About Us

The Swedish School of Los Angeles is a nonprofit organization that offers supplementary education in Swedish for students ages 18 months to 16 years. We currently have 50 students enrolled across seven different grade levels. Grade placement is based on age and language skills. Basic language skills in Swedish are required in order to enroll. Our curriculum includes reading, writing, oral exercises, geography, history, and science, as well as Spirit Days and outdoor activities. We also teach Swedish art, music, literature, and sports.

We meet every Tuesday from 4:00-5:30 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church preschool in Santa Monica. Our youngest students (Snails, Frogs, Squirrels, and Rabbits) start off each class with a joint singing session. Our older students meet in their respective classrooms at 4 p.m.

The operations of the Swedish School of Los Angeles are governed by the Swedish National Agency for Education, which also contributes financially to our programs for students 6 years and older. The Swedish National Agency for Education requires that at least one of our student's parents is a Swedish citizen, and that Swedish is being spoken at home.

The Swedish School is run by a board consisting of 6–9 members. The board meets monthly and oversees the budget, monitors the school's interests, and sets up goals for the future. The board encourages all of its members to share any suggestions and ideas that might be of help to the board's work.

Our school keeps growing every year and we happily welcome new students.

Our Story

The Swedish School was founded in 1976 by principal Margareta Saperston. At the time, there were no Swedish language classes in Los Angeles, and so Margareta, a mother of two, decided to start her own school. With the help of a friend, she began by reaching out to other Swedish families around town with school-aged children. And once the Swedish Consulate of Los Angeles green-lit the project, she started teaching classes in a park in West LA.

The school eventually moved to more modern premises at the First United Methodist Church in Santa Monica, where we also manage a library of Swedish children's books. Margareta continues to act as principal, chairman of the board, and teacher for both children and adults. Both of her children have attended the Swedish School, and her daughter Lisa currently teaches Nya Vikingarna, a class for children with limited Swedish language skills.

Our Teachers

Ina Farestad

Snails

Ina is a happy värmlänning with a degree in political science from Lund University. She moved to Los Angeles in 2014 to study acting and currently works in indie film and at UCLA. Ina became a mother in 2021 and her daughter is a Snail. Ina also has several years of experience working as a nanny.

Annica Levin

Frogs

Annica moved to Santa Monica in 2018 with her husband and three children. Back in Stockholm, Annica worked as a child minder for several years. She's always been curious about children and their learning process. Her other interests include music and dancing. Annica previously taught the Snail class.

Helena Peres

Squirrels

Helena is Head Teacher at the Swedish School. She has been living in Santa Monica for the past seven years with her husband and three children, all of whom attend the Swedish school. Helena has a teaching degree in Swedish with a focus on language and language development. Before moving to Los Angeles, she taught Swedish at primary school for nine years. She was also assistant principal. Helena is very excited to get back into the classroom every week to learn and have fun with the children.

Helene Johansson-Kayem

Rabbits

Helene started as a substitute teacher in the Rabbit class while her own children were young and attended the Swedish School. 20 years later, she's still here. Getting to spend 1.5 hours a week with a group of lovely little individuals is addictive. The Swedish School has always been Helen's "little Sweden". Here, she's been fortunate to celebrate traditions, eat Swedish food, read Swedish books, and make life companions, all together with her fellow Swedes. Helene wants to share that same feeling of community with her Rabbits in a playful and encouraging way.

Marie Bergenholtz

Horses

Marie is a happy girl from Karlstad with a passion for children and language. She loves the color blue, and sushi is her favorite food. She is a trained child minder and dance teacher. Her career as a musical artist, singer and actor took Marie from Sweden to Japan, on to Germany, and finally to Santa Monica where she ran "Miss Marie's" Dance school for many years. Marie has been teaching at the Swedish School for ten years.

Susanna Bucht

Bobcats

Susanna was born and raised in Sweden. She has two adult children and has always liked working with children. When her own kids were young, she worked at an elementary school as an art teacher. Susanna has been teaching the Bobcats for five years.

Lisa Saperston

New Vikings

Lisa was born and raised in Los Angeles. Throughout her life, she's been interested in Sweden, the Swedish language, Swedish traditions and her Swedish origins. Lisa values the Swedish community in both the US and Sweden. She is a trained language teacher and has taught the New Vikings for many years. Lisa herself was once a student at the Swedish School.