My kids, age 6 (alumni) and age 3 (Classroom 1), absolutely love CCP, and my husband and I feel…read moregreat about sending our kids to CCP. Here are my honest assessments. - Small kid-to-teacher ratios: Each room has two main teachers. Classroom 1 currently has 5-6 kids. This ratio gets bigger for Classroom 2 and 3, but children still get plenty of attentions from teachers. - Positive discipline: Caring and dedicated teachers practice positive discipline. When our kids get frustrated, they often use phrases like "I want to talk about it (my feeling)", "use words", and "checking in". - Age-appropriate progression: Well-thought out transition from Classroom1 (2-3years old) to Classroom2 (3-4 years old) and to Classroom 3 (4-5 years old). Classroom1 has cozy, free-play based, sweet and caring environments. Classroom3 offers structured programs, learning opportunities for numbers and letters, and mentally stimulating projects like "disassemble electric devices", "make my own planet", and "science projects". - Kinder prep: Shout-out for Classroom3 teachers for well preparing my kid for kinder! - I used to feel Classroom3 being too academic (children count numbers from 1 to 100 and learn all alphabets), but little I know how fast-pace and intense the Kinder is. I cannot image sending kids to Kinder without preparation from Classsroom3! - Communication: Nice reporting systems and updates from teachers, especially through Dojo app. Everyday parents get information on naptime, snacks, and any fun photos on projects. Also, CCP provides multiple teacher-parent conferences: 2 small conferences to check in, and the final conference at the end which comes with 8-page written report on kid's yearly progress and developmental assessment! - Sense of community: lots of fun events throughout years to make personal connection with school, teachers, and other parents. Lots of volunteer opportunities. - Special programs: Shout out to Teacher E for coming up with creative projects and making difference in our kids' life. She uses cooking (making snacks with kids) as learning tools to facilitate fine-motor skills, to learn about nutrition, and to introduce various types of fruits and vegies. Also, my kid learned a lot about gardening, composed bins, and bugs! Other activities include kid yoga, meditation, music and drums, gymnastics, "mud play", and of course lots of arts and crafts. - Facility: It is well-maintained and clean, but they do have smaller outdoor spaces. Teachers really try to maximize the spaces that they have, and they do lots of fields trips to nearby parks and fields. - Cost: it may be expensive side, but for us it is totally worth it. There are many fund-raising events throughout year, and we try to support as much as we can because we love and believe in the programs and teachers at CCP.

We loved the experience for our daughter at ccp. Thanks to all for a great 3 years!read more

I can not speak highly enough of this gem of a preschool. I tried for two years to get my son in…read moreand finally there was an opening. It's a magical place without a doubt. Their classroom is in a yurt in the middle of an epic garden. They have animals, they cook, they sew, they do art, they have puppet shows, they garden and more imaginative play than you'd think possible. It is a play based preschool which we LOVED. Fantastic ratio of 12 students to 2 OUTSTANDING teachers, Miss Jamie and Miss Jackie. They both have extensive backgrounds in education and teach with such love and respect of each child. My son was upset when it wasn't a school day and now that he's in kindergarten, he misses the school and his sweet teachers SO much. So do I!! They really create a community for both the students and their families. We signed up our daughter as soon as we realized what a gift this school is. She will be starting next year and we can't wait to get back!

I wish I still lived in Santa Cruz so my third kiddo could go here too. My sons still have fond…read morememories of this preschool. I also love how they made keepsake books at the end of the year with art my boys did throughout the year as well as photos of them engaged in play activities. Those books are as special to me as baby books and photo albums. The enriching outdoor activities and small class sizes are also big selling points. This preschool makes me miss Santa Cruz so much and I moved away almost four years ago. When I think of home I think of the Bagelry, staff of life, shoppers corner, zoccolis, and hidden treasures.

We've been attending LifeSpring Prechool for a year and a half. The staff has been warm, kind,…read morecompassionate, and accommodating to our daughter. They provide care that is consistent and reliable, and have fun activities like having fire fighter visit the school, holiday events, pizza throwing visitors, picnic days, and provide the kids with fun activities throughout the week. Our daughter discovered her love of painting at LS! It's hard to pick a daycare that you trust to nurture and care for your child, but LS is a great place with teachers that are truly called to the profession. Teachers Jennifer, Michelle, Anna, Cat, Rosa, Jimena, Laura, and Kristie have been outstanding. Thank you all for being a safe place for us!

