I wanted to share our positive experience at Cavalry Preschool. While every family's needs differ, I think some of the prior reviews overlook what truly matters in early childhood education. We were initially drawn to the campus, with extensive outside playgrounds and large classrooms. But what has kept us here is the teachers and staff demonstrate compassion, patience, and understanding with each child. Our 2-year-old has thrived under their care, and we can see the warmth and support they provide daily. Our daughter lights up when she talks about her teachers - Ms. Alyssa, Ms. Francine, Ms. Cindy, Ms. Rachelle, and Ms. Eloise... They work hard to keep the kids engaged and provide fun learning opportunities and experiences, such as water slides in the summer, creative craft and arts and crafts projects daily, things we could never do at home. Most importantly, our child is safe and happy there. The staff took time time to understand and appreciate our toddler's personality and needs, and created an environment of nurturing guidance. The core competencies that matter most - building confidence, fostering social skills, providing emotional support - are all present at Cavalry Preschool. For families looking for a place where young children will be truly cared for, I wholeheartedly recommend it. read more

Calvary Preschool - Fall Festival at Calvary! - Preschools Near Me - South Pasadena, California

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What a blessing it was stumbling upon this beautiful preschool! Today is my 4 year olds last day sadly because we are moving but i feel so lucky to have been able to send my daughter here for a year. The teachers are amazing, especially Ms. Elise and Ms. Jean. Calvary is such a loving school focusing on nurturing children and helping them grow socially and developmentally at this crucial age. Since beginning at Calvary, the change in my daughter's personality is incredible -- she's become so outgoing, creative, plays independently, and gets along wonderfully with other kids. I was at first hesitant sending my daughter to a "religious" school, but the emphasis on religion is very small, they sing, pray before they eat (which is the absolute cutest thing ever) and it ended up being a perfect match for us as i believe it has assisted in her development of being a well rounded child. Thank you Calvary for a beautiful year! We are so sad to leave! read more

Calvary Preschool - Preschools Near Me - South Pasadena, California

WE LOVE CALVARY!!! My daughter has come here for two years and I hope to send my other children when they are old enough as well. The campus is beautiful and the teachers are so sweet and gentle. My daughter has made many friends and her speech has imporved by a lot! The social emotional aspect of this school is fantastic. They do a great job navigating the kiddos' ranges of emotions and they teach them well how to handle themselves. We have not had a single problem in two years. The acedemics (while I know it's preschool) have impressed me. My daughter came home one day writing her name and totally shocked me. I wasn't even aware she could write an R. I was thrilled and she was so proud. The school has fun activities for the families throughout the year but I've never felt pressured to be there or my kid would be left out vibes (definitly had that at other schools). I really can't say enough good things. It has been such a joy to be here. Thank you Calvary! read more

This review is only for Molly Spragg, the director. The teachers and remaining staff, including Ms. Cindy, Ms. Francine are amazing! Molly should not be in charge of school operations. From my understanding and observations, the teachers are severely underpaid and the school irresponsibility spends money. It is beyond my comprehension. These teachers have been through a pandemic with children under the age of 5. Molly is terrible at communicating with parents. Her emails are thoughtless and rambling. Very unhappy she is in charge. I see that I am not alone in my assessment. Look at the other reviews. I was hoping our experience with her would be different. Sadly it has not been. read more

Great school! Our son goes here and was welcomed by his teacher. It is hard to find a good Christian preschool , where they actually teach biblical things and not what the world wants the teachers to teach. It is the parents responsibility to ensure that our kids follow in a godly manner, and not let the world dictate us. Highly recommend all parents to invest in their kids lives especially spiritual lives read more

My daughter attended this school from 3-4 before she went to public tk. She still talks about her teachers and school. She was able to take dance and science classes which she loved and really just enjoyed school. I knew she was safe and loved with her teachers and other staff at the school. I sometimes regret putting her in tk and not giving her another year of this magical school. The director wasn't too involved when we were there but the teachers are so professional they knew what they were doing and we didn't miss having a director on campus all the time read more

This preschool is amazing! Ever since the lockdown happened, our daughter has been chomping at the bit to be able to come back because she misses all of her friends and teachers. She knows that at Calvary she is loved and valued. What more could a parent want? The school's focus is on learning through play, and some people may not feel like that is stringent enough, but studies have shown that is kids' primary and preferred method of learning. Our daughter demonstrated Kindergarten readiness skills before TK and has a vocabulary that dazzles everyone around her. Without a doubt, Calvary had a big hand in that. Thank you, Calvary!! read more

