This is such an amazing school! The teachers are so caring and so engaging. My 3yo was hysterical when he first started school and was so nervous, and now he absolutely loves it. He always tells me to pick him up "later" so he can play with his friends. Their outdoor area was just renovated a couple of years ago and they did such a great job with it. I just can't say enough good things about this school! Make sure to register early as there is usually a waitlist! read more

Our family has been part of the GSP community for 6 wonderful years, and it is sooo sad for us to say goodbye. Our younger child started at GSP from six months old, and looking back, choosing GSP was definitely one of the best decisions we made. We would love to share our positive experiences and help spread the word about how special GSP truly is! It is definitely a safe and loving environment. The teacher to kid ratio is very good. Every teacher we have met here is genuinely caring and loving. The staff and front office have always been supportive, providing prompt and thoughtful responses to our requests. We will deeply miss the warm smiles we saw everywhere on campus, the birthday celebrations for kiddos at chapel, the lovely holiday gifts from the classrooms, and every page of the yearbook so thoughtfully customized for each child! read more

The kids went there and they received full love from the school staffs. Thank you and the Lord for caring them and prepare them for public school. read more

This review is long overdue, and I'm sorry it took this long. Being new in the area, I wasn't sure where to enroll my daughter for pre school, and I honestly didn't even know where to begin looking. Luckily, I came across the Good Shepherd Preschool Yelp page and noted the great ratings, so thanks to the previous yelpers for the honest reviews and highly recommending GSP. My daughter attended from 2020-2022 and I can honestly say, GSP is a wonderful place and we are so grateful they allowed us to be a part of the GSP family. She looked forward to going to school every AM and always had a smile on her face when it was pickup time. This review could go on and on with unlimited praise, because there is just so much magic in this little preschool. HUGE SHOUTOUT to all the staff that made such a great impact during our preschool experience, but most importantly the wonderful teachers in Blue and Red room. Thank you for being so genuine and always instilling love in the classroom, day and in and day out. This did not go unnoticed. We miss you all!! :) read more

Good Shepherd Preschool - Preschools Near Me - Irvine, California

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After 5 years at GSP (between 2 kids), we are sad to go. We will miss the smiles from all the teachers. GSP seriously hires the best people - how do they do that?! I trust all of my kids' teachers, they all love my kids and it truly shows. Sometimes, I feel like they take care of my kids better than me! Haha... Seriously though, GSP was amazing. Their program is well thought out, their admin/operations is very organized, the teachers are all amazing (regardless of how new they are and there are a few teachers who've been there for YEARS), their tuition is reasonable. I wholeheartedly recommend this school to everyone. If you're lucky enough to get into their Infant/Toddler program, do not pass it up. They really take such good care of your kids (this is why I say sometimes I feel like they do a better job than we do!). read more

Very good school for young kids. And it lays good foundation for my kid to build his basic belief in Jesus. My son spent very happy 2 years there. read more

We have spent a fantastic time in GSP. Special thanks to Miss Pili in the Discovery room and Miss Laura in the Red room, they always response and address any of our concerns so fast. If there is no job allocation which leads us to move to GA, we definitely enroll for our new born baby too! read more

I could not be more glad that my kids started their school experience at Good Shepherd Preschool. Their teachers were amazing and they made great friends. They LOVE school and look forward to going everyday. The curriculum is well thought out and child centered. The administration is organized and communicates well. Seriously it's the best place! read more

Can't say enough great things about GSP. We were a little hesitant about having our 2 year-old toddler attend, but the teachers in Purple room were absolutely amazing. We only did twice a week initially and hope to move to 3 times/week soon. My wife and I were fearful that our daughter would cry non-stop during drop-offs, but she adjusted relatively quickly. Of course there was crying for 5-10 minutes the first few times, but our daughter seemed to thoroughly enjoy the experience during this time of Covid. We felt it would be good for her to socialize and play with other children her age instead of being stuck at home all day. GSP does a good job on their end in terms of health and safety protocol. Of course it's hard to say how other children/parents will be, but just need to trust that people are staying safe and using common sense during this pandemic. All the staff members from the office, teachers, and support team are great. I appreciate the regular communication and updates. Looking forward to sending our second daughter here when she gets older. read more