I honestly liked this Daycare for my daughter until they discriminated her and myself her because…read moreof her special need and the director was willing to work with me and out of nowhere she switched up and kicked her out. And as well, it needs more improvement with the teachers. Some of the teachers just don't know what they're doing meaning they're always on the phone and not paying attention to the kids. And as well one time I went to go drop off stuff for my daughter, and one of the teachers from the other class was yelling at the kids, and I saw her as well, grabbing their arm super hard poor little babies also my daughter would be scared of that certain teacher .. hmm makes me think what did she do to my poor little baby

Our Best Daycare experience in the Bay Area!…read more We absolutely love L'Academy! Our 2-year-old daughter has been attending for a little over a year and we are constantly impressed. It feels like a school more than just a daycare and that is reflected in our daughter's growth. We were very impressed from the get go with Lanie's (the headmaster) professionalism. While our daughter was in the toddler group we absolutely loved teachers Jessica and Laura. Our daughter seems to learn something new everyday there. It seems like everyday the staff shares a loving anecdote about our daughter at pick up time, which speaks to their attentiveness and care. Daily photo updates and reports keep us connected to our daughter's day. We are always kept apprised of her daily activities, which is reassuring. She is always engaged in creative, play-based learning. She especially loves the outdoor playtime because of their awesome jungle gym. Seeing her engaged via the pictures on the app is the highlight of our day. Most importantly, our daughter is thriving and is so excited to see her teachers and friends every morning. Our daughter is absolutely flourishing and we owe it in large part to l'Academy. Cannot recommend this l'Acadamy enough. It feels like a school more than just a daycare and that is reflected in our daughter's growth.

Our son started at L'Academy when he was 2 years old, and we couldn't have asked for a better place…read moreto support his early development. As an only child, we really wanted him to build social skills and friendships--and L'Academy delivered beautifully. Over his two years there, he formed a close-knit group of little buddies that he still talks about and attends their birthdays! Now that he's enrolled in TK, we can truly see the foundation L'Academy helped build. He's a confident, curious learner and even knows how to say the alphabet in Spanish--something he proudly learned at L'Academy! The staff made all the difference. Director Lanie was always communicative, responsive to any concerns, and incredibly sweet to our little guy. And Teacher Mary holds a special place in his heart--her warmth and care made a lasting impact. We're so grateful to L'Academy for creating such a nurturing and enriching environment. Highly recommend to any parent looking for a daycare that truly supports both learning and love.

My son loved and excelled at NBCC. We were one of many families eager to sign up when they first…read moreopened back in 2017 and I'm so happy to see how many families have had the same wonderful experience as we did, over these years. I highly recommend NBCC. The teachers made my son feel safe and he enjoyed the many activities they have to offer, especially reading , art and gardening.

The teachers and curriculum are amazing. Watching children absolutely thrive at NBCC has been such…read morea privilege. Our community is so lucky to have this gem!

My kiddo started here when he was 2 1/2 and will be there until he starts TK in the fall. He has…read moreloved it there and so have I. The supportive staff are great to work with and I truly feel like my child is the best individual he can be as a result of being there. He is thoughtful and kind, waits his turn, shares, and is a joy to be around. The many works they have are as interesting as they are educational. I can't recommend Midtown highly enough. The teachers and staff here are astounding and I'm forever grateful to them.

I am forever grateful to the teachers at this school. My son thrived. The teachers took the time to…read morediscuss things with parents. The teachers are overwhelmingly patient and kind with the kids. I've never seen anything like it. There is NOTHING you would regret about enrolling your child in this school. The kids learn to garden, fold laundry, clean up messes, make bread and many many other things. They learn manners, hot to greet people and introduce themselves, body safety etc. match, language, all the things. I am forever grateful to have been apart of this school community.

