One Fifty Parker Avenue School is a small, authentic and homey setting where children explore hands on learning opportunities, build relationships, and discover who they are as well as what it means to be a part of a larger community.

We believe children learn best and make sense of the world around them when given time to play. Our teachers are skilled play facilitators, guiding children through their social interactions and peer relationships to help build their sense of self, communication and collaboration skills, and sense of belonging within a community. Our curriculum is grounded in social-emotional development and by the end of their time at Parker School, children have learned how to express themselves, their ideas, and their feelings and how to understand and respond to that of others. We strive to create a safe and inclusive environment where each individual child is known and celebrated for who they are. This sense of belonging within a community extends to Parker parents as well. The home to school partnership is paramount and the relationship and communication between families and the school reflect that. The connections made at Parker School extend well beyond a child’s preschool years — we have families that have found lifelong friends at Parker, students that have become teenage volunteers in our classrooms, and even Parker kids that have become Parker parents.

Teachers are intentional and responsive in how they set up the physical environment and daily routines, providing plenty of opportunities for inquiry and hands-on learning. Our emergent, developmentally-appropriate curriculum stems from the children’s interests and needs. Projects and activities have the flexibility to take new shape as teachers become learners alongside the children. Through these experiences, children ask questions and express themselves through language, art, dance, writing, dramatic play, and building. They problem-solve, test theories, and learn to persevere.

Our Music Specialist, Linda Moody, spends time providing a wide range of traditional, novel, cross-cultural and fun music experiences to the children weekly in every program.

Teachers make children’s learning visible through careful observation, reflection, and documentation. Teachers have weekly team meetings to collaborate and plan curriculum that supports both individual and group needs. Teachers compile photos, quotes, and anecdotes that illustrate what each classroom is currently exploring and we share this documentation with parents through our display boards and our weekly newsletter, the What’s Happening.

On Tuition Assistance

We are proud to be a part of San Francisco’s Early Learning for All program. This funding, along with our internal Tuition Assistance funds, means we can offer a significantly reduced tuition to qualifying families.

On Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

At One Fifty Parker, we believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion mean different things to different people. Within our community, we aim to respect all community members - children, parents, staff members, and volunteers - for who they are and the unique background that makes them who they are as people. To help us achieve this goal, we have a DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) Committee, composed of parents and staff members, who review different elements of the school in order to promote positive change. This is reflected in our curriculum, through policy making, and within our social lens and community building.

Through our differences, we believe that we learn more about ourselves, each other, and the broader communities we belong to. We believe that diversity includes many different components of every day life, including, but not limited to gender, gender identity, gender expression, race, cultural heritage, sex, sexual orientation, ability level, socioeconomic status, learning style, age, religion, immigration status, physical appearance, and language.

A little history

Dorothy Rothkop founded One Fifty Parker Avenue School in 1954. In 1969 a group of energetic and enthusiastic parents purchased the school and expanded the program to include two nursery school sessions, a kindergarten and an extended childcare program. It was incorporated as a non-profit the same year.

One Fifty Parker Avenue School is an independent nonprofit corporation governed by a Board of Directors made up of parents, alumni parents, and the Director of the school.

These dedicated members serve as legal officers and maintain the integrity, philosophical, administrative, and financial aspects of the school. We welcome our family members as active partners at school, and parents participate in a variety of ways including fundraising, special school projects, and social events. The relationship between staff, parents, and children is most important to the well being of our school.