My son went here for TK/4-5 years old. The Pond Teachers are fabulous! The environment is prime for preschoolers with chickens, turtles, quaint classrooms, lots of mature trees all around and particularly in the back playground area. Montecito is very well run and organized - the director, Erin, and her office staff, Tammy are dialed in. The program and daily schedule was wonderful for lots of great learning and play, and the classrooms were just the right size. I'm so thankful we found Montecito! read more

I wanted to share an experience involving my son that I believe is important for the school to be aware of. Today, out of the blue, my son mentioned an incident that occurred a while ago, which has stayed with him all this time. He said, "Miss XXX hurt my feelings when she told me that I can't go back to her class and also can't return to Montecito school. She is on the very mean side while Miss YYY is on the nice side." My son is also quite worried about encountering Miss XXX at other schools, and he is anxious about what he would do in that situation. As a mom, it is concerning to hear that such comments were made directly to my child without parents presence. I would appreciate it if teachers could share such sensitive information and comments only among parents and teachers, rather than directly with the children. It is evident that these words had a lasting impact on my son, even though he only brought it up a year later. read more

Was encouraged by other moms to share this feedback: My husband and I had a terrible experience with Montecito's director. She completely missed our first scheduled call then was 30 mins late to the second scheduled call. When we told her it was an inconvenient time to chat since she was late she snapped at us and told us she was overall a busy person. She tried to push us to reschedule and book a tour in a follow-up email. That's where I told her we didn't appreciate how were being treated. And she responded with a strange, rambly tirade. We never set foot on the campus because of how she treated us and wasted our time. We ended up staying at our daughter's current preschool. We were looking around because my daughter was not napping well but she ended up adjusting. Her currently preschool is not perfect but I've never been mistreated by any of their leadership. I've heard other negative things about the director so I felt very validated after our interactions. Don't believe me? Join any South Bay moms Facebook groups and ask about their director. read more

I had a one hour phone call tour with Montecito preschool Director. During the call, she barely gives you chance to ask questions. The experience of conversation was bad as I feel she did not care about my questions that was her own presentation. One question I have asked was about how many classes do you have for 2 year old program and how many students in each classroom? She responded as that is not important you should care about the ratio. I was more interested in 3 year program but she wanted us to participate this school year instead of next one given there are still opening. I was asking a question related to 3 year old program she told me you should focus on 2 year old program since this is the one you are joining. I do feel strong pressure in a very negative way of talking to her. I am losing confidence during the call by sending my kid to such unpleasant place. By the end of phone call, I express my feeling about this unpleasant conversation with her. I will not recommend this school to my friend and hopefully this is useful for prospective parents. read more

It is such a happy place for kids. Teachers are very kind and friendly with kids. My kids always loved to go to school. Kids are outdoor all the time playing, biking etc. Even their snack time and lunch time is outdoor. They also have a cute little farm that has bunnies and chickens. They do movie nights and family parties. Really love the community feeling. My son learnt a lot in that school, he can communicate his feelings and stand up for himself. Teachers and kids ratio is really great. read more

We had an awesome experience with Montecito School in the past week. We found Montecito as our backup care for the school spring break. We signed up pretty easily two weeks before attending. Despite it's our first time sending the kid to this school, my kid was taken good care and got familiar with the teachers immediately. The school had amazing playgrounds for the kid to start the day with laughs. They also had numerous art activities throughout the day. My kid introduced me to the bunny and chicken the school raises on-site, which was such a great experience that I have never seen in other preschools. The teachers are caring and friendly. They communicate with the parents in-time for any incident and share pictures and videos throughout the day. Both my husband and I had a chance to focus on our work thanks to this amazing school. We'll definitely come back for the next school break. read more