We have been a part of GSP for 8 years and what a blessing is has not only been for our daughter and son but for us as a family. Between the administrative staff and the teaching staff it's clear they are passionate about working with young children. Both my children loved going to school there and if they had an elementary component we would have signed up immediately. Being in the education field myself, we toured a lot of schools and GSP by far was the best of the best. I never once questioned my kids were safe, loved and cared for while at school. Highly recommend GSP for anyone looking for infant/toddler or preschool school for their child. You will not be disappointed! read more

Our daughter has attended here for many years since an infant and we loved all the teachers & staff. Each transition between classes have been smooth and natural. As first time parents we were nervous sending our daughter to be cared for by others but GSP has definitely made that comforting. Our daughter has made some very close friends we still keep in touch with to this day. read more

Great daycare, teachers and staffs are very supportive and professional. Always responsive to the family needs. Culture is great. Kids go to the chapel very often. One thing I want to highlight is that the school does not allow parents to send goodie bags to other kids at school, which ease a lot of pressure for parents. In my daughter's previous daycare, we always received goodie bags, which was nice, however, we had a lot of pressure to send back goodies bags because we wanted to keep up with other people. read more

I highly recommend Good Shepherd Preschool (GSP). My son started in the infant/toddler program when he was 7-month old. We were on the waitlist for 5 months, but it's absolutely worth the wait. And they are the only daycare center that I signed up for the waitlist that doesn't request a deposit in order to get into the waitlist. My son just turns 2Y and is going to the purple room next school year. The past 1.5 years in the infant/toddler program is extremely wonderful. Nothing that I could complain about but a lot of positive experiences and memories. Before going to GSP, we had experiences with other 2 daycare centers. GSP definitely gives us the best experiences. Below is why I love and highly recommend GSP: 1. The teachers are truly caring and loving my kid. I always feel welcomed when I drop off and pick up my son. The teachers are always smiling. They share with me fun things that my kid did during the day or tell me something that I need to be aware of as a parent based on their interaction and observation on my kid. So, I know they always put attention on the kids and truly care about them. There are so many amazing teachers in the infant/toddler program: Miss. Nicole, Erica, Kassandra, Vania, Desiree, Justine, Nancy, Elizabeth, Olivia, Carly, Amy. 2. They make a portfolio for each kid. I was so surprised to receive a binder at the end of the first school year. In that binder, there are artworks my son did, teachers' monthly report on my kid's growth, and my son's photos. I can read through my son's life in GSP by turning each page in that portfolio. As a working mom, I always feel like I miss a huge part of my son's life which he spent at daycare. That binder to me is a precious gift as I was never absent and was still in part of his life in daycare. 3. Their curriculum is well designed and implemented. They have sensory activities, outdoor activities, scientific activities, water activities, buggy ride time, art time, music time, reading time for any kid who wants to read. And this is what I see every time I drop off and pick up my son. The teachers never make kids do certain activities altogether at the same time. Instead, they ask what a kid wants to do first and they wait. Once the kid shows any sign of interest, the teachers encourage the kid to do it, offer him/her the opportunity, and give him/her the space to do it with the teacher (not alone). To me, this is very inspirational and educational. 4. The teachers are very flexible to accommodate our needs. My requests were like using boogie wipes to wipe my son's nose instead of cotton tissues, having my son wear socks when wearing shoes, no heating up bread, etc. They are tiny little things in life that I care about. But the teachers always implement parent's requests carefully. 5. Not only are the teachers great, loving, caring, and friendly, the admin staff is very nice too. You can see them walking around the campus. They interact with the kids and parents. They are also good at communicating with families and promoting school events like Spring Fling, Halloween Trunk or Treat, Easter Scavenger Hunt, Back to Preschool Night, etc. Thank you so much GSP for all the love and care you give to my son. We are lucky to be part of the GSP family. I know my son is going to have another wonderful school year. read more

