it has gone steadily downhill over the past several years especially since the hiring of the…read moreDirector of Education and Clinical Services. A very expensive respite service essentially. High staff turnover with low retention and poor training. Executive Director is mostly out and when in is very ineffective. Needs to be audited from top down and replace the administrators who act with impunity and disregard for parent's concerns. There is no accountability for anyone. Questions from parents are ignored and go unanswered. Communication even on student progress to goals is atrocious. Can't get any data or information on goal tracking. There is virtually no curriculum or lesson plans and some teachers are very inept. Avoid The Bay School if at all possible.

From the owner: AMENITY *Year round day program providing education and…read moreintervention services to individuals with autism from age 5 to 22 *CA certified nonpublic school *Evidence-based *Caregiver training *Lecture Series

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.

My son did a complete turnaround with Garrick. Going into last year he was struggling in school,…read morenow he is doing fantastic and thriving with goals for the future. Highly recommend Garrick. Thank you!!

We brought my partner's adult son here for an evaluation. Much $$$$$ later, we got the diagnoses…read morebut some of it was very woowoo using the enneagram. The staff offered us no help other than to try to sell more services. Plus they had other people listening in via Skype or ssomething but neglected to tell us who they were or why they were following along.

My son has attended SCCS for the last two years and loves it. On the drive home from school he…read moresays, "I love my school!" over and over and generally does not want to leave. He begs to stay for aftercare so that he can play with his friends who range across the grades (this is one of the many wonderful things about the school and its small size). The school itself has a wonderful and balanced approach to academics from an early age. There is an emphasis on reading, math and writing from kindergarten onwards but every child moves at their own pace. They all do, however, spend time working on these skills (and parents should be aware of this). Our son is quite excited to learn math and to read so this seemed appropriate for him as a child but it may not work for all children. The school and teachers are also open to scaling back on feedback from parents. When we thought the academic demands were getting a bit intense, they changed the schedule to allow for more recess. My son also loves the enrichment classes. Some of these are taught by talented parents and the subjects range from history to astronomy (as other reviewers have mentioned, taught by the chair of one of the top astronomy departments in the country) to the amazing ethno-biology class, sewing, mindfulness - the list goes on. All these classes are taught across the grades so that the children are learning the same things at the same time but at different levels of sophistication. The result is that I regularly hear my son talking about his classes with older children and listening in on their conversations. Generally, having contact with the older kids stimulates my son to learn and be curious about a range of things from math to chess to meditation. The school also has a wonderful arts program. Music, singing and dance instruction are central parts of the school curriculum and the whole school works toward the production of a year-end concert or a play, alternating every year. All around, this is a wonderful school. We visited many of the area schools (Westlake, Davenport, Gateway, Spring Hill and Santa Cruz Montessori) and this was by far our first choice. Our final decision was not made based on finances but it should be noted that SCCS is also by far the most affordable of all the schools mentioned.

My daughter Clara just graduated from Santa Cruz children's school after 6 years there from…read morekindergarten through 6th grade. I was not sure how to thank the school with all it's dedicated teachers and outstanding directors Joanna and Deric, so I decided to write a review. From day one she became part of a large caring family. When she left she expressed nothing but love and appreciation for all her friends and teachers. Though sad to leave, she felt confident and well prepared for her transition to middle school. In the last couple of years my daughter learned to organize and complete all her work with proud independence. She improved her writing skills considerably, excelled in math, and took up multiple musical instruments with the many talented music teachers at the school. Beyond core courses, the school also puts on plays, a yearly concert, and an end of year multi day class trip adventure for older kids. My daughter has had World inspired cooking classes, movie making classes, circus fun, learned to play chess, civics class with a ucsc professor and much more. How they manage to do all this, keep the kids inspired and eager to learn, as well kind to one another is remarkable. If you are looking for a school where your child will be happy, eager to learn and go to school each day, and well prepared for middle school, I highly recommend Santa Cruz children's School.

My son has been going to this school for a few years. We love the community, the teachers have been…read moreoutstanding, the parents are actively supporting operations, and overall it's a very happy place to be.

ok so i personally don't like this school that much because the teachers are not nice and they yell…read moreat you for really weird reasons. also, im pretty sure lots of the teachers and office staff have bipolar depression... For example, they are singing and dancing and laughing with you then all of the sudden they start crying or screaming at you. I think alot of the staff have some kind of anger issues or anxiety because they seem to always be uncomfortable around children and definitely seem intimidated by their students.

We moved from one of the top high schools in the country specifically for this school, and I'm so…read moreglad we did. I did my research beforehand, attended the open house, and had our son shadow for a day. We researched 5 different schools from Menlo Park to Aptos. The new leadership here is incredibly accessible, and the counselors have an open-door policy with parents, which is something I've never experienced before. The teachers are proactive, responsive, and genuinely care about the students--especially the math, biotech, and chemistry teachers, who have been the best we've encountered. The IEP team is organized. I've never had to chase down a teacher or administrator. Communication is excellent; we get updates from teachers, and the coaches truly care about the whole student, even looking out for things like sleep and nutrition. We really wish we had transferred here sooner! If you have a soccer or football player, check out Soquel's record. The football team has even brought home a state championship, beating much larger and wealthier private schools! If you haven't heard of this school yet, you will. The parents here are invested in each other's children, and there's a real sense of community. We carpool, share responsibilities, and support each other--it's truly a "it takes a village" mentality. My son says the kids here are friendlier than most. While the facilities could use some major upgrades to attract families from further out, this school has the passion and talent to turn it into something truly special. If the right investment and support are provided, Soquel could easily reverse the trend of declining enrollment due to population changes. My son is happier and healthier here, thanks to Soquel High. I've been recommending it to families from outside the area, and I'm confident they'll have the same great experience we've had.

Not a good school if you want your child to actually learn and be challenged. Overcrowded classes,…read morenot enough teachers, not enough staff, (councilors and principal) don't care about each student and their learning needs or a plan. PE equipment (tennis) broken. A lot of teachers are frustrated and some long over due for retirement. They are a few years behind a good school. If you can afford a private school, send your kids there, so they will be prepared for college. Or, look into alternative programs. Why wait til they go to college?

I loved this place. I was here a few years ago for a special occasion. And they taught me well, and…read morethey taught the person that I was with, and we came out with really nice commemorative, sentimental, a special cool things out of the experience and I loved it. They are a bit pricey, but a lot of ceramic stuff is period they walk you through the entire process.They don't have a lot of glazes to choose from, but they walk you through everything.And there's a whole thing there if you want to be a member.I'm not sure exactly how that works.I did ask about three times in the last few years about it, but never really got any clear answers but I would definitely recommend this as like a date night thing or a special occasion thing

Anna. Wow. An absolute legend 10/10. My husband and I had a great time, but she made it all the…read moremore special. Her passion was contagious and was such a great guide and champion. She was informative and a clear communicator; I mean we're now wanting to take it up as a hobby now! We were taken care of and she really cared about the outcome for us (we could start all over if we needed to). Our experience was incredible. Will definitely be back