My three year old twins just finished the 2 week summer program Magic & Music at Montecito. This was the first time they have ever been to daycare and I was so worried they wouldn't adjust well. I had so many questions and concerns but the director Erin was able to put my mind at ease. I really had no reason to worry. When I dropped them off there were plenty of welcoming arms to hug them and distract them from the fact that I was leaving. They use an app called Tadpoles to send me pictures of the kids throughout the day too. My kids were already talking about Miss Louise and Miss Molly after the first day. They came home telling me about the songs they learned or the art projects they worked on. At the end of the program the kids put on a magic show that was just sooo cute! I really love Montecito for so many reasons but especially the large outdoor play areas, the chickens & rabbits, and great the staff. I liked that there were several teachers my kids could turn to for help or support. We are still on the fence about sending them off to preschool/daycare at this time but Montecito is my first choice. read more

Montecito School - Music & Magic Summer Camp - Preschools Near Me - Los Altos, California

Both of our boys attended for 3 years each, including the summer camps. We were apart of this school from 2018-2023. Play-based pre-school and they learned so much over the years. When concerns arose, I would address the issue immediately with the school and there was always a plan put into place to resolve it asap and updates were always given. Emails were always answered by end of day. The school buildings are older, but are super clean and taken care of... lots of love in those walls. Keep an open line of communication and things are very reassuring and fun here! read more

What a disappointing daycare. The first day I had my children there, they only had one and not the other. The second time they lost my child's jacket. Each time they have come back in soiled clothing and not dressed properly. The care is suboptimal. The third time they did not accept my child who had a doctor's note clearing her to go back the day prior. They insisted on making a copy of the letter. As I was leaving, I said it was taking too long and I needed to make alternative arrangements. The director said "Well that's too bad." Having your children here is more stressful than it is worth. Think twice before you put them here. read more

I currently have 2 kiddos attending this adorable preschool, and it's been great. The teachers are all super invested in them, and always give me feedback and tell me stories about their day. They often send pictures of them during class, which is super fun to get. The structure is play based, and they incorporate learning with every activity. My kids speech and social skills drastically improved after starting there. Other Pros: -Super flexible schedule -Loving environment -Lots of teachers -Awesome play areas. My husband went to this school over 33 years ago, and he has fond memories. Excited for me kiddos to do the same. read more

Very bad experience. I booked the center as summer backup care for my kid 2months ago, and they accepted the request. The. They cancelled within 2 weeks of the onboarding date without any notifications or emails, and noticed me the cancellation right after I sent my kid to the center. read more

Our experience at Montecito has been great: 1. The focus is on social skills and independence building, which I feel are more important that academics, at this age. 2. There is plenty of outdoor space and outdoor time, something which I've have had a hard time finding in my experience in the Bay Area. 3. The teachers in the Pond room (4 yr olds classroom) are awesome. They are caring and great at communication. I love their use of Tadpoles to send pics to parents. Puts a smile on my face when I see it in my inbox. I am always informed of any incidents however minor they may be. I adore Ms Zoee. She goes the extra mile, without trying, and wins on every aspect. 4. Their nap time execution is perfection. Our child was in the phase of dropping his naps and the nap teachers' Ms Varshika's flexibility and effective communication allowed us to go through this experience with so much more ease. The nap environment and procedure is very effective and really helped our child get the amount of sleep he needed and when he needed it, all of which are very important to me. We've had not so great nap time experiences at other preschools. 5. Erin and Philip put in a lot of effort and magnanimously organize incredibly fun events for the whole family, from Halloween harvest festivals to Christmas celebrations to kindergarten readiness informative events. Overall I am happy and highly recommend Montecito! read more

This school is not for you if your child speaks another language at home.This school had nothing for us but stress. Since the very first week they started complaining about my child's behavior in the class. That my 3 year old cannot sit in the circle time, she does not understand anything, she might have ADD, that she has to be evaluated by an OT! After communicating teachers' notes and concerns to her physician and having her evaluated by professional developmental team, we changed her pre school followed by their advice. She just needed more time to learn English. Surprisingly, she turned into a star in her new school (Thank to her experienced teachers who knew how to educate bilingual children). She is now in Kinder and in a second year in a row, she is way ahead of other students in her class, both academically and socially. read more

