By LILY TINOCO | Assistant Editor
When picking where to send young kids to school, there are many things to consider—some of which might include the school’s history, its curriculum and its community.
Nestled among the trees, Rustic Canyon CO-OP Nursery School has been in operation since the 1950s and offers a range of programming for both students, and their guardians.
The school, located in Rustic Canyon, was organized by a group of local parents who sought an enriching experience for themselves and their children.
“Now, more than 70 years later, that tradition still lies at the heart of all we do,” according to the school.
The school was incorporated as a nonprofit educational corporation, licensed by the state of California, in 1956. In collaboration with Los Angeles City Recreation and Parks, Rustic Canyon provides the facilities for the school.
Rustic Canyon CO-OP Nursery School offers a developmental two-year school program, which follows a traditional school calendar—running from late August to early June. The school encourages family participation: requiring a parent, step-parent, legal guardian or grandparent to participate and volunteer one day per month on campus.
“I have loved working with the families, not just the students, but getting to know their whole entire family,” Director Eve Pontius said to the Palisadian-Post. “We do a Grandparents Day in the fall, and we celebrate every holiday here. That’s my favorite thing, working together as a team of family and staff to get through hard times.”
Pontius has been leading the school for over 35 years and has seen it evolve, working with alumni and their children.
“We always have fun, and we have a lot of equipment from the past, from many, many years ago,” she said, “and the kids still gravitate toward them. We don’t only have modern, high-tech things, we have some puzzles that are 50 years old … It’s funny because they gravitate more toward those things that are older.”
With plans to retire in the coming year, Pontius said the school has hired a new “vibrant” staff, including Kathy Drakos and lead teacher Alexys Buckner.
Buckner grew up in West LA and attended schools in Santa Monica. She received her bachelor’s degree from UCLA and teaching credential from California State University, Northridge.
She worked within Los Angeles Unified School District for over 10 years, and largely spent her time teaching kindergarten and second-grade at Marquez Charter Elementary School. Her own two children are Rustic Canyon alumni.
“She focuses on creating a supportive environment for her students and their families,” according to the school’s website. “[Buckner] believes in hands-on and play-based learning with a focus on social-emotional development. Her biggest goal is to have students excited to come to school everyday.”
Looking ahead, Pontius shared plans to celebrate the building’s centennial in May.
“On May 30, it’s going to be 100 years old and we’re going to do some type of celebration with the park,” she explained. “In front of the building, there’s a marker that says May 30, 1923, and inside of that, they put a time capsule. We’re going to open up the time capsule 100 years later … It’s very exciting. There are probably going to be some really old pictures of the Uplifters, maybe some newspapers. It will be interesting to open it up and see what they chose to put in there.”
Despite the news, she shared that the school is experiencing low enrollment since the pandemic and currently holds openings.
“Our school has been in existence since 1950 and we do not want to lose it due to COVID,” she said. “I love the school and its traditions, and would love to see it thrive.”
Pontius encouraged interested families to call the school at 310-459-1049 or visit rusticcanyonnurseryschool.com for more information.
This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
