Spring Hill School

250 California Street

Santa Cruz, CA 95060

51 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-6
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on October 10, 2024

We couldn’t be happier with our decision to send our daughter to Spring Hill. From the very first day, we knew we had found something special. We love the focus on individualized learning, and the balance between academics, socio-behavioral learning, outdoor activities, and creative projects is truly perfect. Our daughter comes home every day excited about what she learned and eager to return the next day.The teachers and staff are very special—so caring, dedicated, and invested in each student's success. You can feel the tight-knit community as soon as you walk in the door, and it’s clear that every child is valued and supported.If you're looking for a school where your child will receive personalized attention in a nurturing environment, this is it. We are beyond grateful for the incredible experience our daughter has had here, and we can’t recommend this school enough!
Submitted by parent on April 20, 2024

My daughter has been attending Spring Hill School since TK and we are so happy to be members of this amazing school community. My daughter has thrived in the small classrooms where she has built relationships her teachers. Not only does she know every kid in her class quite well, she can name every kid in the school! This school is a place where she feels safe and accepted, excited to learn everyday, and happy to see her friends and teachers. Spring Hill is also quite strong on special subjects with Spanish language, art and PE, and design lab. These provide expansive and fun learning opportunities with the subject teachers that supplement the great classroom curriculum. I would encourage anyone considering Spring Hill to set up a tour while school is in session. The atmosphere of happy learners is truly great to experience.
Submitted by parent on February 14, 2024

I could not be more impressed with this school. I’ve been an elementary teacher for years, in both public and private schools, and I am so glad I found Spring Hill for my son. He is absolutely thriving there! The small class sizes allow for the teachers and students to really get to know one another. It also allows for an individualized learning experience for each child. I high recommend you consider this school.
Submitted by parent on February 14, 2024

Both of our children have attended Spring Hill and we are very pleased with the caliber of the teaching and the excellent administration. In addition to the core teachers, the science teachers, Spanish, art and music teachers are wonderful and work closely with each child.
Submitted by parent on October 04, 2023

My daughter is thrilled to go to school each day which says a lot. We drive a fair distance to get her to school and selected Spring Hill after having a really good feeling touring. It's a small school and the teachers and administrators really take the time to get to know each and every child which is the exact type of culture we were seeking. It truly feels like everyone is invested in providing a wonderful atmosphere and a strong foundation where kids can thrive. Additionally kindness is strongly valued and I literally haven't seen kids being left out or not included in school activities. The teachers and staff really foster an environment where all students are kind and respectful to one another. And as parents we feel like we've joined a community where our daughter is thriving.
Submitted by parent on April 30, 2023

One of the best investment I have ever made was Spring Hill. I highly recommend it to anyone with young children. You can’t go wrong investing in your children education at Spring Hill. My two daughters attended Spring Hill from K through 6th. If I want to summarize the experience in a single word how I feel about Spring Hill that would be BRILLIANT! Not only academically advanced but also the qualities like compassionate, tenacious, humble, studious, ambitious, passionate, mature and respectful is some of the very few things one can immediately notice about my or any kid has ever been at Spring Hill.
Submitted by parent on April 21, 2023

I am thrilled to share my wonderful experience with Spring Hill School! As a parent of a kindergartener, I can attest that this school is truly exceptional. The community at Spring Hill School is warm, welcoming, and inclusive. The teachers are dedicated and passionate about creating a nurturing learning environment for each and every student.My daughter absolutely loves her school and everything it has to offer. When I asked her what she loves most about her school, she said without hesitation that it's her friends and her teachers. This speaks volumes about the level of care and attention given to each student. The teachers at Spring Hill School truly understand the importance of fostering positive relationships and creating a supportive community within the classroom.The curriculum at Spring Hill School is engaging and challenging, yet age-appropriate for the young learners. My daughter is constantly learning new skills and is always eager to share what she has learned with us at home. I appreciate how the school encourages a love for learning and creativity, while also instilling important values such as kindness, respect, and empathy.Overall, I highly recommend Spring Hill School to any parent looking for a fantastic educational experience for their child. It's a truly special place with an amazing community, dedicated teachers, and a nurturing learning environment.
Submitted by parent on March 28, 2023

Spring Hill has provided a wonderful educational experience for my child from K-6. The teachers are top notch and the caring community makes every family feel seen and heard. The teachers have always gone above and beyond to make themselves available whenever we've had any questions or concerns. In such a small environment they are able to provide a more individualized, challenging curriculum and extensive feedback on all work from filming making to creative writing to scientific experiments.
Submitted by parent on February 19, 2023

My son is in K. I can't say enough good things of teacher Dara and Tara. They are driven to teach the kids how to be kind and compassionate human beings. They make the classroom a safe and fun place for my child to learn. They take the time to know each child in depth and work with their strengths and weaknesses, developing a way to encourage learning in a dynamic and fun way. My child has thrived in this school and he is happy to go to school every day. Communication with teachers and head of school is excellent.
Submitted by parent on February 06, 2023