I want to give a negative score if I could. I recently (October 11) sent my son to this place only for one day as back up care. He got very serious rashes on both of his legs. We brought him to urgent care at that night, and to the pediatrician the next day and a couple of days later to the dermatologist. All of them said it is probably an insect bite from the sand box triggered the allergy. My little one is still suffering a lot from crazy itchiness even now. When I complained to the director of the school, and asked if any other kids had rashes, she didn't show any empathy, instead, she was difficult and dominating, just trying to demonstrate their sand box should be clean therefore it is not their fault. She literally said no similar case and getting rashes at that day doesn't necessarily mean it comes from her place, however we didn't go to anywhere else. My son likes to stay in sand box all the time and he never got rashes like this before. Moreover, based on the review from Sid 19 days ago, his little one also got rashes at this place. The director never told me this. More than 1 child got rashes within the same period. It is very very scary to me. Stay away from this place!! read more

Montecito School - Serious rashes of my son - Preschools Near Me - Los Altos, California

Montecito school has been a huge part of my kid's childhood. The play based preschool offers more than just academic achievement. My daughters both have gone here, my oldest who is now 9 spent 3 years here. I started her at 2 1/2 because she was very shy. I felt this school was not intimidating, rather very welcoming and warm. She gained confidence, life long friends and tremendous social skills! I was a young single parent and the rates were and are very reasonable. Even after my older one finished up her time at Montecito, I absolutely knew this was my first and only choice for my second daughter! Erin has kept the legacy of Montecito going after all these years. Her family started this school long ago, my husband and his sister both are alumni of Montecito! It's just as beautiful as when he first went here. I am more than pleased with my kids preparing for kindergarten and having their first encounters with academics and teachers from such a loving place. Erin and her family are a huge pillar of this community, being locals themselves they've contributed so much to the South Bay. Thank you Montecito and teachers who have come and gone and new faces as well. You've made such impact on shaping young minds for the future! read more

My daughter started attending last Fall. I loved the outdoor space and the location. However, my experience with the staff and administration was unpleasant. I had multiple issues arise regarding tuition and fees that I began to express my concern as I felt they were more concerned with getting paid than the children's education and wellbeing. I would get back to back emails (almost daily) regarding negative hours and multiple times they were in the wrong. One time they had me down for -60 hours and my comment to them was "you won't even let us get past -2, how do you come up with these numbers?" After "reviewing their books," they'd sent an apologetic email but it was frustrating and I was just annoyed by the whole situation. They probably wanted me to buy hours ahead of time but that wasn't going to work for me. Being in education myself, I had to drop my daughter off early but I also picked her up before 4 pm. Earlier in the year, I had misread and misunderstood their last month's (June) tuition policy and when I spoke to the director, she was crude and lacked people skills, like some of the other staff. Which is another concerning factor. There is one particular teacher who is always sitting down and yells at the kids.... she is incredibly rude and just sits around rubbing her hair while the afternoon assistants do all the work. I just disliked running into her so much, she was incredibly unhelpful and has this apathetic demeanor. My daughter started off the year doing great, no anxiety during drop off, but as the school year progressed, she had the biggest meltdowns every morning and expressed not wanting to go. This lasted for months. Also, during early morning drop off when my daughter was one of the first kids to arrive, sometimes I'd walk in and the staff were just talking about their weekend and not acknowledge that my child was waiting to be greeted, specially with the difficulty she was having with separation anxiety. I had to interrupt their conversation about their sensational weekend and ask for their help. My daughter was potty trained and had an accident once but they didn't bother to communicate this to me. I reached out to them via email and got a response back informing that they don't report small incidents . I just feel that this was not a positive environment for my daughter's social emotional learning. Luckily, we moved out of the area and she now attends a great preschool with a teacher who greets her with a smile and hug every morning as she does with all the rest of her students. No one is sending me emails about hours or tuition. Staff is incredible, polite and kind and I had no idea it could be this good. My baby girl is thriving and smiling once again during our morning drop off. ***Edit*** I continue to receive emails from this place and I saw the incentive of two hours of free childcare for writing a "satisfactory" review on yelp. What a way to manipulate ratings! read more

