Such a great school. Wonderful environment where kids can thrive in small classroom settings. A…read morehidden gem in San Clemente. Incredibly close community and awesome people all around.

There are too many things to write about but I would say morale in general has been depleted at…read morethis campus and is why many have left the school. It is a mystery why the principal sent her child to public school instead of her campus but that speaks volumes and has not helped morale. High percentages of faculty quitting, surf club, gardening club, lab rats, summer school, galas, dances, continue to be canceled or non existent for lack of participation. It is so horrible. Please save the school Diocese of Orange! The employee in the office with hair dyed the color of a fire truck, against the school dress code also sends a confusing message and expectation.

Our daughter started at their T/Th Preschool this past fall and we have no plans on leaving! We…read morelove the accessibility of the teachers and the Preschool director. They are all very loving and willing to work with you on the needs of your child. They education level is fantastic, I love that my daughter is already learning Spanish at 3 and she loves going to school every week. Thank you OSLS for all that you do for our children!

I really appreciate how awesome these ladies are. A huge thank you to Miss Riley, Miss Paepke, Miss…read moreKielb and Mrs, Rivas. You guys are amazing with jax. Such a sweet staff. We love them all. My son has made some amazing friends here. All the kids are super sweet and adorable. We have made many memories here the past year. I also love the fact how they have military scholarships for families.

Choosing a preschool is one of the biggest decisions you'll make as a parent, and after having two…read morechildren attend Pacific Preschool's San Elijo Hills campus, I can honestly say it has been one of the best decisions we've made. Our oldest started at Pacific during COVID, which was an especially stressful time to be a new parent. I was also pregnant with our second son, so finding a preschool where we felt completely comfortable and supported meant everything. Even during such an uncertain season, the staff created a warm, consistent, and loving environment that gave us so much peace of mind. We always felt that our son was safe, cared for, and genuinely known by his teachers. Fast forward a few years, and now our youngest is enrolled at the same school. It's been so special returning as a family and seeing familiar faces. There's something incredibly comforting about a school where the teachers remember your family and truly invest in your children's growth over the years. One thing I've always appreciated is how closely the teachers partner with parents. They've helped us navigate everything from separation anxiety to developmental milestones with kindness, patience, and great communication. As working parents, having dependable childcare is important, but what we've found at Pacific Preschool is so much more than that. It's a place where our boys have been encouraged, celebrated, and loved. I'd also like to give a special thank you to Jessica, the director. Her leadership has helped create a culture that feels welcoming, organized, and genuinely family-centered. You can tell she cares deeply about both the children and the staff, and it shows in the positive atmosphere throughout the school. Watching our oldest successfully transition into elementary school with confidence, and now seeing our youngest thrive in the same nurturing environment, has only reinforced how grateful we are that we chose Pacific Preschool. If you're looking for a preschool where your child will be cared for by people who truly love what they do, I highly recommend the San Elijo Hills location.

10/10! We had the best experience at Pacific Prep- referred by our Pediatrician since his kids come…read morehere and if it's good enough for our doctor, good enough for us right?! Our daughter learned so much here in Mrs. Christy and Mrs. Nancy's class room 3. The facilities are clean, warm, welcoming, and addressed concerns promptly. Ms. Lindsey principal is also fantastic. My daughter starts TK this year and is so prepared and LOVES school. Can't thank you again for making our girls 1st school experience a success!!

I can't say enough wonderful things about Palisades Elementary! As a proud alumni and now a parent…read moreof three kids who have attended, this school holds such a special place in my heart. The teachers, staff, PTA, and families truly make this community one of a kind! The love, school spirit, and sense of togetherness are unmatched. We are so lucky to be part of such an amazing school community. Hands down the best elementary school around! Once a Wave, Always a Wave!

