Melissa and Victoria are incredible head teachers and role models. My husband and I have been able…read moreto thrive ourselves while the wonderful team at Family Network Preschool (FNP) nurture and care for our daughter for the past 3 years. They curate a play-based, thoughtfully-structured curriculum for students 2 through 5 years old. Our daughter started as soon as she was eligible at 2 years old. She's always smiling at pick up and never ready to leave, hugging teachers as they leave and requesting playdates with friends. Her day is filled with art, movement, songs, dancing, imaginative play, animals, insects, puddles, healthy snacks, guided risk taking, climbing, reading, writing her name, and more! The atmosphere is incredibly inviting, featuring an outdoor covered deck, play structures, and a warm, homey indoor space--plus seamless support for potty training. FNP does not advertise, as they fill their roster through word of mouth. I'm writing this for folks who are looking for a more recent review and encouragement to email, attend an open house and register.

We love Cathy and Marty who run the school, they appreciate each child and know how to encourage…read morethem to blossom! It's beautiful and was a great place for my daughter, she was greatly prepared for kindergarten and familiar with the activities that she was presented with in her kindergarten assessment since she was on the younger side. She loved it there and coming from a co-op it was a great and easy transition to a drop off school, yet I felt involved in their community. The price is amazing, truly a special place! This has now changed ownership and is managed by Victoria and Melissa! Some much needed updates and face lifts have been added and pricing has increased slightly. But it is still an awesome place for your child and I would still recommend it!

This is our second year at SCPENS and we really love being a part of this quality co-op school!…read more My children are intrigued with the various activities (yes, I am able to bring baby along to preschool classroom). There are various activities set up to appeal to different children/moods/learning styles etc. There is always a sensory table set up with an activity like playdough, bean trays or making snow. An art activity (painting, stickers, glue...). The exploration table allows students to discover and experiment with scientific and mathematical manipulatives. On the rug, the kids will often be building with blocks or trains. There is dramatic play with dress up, a play kitchen, dolls,and a store. And of course, there is a quiet corner complete with books relating to the classrooms theme. In addition to these permanent classroom features, there is frequently something special happening: water play on hot days, setting up a tent when learning about the forest, or riding on a large tiger toy when studying wild animals. This brings me to the amazing SCPENS teachers. This year our teacher is Dara. She is passionate, smart, creative, patient and responsive. She inspires me to be a better person and I am constantly in awe of her boundless energy. She and other parents have been great models for positive discipline. Dara and my fellow parent peers make it that much more fun to come to school. Last year, we had teacher Wendy in the toddler classroom. She is kind, caring and incredibly well matched for toddlers. The SCPENS teachers are full of love for the children who pass through their doors. A few final aspects that we love about the program. One is the afternoon choice. There is no rushing out of the house first thing in the morning, it is a good fit for our current sleeping schedule. I also value the co-op atmosphere which provides the opportunity to be a part of my child's early education, the great speakers at parent nights, the sense of community, and the chance to connect with other parents. Finally, as an elementary school teacher, I appreciate the differentiated instruction provided and feel that the preschool program prepares children for kindergarten in an age appropriate, play based fashion. Come visit our gem of a school and see the wonder for yourself!

My daughter and I had fun adventures at SCPENS. I would highly recommend it to all. It was a great…read moreexperience! Cynthia D.

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!!!

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!

My kids, age 6 (alumni) and age 3 (Classroom 1), absolutely love CCP, and my husband and I feel…read moregreat about sending our kids to CCP. Here are my honest assessments. - Small kid-to-teacher ratios: Each room has two main teachers. Classroom 1 currently has 5-6 kids. This ratio gets bigger for Classroom 2 and 3, but children still get plenty of attentions from teachers. - Positive discipline: Caring and dedicated teachers practice positive discipline. When our kids get frustrated, they often use phrases like "I want to talk about it (my feeling)", "use words", and "checking in". - Age-appropriate progression: Well-thought out transition from Classroom1 (2-3years old) to Classroom2 (3-4 years old) and to Classroom 3 (4-5 years old). Classroom1 has cozy, free-play based, sweet and caring environments. Classroom3 offers structured programs, learning opportunities for numbers and letters, and mentally stimulating projects like "disassemble electric devices", "make my own planet", and "science projects". - Kinder prep: Shout-out for Classroom3 teachers for well preparing my kid for kinder! - I used to feel Classroom3 being too academic (children count numbers from 1 to 100 and learn all alphabets), but little I know how fast-pace and intense the Kinder is. I cannot image sending kids to Kinder without preparation from Classsroom3! - Communication: Nice reporting systems and updates from teachers, especially through Dojo app. Everyday parents get information on naptime, snacks, and any fun photos on projects. Also, CCP provides multiple teacher-parent conferences: 2 small conferences to check in, and the final conference at the end which comes with 8-page written report on kid's yearly progress and developmental assessment! - Sense of community: lots of fun events throughout years to make personal connection with school, teachers, and other parents. Lots of volunteer opportunities. - Special programs: Shout out to Teacher E for coming up with creative projects and making difference in our kids' life. She uses cooking (making snacks with kids) as learning tools to facilitate fine-motor skills, to learn about nutrition, and to introduce various types of fruits and vegies. Also, my kid learned a lot about gardening, composed bins, and bugs! Other activities include kid yoga, meditation, music and drums, gymnastics, "mud play", and of course lots of arts and crafts. - Facility: It is well-maintained and clean, but they do have smaller outdoor spaces. Teachers really try to maximize the spaces that they have, and they do lots of fields trips to nearby parks and fields. - Cost: it may be expensive side, but for us it is totally worth it. There are many fund-raising events throughout year, and we try to support as much as we can because we love and believe in the programs and teachers at CCP.

