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.

I'm really glad I chose this school after visiting several others. Their scheduling system/hours…read moreare more accommodating than other schools, and my virtual tour with Mindy was very informative...I got more info from her via virtual than I did actually visiting other places. Our sit-in visit was great...our child dove right in and the teachers were so helpful from the jump. Our four year old says she actually loves her teachers, and I really get the feeling that they're happy to see her in the morning at drop off which of course makes me happy! The teachers are warm and friendly and seem to genuinely love what they do. My husband is always so nervous about new babysitters or preschools, but after seeing how happy our girl was when he came to pick her up all those concerns faded away. Our daughter also has some speech delays, but her speaking has improved significantly since starting at the school. She is learning so much there beyond that, too! The outdoor area is actually way bigger than I expected and she tells me all about how much fun it is. They had optional water play days for the summer which my kid really looks forward to. I highly recommend this place for preschool!!!

Really happy with Ms.Cheryl, Jacquelyn and team! Our little one is learning a lot - becoming very…read moreindependent. We appreciate the teachers here.

My child attended Little Learners from the age of three until she entered kindergarten. I…read moreappreciated the play-based curriculum and the variety of imaginative play areas, from the art station to the dress-up corner, where children had the freedom to explore their interests and creativity. The staff was attentive to each child's unique personality, individual needs, and social development. Leah was also accommodating with my work schedule when other preschools were not. I am grateful for the wonderful experiences my child had at Little Learners and for the caring, supportive foundation they provided during those important early years.

We truly couldn't have chosen a better place for our son than Little Learners…read more Every member of the staff is warm, patient, and genuinely invested--their love for the kids shows in everything they do. The environment has helped our son build meaningful friendships, develop a love of learning, excitement to try new things and his confidence has grown tremendously. The sense of community--not just between staff and families, but among the families themselves--is something special! Although we had the opportunity to enroll him in TK last Fall (at our top choice for elementary school) we chose to stay because of how much he's grown here. His learning has truly taken off and continues to do so. We will deeply miss Little Learners when it's time to move on to Kindergarten but will always be grateful they are sending him off ready for it

We really appreciate the MCS community and would definitely recommend it. Our son has been…read moreattending MCS for 2 years, starting in the Nido room when he was almost 1. He's since moved up through the toddler room and is now in the primary/ preschool community. Our new baby will be starting there this January. Our son is thriving and remains consistently challenged and nurtured. The leads in his classrooms have been wonderful, showing a genuine interest in his development. Our son had a few normal but difficult behavioral challenges in the last few months when our second son arrived and the leads and staff have responded with grace and care, working with us to support our son. The space and setting is also beautiful!

All three of my kids have attended and some still do. They started at their Nido program and have…read moregone through (or still are) Toddler and Primary. The guides and aides are and have been loving and caring towards my children. Furthermore, they have helped provide more than simply a nice place to play and have fun. My kids have learned lots of skills that have translated to home and academics. They have helped support our kids in aspects of life we may have been working on at home (i.e. napping, toileting, and the like). My kids enjoy going and I feel good about sending them there.

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!

I can not say enough good things about this preschool. Seneka and Krishanie are so loving and…read morecaring. My son attended for 3 years prior to starting kindergarten and he was always met by loving, caring, and helpful care. Thank you!

We love Children's Preschool Santa Cruz. The staff is warm and helpful, particularly for new comer…read more(sad tears gave way to smiles quickly). Our kiddo loves going to school, and we are happy to have such a great option in our neighborhood.

​ 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.

We transferred our child here after her previous daycare had reliability issues, and we're now sad…read moreto be leaving after two wonderful years because it's time for kindergarten. We appreciated the Building Kidz curriculum so much that we opted to keep our child enrolled rather than enrolling in TK when we had the opportunity. The teachers are outstanding -- warm, compassionate, attentive and responsive to every child and parent. My only minor gripe is that I wish there was a parents contact list! Fortunately the school invites parents in regularly for late afternoon parties which are adorable and allow parents to meet. And the plays are so much fun and such an amazing thing to expose these littles to at such a young age. If your kid likes to put on shows at home, they will especially love BK.

Has gone incredibly downhill in the past year. They used to be amazing but significantly ownership…read moreand staff turnover has destroyed it. Every ounce of me regrets sending my child here. They send kids home for no reason with fake illness, have zero classroom management skills, do not understand normal child development, and have the most unreasonable expectations of young children. Literally my biggest regret as a parent.