GSP truly is a gem in the daycare community because the school is faith based and it is  operated from a whole child perspective. GSP focuses on instilling value and advancing the social emotional aspects of the kiddos and the preschool is highly recommended not only by word of mouth but also through other daycare centers for their lower student to teacher ratio and the ability for the teachers to provide a bit more 1:1 support when needed. Evan joined GSP Sept of 2019; he started attending a chain operated montessori daycare in the Irvine area and eventually it wasn't a good fit for him (for example Evan would be in time out if he didn't want to participate in circle time etc...many of the montessori's around the area you would have to be a good 'fit' for the school versus the other way around) and from our previous montessori experience and we had transferred him over to Good Shepherd and it was hard to rebuild trust with schools and staff. Evan started in the Yellow room and will be going into Kindergarten this year. GSP has a team of caring staff; I never worried about my child's safety and wellbeing at school; they will always notify the parents right away with a call if the child is injured or for example was involved in a mini incident at school. GSP consistently has ample staffing for a full classroom; they usually have 4 staff members for the group of 24ish kiddos. Prior to COVID times they had special events throughout the year like a Halloween Truck show; Easter events and even a petting zoo visiting the school for a week. Evan had built good trust with the caregivers at GSP and they of course also used positive reinforcement to encourage Evan to work on following through; using his words to express feelings; or if on a special day where he felt overwhelmed they would take him outside and do a short walk on the playground. GSP has good and robust health protocols during this COVID pandemic and is constantly being vigilant and updating the health and safety protocols based on the OC Health Dept guidance. They added the ProCare app for the parents to get a glimpse into the student's day since COVID times so parents can see short videos and or pictures throughout the school week to see what projects/crafts/activities the kiddos are up to. It is bittersweet to say goodbye to this great community and believe Evan has been blessed to be a part of such a great preschool that helped him to get ready to transition into Kindergarten and as parents we are forever grateful that GSP was able to give the gift of a wonderful preschool childhood experience for Evan for him to take away with him onto his next steps in life. read more

I love this program and appreciate all the support that the teachers/staff provide to welcome every student. Very appropriately priced for the benefits your child will get from this school. Get on the wait-list early since this daycare is so popular. read more

Our daughter attended good shepherd for about 8 months. She was in 3 year old classroom/ purple room. We moved from irvine so we had to change her school. The last day of school We we're given a big folder with all my daughters pictures, drawings, etc. it was so Thoughtful And special. We will cherish this folder as it was our daughters first school experience! We can't thank enough the wonderful, caring and kind teachers at good shepherd. My daughter loved going to her class and was always excited and happy. She still talks about her teachers and she misses them. And the admin is also helpful and so nice. We will miss good shepherd preschool. read more

Our son has attended GSP for the past 3 years. We started him at 5 months in the infant toddler room, then he graduated to the green room and he's currently in blue room. We have loved GSP, the teachers, the community and most importantly the love of Jesus that GSP has instilled in him even at this young age. Through his different transitions, all the teachers have been so caring and accommodating in recognizing his needs and making him feel so loved and cared for! We attended GSP all throughout Covid and felt so safe that he was going there, it was the best experience! We will be moving soon and we will miss GSP all the teachers there so much and would recommend this wonderful preschool to anyone in this area. read more

We can't say enough AMAZING things about Good Shepherd Preschool! We love the care and dedication they have for all the children. Teachers and administrators from all levels get to know your children so the grade transitions have been pretty easy. They love on the children and let's me rest easy knowing my child is safe and well cared for! read more

I was joint to the waiting list one years ago. I received the phone call last month to enroll my baby girl to the preschool. I am picky and not really easy to trust. But after the school visit day. I know this is the best place for her and my little boy the teachers very patient and very nice to us. Explain every single details. And answer every question for our concern. The school classroom and restroom is super clean. During the COVID-19, I saw all the teacher wear the mask even the very hot weather. And the cleaner sanitized everywhere for several times a day. At the beginning, my daughter cry. But teachers comfort her and hold her, it is means they are care about her and trying to help her to getting better and better. After my daughter back to home, I asked her, do you like your school and your teachers? She said yes. And she said pee pee. ( she is chinese, but the teacher trying to understand her use her way and ask me how we communicate with her. They learn it, I know they try the best and they do really good job and hard working. I am so touched. At the first two days, I am so worried about her separation anxiety. So I call the school for several times during the day to make sure she is ok. The teachers show me all the patients that they have and explain to me how she doing there and also made the short video and took some pictures for me. I feel secured and respect from them. My baby girl don't want to school at the second day. Teacher told me I can remind her what they do at school. They did the puzzled and she is happy. After the phone call with teacher. I remind her. She was so happy and said yes. Yes. I want go to school right now :) Unfortunately, the grandparents just too worried about the virus. We have to take a little bit break from school. But once the virus getting better. The Good Shephered preschool is always my first and only choice! Thank you all! read more