We sent our son to Montecito for a few weeks for back-up care. The staff is caring and reassuring, and helped our 2-year-old get situated and comfortable. They sent us pictures throughout the day, and it was clear he was having a great time! They made art, played outside, rode bicycles, and ate yummy snacks. When I pick him up, he grabs me by the hand and starts immediately giving me a tour and explaining everything he did that day! We definitely feel like he was safe, taken care of, and given the independence to grow. He also made a lot of friends both with the staff and his classmates. We would definitely send him back! Thanks Montecito! read more

My child goes to Montecito after a lot of research on picking a good school. I love the school and more importantly, my child LOVES to go! They hire some of the best teachers who really get to know your child and educate them based in their needs. The campus is also a great place to raise your child and the children reflect the hard work the teachers put in to their students. Can't recommend this place enough! read more

Montecito is our child's first school and it is just apt! She absolutely loves her school, teachers, friends and activities. What an amazing introduction to a child's education! Kudos to Erin and the team for creating this fun loving school environment for the kids! read more

Montecito is a great preschool! I have so many wonderful things to say! My 3 yo daughter started here in the fall for the first time and had really never been dropped off or away from me. The transition was better than expected within a couple of weeks she was excited for school. Which says a lot for my very clingy daughter. The teachers Ms. Harpreet and Ms. Shashi couldn't have been more loving, especially being new to the Bay Area they made us all feel so comfortable. The school has beautiful grounds, great communication between teachers and parents through email and using tadpoles. It's such a loving environment along with keeping the kids safe. Which is so important!!! Montecito has been a great experience for our family. read more

I totally agree with review below. I sent my child for 2 years and Teachers were not warm (MissQ was very nice though) to kids and director was overbearing. I heard that it used to be a nice and warm place. Sad. read more

Los Altos Fall Festival - 10/7/12 I was there at when the festival opened this morning a bit before 10am. A lady who was working setting up the Montecito "booth" was barking orders at her two children. She clearly was a lady who expects everyone to follow her exact orders. If they're not followed, you will get yelled at and talked down to. This was evident as my friends as I heard her speaking loudly (some would say yelling) at her two children and belittling them in a sarcastic and belittling manner. I'm not sure if she is a teacher from the PreSchool, an Administrator, or a parent who was volunteering. Regardless of what role she has with that Pre-School, I would NOT send my child there based upon what we witnessed today. My friends and I felt sorry for this mom's 2 children, they will grow up eventually needing therapy! Pre-School and Kindergartens need teachers and Administrators who are nurturing and encouraging. My 1 star rating is based upon what we witnessed today which was outside of the school. This school may have great teachers but whoever they got to work for them today needs to be axed. read more

Pros: Beautiful campus and facility, detailed lesson plans. Cons: Teachers are efficient but warmth and nurture is clearly absent. read more

We LOVE Montecito! This place is such a gem. It's going to be hard to fit all the things we love into 1 review! To begin with, the staff is amazing. They clearly love their jobs and take such great care of the little ones. It's very telling that many of them have been working for Montecito for more than 10 years, and there are even some second-generation teachers! When the staff is treated well it reflects in their care. The location can't be beat. Preschools are often in industrial parks with limited outdoor areas. Montecito is a little oasis with 2 acres of property. Kids are outdoors often under the shade of long-established trees. They even have room to ride bikes around the courtyard for circle time! I love how much care and experience goes into the programming. Emails are sent each week to parents with the theme of the week! Each theme has books, activities, and songs to go with. Aside from the usual care, Montecito also offers parents night out! One weekend day a month you can bring kids to school from 3-9 and go out for cheaper than any babysitter I've heard of. AMAZING!! read more

My child has attended Montecito for the past year in the two-year old program, and we have been very happy with the school. The campus is lovely, and there are lots of fun things for the kids to play with. My son always comes home happy. What I have appreciated most is the staff. The teachers have been accessible, professional and supportive. They helped us identify that our son had some sensory seeking behaviors that require OT; we probably would not have realized this on our own until later. read more

