for over 4 years now and have never had a bad experience. It is a great place!

I love this school; from the moment you walk in it feels like home. From the scent of the homemade organic snacks cooking to the warmth of the teachers, I really feel like my son is being nurtured & thriving here. I love that they are play-​based & spend so much time outdoors and talking about nature & doing seasonally themed art projects. Often when I pick up my little boy, I get a warm anecdote about something funny or sweet he did or said that day. I was so nervous sending him off to school & everyday I am reaffirmed that Russell is exactly what we were looking for in a preschool. The community of parents is just as wonderful & warm as the school, too.

Love, love, love! Our first child is in his second year, and we plan to send our second child here as well.
We first considered Russell because we were looking for a parent cooperative so we could really know the teachers and the other families. I also liked the Waldorf-​y aspects: the focus on nature and outdoor play, the fact that the kids prepared their own healthy snacks every day, the multi-​age classroom.
What hooked me when we actually looked at it was the general zen feel of the school.
The classroom is calm and happy, and the environment is just so home-​y. It was evident that the teachers were just lovely people, and that they really enjoyed the children. I also liked that the outdoor space isn’t just a playground, there’s lots of room to run and there are lots of natural items (stumps, sticks, etc.) that the kids use in imaginary play.
Now that we’ve been here for awhile (1.5 yrs), I also appreciate that the teachers have high expectations of the children and are also extremely respectful of them as people. They allow the children a lot of freedom to play independently and discover things. The rituals they have to celebrate the changing of the seasons (lantern walk, winter spiral, spring festival) are really meaningful, and are events that our whole family looks forward to each season. Also, the teachers really are just as lovely as they seemed at our initial tour. They are wonderful teachers, as well as just being kind and loving people.
One other thing people should definitely know before applying is that it really is a cooperative, in the true sense of the word. Since our son goes 3 days/​week, we must spend 6 days per year helping in the classroom. Each parent is also on a committee that helps the school run. We love this aspect of the school — I know the kids, parents, and teachers all really well. I also love to help out in the classroom with all of the snack-​prep and clean-​up, because I know that it’s freeing up the teachers to do what we want them to be doing: paying attention to the children. However, families that are super-​busy and don’t have flexibility to add another responsibility in their lives should definitely know about this piece to make sure it would work for them.