We believe children learn best through play in a safe and nurturing environment. Each child is a unique individual within the larger preschool community, and we are committed to supporting both the whole group and each child’s needs.
Our teachers have a strong foundation in child development. Through careful observation and thoughtful planning, they create opportunities that support every stage of growth and learning. While our curriculum is theme-based, it remains flexible enough to shift based on children's interests or day-to-day events in the classroom. Language development is woven throughout all activities, supporting communication skills in everything we do.
Our goal is for every child to feel secure, confident, and happy. We nurture and challenge each child's natural creativity while encouraging the development of the physical, emotional, and social skills needed to become independent thinkers, both within a group and beyond.
Die Rasselbande Preschool is a German language immersion preschool where German is the primary language spoken throughout the school day. To support children for whom German is a new language, teachers use a variety of strategies, including gestures, pointing games, dramatization, props, and repetition to make the language accessible and engaging. When necessary for safety or understanding, some English may be used. All parent communications and official records are maintained in English.
Die Rasselbande Preschool was founded in the fall of 2003 as a full German immersion preschool cooperative by Heike Paulsen and Johanna Petosa. The cooperative then became a fully licensed preschool in March 2008. In summer 2022 Rasselbande Preschool moved to their lovely new home in El Cajon.
Johanna
I grew up in Carinthia, Austria, and moved to San Diego in 1999, where I met my husband and started a family. Wanting to pass on our language and culture, I joined a German playgroup, which led to the founding of a German cooperative preschool: Die Rasselbande Preschool in 2003! Inspired by my passion for working with young children, I became an accredited preschool teacher. To this day I enjoy teaching German language and culture at the Rasselbande and culture, embracing the belief that play and hands-on experiences are the best ways for children to learn.
Julia
I began working with children shortly after high school in Bremerhaven, Germany. My path later took me to New Zealand, Australia, and different parts of Germany, where I worked as a nanny and in early childhood settings. I completed my Early Childhood Education teacher certification in 2025 and enjoy being part of a multicultural, bilingual community working with children.
Rosa
Larissa
Our days are filled with both guided and freely chosen activities in large and small groups.
We explore themes through a variety of activities including: art, movement, science, and music; all immersed in the German language and sustained by healthy snacks.
We have beautiful rooms and a natural outdoor setting providing a stimulating and nurturing environment with areas for creativity, movement, quiet time, construction, role play, and circle time.
We love to celebrate as a community. From Halloween to German traditions like our Lantern Walk, Nikolaus, Karneval, and May Fest. These celebrations make for wonderful experiences and memories.
Other events throughout the school year include field trips, visits from the Fire Department, room parent visits, our Friends and Family Day and the Year-End-Picnic.
© Die Rasselbande Preschool | Lic. No. 376105103
Martina
While my Early Childhood degree is from Germany, I spent 15 years teaching preschool and German language in the US at a private school. After that, in 2012, I joined the Rasselbande as director. I've since been passionate about creating a nurturing, play-based environment where children can explore, build relationships, and grow within a German language immersion setting and multicultural community. We are cultivating a lifetime of growth and I'm all about 'planting seeds.'
I hold a degree in Early Childhood Education from Germany and have over 20 years of preschool teaching experience. Throughout my career, I have embraced a variety of pedagogical methods that have shaped my perspective. Passionate about the play-based approach, I enjoy being part of the multicultural, bilingual Rasselbande community and creating a warm, engaging environment where each child feels safe exploring, asking questions, and expressing themselves. Watching their curiosity, confidence, and independence grow inspires me every day.
I was born and raised in Southern Germany near Stuttgart. After graduating from high school in 2020, I completed a social volunteer year working at a school for children with physical disabilities, where I discovered my passion for working with children. I went on to study Early Childhood Development and graduated from the Fachschule für Sozialpädagogik in 2024. In 2025, I moved to San Diego with my husband, and started teaching at the Rasselbande.