Pros; Montecito preschool is awesome. The staff are always calm, loving, and focused on the children. My daughter is in class with Teachers Paula and Gayle. She loves her teachers and comes home happy, full of adventure stories in the gardens and with the animals. The school has numerous animals and critters, which the kids learn to observe and handle gently. Cons; I only wish the school offered more language classes. They offer Mandarin class but I wish they also would offer French language for my daughter to learn. All in all, I am beyond satisfied with the staff and the grounds at Montecito School. I highly recommend checking out if you have an up and coming preschooler. read more

I wish I can give this place a negative star. My 2 year old came home with uncleaned poop in her private parts and severe rash. When raised the issue, the owner was nonchalant and unapologetic, as if this was totally routine. The teachers kept blaming others. This place should be shut down. read more

STAY AWAY FROM THIS PRESCHOOL. IT WILL CRIPPLE YOUR CHILD'S EMOTIONALLY. Teachers are unprofessional, have little knowledge about childhood psychology. They lack warmth and empathy, and the director of the school is difficult, dominating and overbearing, and tries to downplay her teachers' shortcomings. When we first visited the school we mainly liked the big campus, all the play structures, and little bikes and cars that kids ride in the roundabout. It seemed like a cute happy place. When we gave our child to the school though, the child had a separation anxiety, and the teachers were not warm at all to my child, and did not try to make it easier for my child. One teacher once snatched my crying child from my neck, and since then my child was very scared of that teacher. None of teachers even gave a hug to my child in the morning at a drop off, not even once in the whole year! That's why my child never bonded and never trusted any of the teachers. My child was uncomfortable to ask them for help about any needs like help with going to the potty! The rule of the school is that parents cannot over-stay at drop-off. By overstaying they consider anything longer than 5 minutes! I got scolded multiple times by the teachers and the director for helping my child with going to potty in the morning. They don't allow unannounced parent visits except for the dedicated parents-in days. When we told them about our concerns that our child has a separation anxiety even after few months of starting the school, they said, it's because the child is trying to manipulate us to stay, and if we show them affection during the drop off, they will win, and that's not allowed, we should start dropping off via drive-through, which would be quicker, and the child's separation anxiety would be gone. That was a total BS. Dropping off via drive-through did not make anything better, and the whole logic that children are some kind of "manipulators and if we give-in, they win" (actual words of the director of the school!) is so flawed! My child did not like going to this preschool even one day. My child was scared of her main classroom teacher, because she was quite loud and constantly yelled at kids. She would yell "Quiet!" to the whole room, when kids became too noisy, or even when they were not that noisy, she would still yell at the kids. She was the first teacher I ever met who struck me as unprofessional, unempathetic, rude, with zero knowledge about early childhood development and psychology. If we raised any of the issues with her, she would become defensive, and respond that she is well-trained and does her job well. Honestly, people like her should not even work with small children. Small children have very good intuition about people, and gravitate toward empathic and warm people, but she is not that kind of a teacher. At least my very intuitive child disliked her. That teacher would send only negative comments about kids to their parents. Such as "Your child had an accident again", "Your child did not share a toy", "Your child did not play nicely today", "Your child did not participate in cleanup", "I was telling your child to put the bike away for 10 minutes straight and he refused". And we would get these messages every single day! It would absolutely ruin our day receiving yet another message like that. This was not at the beginning of the year, this was in January, when you are supposed to be friends with children and in-sync with parents. What is she there for? She is supposed to teach the child how to share or how to clean up, instead of constantly complaining to the parents. One time another child was crying at the drop-off, and was crying for a long time, and the teachers did not pick him up, hug or console him. The second teacher in the classroom was not bad, she actually seemed to have been doing the majority of the work for both of the teachers, while the first teacher was just sitting on one spot and occasionally yell at kids. My main complaints are that my child's emotional state got ruined during one year there. My child did not make progress in social-emotional development, on the contrary regressed, because in the middle of the year my child stopped talking and shut down. It's a defense mechanism, when a child does not like the environment. The number of accidents went up to 3 times a day, even though the child was potty trained for about 6 months by that time. My child did not look happy, and openly said that he did not like the school. Interestingly, the school teachers urged parents not to ask how a child feels about the school, but keep telling and reassuring them that the preschool is so much fun! I can only positively mention Teachers Maie, Joanne and Miss Q. But they were not in my child's class. A good preschool should have all good teachers, not just a few. Don't make our mistake of sending your child there. read more