I have 2 kids who attend Palisades, and we love it so much! The community at Palisades is what I…read morelove most about this school. The parents and the teachers and administrators are very involved in the students' success. The PTA puts on a lot of fun events- both learning (like Mad Science Guy assembly) and "just-for-fun" types of events like Funky Friday, Fun on the Run Truck, Family events like After School Art, Lunch with a Loved One, and the Foundation is so supportive with after school programs (like Moana Musical, After School Art, Science, and other initiatives to improve the quality of education and experience with the school. The counselor is very active with the kids like Lunch with the Counselor to learn social-emotional skills, Mental Health Awareness Month, spirit days etc. We were a little hesitant to enroll at first, but we are so glad we did!

I really think that finding an amazing school for your kids feels like one of the holy grails of…read moreparenting. And MBMA truly is it. Hear me out -- I feel extra qualified to make this bold statement Bc we've tried it all. I read all the books and blogs about how to best support my firstborn when I had to go back to work full time (and you've probably felt the same agony about nannies vs au pairs vs daycares). We did the nann(ies) route for a while but it's honestly just hard to find the perfect person. We then decided to look for a daycare and I feel like I toured all the ones possible to find in laguna beach (where we lived at that time). Again, I felt like I had to compromise on kind of major issues (one place tried to sell me on how important playing in literal dirt is for kids and others had frazzled teachers) but I was getting desperate. We decided on a place but after weeks of my son coming home covered in all that dirt, I realized that I was paying way too much money to be this disgruntled. I spread out my search and found MBMA a decade ago. And it is perfect for us. The teachers truly love my kids (and it's not just lip service; we can all can feel it). The space is a Montessori (and IG) dream in its simplicity, airiness, cleanliness, and peace. They have a perfect mixture of independence and loving nurturing. And it feels safer than a lot of other schools bc of their security systems/fence. We've had all 3 of our boys attend and couldn't be happier. I rave about this place to pretty much everyone I meet:). Let's face it -- it's not easy to find a place you can recommend this highly and all parents who need help with childcare realize that who you are entrusting your child's day/education/upbringing (they see them almost as often as us!) too is critically important. They're amazing and have all my gratitude bc I can go to work and know my children are in the best hands.

Great teachers and staff. So happy with my daughter's progress and experiences. Miss Mariam and…read moreMiss Anna are helping to create a new class of future leaders and achievers.

My daughter recently started attending The Goddard School for half-day mornings a couple of times a…read moreweek. We were looking for some social interaction and a gentle introduction to preschool, and this has been such a wonderful experience. Mrs. Bertha, Mrs. Sarahi, and the entire toddler room staff are absolutely amazing. Within a short time, my daughter went from crying at drop-off to excitedly running straight to Mrs. Bertha when we arrive. She now looks forward to her mornings at school with no tears and an easy goodbye. I toured several places before choosing Goddard. While it may not be the biggest or newest facility, what stood out to me immediately was how happy and genuinely joyful the staff seemed. Everyone was smiling and clearly loved being with the kids; that warm, caring atmosphere is exactly what we were looking for. I highly recommend checking out The Goddard School to see if it's the right fit for your family.

My daughter has been going to Goddard since we moved down to San Clemente in 2025. We feel so lucky…read moreto have found such a caring and nurturing place for her to learn and socialize with her peers. Since starting at Goddard, we have noticed our daughter's confidence, language, and social skills grow exponentially. As a teacher, I recognize and appreciate the developmentally appropriate lesson plans and materials available to the students. The classrooms are always clean and tidy and there is ample outdoor time for the children as well. Perhaps one of the greatest advantages of Goddard San Clemente are the SMALL class sizes - no more than 12 students per class with up to 2 teachers (depending on the ages of the students). The small class size has allowed my daughter to make personal and trusting relationships with her teachers and peers. Lastly, I want to give a special shoutout to the talented leadership at Goddard - Ms. Anu & Ms. Theresa. Together, these two work collaboratively and tirelessly to ensure that the school is running safely and efficiently. As a parent, they are always responsive to my questions and feedback and take the time to know each and every child on a personal level. I highly recommend that you take a tour of Goddard San Clemente so that you can experience everything I have described and see if it is the right fit for you and your family!