My eldest child attended Calvary for preschool, and we had such a wonderful experience that we…read moreenrolled our youngest as well. After exploring several schools on the westside, we chose Calvary based on recommendations from other parents, the experienced staff with long tenures, its convenient location, and its cost-effectiveness. The flexible scheduling and minimal time off during the school year were also important for our family, as was the diverse student body. We believed Calvary would provide a smooth transition to public school, and it certainly did. Our daughter and another child from Calvary were the only ones in their TK class who could write their names at the start of the year. Calvary's play-based approach emphasizes early literacy, which is crucial for us. The school offers abundant resources, engaging activities, projects, and ample free play. With spacious indoor and outdoor play areas, the children also benefit from being divided into three smaller classrooms and having a dedicated nap area, unlike many schools that use open spaces. Additionally, Calvary assists with potty training and provides meals and snacks, so we don't have to send anything with our child each day. It's reassuring to know she is well cared for at Calvary.

This is the first preschool I tried in Santa Cruz after we moved. My son was 2 and a half and he…read morecried every day for two weeks. They called us to come and pick him up half of the days. It was heart wrenching. Then the director told us that he was not ready for their school. Luckily we tried another school and my son adapted really quickly even though it was a bigger preschool with more kids. I regret having my child experience his time at this school and wish we never had this experience. The teachers didn't give him time to adjust and expected him to be perfect little boy without giving him the opportunity to bond and get comfortable. My son is now moving on to transitional kindergarten! I still have regrets putting him through Calvary preschool. It was definitely a "Calvary" for us parents but greateful to have found an amazing, caring, beautiful people at Lifespring preschool that loved and cared for my son! We were willing to pay more as long as our son was in a good setting but not only we found a nurturing and caring teachers at lifespring but it was a lot less expensive. More expensive preschool doesn't mean a better setting for your child. We learned the hard way.

Kinder Cottage is an amazing learning community for children and their families with exceptionally…read morecaring and compassionate teachers! My husband and I are both elementary school teachers, and we have been a part of the Kinder Cottage community for six years (with two more to go!). When it came time to choose a preschool, we didn't look at a single other one. Many of our teacher friends' children already attended Kinder Cottage, which is how we learned about it (in fact, many local educators enroll or have enrolled their children there), and when we stepped inside and saw this community in action, we knew we wanted our daughter to be a part of it. Our daughter began Kinder Cottage when she was two-and-a-half years old. We chose to keep her at Kinder Cottage rather than put her into Transitional Kindergarten (TK) although she was eligible, because it was so clear that the teachers and their compassionate and developmentally appropriate approach to teaching and learning were not just preparing the children to be successful in kindergarten, they were preparing them with skills to be successful in life. As a teacher, I have so valued Terri's approach in working with children. Terri is a lifelong learner, having completed her Master's in Early Childhood Education with an emphasis in Special Education within the past few years, and she is passionate about the role she plays in all of our lives--for example, by creating opportunities for mentorship and community-building for parents while having tea and treats at her home once a month, discussing anything and everything, helping to prepare parents in supporting their child's transition into kindergarten, and sharing her wealth of knowledge about children and learning. In the school, important learning is taking place everywhere, and while much of it is student-directed and always in the context of activity and play, Terri and the other teachers recognize and seize upon opportunities for learning in action all the time, and this is a true art. Having earned my doctorate in Education, I can really appreciate how Terri and all of the teachers put theory into practice, as children develop skills and strategies for sharing, working with others, solving problems, and forming friendships. Just today for instance, I watched as Terri helped an older child who was troubled because a younger child took a toy from her. When the older child asked Terri for help, she helped the two resolve the situation while learning important communication skills and lessons for next time, asking the older child whether she had told the younger child she was still using the toy, and offering that she might show the younger child where there were more like it. While in many situations an adult might simply say, "give it back," consider what was learned by both children in this situation, the respect given to both, and responsibility this fostered. The older child was empowered, showed the younger one where to find the toy, and both played together happily--with the tools to resolve the situation themselves and knowledge and language for how to do so in the future. All this while parents dropping off children, giving snack, and getting ready for a field trip! That is expertise! While Terri could easily teach at the university level, she has found her place in this world where she can affect change and make a difference in the lives of so many, and recognizes how important this work is, finding it meaningful and rewarding. She has such respect for young people, such understanding of them, and this permeates all of her actions and it is so clear this is the work she is meant to do. The kindness, love, and caring she gives her students is limitless, and the foundation of her work. You hear it in her voice the way she speaks to the children. It is not something she tries to do, it is who she is. I have to say, I could go on and on similarly about each of the teachers, I focus on Terri especially because she is not only a teacher and teacher-leader, this school embodies and enacts her vision and it is beautiful to behold. I have reflected myself recently on how between my two kids, our family will have collectively been a part of the Kinder Cottage community for as long as our children will be in elementary school or longer. It has been a gift, and I have to appreciate each day because I know far too soon, it will be behind us. Kinder Cottage has truly been our children's foundation in learning, and we will always be grateful for it.