The owner and director of this place is just so full of herself. I found it unbearable to speak to her. And she sets the mood for the entire organization. This place is very cold and all they care about is that the kids follow their instructions and routine. read more

STAY AWAY FROM THIS PRESCHOOL. Our child was there for one year. Some teachers are unprofessional, and have little knowledge about childhood psychology. They lack warmth and empathy, and the director of the school is dominating, and tries to downplay her teachers' shortcomings. When we first visited the school we mainly liked the big campus, all the play structures, and little bikes and cars that kids ride in the roundabout. It seemed like a cute happy place. When we gave our child to the school though, he had a separation anxiety, and the teachers were not warm at all to my child, and did not try to make it easier for my child. One teacher once forcefully snatched my crying child from my neck, and since then my child was very scared of that teacher. In my child's class, there were 2 teachers. None them ever gave a hug to my child in the morning at drop-off, not even once in the whole year! That's why my child never bonded and never trusted any of the teachers. My child was uncomfortable to ask them for help, like help with going to the potty! The rule of the school is that parents cannot overstay at drop-off. By overstaying they consider anything longer than 5 minutes! I got scolded multiple times by the teachers and the director for helping my child with going to potty in the morning. They don't allow unannounced parent visits except for the dedicated parents-in days 1-2 times a year. When we told them about our concerns that our child has a separation anxiety even after few months of starting the school, they said "it is because the child is trying to manipulate us to stay, and if we show him affection during the drop off, he will win, and that's not allowed, so we should start dropping off via drive-through, which will be quicker, and the child's separation anxiety would be gone". That was a total BS. Dropping off via drive-through did not make anything better, and the whole logic that children are some kind of "manipulators and if we give-in, they win" (actual words of the director of the school!) is so flawed! My child did not like going to this preschool even one day. My child was scared of his main classroom teacher, because she was quite loud and constantly yelled at kids. She would yell "Quiet!" to the whole room, when kids became too noisy, and even when they were not that noisy, she would still yell at the kids unnecessarily. She was the first teacher I ever met who struck me as unprofessional, unempathetic, rude, with zero knowledge about early childhood development and psychology. If we raised any of the issues with her, she would become very defensive, and respond that she is well-trained and does her job well. Honestly, people like her should not even work with small children. Small children have very good intuition about people, and gravitate toward empathic and warm people, but she is not that kind of a teacher. My very intuitive child disliked her. That teacher would send only negative comments about kids to their parents. Such as "Your child had an accident again", "Your child did not share a toy", "Your child did not play nicely today", "Your child did not participate in cleanup", "I was telling your child to put the bike away for 10 minutes straight and he refused". And we would get these messages every day! It would absolutely ruin our day receiving yet another message like that. This was not at the beginning of the year, this was in January, when you are supposed to be friends with children and in-sync with parents. What is she there for? She is supposed to teach the child how to share or clean up, instead of constantly complaining to the parents. One time another child was crying at the drop-off, and was crying for a long time, and the teachers did not pick him up or console him. The second teacher in the classroom was not bad, she actually seemed to have been doing the majority of the work for both of the teachers, while the first teacher was just sitting on one spot and occasionally yell at kids. My main complaint is that my child's emotional state got damaged during one year there. My child regressed, in the middle of the year he stopped talking and shut down. It's a defense mechanism, when a child does not like the environment. The number of accidents went up to 3 times a day, even though the child was potty trained for about 6 months by that time. My child did not look happy, and openly said that he did not like the school. Interestingly, the school teachers urged parents not to ask how a child feels about the school, but keep telling and reassuring them that the preschool is fun! I can only positively mention Teachers Maie, Joanne and Miss Q. But they were not in my child's class. A good preschool should have all good teachers, not just few. The school should invest in good teachers and good training for them, and change their strict rules on visiting/staying. I regret not pulling him out earlier, instead of staying there for 1 year. read more