I've only had my kids attend this and one other school in los angeles, so I can't say I'm an expert…read moreof elementary schools. What I can say is that this one seems to be pretty good. I feel that my children are safe and the quality of education is at least adequate if not pretty darn good. I've seen both happy and sad parents at this school and a lot of it depends on how their children have fared and been treated. I've seen people who love the school and those that left the school to pursue opportunities that were more to their liking. This school is in a super nice community and offers a lot for those who have the skills to take advantage of it. If there is extra help needed, I'm not sure if this school can provide it adequately. There are usually at least 30 kids per class and that makes it hard to give individual attention. I personally am happy at the school. The children are well behaved because that is the culture of the school. They are well versed in academics and the school has a solid technological focus. There is a good amount of computer time. They emphasize the use of computers and the importance of reading. Parents donate a lot of money to help the kids mitigate the large class sizes by funding engineering/lego building classes on a part time basis. This helps reduce class size by catering to only half the class in chunks, while the other half can focus on the regular learning. There is a good curriculum at the school and children get a well rounded education. It is a traditional school, not a charter school.

Just another money grabbing racket, borderline devoid of any ethical thought process, that values…read moretheir own bottom line over that of regular families. Unfortunately, this seems to be the norm in 2023. I will never give this school a single dollar of my money, or support it in any single way as a result. They get taxes to fund them, but over zealous planners just see opportunity to get their hands on hard cash and are too greedy to consider the needs and effects this has on families. Attended the "Boo Blast" and the most shocking thing about this is that fact that it's $10 per activity, at least for the better ones, so that's $20 if you have 2 kids, or $30 if you have 3. And what might you get for these VERY overinflated prizes you might wonder? 3-4 mins on a climbing wall. Or 3 mins walking school rooms set up like a ghost house. What makes it completely obnoxious is the fact that young children often want their parents to walk through with them, and that ladies and gentlemen, costs another $20 on top. Forget protesting this, they genuinely couldn't care less. Within 1 hour at this awful event wrapped up in fake smiles, but with green dollar signs in their eyes, a family of 4 might have to spend $200 just to do a couple of activities that all last approximately 3 minutes. That's after you have lined up for 30 minutes to wait for the activity in the first place. They even have the audacity to ask parents to volunteer their free time to support this so that they can maximize profits. The real kick in the teeth is that when raising this to a member of staff, who turned out to be the treasurer, she then asked "Are you one of the low income families here at the school?", which I'm not. And even if I was, it's not the point. The point is that their pricing is totally unreasonable, and unjustified. To not realize that is to be totally devoid of reality altogether. However I can get involved in making changes to this, I will. Yes some parents can afford to waste the same amount of money as it costs to go to Disneyland on some fair games, but again, that's not the norm for everyone. I just had to leave my kids with my ex wife, on my weekend with the kids, as I could not stand to be around this endless money pit. Totally disgusted. I raised this with Mr Pedraza, the School Principle, that was stood marshaling traffic on the front gate. I might as well have been speaking to a block of concrete, as all I got was a blank stare and some vague repeating of some of the words I had just said. He honestly couldn't have cared less, or made it more obvious that he didn't care and just wanted me to slide away so he could watch the money rolling in. He already got his fill, he got slime tipped over him on the Thursday prior. Not for any particular reason, but because he wanted to. That's where the tax money goes huh?

Our daughter has been part of the Community Seedlings family for just a couple of months, and it…read morehas been a wonderful experience. The teachers are incredibly caring, loving, and truly engaged with the children. A special thank you to Miss Fairy, Miss Melissa, and Miss Phoebe--they are absolutely amazing and have made such a positive impact on our daughter. We toured more than 50 preschools before choosing Community Seedlings, and no other school had such an incredible outdoor space. The backyard and the amount of outdoor playtime the children get are outstanding. It's a healthy, active, and happy environment for kids. We are genuinely sad to leave. The only reason we're leaving is because of the long commute. Otherwise, we would have happily stayed. I highly recommend Community Seedlings to any family looking for a loving preschool with amazing teachers and a fantastic environment for children.

Unbelievable care and attention for each child, always new things to discover and experience…read moreeveryday. They really support friendships and socialization, communicate very well with parents. Kids are consistently so happy here. Couldn't imagine a better place for my kid to begin her school adventures!