I can only say that this school has been the worst place for my son. I wish I could give no stars. He was there in room 7 with teacher Grajeda for only one day and he still has nightmares about this school. He had a nightmare last night. I don't want to go into details about all of this but if you truly love your child, think twice about sending your child there. You should check with the CDSS and also read Jane V. review. I made a mistake of ignoring her review and enrolled my child there and it was a big mistake. I would never send my child to Calvary again even if it was a free school. read more

Our youngest son went to Calvary Preschool. It was an excellent place for him to learn about how school might be like, how time away from mom is, how to socially interact, as well as academic challenges that are key to learning down the road. Excellent faculty and staff who really care about the children, and keep a close eye on them. Everything is taught there with love. If we had more children, they would be going to Calvary, no question about it. read more

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I can only say that this school has been great for my son. The staff including the director have bent over backwards to make sure my son stays in the program and is happy there. They reach us for anything that goes on and that is always refreshing. This school has been a blessing and I am grateful everyday that my son attends. read more

We have been very happy that we chose Calvary for our 3 1/2 year old's first school experience. He is both a very sensitive, and very active, boy. And both our teacher Ms. S. and the school have been perfectly suited to those factors. Our son has never seemed particularly interested in the alphabet, or numbers, or pretty much any game that requires traditional learning (!) so a play-based program was critical for us. I like that his teacher incorporates the learning process into everyday activities so that he is being exposed to things like the months of the year and the alphabet in a natural way that will hopefully allow him to understand the concepts as he learns them. They also do a ton of crafts--painting pictures, constructing a cloud with a rainbow, a candy-corn for Halloween, and beading their own necklaces--and that's just in the first 14 days of the school year. They also spend a ton of time outside running around and climbing, biking, playing in sand, and just using their imaginations. So far, it has been a little bit of a difficult transition period for our son from home life to no-parents-around life. Three weeks in, he does still cry every day when I, or the nanny, drop him off for his 3-hour long, 1/2 day program. However, I have stayed at least 4 times to spy on him in one of the many playgrounds and he is the one running around and chattering to his friends the loudest--so I know he is happy during the time he spends at school. The first morning that I brought our son to school--during his second week there--he told me (through his tears) that I could go wait for him outside the room as he held out his arms to be transferred into the arms of his teacher. She told us that one day in his first week, he was desperate for her not to leave him, so she carried him with her when she had to go to the office to pick something up (while another teacher stayed with the other kids). To sum up, although this whole process has been emotional for everyone, I feel like we made an excellent decision in choosing Calvary, and that we are very lucky that he is in Ms. S's class since she is a warm and loving person. I met the new-ish Director at Calvary's annual Carnival and liked her openness and directness. Although it is true that the school is going through a bit of a transition, I have found the Director to be extremely open to parental involvement and interested in encouraging communication. read more

This school is amazing. Our four year old has been attending for almost a year and we already put our younger son on the sibling waitlist to attend when he's old enough. My son is so happy here. We transferred him to Calvary when he outgrew his prior home based daycare. He has learned so much here and he is always so excited to go to school. In fact, he gets mad at us if we pick him up early. The teachers and staff are all so engaging and invested in each child. Ms. Molly is the director and she is wonderful. She knows all the children by name and it's very clear she cares about them all. The school is very well run under her direction. (I read the negative review that referenced Molly and honestly it's out of left field and nothing close to what I've experienced). It seems like all the teachers/staff know all the kids, even those not in their classes and my son knows them too. Our son started at Calvary at the tail end of the pandemic. The school's pandemic protocol has been great and reassuring. We were more cautious than most, but always felt comfortable sending our son to school. My husband and I often talk about how there's just such a good feeling on that campus and we feel good sending our son there. We are not at all religious people (perhaps even teetering toward suspicion of organized religion) and I was hesitant to send our son to a church affiliated preschool. However, I do not at all feel like my son is being indoctrinated. The class does attend chapel once or twice a month, but to my son it's just a time to sing fun songs and listen to a story about being a kind person. I would imagine children from religious households would have a different experienced based on how it's reinforced at home. This school is amazing and I'm thankful everyday we found such a wonderful place for our son. read more

We are so glad we found Calvary. The best pre school in Sth Pas. Our 3 year old son is thriving. He loves his teachers, loves his class mates and is learning something new every week. The focus on social and emotional learning will benefit our son long term. read more

Our daughter absolutely loves it here and her development has continue to thrive since attending here. It's a lovely, clean preschool with a great outdoor play area. The teachers are very supportive and an array of different activities are offered to the children. read more

Best pre school in south pasadena! So glad I found it! After 3 schools finally there is one close to my home and with the program/values/organization/discipline that I want my children to be around. I waited for one year and a half almost to get a spot for my daughter, who is 3 now. It was all worth it. The first weeks she cried a lot but I was expecting it. What I was not expecting were the calls I got with updates and words of encouragement! Appreciate all the help and care! I'm sure we will be enrolling our second daughter soon. read more

