Children's Enrichment Center (CEC) is a preschool located on the Twin Lakes Church campus. They…read moreserve children ages 2 through transitional kindergarten. CEC is a very academic preschool with a fun-loving and caring staff. Great remodeled facilities and playgrounds. Cannot say enough positive things about CEC.

This is a great school. My brother went there pre-5th. My oldest son goes there now and I plan to…read morehave our youngest boy go as well.

My eldest child attended Calvary for preschool, and we had such a wonderful experience that we…read moreenrolled our youngest as well. After exploring several schools on the westside, we chose Calvary based on recommendations from other parents, the experienced staff with long tenures, its convenient location, and its cost-effectiveness. The flexible scheduling and minimal time off during the school year were also important for our family, as was the diverse student body. We believed Calvary would provide a smooth transition to public school, and it certainly did. Our daughter and another child from Calvary were the only ones in their TK class who could write their names at the start of the year. Calvary's play-based approach emphasizes early literacy, which is crucial for us. The school offers abundant resources, engaging activities, projects, and ample free play. With spacious indoor and outdoor play areas, the children also benefit from being divided into three smaller classrooms and having a dedicated nap area, unlike many schools that use open spaces. Additionally, Calvary assists with potty training and provides meals and snacks, so we don't have to send anything with our child each day. It's reassuring to know she is well cared for at Calvary.

This is the first preschool I tried in Santa Cruz after we moved. My son was 2 and a half and he…read morecried every day for two weeks. They called us to come and pick him up half of the days. It was heart wrenching. Then the director told us that he was not ready for their school. Luckily we tried another school and my son adapted really quickly even though it was a bigger preschool with more kids. I regret having my child experience his time at this school and wish we never had this experience. The teachers didn't give him time to adjust and expected him to be perfect little boy without giving him the opportunity to bond and get comfortable. My son is now moving on to transitional kindergarten! I still have regrets putting him through Calvary preschool. It was definitely a "Calvary" for us parents but greateful to have found an amazing, caring, beautiful people at Lifespring preschool that loved and cared for my son! We were willing to pay more as long as our son was in a good setting but not only we found a nurturing and caring teachers at lifespring but it was a lot less expensive. More expensive preschool doesn't mean a better setting for your child. We learned the hard way.

The school is very beautiful, inside and out, with a delicious menu for the kids too. The teachers…read morealso seem knowledgeable. the problem is with the teachers' attitudes towards certain parents and students. There was a striking difference between how they treated certain families (mine included)--quite cold and dismissive towards some, and very friendly and sociable towards others. it's very unfortunate that this was our introduction to Santa Cruz.

Hands down the best experience for our toddler and our entire family. Between the nurturing…read moreteachers, the innovative curriculum, and the warm, inviting environment, we couldn't ask for a better place for our child to grow.

​ Our daughter went to Common Threads for just over a year…read more We choose CT because we liked how the teachers told us they approached early childhood education (thoughtfully and with compassion). Our daughter was, at first, very excited to go the school. She talked about her friends and what she did each day. Within a month or two, we noticed that drop offs were becoming difficult. But upon picking her he end of school, we would receive positive reports almost every time. A few months later, we received a call from one of the teachers telling us that there was an issue with our daughter, but they didn't want to talk about it over the phone. We were startled by this of course. Upon meeting with her teachers we were told that they believed that our daughter was having developmental issues citing anti-social behavior and sensory-input difficulties. They insisted that they had dealt with these things many times and suggested a child psychologist observation which resulted in nothing significant. From then on, we checked in every school day to see how our daughter was doing from her teacher's perspectives. We always received glowing reports and thought things were improving. We enrolled her in summer school and continued to receive positive feedback. On her second day of her second year at Common Threads we received a call from one of the teachers telling us that they could no longer accept our daughter there. We were blindsided, hurt and confused. The teacher told us that they didn't think they could give our daughter the attention that she needed despite months and months of no issues being reported to us. Our daughter was in tears. She wanted to see her friends and talked about all the activities she was looking forward to. "I can do it, I can do it" she sobbed to us. We spoke with teachers from other preschools and they were floored by CT's behavior. Other parents reacted the same way. We were fortunate to have a schedule flexible enough to take a few weeks to find a new school. We've also been working with experts to determine if our daughter has the issues that CT cited. Though there are areas she can certainly improve on, the experts are clearly telling us that she is a healthy, bright and mature-for-her-age little girl. A few weeks later, we found a new school that our daughter immediately connected with. She's social, curious, helpful and happier than ever at her new school. She's thriving. I would never recommend CT after the way they treated our family. Poor communication and erratic behavior is how a pre-schooler might act, but it is certainly not how a pre-school should act.