As an early Childhood educator myself, I know what to look for in preschools and I'm a pretty tough critic. With that said, WE LOVE Good Shepherd Preschool. The teachers in the Infant/ Toddler room know what they are doing. They are very passionate and it shows through their professionalism. I know it's scary to send your little one to daycare and it's hard to trust anyone other than yourselves with your child. Let me tell you, they really work hard to gain your trust... they mark and take so much data on your child that it is very evident that they do everything they say they do. Thank you Good Shepherd Preschool for all of your love and support!!! read more

Good Shepherd Preschool - Preschools Near Me - Irvine, California

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My husband and I enrolled our daughter Karina at Good Shepherd Irvine and had such a wonderful experience that we just had to write about it.  For our daughter we tried several preschools in the Irvine area that were quite expensive and provided different teaching techniques and formats. We visited and noticed that a lot them were run like a business and the care and attention for our daughter was lacking. When we enrolled our daughter at Good Shepherd we noticed a huge difference. The teachers honestly care about their students and we could really tell. Our daughter also loved the school. She wanted to go school every day and loved her teachers. I usually don't write reviews but I wanted others to know just how good the school is and I would recommend it to any one that I know. read more

This is Yingying, Amanda's mom. Thanks for helping Amanda learn English! Amanda made a great progress during the past months. Miss. Terrasa, Miss. Nada, Miss. Nicole, and Miss. Vloria are doing a really great job, they are great teachers. We will miss you! read more

Best preschool for my kid; definitely recommend. My kid stayed there for about 3 years and he enjoyed their activities. The teachers are so nice and teach the kids how to interact with their peers and how to play nicely together. They address your concerns promptly and work with you towards the best for your kid. read more

There's a reason why this preschool gets 5 stars from many reviewers! It all starts with how organized this school is and the love for the kids they care for! Our first point of contact with GSP was with Esther and she is very sweet and understanding. She and the admin staff are very organized and it is evident that they are good at what they do. The teachers we had for our son in the purple room were always so caring, nice, and easy to talk to. The school also organizes little events for the parents where you meet others over coffee and pastries. Even the church will send you a postcard saying that they are praying for you and your family...how cool is that?!?! If you ever have a chance to enroll your child here, definitely do it as you won't regret it at all! Thank you GSP for your caring nature for our son and all the kids that attend. read more

AWESOME preschool!!! Can't say enough great things about this school, the teachers, and the staff. My son Deacon loved all of his teachers in purple room. He would come home with new songs, new words, and even new book titles he learned from school. I love how His teachers (Ms Terri, Ms Nayeli, Ms Vivian, and Ms Ana) were so loving and very interactive with him and all the kids in class. The best part I have noticed from my son since he started here is how great his imagination has developed. I also noticed how he loves to volunteer with household chores- sweeping the floor and even sorting laundry with me. He also became more independent, and always wanting to do stuff on his own (with success): putting his shoes on, pants, filling his cup with water etc. I can only hope to find the same school in the east coast. I very much recommend this school!!! read more

My daughter has been in good shepherd for 2 years and had a great time .All the teachers are so lovable and kindly . My daughter didn't cry for her first school day even and look forward to the preschool everyday . I will miss all the teacher there . read more

GSP is absolutely amazing. My son started at Purple Room, then Yellow Room, then Orange Room. He loves the school from his bottom of his heart. We have to move to West LA during last Christmas, the saddest part for me is that my son has to say bye to his teachers and classmates that he loves. He is still missing his Orange Room these days and always asks if we can go back to Orange Room since he is missing his classmates and teachers.Thanks so much for the love you gave to my son during the time we are at GSP! read more

