Great school went there when I was a kid. I had such good teachers and learned a lot. It was my…read morefirst public school after Montessori.

Our daughter just finished 6th. grade at NBMS and It was a very positive experience for her…read more She loved all her teachers and excelled in academics as well as sports. I was able to witness how the principal Craig Broadhurst and the vice principal Andrew Weiss handled several conflicts that arose. They were professional and quick to act with wisdom. I personally saw how their love and compassion for students and their dedication to creating a safe learning environment was a major priority.

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.

Wish I could give you all ten stars. We feel so fortunate to send our child here. Amazing staff…read moreand teachers, involved parents, great atmosphere. Their after-school program is awesome too. We love Main Street!

We love our school, and are so fortunate to have Main Street School in our community. Two of our…read moreolder children attended when it was brand new, and now our three younger children are attending. Appreciate our principal and teachers, our community of parents, and everything it has to offer. Thank you!

They have let a 4th grade teacher who passed covid to all but 4 students of 26 kids remain on…read morestaff. She not only endangered lives of these children who hadn't even the chance to defend themselves, their siblings and parents were also infected. Some of these parents were front line workers that missed treating patients. This teacher has blood on her hands and at this point so does the school for allowing her to continue to teach and endanger children's lives everyday. The bullying too is rampant and that is the first reason we left. They allow bigger kids at the middle school to rule and are neglecting students academic and emotional needs.

Both my daughters went here. They loved it! People that complain about "bullying" should have a…read morecivil conversation with the parents of the "bully." Or you can send your child to a local public school, where they teach CRT, no prayers, no pledge of allegiance to our flag, etc. fights, AND bullying definitely occurs. This is a wonderful school.

Academics and teachers are top notch. Administration is good, can't imagine a school would be run…read moreany better. However, your experience here is very dependent on your situation going into the school. There is a lot of affluence here as you can imagine, and you'll be exposed to that as parents, and your kid will as well. For most of the parents and kids at the school, its a world they are comfortable with. For those not in that circle, you will quickly realize that it's not your circle...and your kid will too. Towards the end of our time here, our daughter was old enough to understand these things, and that was very disappointing to us. It's a private school with all that it entails; that needs to be understood before deciding on sending your child here. While a good school, it's not for everyone.

Dear readers, as an individual who attended this school in the past, I must honestly express that I…read morefind it to be an unsatisfactory investment for your child's education. My time at SCM was quite extensive, but I eventually transferred to another institution due to the persistent issue of bullying, which remained prevalent from 1st to 6th grade without any effective intervention from the school administration. During my time in 6th grade, I endured both physical and mental bullying to such an extent that it necessitated my admission to a Mental Health Hospital for various reasons. Shockingly, the three girls responsible for this reprehensible behavior faced no consequences, resulting in me missing out on my graduation day and celebration due to their actions. This unfortunate reality extended to my friend as well, as he was also targeted and compelled to switch schools. Moreover, it is important to note that I am autistic and suffer from a chronic illness that causes severe pain when walking or running. Regrettably, the school disregarded my condition and failed to provide any support or accommodation during times of autistic meltdowns. I found their indifference towards my physical and emotional struggles disheartening and disconcerting. When I requested alternative activities during physical education classes to alleviate my chronic pain, the school administration threatened to involve my parents, rather than understanding and addressing my health concerns with compassion and empathy. In terms of education, I observed a significant emphasis on the subjects in which students demonstrated proficiency, while minimal effort was made to help students struggling in other areas. This unbalanced approach hindered overall academic growth and development. In conclusion, my personal experience at this school was largely negative, and I believe there are superior educational establishments available. However, it is essential to recognize that individual experiences may vary, and some individuals might find benefit in this environment. Regardless, I urge prospective parents and students to exercise caution and carefully consider their options before making a decision.