We've had our son here for four months and are very happy with them. Great teachers, a really…read morecaring staff.

My son attended NCC for three years and had an amazing experience. The teachers were dedicated,…read morecaring, and loving, and the campus provided a spacious and welcoming environment for children to play and learn. The school also did a great job building a strong academic foundation through the Montessori method. For parents considering NCC, don't be discouraged if the admission process takes some effort (headmaster L may not like to reply to messages); it is well worth it when you see your child's happiness and growth.

Great school. I realize that the school is more guarded during the waiting list timeline to protect…read morethe safety & guard the routine of the children during school time. My daughter is attending this school now and I have to say that the children are prepared for educational success in every way imaginable. There are three groups; youngest group, middle group, and pre-K. Some highlights: Onsite reading specialist Bilingual education Montessori classroom time structured and free learning time Non profit with emphasis on community service Healthy (usually organic) vegetarian diet served at meals Parent involvement in the direction of the school. Wonderful educational field trips Advanced curriculum designed for school preparation. Emphasis on Science, math, music, language, cultural enlightenment. This school is also very culturally diverse, when looking at the "make-up"' of ethnicities amongst the children. The school is extremely hygienic with an aggressive health policy, with sink stations in every class room and around the play yard for hand washing. Resulting in healthier children (and parents) with less time off from school in the long run. I am very pleased with this school. We were invited for a visit once our names were high on the waiting list. I was instantly sold when my daughter was invited to participate in the days activities. The first was dissection of owl pellets and identification of the animal consumed based on bones found. The next was a story circle, the children each performed a portion of the book in a dramatic manner with props and costumes included. The next was a bilingual story and song circle, with children being "submerged in spanish," for the duration of the 20 minute circle. The final was a magic circle., which was fun and educational. I highly recommend this school. The teachers were patient and supportive while my daughter adjusted to the separation from me and my husband. They actually surpassed my expectations!

A great preschool and pre-k program…read more My son has been going there for over 2 years and we love it, teachers are great and so is the facility

Seeds is a very special preschool! I wish the owners were the teachers at every preschool or every…read moregrade lol. They taught our daughter SO many things and really brought out her strengths. She's excelling in kindergarten all thanks to this pre school :) so happy she grew her first memories here and recommend them to anyone!! It's hard to find preschools these days that actually "teach" children, and they go above and beyond with their teachings :) very grateful!

My son loved and excelled at NBCC. We were one of many families eager to sign up when they first…read moreopened back in 2017 and I'm so happy to see how many families have had the same wonderful experience as we did, over these years. I highly recommend NBCC. The teachers made my son feel safe and he enjoyed the many activities they have to offer, especially reading , art and gardening.

The teachers and curriculum are amazing. Watching children absolutely thrive at NBCC has been such…read morea privilege. Our community is so lucky to have this gem!

Discoveryland is an outstanding preschool program near Capitola Rd / Soquel Ave / and 7th Ave…read more This hidden gem when discovered by parents is frequently praised as "I can't believe this great program is right here!" The school has two recently remodeled classrooms, loving teachers and great staff in a secure setting.

Excellent Preschool!!! The Teachers are all wonderful. The…read moreDirector was very compassionate with meeting my daughters needs. I will miss them dearly. I highly recommend Discoveryland Preschool to any parent who would like to put their children in a well grounded Christ centered school. God bless Discoverlyland!!!