We have had such a wonderful experience at Foothill Preschool. The staff is caring and attentive and the facilities really encourage play and creativity. I've raised 3 children, have enrolled in multiple preschool programs, and Foothill is one of the best. I am glad my 5 year old has spent the last 3 years of his life at this school! read more

I was very happy with this school and the teachers. My child learned a lot and I used to tell everyone how happy I was with them. However, they need to change how they watch over kids on the playground. I would get there early and sit in the parking lot while my baby slept and I noticed the teachers would gather around and chat during leisure. It caused me some pause, but I brushed it off. I understand the want to socialize. I saw, on multiple occasions, kids fighting or pushing on the playground and the teachers didn't notice, but since my kid wasn't involved; I kept to myself. Later that year my kid was grabbed inappropriately and we sent Marci an email to discuss. We set up a meeting and they assured me nothing like this would happen again and that they would keep a closer eye on them and follow up with his parents. I just found out that it did happen again. It was worse this time. My husband also wrote a review about this and the director clicked it as funny. That's ridiculous and completely insensitive. I have attached a picture of our first email so you can see for yourself that what we are saying is true and that she did know about it. I'm disgusted she would try to cover this up. I regret not coming forward about the lack of playground supervision earlier. Hopefully, this changes things and no other kid will go through something like this. As far as the report goes, you're right, we didn't file one because we thought it was being handled. We will be filing a report. Side note: The classroom size was also 20 kids, though not every day was that many; I know because I invited every kid in her class to her birthday and that's how many invitations I had to write read more

Foothills Preschool - Preschools Near Me - Santa Ana, California

My son loves this school. He made amazing friends and is now enjoying summer camp. We definitely recommend this school all the teachers are super sweet read more

I attend Church of the Foothills and I often see all of the fun activities and experiences that the children of Foothills Preschool get to do. There is always fun, laughter and learning happening! I wish they had full day preschool when my own daughter was small, I would have enrolled her there in a heartbeat! If you are looking for play-based learning and wonderful teachers you have found it in Foothills Preschool! read more

Wonderful school with home like feel! Teachers are warm and welcoming and the program is at a great price point for OC!

This is truly a hidden gem of preschools. I cannot say enough about all three of my kids' experiences here. They LOVE this place so much, and they can't wait to get to school each morning. The teachers are wonderful. They get to know each child so that they can best support each child. So much hands on active playing. Mud, water, sand, hands on learning and growing. Our oldest started kindergarten more than ready thanks to the wonderful curriculum of foothills. I could go on and on admit how amazing this school is. We are so very appreciative four all the love and care they take with all the children. It's just such a wonderful place. read more

My son attends this preschool and i can't speak more highly! He begs to go every morning! All the teachers are so kind and patient. I also love how they upload photos and videos throughout the day to show all the fun activities they are doing. Highly recommend! read more

What a wonderful environment for all. Through play based learning they gain not only in academics but social emotional also. Every time I come the students seem so happy & confident. read more

We loved this Reggio Emilia-style Preschool for our son! Our son grew in his academics, but also in his social-emotional skills over his two years in this preschool. We loved seeing him learn and have fun with so many little friends. He came home happy and excited about school EVERY day! All of the staff, from the classroom teachers to the administrator were caring, knowledgeable and professional. They truly made the school feel like a little family and for that we are forever grateful! I highly recommend this school to anyone in the Tustin or Irvine area! read more