This school is one of the best PRESCHOOLS... I looked and looked and looked for two whole years and changing my older son for around 3 different preschool till we found Calvary Preschool.. Teachers are awesome, caring, loving and enthusiastic. The place has a big place where the kids can play. 3 different playgrounds!!! My two kids love the place (4 and 3 years old) and I am so thankful to GOD for finding this place... The teachers, office personal and parents are great people. read more

I love this school! My daughter, Emma, has attended for the past two year and may attend next year (depending on her public TK situation). I must have toured at least 24 other schools (yes, at least 24, that's not a typo) before picking Calvary and couldn't be happier here. Everyone is so kind and loving - teachers, staff, admins, even the custodian and handyman! One issue: I have trouble getting Emma to leave school when I pick her up. She just wants to stay all day. They are really like family to me and Emma. I've spent a lot of time on campus and see how the teachers interact with kids. Truth is, they're better at it than me! I've learned so much from them about how to talk to toddlers, about conflict resolution, about respect and dignity. I'm so glad they're here. read more

I cannot praise this school enough. I toured every Pre-school in the area and am very happy with my choice. My son attends Calvary and everyone here is top notch! From the front office ladies (Kristen & Jen), to the teachers and the new director Molly who has been such a wonderful addition. Make sure to do a tour and get on the waiting list as they fill up quickly. read more

I grew up in South Pasadena and always heard wonderful things about Calvary Preschool, which is why I wanted to send my daughter to this school when she turned 3. My husband and I attended the tour before enrolling my daughter and we were told by Molly Spragg, the director of the school, that there would be several enrichment classes offered such as dance, science, Spanish, and Mandarin. Molly is like a used car salesman and will tell you anything and everything you want to hear to get you to enroll. What she won't tell you is that she is the only director of the school and she is a part time employee and not at the school after 1. She also won't tell you that the school is getting accredited currently so there are no enrichment classes offered. She also won't tell you that she is in the "process" of creating a new handbook for the school, so there are no guidelines for how the school is ran. I was not told any of these things until after my daughter was in school for over a month. When I was picking my daughter up from school one day, her teacher told me that she had fallen and had a little scratch. When I took a look at my daughter, I saw that she had busted her top lip open, with blood still on her lip and it was very swollen. My daughter told me right away that another child had pushed her off the play structure and she fell from the top. Her teacher immediately started to backtrack and told me a totally different story from the one I was just told. Obviously I was furious that I was not called to be notified about this or told how high the structure was that she had fallen off of. I emailed the director, Molly Spragg, about my concern and the next day we spoke on the phone. Molly tried to downplay the accident, even telling me that she had assessed the situation herself and advised the teacher not to call me. When I told Molly I was very upset about not getting a call, she told me there is no handbook currently so there are no rules for how to address an accident at school. Aside from this issue, while waiting to pick up my daughter from school, I have seen the lunch employees smoking cigarettes over the packages of food while unloading the lunch meals for the children. Every single email I've received has been full of typos and incorrect information, and they send several new emails until they finally get the information right (instead of just proofreading before hitting send the first time). They gave me incorrect teacher assignments and incorrect times for when her school starts several times. And they had my daughter in the wrong classroom assignment (instead of M/W/F, they had her assigned to T/TH and then 5 day) and I had to correct it myself..when I went to the office to correct this issue, Kristen, the front desk lady, was incredibly rude and answered the phone and gave me a finger wave to send me on my way while I was in the middle of a sentence. Molly has only been the director since 2016 and it is clear she is the reason this school has problems. It is really sad to see a school that had such a long lasting impression on the community go downhill so fast. If you want to have your child in a safe and honest environment, DO NOT send them to Calvary. read more

Send all your little ones to the school I call home. Not only do I teach here but I also attended in my formative years. Great staff and wonderful neighborhood, this preschool is awesome! read more

My 3 year old attended the half day program and loved it! My eldest, a Senior at SPHS, also attended and i loved it then as well. I liked that the school gives you the option to attend 4 hrs 2X per week to get him use to being in school instead of a whole day 5x per day schedule- they also have full time- if your family needs it. Snacks provided. You need to pack a lunch. School grounds are clean beautiful open and fun. Teachers are experienced and office staff is very helpful and polite- something I have a hard time finding in Pre K schools. Call because they are always full but waiting list is now open. read more