This school empowers children to pursue the subjects they love, and Spring Hill nurtures children to persist in areas of challenge. The curriculum is dynamic and engages the children through creative approaches to learning. During Covid, both my children thrived and have excelled in their respective classes. Also, the kids thrive in making friends within the school, and in the broader community. This school has provided a base from which they are excited to engage in learning not only in the classroom, but in special interests as well. My child about to graduate feels well prepared for his next school experience.
Submitted by parent on November 30, 2021

Spring Hill has a great core group of teachers who truly enjoy what they do. What we really like is that they all work collaboratively to help our children excel in their learning and social/emotional interactions. Our children actually come home with stories and excitement about what they learned that day. Walking math classes, explanations of gear ratios, Spanish lessons and amazing art projects are just a few examples. If you want your child to be in environment where they can thrive with higher degree of student to teacher positive interactions, this is your school!
Submitted by parent on November 03, 2021

My son has attended Spring Hill for 3 years now and we could not be more pleased with this school. The teachers and staff are so invested in every single child, often greeting every child by name when they arrive. We stuck with them through isolation and distance learning and I’m so glad we did. My son continued to advance his academics during a time when most children were regressing. They have a real community feel and want everyone to be involved with their children’s education. Issues have arisen between children (as they always do) and Marielle and the staff have been amazing. They sat down and put together a plan to help support my son. He’s thriving. I could go on, but know that if you choose this school you will not be disappointed.
Submitted by parent on October 31, 2021

Our two kids transferred in to 2nd and 5th grade this year, and it has been a wonderful experience for our family. They used to answer "fine" and "nothing" about their school day and now come home bubbling with excitement about what they are doing in school. And they are actually working harder than they ever have! The classes are small and the teachers really get to know the kids well and are able to tailor their classes to meet each kid where they are. Our kids are very different from each other, with different strengths and challenges, and Spring Hill works really well for both of them. The teachers are amazing -- kind, enthusiastic, creative, innovative, and totally dedicated to the students. There is little homework, especially for the lower grades, which works for our busy family. There is a lot of focus on social emotional skills and community, and especially for the older kids, on leadership. I feel like the kids are learning how to manage themselves, be good community members, take responsibility for their own education, and make lasting friendships. The teachers and the head of school are very communicative and responsive to families, and there is a good sense of community around the school. My kids often want to go to school early in the morning, whereas I used to have to drag them out of the house. I just wish we had switched to Spring Hill sooner!
Submitted by parent on October 21, 2021

We are so grateful to the teachers and staff for so many things they did to create a safe space for our daughter and our family to thrive during this unprecedented time of pandemic. Once the schools closed, society and our family was failing to thrive. It was a terrible time for so many. We turned to Spring Hill in the Summer of 2020 to put our daughter in summer camp and enrolled her in Kindergarten for the fall. Immediately we saw the spark return in her eyes. Our joyful, cooperative, and fun girl we always knew, was back! Spring Hill created a safe, warm, loving place on campus for our children to connect, play together, laugh together and learn together, while most of the world was isolated, socially distant and suffering. I really appreciate how they supported social-emotional wellbeing of the children. The teacher created an imaginative and adventurous curriculum to explore the world, despite the lock down. Through the year, we saw our daughter grow in surprising ways. She became more confident, caring, and gentle. She learned to read, which makes her so happy! And most importantly, our whole family THRIVED because of the love and support that they created every day at school.
Submitted by parent on October 20, 2021

It is easy to make a home to school connection when the school feels like home. This school is a welcoming place where children thrive academically due to the curriculum that takes each child into account.
Submitted by parent on October 16, 2021

We enrolled our child in kindergarten at Spring Hill after meeting the head of school and the teacher, and after investigating almost every independent school in the county. It was clear to us that not only would the individualized education philosophy be ideal for our child academically, the positive social emotional environment would be essential for them to thrive in school - especially since we had had very little social interaction during the previous 1.5 years in the pandemic. The teachers and staff are passionate, truly caring, and are skilled in positive discipline as classroom management. Our child loves to go to school here - eagerly gets ready every day with no reluctance. We feel absolutely confident that every child at Spring Hill is seen and appreciated as an individual by caring and supportive teachers and staff!
Submitted by parent on January 24, 2019

Our son started at Spring Hill in September, transferring into 4th grade. We moved from San Francisco. We LOVE the school. It delivers on the promise of a tailored education. Our son was feeling bored and restless at a more traditional school and the combination of project-based learning with strong academics has kept him engaged, excited, and working harder than he ever had. He threw himself into the Invention Convention and we're now deep into the Science Fair and having so much fun at home working on it together. He made friends easily coming in in 4th grade because the kids are great and the teachers are really engaged. There is a wonderful vibe at Spring Hill. I'm really glad that we picked it.
Submitted by parent on January 24, 2019

Awesome teachers, wonderful community. We are very happy with our experience at Spring HIll, our daughter loves going to school!
Submitted by parent on January 23, 2019

Our child previously was in public school in San Francisco and was getting bored doing work sheets day after day. We decided to relocate to Santa Cruz, which in and of itself is a magical experience, and couldn't be happier with the experience our child and we as parents are having at Spring Hill. In addition to offering a great educational experience, group of students, and faculty, the parent community is amazing.
Submitted by parent on January 13, 2019

We are having a great experience at Spring Hill. The community is very welcoming and the education supports curiosity, individuality and critical thinking.