If you are looking for a play-based preschool with a great outdoor space, look no further! Our child loves the large bike area, wide range of well-planned activities, and all of the animals. read more

Gorgeous campus, nice rooms, love the animals. I really wanted to love this school ... but we didn't. We sought a warm, play-based preschool where the teachers clearly enjoyed being with kids, and this just wasn't it. The structure struck me as rigid, and classroom organization and management routines often seemed more appropriate for elementary school than preschool. And some things seemed more for the benefit of parents. I nearly walked out of a performance held outside on a cold, rainy day. Parents sat under umbrellas, taking pictures of shivering kids. Teachers never got down on level with kids to talk to them eye to eye. They often raised their voices to verbally discipline kids across the room and playground -- I actually saw a teacher yell at a reserved child, across the play area, to "stop being so shy" and go play with some other kids. I was surprised they lined kids up in two lines by gender: a completely unnecessary distinction at this age. My son had a strong blanket habit, and a teacher abruptly told him one day while buckling him into the car that he couldn't bring blankie anymore -- he needed to be weaned off of it before kindergarten, absolutely, but that should have been done in concert with the family so we could support him together. Montecito has a more rigorous academic focus than the two other play-based preschools my family has participated in. By mid-year, my son was bored with the repetitive classroom activities but felt pressured to complete each one anyway. Teachers assured me children had free choice in which activities to do and how to approach them, but my son told me differently and I saw no reason not to believe him. The walls were covered with nearly identical artwork by all the 4- and 5-year-olds. I very much feel my child lost ground, particularly in social development, when we switched him to this school. He used to love school, and he headed off to kindergarten with a very different attitude. read more

We were sent here through Care and it was the worst experience ever. Kids screaming, understaffed. Owner was super rude.

I checked out many places before deciding to send my son here. I can't express how much my son enjoys going. The teachers are wonderful and so loving. He talks about his friends when he comes home and the projects they come home with are so creative. He has grown so much in the short time he has been here. Looking forward to being apart of this community for the next couple of years. read more

3.5 stars. Pros: beautiful campus with trees and cute animals; shaded, separate playground for each classroom; play-based program; lots of arts/crafts and toys to engage the children; good practice for transitioning 2-year-olds from home to school environment Cons: big classes (20+) though ratios are okay; teachers lack some warmth; teacher/parent communication could be better read more

Is a OK program for part-time attendees, but is not designed to for children doing full day enrollment. As the previous poster said, the teachers vary quite a bit in their approach to discipline and general warmth. Grounds are rustic and very lived-in and the animals onsite are cute. read more

While my child attended this school, I had a number of issues over the period she was there. I found many teachers distant and lacking in warmth. The teachers and administration were not approachable and I didn't get a sense of transparency, I felt parents were sometimes kept out of the loop. Many of the teachers also lacked basic social skills and common sense (like introducing yourself to new students and parents on the first day). The last teacher my daughter had struck me as a "everyone must fit in the same box" type person because she reacted to my daughter's differences negatively instead of in a supportive way. My other child attends another preschool and I couldn't be happier. read more

