In the Heart of Cole Valley
Our New Co-op Director
We are extremely excited to introduce Michele Menard as our new director for 2026-2027. Michele comes from Puddle Jumpers, where she recently earned Best Co-op Director in 2023!
Michele Menard is an interdisciplinary working and teaching artist with over 25 years of experience as a child educator. She has worked throughout the Bay Area teaching mime, clowning, improv, visual arts and crafts, puppetry, creative writing, and directing theater. Other notable programs she has worked in include American Conservatory Youth Conservatory, New Conservatory Theater, Park and Rec, the Richmond District Neighborhood Center, and SF School House. She displays her visual art locally and often creates all-ages clown/puppet shows while participating in collaborative theatre groups in the city. She completed a Graduate Puppetry program at UConn in 2023. She has the honor of receiving recognition from the California Council of Parent Participation Schools for excellence in directorial leadership. (2023)
Community is a core value for Michele. That’s why she's drawn to cooperative environments and has spent the past 16 years working within them. For over 16 years, Michele has led the co-op Puddle Jumpers Workshop, helping build a thriving community. This work was later extended to Monkey Bird, another co-op school serving children ages 3 to 5. She remains connected with many families from each program.
Michele’s creativity aligns well with Reggio Emilia’s play-based learning. In her classroom, inspired by Reggio Emilia, she nurtures a living community where children, families, and teachers learn together. Curiosity keeps Michele engaged as both educator and individual. She is a lifelong learner who loves fostering children’s wonder.
Michele loves the outdoors. She is an avid camper and hiker, a certified yoga teacher, and is studying to become an Accessible Yoga instructor. Michele enjoys gardening, making art, cooking, spending time with friends and community, and exploring the Bay Area's cultural arts.
Michele is thrilled to transition into her new role with Haight Ashbury Co-op Nursery. She aims to support the school in cultivating the next generation of creative, compassionate, and resilient thinkers.
“Michele is a child whisperer! She is such a special and gentle soul, and she is the heart of the school. Under her loving guidance, the children become creative explorers of their world. She teaches them to appreciate people from all walks of life, to respect flowers and wildlife, to expand their minds through art, dance parties, and pretend play, and to notice the beauty in our urban environment. She meets them on their level, exactly where they are, every day - whether they come to school sad to leave their parent, or are going through a challenging developmental stage - she has seen it all, and is a strong and intuitive leader whom both kids and parents rely on.
Fast forward to today, I have known Michele for almost a decade and never cease to be amazed at how she can turn every day into a magical experience for the kids. My youngest daughter is now turning 3 and I am so sad that this is the end of our PJW journey! She is thriving and loves Michele, her PJW friends, and the other parents like they are family - and indeed they are. Every day at drop off, I can walk out the door knowing that she is being cared for in all respects - not just the basics, but other parents warmly welcoming her and engaging her because they know and love her, just as I know and love their children. This is not your typical drop-off-and-go school, it’s an immersive experience for the whole family. I have witnessed wonderful acts of kindness, and the community coming together to support parents in times of both happiness and sorrow. It honestly gives me hope for humanity!”
“I cannot say enough good things about the wonderful teacher they have at the school, Teacher Michele. She is incredible at her job and all the kids simply adore her!”
“Teacher Michele is beyond amazing. She puts so much thought and love into how she cares for and teaches each child. She is an artist, child development expert, decades-long preschool teacher, and a person full of play, creativity, and wonder. Teacher Michele is constantly creating new art projects for the kids, putting on puppet shows”
Our Story
The Haight Ashbury Community Nursery School was founded in 1974 by a group of parents who were looking to establish a child-centered, parent-run school for their young children. While other community nursery schools existed in San Francisco then, none were in the Haight/Cole Valley neighborhoods.
With the help of Diane Feinstein (then City Supervisor) these active parents were able to secure Grattan Playground as the location for the new school. They obtained the required licensing materials and a lease for the site through the City's Recreation and Parks Department. Naomi White, a professional in early childhood education, was hired as our first director and school officially began on March 4, 1974.
Naomi worked as a director for 12 years. During that time, she established the nuts and bolts of our routine and created an atmosphere-one in which every child is validated, respected, and loved. Cocoa Drake took over for Naomi in 1986 and is retiring after running this program for 40 years. We are excited to welcome Michele Menard, who will take over as director for the 2026-2027 school year.
Our Philosophy
Children are innately curious. They want to touch, smell, taste, see, and listen to everything. They want to talk, they want to imitate, they want to explore. And the more they learn, the more they want to know. Because young children are so open to environmental influences, it is essential to encourage this exploration so that they become active, rather than passive, learners.
At Haight Ashbury Community Nursery School, children are free to choose from a variety of creative projects indoors, or they may play outdoors-riding, climbing, digging, picking, splashing, and swinging. We believe that child-directed play, supported by a variety of interesting materials and obliging teachers, best fulfills the preschool-age child's developmental requirements-mental, emotional, physical, and social.
We are also committed to diversity, which encourages learning. From snacks to songs, projects to stories, our children learn about their world from member families with wildly different cultural backgrounds and common goals throughout the day.