This team and teachers are so amazing, the experience for our kids has been more than we could have hoped. The family feel and attention that we received is so appreciated. I will recommend this school to anyone! read more

This school is everything we hoped it would be and MORE! The teachers and staff are so sweet and nurturing. My son loved coming to school everyday to see his teacher, Miss Nikki! It warmed my heart when he would come home from school, singing songs about Jesus and feeling so proud to show me everything that he made and how well he wrote his name! This school will always have a special place in our hearts. Thank you for making his first school experience so special!! read more

GSP is truly a wonderful place to be. We have felt like family since we started. The purple and yellow room teachers along with everyone on the staff have been beyond amazing. They treat your child as if they were their own and truly care and take the time to understand and help that child shine. Thank you so much Ms Nayeli, Fanny, Anna, Natalie, Caitlyn, Cindy, Brittany and all the helpers and staff (Ms Jeanette, Shelly, Esther). Words do not do justice to the amount of love and care they provide to each and every child that comes into their care. We are truly thankful for GSP. read more

We have had two children enrolled at this preschool, both starting in the infant room. My son attended from infancy until he began kindergarten and my daughter is currently attending in infant/toddler room. I cannot say enough wonderful things about this school! The teachers here are the most caring and nurturing around, and I have always felt they truly care about my children. They always greet us in the morning with a smile and are sure to fill us in about details of the day when we arrive for pick-up. Anytime anything happens such as a minor head bump or fall on the playground, I receive a call letting me know. They emphasize play as a means of learning, as childhood should be, but I am amazed at how much my children have learned while at GSP! All while having fun! We are preparing to move out of state and it breaks my heart that my daughter will not have the same preschool experience at GSP that my son was privileged to have. The friendships we developed during our five years here are the kind that last a lifetime. I know we will not find a new school as wonderful. It is truly the best preschool around. read more

We just had our daughter finish at GSP and still have a son currently there. She is starting kindergarten and we have 0% concerns with her being ready or prepared, emotionally or intellectually. If you can get your children in here (they may have a waiting list), this would be the only preschool I would send my kids to. We found GSP to have amazing teaching and a staff who really care for our children as if they were there own. They bring in outside activities throughout the year (e.g. aquarium) and are very involved and updated with current teaching methods and curriculum so that your children grow, learn and have fun. From a parental standpoint that is exactly what I want(ed); however the happiness of our kids is also equally important with preschool and both of our kids LOVE being there. Both have met some amazing friends and love their teachers. While we had initial concerns 4 years ago if preschool was the best thing for our child and the nerves of leaving your child in the care of another, there is no reason to be concerned here. Truly wonderful people all around. Over 4 years currently with kids at the school, undoubtedly a scrape will happen here or there. I take a completely different take than Flo. We found the teachers to be very responsive to your child and take appropriate action (both when they created or received such incidents). That is typical of children at a certain age and usually that activity is confined to a year or so while at preschool. read more

We were very lucky to find Good Shepherd Preschool. It was not easy, since we had an awesome experience in our previous preschool but needed to switch to a full day care (our previous preschool provided only half-a-day). We examined a lot of preschools but none was able to compete with our previous one. Then we were very lucky to find Good Shepherd Preschool. I can say nothing except all existing words of gratitude for their love, professionalism and passion in raising good kids. Once we were passing our previous school and I asked a provocative question: which school is better? After a careful consideration my daughter answered: "Both of them. They are different, but I love both". It was the best answer I could get. read more

Our daughter's experience at Good Shepherd Preschool was amazing. The teachers are real attentive, they do a great job developing the children's skills, they do periodic reviews so you see how they're progressing, they are really invested in the children there. From typical knowledge of shapes, letters, numbers, there's also music, teaching about nature, so many things. I believe her time there really benefited our daughter as she transitioned into kindergarten, as she had a jump start on a lot of things taught. Great preschool! read more