Poor supervision of children on the playground with kids getting into fights. My daughter was touched inappropriately multiple times on separate occasions by the same kid. I can no longer recommend this place despite an otherwise good experience there, because they are not keeping the children safe. We have good dialogue with our daughter so she let us know when it happened the first time when she came home from school. She told us a boy was trying to pull her underwear off. The first time, we brought it up with the school and we told them they really needed to do a wellness check on the kid because it was not normal for him to be trying to pull kid's underwear off and that can be a sign of abuse at home, but I am aware of the fact that kids do weird stuff sometimes so figured bringing up to the school first was appropriate first step. They said they would talk to his parents and thanked us for bring it to their attention. Fast forward several months later, our daughter is now in kindergarten at a different school and just told my wife that while at the old school, the same kid, on a different occasion, touched her butt ("booty hole") and that she told her teacher and that they talked to his parents about this too. But they never told us anything about this incident. Totally unacceptable and I'm shocked they wouldn't have let us know, especially after the prior incident. Super negligent and dishonest of them and I'm not sure legally what I'm supposed to do now (police? Tell the kid's new school about these incidents? Sue someone?) NOT something I should have be thinking about for a fricken preschool. Edit: owner of the company just responded by marking this review "Funny" and then responding that she never had received a complaint of this. I emailed her previously on February 12, 2019 at 11:22 am. Marci responsed by email on February 12, 2019 at 11:59 and said "i am so sorry" and "I cannot imagine how I would feel if my daughter came home and told me this." For her to saying this never happened is unreal. I'm looking at the email right now, and she definitely talked to my wife in February. I already had emailed her earlier this week with no response other than this. I regret ever sending my daughter here. Edit 2: owner just responded to email by blaming my wife for asking to many questions of my daughter after the first time my daughter was assaulted, which Marci herself investigated and confirmed took place. Talk about victim blaming. I cannot recommend against this place strongly enough based on their handling of this and will do whatever I can to make sure they are properly reporting incidents like this in the future. Just finished our report with OC Sherrif, so there ya go marci. You were supposed to have reported the assault back in February as a "mandatory reporter" faculty you tout about in her handbook. read more

My two kids went to Foothills Preschool and it was the best decision I made regarding their early childhood education. The teachers were patient, engaging, and so much fun! It really felt like we were all family. The huge secured yard with provided a safe place to explore and play. My kids made so many friends and learned all the skills needed to became confident, school-ready students when they entered Kindergarten. I wholeheartedly would recommend this preschool. read more

After having tried a Montessori-type preschool for one year we finally felt like we found the right space for our son. Learning through playing with an emphasis on play allowed him to develop at his own pace and develop the socio-emotional skills that put him on the right path to kindergarten. The staff are caring and make every child feel special. Our only regret is that the school doesn't go all the way through high school! read more

Unfortunately this is my daughter's 3rd preschool. Sadly the other 2 closed! We are so thankful we have found this school. I was worried about her adjusting, but she loves it! Miss Jennifer is fantastic, but really the whole staff is great. I would highly recommend this school. read more

My daughter has been going to Foothills Preschool for a year and has really blossomed. She is so shy and takes a long time to open up to others. The teachers and staff have been so wonderful. They are so understanding and have worked with her. My daughter went from me holding her and having to play with her for about 10 minutes at school, to being excited about going to preschool and now I just drop her off! The teachers Miss Amy and Miss Sue are super nice and caring. They do a great job with all the children. They both have a lot of energy and a very positive attitude. The director Miss Kelly is also fantastic. She answers all my questions and I feel like I am in the loop with how my daughter is progressing. A great school, great teachers and staff. I love it and so does my daughter! read more

Our son attends the Pre K class here and we LOVE it. He went to another preschool before Foothills and cried each time at drop off... but not here! He looked forward to going and seeing Ms. Melissa, Marci and Ann. They are caring teachers who make learning fun. He couldn't wait to tell me about his daily activities. He loved the large playground and the hands on learning - science experiments, painting, writing. We recommend it highly! read more

My daughter has attended this school in the 3/4 year old class for one year now, and she is looking forward to returning next year. She has struggled all year with attachment issues (not wanting to leave me when I drop her off). The teachers have been phenomenal at happily attending to her needs and making her feel loved. She always comes out of school with a smile and telling me how much fun she had. I love that the school has a very casual, homey feel. We feel safe and welcomed when we're there. The kids have had some fun experiences as far as learning. The content they learn is very student-interest driven. Based on what the kids want to study, the teachers create lessons, projects, art, and more to satisfy the interests. They participate in field trips that come to the school. There are several animals that live at the school, and they've even watched chicks hatch and grow. We look forward to continuing next year! read more

Wonderful school with an enriching curriculum of play based learning.