We loved the experience for our daughter at ccp. Thanks to all for a great 3 years!read more

My child and I both love this preschool! My kid is even disappointed when it's not a school day…read more The staff is so caring and helpful, . I've learned a lot about interacting with young children just by watching them. Plus the facilities are lovely. I like that the space is cheerful tidy. It's not crammed with so many toys that it feels chaotic My only complaint is very a small one. At the Preschool II (little red school house) there aren't really any trees or vegetation on the playground. It would be nice if there was a bit of the "natural world" out there. Other than that, our experience has been great!

My son goes to the Baymonte preschool that's located on Bethany Drive which is up behind the old…read morecollege and near Vine Hill. It's an AWESOME place. The rooms actually look and are set up like a real school. They touch on the Bible but it's not heavy handed. So even for those of us who aren't religious it's still a good choice. The teachers are amazing and very loving. I am pleasantly surprised with this school and it's only a few dollars more a month then then other local preschools and they include lunch in the price of tuition. It's a Nut Free school. They provide really healthy lunches that are organic and made onsite. They always include both fruit and veggies. You won't find any chocolate milk or junk food at this school. Miss Katie is my sons teacher. If it wasn't for her help my son wouldn't already be potty trained. She is so patient and creative. She really loves her job and it shows. I've tried two other preschools in the area and there is no comparison in the level of education, care and a staff that's happy to be there. They do Christmas pageants and it's adorable. I unequivocally recommend this Baymonte preschool. I do not have any knowledge about the other locations.

My kids went to SCLC many summers and Malika and her team have been absolutely amazing. They are so…read morecaring, and attentive to the kids...they were my daughter's favorite camp and she couldn't wait to see them again each year. I can highly recommend Santa Cruz Learning Center!!

Locals, teaching locals! Thank you for always going above and beyond for the our children.read more

Our toddler's verbal abilities jumped noticeably in the first month at Discovery, Soquel. As time…read morewent on, "Help me, I can't do this myself!" turned into, "hmm, how can I...?" We liked the culture of deliberate inclusion and collaborative play as well. Our child's main teacher, Susie, was at all times nurturing, graceful, positive, and attentive to our child's blend of strengths and needs. We received daily timestamps of naps and bathroom, so we knew what to expect at pickup. As we leave this small community for a larger campus, it's bittersweet. Our child loves school, we all made friends, and, as a longtime professional educator myself, I have every confidence that our toddler had an excellent formative experience. The amount of care and intention at every level really shows over time. Our family's downsides were the price point (but we're glad they pay their educators and the quality of staff shows!), half days on Fridays (rough for 2 working parents but I appreciate that staff gets a shared planning/set up period), and wishing the physical space permitted more challenging broad full body activities to get the yayas out. In the end, I'd choose Soquel Discovery for my toddler again in a heartbeat and I saw many parents enrolling younger siblings as well.

Both of my children have gone to Discovery, and their experiences exceeded my expectations for…read morepreschool. Discovery provided them with community, safety, and connections with educators and with their peers. I especially appreciate the intentionality behind their approach- Discovery works to really understand and value the unique traits and experiences of young children and helps them build their curiosity and social emotional skills. We also chose to keep both of our children at Discovery until kindergarten and felt that they were prepared to transition to public school. Like many early childhood education places, we have experienced some staff turnover and changes, but I feel that that's to be expected in these situations. In general, I think the educators handle any potentially difficult transitions, changes, or challenges intentionally and try to mitigate any impact to the kids.