The school is very beautiful, inside and out, with a delicious menu for the kids too. The teachers…read morealso seem knowledgeable. the problem is with the teachers' attitudes towards certain parents and students. There was a striking difference between how they treated certain families (mine included)--quite cold and dismissive towards some, and very friendly and sociable towards others. it's very unfortunate that this was our introduction to Santa Cruz.

​ Our daughter went to Common Threads for just over a year…read more We choose CT because we liked how the teachers told us they approached early childhood education (thoughtfully and with compassion). Our daughter was, at first, very excited to go the school. She talked about her friends and what she did each day. Within a month or two, we noticed that drop offs were becoming difficult. But upon picking her he end of school, we would receive positive reports almost every time. A few months later, we received a call from one of the teachers telling us that there was an issue with our daughter, but they didn't want to talk about it over the phone. We were startled by this of course. Upon meeting with her teachers we were told that they believed that our daughter was having developmental issues citing anti-social behavior and sensory-input difficulties. They insisted that they had dealt with these things many times and suggested a child psychologist observation which resulted in nothing significant. From then on, we checked in every school day to see how our daughter was doing from her teacher's perspectives. We always received glowing reports and thought things were improving. We enrolled her in summer school and continued to receive positive feedback. On her second day of her second year at Common Threads we received a call from one of the teachers telling us that they could no longer accept our daughter there. We were blindsided, hurt and confused. The teacher told us that they didn't think they could give our daughter the attention that she needed despite months and months of no issues being reported to us. Our daughter was in tears. She wanted to see her friends and talked about all the activities she was looking forward to. "I can do it, I can do it" she sobbed to us. We spoke with teachers from other preschools and they were floored by CT's behavior. Other parents reacted the same way. We were fortunate to have a schedule flexible enough to take a few weeks to find a new school. We've also been working with experts to determine if our daughter has the issues that CT cited. Though there are areas she can certainly improve on, the experts are clearly telling us that she is a healthy, bright and mature-for-her-age little girl. A few weeks later, we found a new school that our daughter immediately connected with. She's social, curious, helpful and happier than ever at her new school. She's thriving. I would never recommend CT after the way they treated our family. Poor communication and erratic behavior is how a pre-schooler might act, but it is certainly not how a pre-school should act.

We've had our son here for four months and are very happy with them. Great teachers, a really…read morecaring staff.

This school is great!! The teachers are amazing and the staff is too. I highly recommend…read moreconsidering this school as it's the best in the area. Definitely check out their services and website you'll definitely like it. I value this school highly and so do a lot of other people. 100/100 without a doubt!!!

Tara is a unique and magical educational experience in the redwood forests near Land of Medicine…read moreBuddha. Our daughters attend and are thriving in the elementary and preschool programs. The preschool program is located in the heart of Soquel. The teachers are terrific and the children and community wonderful. While in Soquel proper, they do make weekly trips up to the redwoods to play and explore. It's an excellent program filled with creative activities, traditional Montessori education, and play. The elementary program is located within the Land of Medicine Buddha, nestled amongst the redwoods, where the children hike, play in the stream, and count banana slugs while on their way to the playground. The class sizes are small which allow our daughter to receive more attention and tailored education than in a traditional public school. Montessori-style teaching meets the student at their current level of development for each subject, providing flexibility and ensuring a child is challenged and not left behind or left waiting for their classmates to catch up. The elementary school teachers are wonderful, highly experienced, and a positive influence on our daughter. Lastly, the school ethos of compassion, mindfulness, inclusion, and kindness instill important values in our children and foster a culture of like-minded parents and teachers who share these same values. PS - Refreshingly, there are no screens at Tara. The children learn through their senses and through physical objects, not by the glow of pixels and hum of electricity.