I am so happy with this school. My daughter just graduated from there and we just enrolled my 3 year old at Foothill. He is so excited!! All the staff are super helpful and my daughter loves all her teacher read more

My grandson loves this school. They given him confidence to succeed in anything he does. I highly recommend this preschool. My grandson is more than ready for Kindergarten and he would not have been if it wasn't for Foothills preschool. Thank you for the time you have given to him in achieving his goals in order to give him a good head start for Kindegarten read more

Foothills Preschool - Preschools Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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I was lucky enough to have both of my kids go through this preschool program here so we spent many years at this preschool starting with the mommy and me program all the way through pre-k . It was the best experience I could ask for. The kindness and love from the teachers was like no other. Marcie (the director) has been there since the beginning of our journey there and she truly believes in what she does and you can feel her passion and love with all the kids. I wholeheartly believe in the play based system they use. My kids played hard and got nice and dirty as kids should. They made friendships they still have today. I will be forever grateful for this preschool and the kindness and support from the awesome teachers. read more

Foothills Preschool is a loving environment that gave my son the perfect introduction to preschool. They are the right balance of learning and play. I loved the learning and development my son experienced in the classroom and was blown away by the formal preschool assessment we received at the end of the year. But, most important, I also loved the outdoor play time, yoga sessions, visits from the aquarium etc. The kids are allowed to be kids - and at 3 that was exactly what my son needed!! read more

Both of my daughters started at this preschool at 18 months and graduated from here at the age of 4. They both LOVE this school! I cannot say enough nice things about their director and teachers. I researched a lot of pre-schools in the area but none of them seemed to have that balance of teaching kids social skills, having enough play time and education as well. If you're looking for a school that is not all education and study based, and actually allows a kid to be a kid - then you will love this school. It has been our home away from home and we will definitely miss the friendly faces here in the years to come! read more

Love this school. My son is so happy here, he never wants to come home. So very glad that our church lead us to such a perfect fit for our children. read more

My son attends preschool here and he loves it. Miss Amy his teacher is very nice and everything you expect a preschool teacher to be. She is kind and you can tell she genuinely loves working with children. Miss Kelly the director is very involved in the classes and she is always adding extracurricular activities for the children. They have a gym class, yoga and an acting class added to their already fun and engaging program. My son loves attending preschool. I would definitely recommend this preschool to anyone who is looking to put their little one in school. It is fantastic! read more

My daughter attends foothill pre-school and loves her teachers. She did not do well at her previous school and used to cry when dropped off. Not at foothill. This place is great! My son will be attending next year as well. read more

We absolutely LOVE Foothills Preschool! My daughter has been attending preschool here for almost a year and just loves coming to school every day! The teachers are helpful and encouraging and create such a fun learning environment for the kids! This is such a wonderful preschool and I would recommend it to everyone! read more

We have attended both summer camp and preschool at Foothills and will be returning for pre K for the 2016/2017 school year. The school has been wonderful for my daughter. The teachers and staff are very caring and create a comfortable and inviting atmosphere for the children and families. The curriculum is child centric. The teachers will observe topics or areas their class is passionate about and use this to help create lesson plans. My preschool aged daughter has been joined by her elementary school aged sisters for summer camp. The kids have a great time in a fun safe environment. There are themed weeks to keep the kids entertained. The staff is great. We have also taken advantage of the 'kids night out' program which is a wonderful benefit. The kids attend fun themed 'parties' once per month on a Friday evening. We are very happy with Foothills preschool! read more

My son attended Foothills for 2 years. He was extremely shy when he started out in the 2-3 year old class. His teachers were very encouraging and engaging. He made friends and participated more in activities, making him more comfortable. They really allowed him to develop at his own rate and showed him a lot of nurturing support. The 4-5 pre-k class was fantastic. Ms. Melissa was lively and fun. She had a great mix of academics and silly fun. My son created projects, sang and danced. They never discouraged mess making during project time because sometimes a little splatter paint was necessary for a masterpiece! My son was definitely kindergarten ready. All of the teachers were approachable and available, and they listened to all concerns parents had. Foothills always has live animals, and the kids are involved in caring for them and learning about them. They offered extra classes for the kids as well, like soccer, yoga, music, etc. My son looked forward to the yoga class each time and still talks about it! The playground is large and full of several different activities for the kids to choose from; bikes, huge play structure, digging, painting, stamping, teeter totter, playhouse, swings, and more. Foothills also offered Parent's Night Out. I would drop off my older daughter for these nights as well and she loved it. It's clear that the directors love their school as they work hard at making it a great place parents can trust to care for their children. read more