We have been so blessed to find such a caring, friendly, and nurturing environment for our children who both started out in the Infant Toddler room. Our daughter Fiona is now in the blue room and is learning so much through play and exploration. The teachers are incredible at leveraging the children's curiosity to teach them new things. Fiona is constantly sharing with me all the new things she's learning about the solar system, the seasons, insects, amongst other topics. In addition, she is practicing her social skills and learning how to express and self-regulate her emotions. Our son Luca is thriving in the Infant Toddler room. He loves messy play which involves multiple sensory items like shaving cream and bubbles. Our children have made many wonderful friends and look forward to going to school. The staff is always friendly and helpful. The school is great about sending emails for events and reminders so we don't miss out. It's been a great experience for our whole family. read more

I wanted to take the moment to share my experience with GSP. My son had the absolute honor to school here we attended 3 years and dealt with multiple teachers / 3 different classes ( children move up each year ) and they were all Fabulous. GSP teachers and staff took care of my son and they loved him like their own ! His last year was just recently as he will be starting Kindergarten. The classes are clean , well equipped with age appropriate toys and activities, front and back playground and Teachers are wonderful... we have made long time friends that we will always keep in touch with and we adore Miss Laura ! There after hour events during the holidays are so much fun for the kids too . I will be forever grateful for the Positive influence GPS has given my son . Thank you GSP Love the Martinez / Hernandez Family read more

I cannot imagine a better place to send my daughter! They are best in class at everything they do. Such a blessing for the entire family!

Six months ago I gushed about this preschool! Well! I wanted to gush again! This preschool is much more than a preschool, it's a family! The teachers are like moms to the kids... The school is full of infinite joy and laughter! My granddaughter still squeals with glee when arriving to the school. We are greeted with open arms by Miss Nayelli, Miss Amanda, Miss Natalie, Miss Sage and Miss Fanny! Always happy to welcome us into this magical wonderland! Every day is an exciting adventure of discovery. Every day is full of music and art and wonder. Thank you, Good Shepherd! read more

I had my son coming here when he was 4. We used to go to another preschool but that school forced him to nap when he didn't nap anymore and forced him to lie down for 2 hours.. 2 hours!!! And he was not even allowed to read books because that school was not staffed enough. If you think about 3 year old boy lying down for 2 hours.. and if you are a parent then you would understand how frustrated the kid became. I had to move him to another school where they would NOT force kids to nap and we were VERY lucky because Good Shepherd had one open spot so we moved here. My son had a great time at school, made many friends, teachers were always welcoming and understanding. Now my 21 month daughter comes to Daycare. I think she came here since she was 10 month old. Unlike other day cares, very well staffed and organized. Teachers are ALWAYS smiling and welcoming. I love all the teachers in the Day care and so does my daughter. I used to send her for few hours only but she cries to go to school. She loves to be held by teachers, going on buggy rides and playing with her friends in the daycare. I am very happy that we got a spot for her here. She was prioritized because her brother came here :) I highly recommend for both daycare and preschool. If you want your kid to learn about love, caring and be social in a safe environment this is the place!! read more

My daughter started in GSP back in 2017 in purple room and since then, she has been in yellow room and orange room. Now that she's leaving for TK, I just want to leave a review to praise the teachers and administrators at Good Shepherd. From my experiences, the teachers and administrators truly enjoy their jobs there and they are making every effort to help your kids to grow and become a better person. My daughter is a very strong willed and determined child. She loves school but in the beginning she had difficulties to transition between different activities. The teachers are working with her patiently and suggested ways for me to work with her at home. From teacher and parent conference, I can tell that the teachers are really taking their time to understand each child because they can relate to how I feel about my child - both her strengths and weaknesses. When my started school in the beginning, I would go pick her up early at around 4:30pm but she never wanted to leave. I ended up adjusting my schedule and started picking her up close to 6pm. And still, a lot of times she doesn't not want to leave school when she is the only one left in the classroom because she would still be playing/the teacher would be reading stories to her/cleaning up together, etc. My daughter had a great experience there. Please be mindful that GSP focuses more on social emotional skills than academics which is exactly what I was looking for in a preschool. From TK orientation, one of the things that the IUSD teacher was saying was that.. they can teach the academics but a good social emotional foundation is really important. I believe that GSP has prepared my daughter for TK. read more