Calvary is a great pre-school. My daughter just finished her first year and we have been very pleased with her teachers, other staff and her accomplishments (as a 3 yr old!) Since she was one of the younger kids, her class concentrated more on the social aspects of school. Lots of playtime, art, outdoor time and singing. I look forward to see what next year brings! read more

We love this place!! Our daughter went there this past year and just adored it. It's very relaxed (in the best ways, not overly precious or pretentious, but still diligent and very caring of the children). It's a play based preschool and my daughter (who just turned 3 when she went) thrived there. Wonderful grounds and lots of events organized by the school and a wonderful outreach director there. It's also one of the more reasonably priced pre-schools in the area. The ONLY reason we left is because we moved out of the country. My daughter still talks about the friends she made there and the teachers. Highly recommend. read more

This is a fantastic school! The staff is wonderful and very communicative to the parents, the teachers do a fantastic job of helping the kids make good decisions and I feel is a perfect mix of socializing, playing and learning. My little boy loves the bike yard and the events are so fun and engaging for all of the children. Every day he comes home he says he has so much fun so he really enjoys it! read more

Calvary is a fantastic preschool!! Our daughter has been attending Calvary since June. I LOVE that there are many large play areas with a mix of activities like trikes and sand and swings where she can get dirty and explore. The school invests in teacher professional development and we see this investment in the professional, caring and sensitive ways the teachers provide support for our daughter who has some extra challenges with transitions. The school has music in the classrooms two times a week and most importantly a focus on play and exploration. The environment at the school for both parents and children is warm and welcoming and we couldn't be happier. read more

As a former pre-school teacher and teacher of teachers i can say that this is a great place to take a child. I helped my granddaughter look as schools for her son and this was the best one for our needs. It is my grandson's first school experience and he is very happy there. After supervising teachers and working in schools i can get a feel for a place and here the kids were happy. read more

If you aren't Christian, and you don't want your child coming home declaring their love of Baby Jesus then this school isn't for you. They will tell you that it is not religious, that it is non specific and that Chapel is optional. However, they will sneak your kid into chapel if you "opt out", and your child will come home feeling guilty and tell you that they really love Baby Jesus. They will tell you they sing "traditional xmas songs", which to the average layperson includes songs like Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, and Let it Snow, however what they mean by traditional xmas songs is uber religious songs that you may have never previously heard. Aside from this, the teachers are not all equally competent or motivated or inspired. Your child may only do one project in they year that will be proudly displayed at open house. Literally every other thing will be a drawing on white paper, with maybe a stamp if you're lucky. OR your child may do awesome projects all year long. It just depends on which teacher you get. They don't really follow a developmental approach, it's more of a day care approach. Your child will be safe, and will make friends, but should not really stand out in any way or speak up for themselves in any way that requires too much attention, they will then be seen as a problem child. Also, your child might not be greeted when they arrive in the morning, sometimes they will, but sometimes not. And there are very often random teachers in the room, taking over for the regular teachers, with no rhyme or reason, so if your child likes stability it might be really difficult for them bc they don't actually know who is going to be there and when. This is not to say that the teachers are not lovely, because many of them truly are. We had 2 wonderful teachers, but overall the religious aspect needs to be considered if that is an issue, and you might get stuck in a class where your child doesn't do any projects, and you may get a teacher who does not understand preschoolers AT ALL. read more

This is a fun school...lots of play area, shade and caring teaching staff. I highly recommend this school.

We been looking for a school that will assist my toddler to transition from home care to school. This is not a school for children that need help with the transition. They could only handle children that have experience at a school. When we visited the school for the tour it was amazing it had lost of fun activities, the staff looked helpful and our little one was anxious to begin school. We enrolled him to this school and he loved it and could not wait to see his friends/ teachers. At the end of each week my sons teachers will give me a summary of his day, his transition challenges and skills that they had applied. unfortunately, after he attended for five weeks they could not work with my son. Molly decided to take him off the extended program because they felt it was too much for him. There was no warning and they did not try to work with him or me. She even stated many times the extended program is not an option for your son until I think he is ready. I reply to her taking him off the program will not help him to transition. My son was only allowed to attend the morning 9-11am. Still the director Molly was not approving for my son to attend the extended program. How is that helping my son to transition. The Calvary preschool needs to find a better process by helping the parent with her child. They could have gave me the option to shadow my son, look from a distance and observe his reactions. But there was no warning Molly she pulled him out of the program. My son did not hit children, bite or harmed any child. I took him out and now I'm searching for a school that will actually help with the transition. My advise to parents is to ask how will they help with the transition from home care to school and how long until they decide to take them out or are not competent to help with the transition . My sons experience was great in the beginning but it became to be the saddest day when they gave up on my son. I will not recommend this school for children that need assistance with transition. read more