Feb. 18, 2016 This…read moreschool is good, and this is reference to my experience. My child has been here for 3 yrs now and has been thru a lot of ups and some downs. I believe that the school can be better if there were certain staff members that would be more professional. This is off topic but let me continue. So there are two lanes going in to the school, but starts as one when you enter the school property. right lane is for the dropping off/picking up, then the other lane is to drive on until you get past the dropping/picking area and park. Its NOT professional when the staff is telling you, "you can't leave your car here", in the lane where you are picking up your child that you can go get your child in under a minute and be back before you know it. (When there is no one there.) But the next day and a few times down the week and then more and more you go, you start to see the staff letting (OTHER) people (CERTAIN RACE) park and get out, chit chat, making other people wait in their cars when the Lane is suppose to be clear. (Thats Bolony) Hello.! Just because you have an orange vest on doesn't make you anymore special than you think you are. Doesn't make you have special powers and neither does it make you a figure of the law. You are suppose to be courteous and guide people politely to where they need to be. First of all, there should be someone at the fence where cars enter, so that this specific person can let people know, SLOW DOWN. because its ridiculous to see these people Jamming through the parking lot where kids can pop out in front of you just like that, so that they can eventually come to a Stop behind everyone else waiting. PEOPLE!! its a school Zone. Slow the EF down.!! i go here to pick up my child and always, ALWAYS enter slowly (Like the Sign says) and leave Slowly. Plz inform the kids, make it clear to your children that they should be aware of cars because let me tell you i have seen multiple parents zooming in and out of the school and cross walk where there are adults and kids waiting to cross and don't have the courtesy to stop and Give them the right of way. Sometimes even when kids and adults have already set foot on the cross walk ppl don't EFING stop.! Just be weary of these drivers and keep your eyes on your kids. Ive seen adults come really close to hitting children either walking or on bikes. And then act like they are not doing anything wrong. ATTENTION ADULTS!!!!! Read the updated DMV handbook and read it until you comprehend the rules because some of you are ignorant and shouldn't be driving at all. But thats my opinion.

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.

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.

My children have been at Tara since January of 2022 and every year we are grateful to be a part of…read moretheir community. We started at the Village campus and are now at the Redwood campus. Teachers Adela, Bev, and Regina at the Village Campus are so dedicated and passionate about their work. They show up happy to be there every single day. The daily trips to the Redwood campus to be surrounded by the forest, fun field trips, and Montessori teaching approach have been so valuable to my children. Teachers Namasya and Lisa at the Redwood campus have also been wonderful in continuing the Creating Compassionate Cultures curriculum, which at the heart is based on our body's own wisdom. I love the interconnectedness and values they teach at this school: why it's important to be kind and practice gratitude towards plants and animals, how to make a difference in other's lives, the natural elements and how they pertain to us, food sources & cooking in class, how to be a good friend and so SO much more-- these values feel like the true core of what it means to be a happy, healthy & balanced human in the world and I am just so grateful to have my children learn it at such an early age. Grateful to Tara for going on five years of a truly wonderful experience.

Our toddler's verbal abilities jumped noticeably in the first month at Discovery, Soquel. As time…read morewent on, "Help me, I can't do this myself!" turned into, "hmm, how can I...?" We liked the culture of deliberate inclusion and collaborative play as well. Our child's main teacher, Susie, was at all times nurturing, graceful, positive, and attentive to our child's blend of strengths and needs. We received daily timestamps of naps and bathroom, so we knew what to expect at pickup. As we leave this small community for a larger campus, it's bittersweet. Our child loves school, we all made friends, and, as a longtime professional educator myself, I have every confidence that our toddler had an excellent formative experience. The amount of care and intention at every level really shows over time. Our family's downsides were the price point (but we're glad they pay their educators and the quality of staff shows!), half days on Fridays (rough for 2 working parents but I appreciate that staff gets a shared planning/set up period), and wishing the physical space permitted more challenging broad full body activities to get the yayas out. In the end, I'd choose Soquel Discovery for my toddler again in a heartbeat and I saw many parents enrolling younger siblings as well.

Both of my children have gone to Discovery, and their experiences exceeded my expectations for…read morepreschool. Discovery provided them with community, safety, and connections with educators and with their peers. I especially appreciate the intentionality behind their approach- Discovery works to really understand and value the unique traits and experiences of young children and helps them build their curiosity and social emotional skills. We also chose to keep both of our children at Discovery until kindergarten and felt that they were prepared to transition to public school. Like many early childhood education places, we have experienced some staff turnover and changes, but I feel that that's to be expected in these situations. In general, I think the educators handle any potentially difficult transitions, changes, or challenges intentionally and try to mitigate any impact to the kids.