My daughter is in her second year at Montecito and we could not be happier. In fact, we recently moved from Mountain View to Los Gatos and continue to drive her up to Los Altos three days a week because we couldn't find anywhere down here that we liked even half as much! The developmentally based program is wonderful, and though it is not specifically academic the children are learning every day. Just this morning my not-quite-4 year old daughter commented that we were going north on the highway to get to school, so we'd be going south on the way home. When I asked her how she knew that, she said, "Mom, we have a GLOBE in our classroom!" We love the place so much that I'd like to address some of the less positive comments here directly: Teachers: We have found the teaching staff to be mainly warm and wonderful, with maybe one or two exceptions in assistant teachers (but I think that is the case everywhere?) My daughter and her friends have all adored the staff in the three classrooms she has been in. She often talks about wanting to invite her teachers to dinner, or to her birthday party, and every day when I pick her up she gets hugs and kisses and lots of very personal interaction from the staff on the way out. Hours: Yes, this is a school and not a daycare center. If you want full time care, it's not the place for you. BUT, if you work part time or have more flexible hours at your job (as many moms and dads do these days) I think it's a perfect place for you. The regular classes are only two or three days a week for three hours at a time, but the aftercare is amazing. It is fully staffed like a regular classroom from 11:30AM until 6PM every day, and your child can go directly there after class (or be dropped off on a day they don't have class) and stay as long as you need. You are charged $12.50 an hour in 15 minute increments. For days when you need a little more time for something, or you have an appointment or know you have an extra work thing, it is invaluable! They also have a lot of after class options that the kids love; my daughter is doing Little Hoopers basketball and a dance class which she does on her regular school days (makes it easier for me since I have a little one at home.) Class Size: The classes all have around 20 or 25 kids in them, but with two teachers and two assistants so the ratios are exactly what they are at the other places I've seen. The classrooms and yards are big enough to accommodate. Discipline: Though of course each teacher is a little different (which, again, is true in every school) I've found the disciplinary strategies to be very warm, very effective and surprisingly consistent from room to room. My daughter has been in three school year classrooms and went to summer camp this past summer; she is a tough nut and does sometimes act out a bit but I've found the teachers there to be very patient with her and always figure out how to motivate her toward good behavior without being really negative. Director: Erin is great. Though she certainly has a big personality, you will find that it benefits the kids at the school tremendously. She is actively engaged, knows families and siblings and grandparents by name, and is a big positive presence on the campus every day. I can see her coming across as pushy, but I suspect it's because she is the granddaughter of the founder of the school, as well as an alum herself, and she really believes in the place. Can't say much more, other than I will be sad when my daughter gets too old to attend! read more

Montecito preschool is one of the best kept secrets out there!! My sons have been attending this school since last summer. Their summer camp offerings are out of this world and we enjoyed it so much last year that we are going to put them in for the whole summer this year. I cant wait to see Music and Magic camp again. My boys still have their capes. The school reminds me of where I grew up back east. Its nestled in 2 1/2 acres of oak trees, have every type of animal I would want around children (chickens bunnys, birds, turtles, fish guinea pigs etc). There are lots of space to run and each of the four classrooms has its own large play area. The choice of activities is wide and varied each child can pick what they prefer to do. My one son likes drawing and puzzles the other running and jumping. It really works well that its not an all fits one attitude. I have one child in the green room and one in the rainbow room. The teachers are great and have really helped my boys to grow socially and emotionally. I really like when i drop them off in the morning that if I have a concern the teachers really listen and pass on all the information. We are like a team. Montecito has been a pleasure to work with. Even when I had some concerns about an after school program the director Erin promptly took action and helped with the situation. I am so excited that my daughter will be able to join her brothers this summer. She is going to attend the 2's class two days a week. She gets so jealous when the boys leave for school and starts running around the kitchen yelling "me too schoo..." so funny. I am so glad I found this school. It has been a great addition to my hectic family life and its nice to feel like you are working in tandem with your school and not slogging up a hill. Thank you Montecito!!! read more

Yes, the programs are part-time. This is a part-time preschool and not a full-time daycare., so if you are looking for 8am-6pm care this probably is not the best program for you. If you are looking for a part-time program for your 2-5 year old, Montecito is a gem. The school has been in existance for 50+ years, and the grounds are beautiful, full of oak trees and animals. We've have a number of teachers over the years, and they have all been nurturing and well-loved by my children. The teachers are not afraid for offer hugs and cuddles and they all seem to genuinely love their work. This is a play-based program, and is developmentally appropriate for each age group. The children get plenty of outside time, each classroom has a large play area plus the car circle is used for bike time which the kids absolutely love. Visit for yourself and see! Bonus: they offer drive through drop off and pick up which is a lifesaver when you have younger children in the car with you! read more