We love this preschool. They have such a fantastic staff of teachers that nurture and connect with each and every child. There is so much learning that happens through play and creativity. They have a huge playground and open space for the kids and even a little garden out back. This preschool is a gem. read more

My daughter had an extremely, extremely negative experience at her first preschool (NOT Foothills). My sassy, independent, ridiculously social 3 1/2 year old suddenly became a withdrawn, scared, anxious, barfing mess after some kind of altercation with an adult individual at the old school. After pulling her out of the old school and taking a break from school for a month, I enrolled her at Foothills. She had residual anxiety and had a very hard time adjusting, and two weeks in, both of her teachers at Foothills left the school. I was absolutely beside myself and extremely worried about how my daughter would do with the change in teachers when she was already having such a difficult time. I wondered if I had made the right decision for her in enrolling her at Foothills after my awful mistake with the first school. Miss Elise, an assistant teacher in a different class at Foothills was immediately moved to take over my daughter's class. You know how some people have those truly innate sweet personalities? That is Elise. You know how some people are simply meant to teach little ones? That is Elise. I informed her of my daughter's background and she truly went above and beyond with my daughter most importantly, and also with me. She made my daughter feel safe, comfortable, cared for and loved. Her frequent communication with me in the form of updates, emails, answers to my questions, chatting with me before class, greatly helped put my own mind at ease. Her communications with me were also invaluable in that I could provide up-to-date information as to my daughter's behavior at school to my daughter's psychologist (yes, we had to go that far in helping my daughter overcome that first school experience). Several weeks later, Miss Therese was brought in to my daughter's class as well. She has that sweet personality, but is also more peppy and loud - very engaging with the children. I have observed how the children respond to her and I believe that she and Elise compliment each other well in the classroom. She has also made a point to tell me directly how my daughter is doing, moreover, how she is progressing. I'm so happy to report that my daughter clearly loves her school and my crazy (now 4 year old) has returned. Just the other day at Costco she was blabbing with a rep and he asked her where she went to school, and she proudly yelled out, "Foothills!" We talk about Miss Elise and Miss Therese multiple times daily. She is obviously bonded to them and loves them. She jumped out of bed the other day just to get ready for school when that girl is definitely NOT a morning person. She was SO proud of herself performing with the rest of the kids at their Spring Show and she was SO proud to show off her classroom to her grandparents, aunties, uncle and cousins that came to watch her Spring Show. She talks about her best friends at school. I watch the videos and see the photos of the kids the teachers post on the school's Facebook group page of all of their cool science projects, art projects, yoga classes, and they learn about kindness and empathy in caring for the school animals. Even the other teachers know my daughter and have expressed their support. My daughter is my first and only child until her sister is born in the fall, so I have never been through anything like this before. I am also a realist -- there's not going to be a place that is 100% perfect in all aspects. However, I am immensely grateful to Miss Elise, Miss Therese, and the staff at Foothills for making school a safe place for my daughter, and for making learning fun again. I am so thankful for their kindness and for the obvious love they have of their jobs and for the kids that they teach. read more

We have a 4 year old son who was not looking forward to starting preschool. After attending his first day at Foothills Preschool he could not wait for his next school day. I can't compliment the staff and teachers enough on how great a job they did on building confidence in my son and allowing him to have fun while learning. We have now completed the school year and I am so happy to have a child excited about school and ready for kindergarten. Of course, if it was up to him he would just keep going to Foothills preschool! . We will definitely be sending his younger siblings here in the future! read more

My son attended foothill preschool last year and loved it. My husband and I were very happy with the teachers, activities and education he received. He is headed to kindergarten in the fall but we are sending his younger brother and highly recommended the school to our friends. read more

Finding a preschool for your children is always difficult and you worry about picking the right one. We were incredibly fortunate to find Foothills Preschool. The teachers are are all incredibly nice and treat the children with the kindness and respect that you always want extended to others. They constantly come up with new activities for the children to do including special "evening" events such as movie nights that the kids love. My eldest child went to foothills preschool for two years and loved every moment of it, so much so that she cried on her last day because she was going to miss her teachers. We are so happy with this preschool that we are looking forward to the start of the new school year when our second child will be starting there. read more