Our preschool has the distinction of being Santa Cruz County's only early childhood program to be accredited by both the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the Bureau of Jewish Education. Simcha Preschool has a rich history in the community and a reputation for offering high-quality early learning experiences. Founded in 1980, we now have alumni starting to come back as parents!

Simcha Preschool is a full-year program with flexible schedules for children ages 2 to 5 years old. We remain an exemplary school because our families are involved in our program by co-oping in the classroom or volunteering outside of the classroom each month. Our preschool is located onsite, keeping our synagogue lively with the joy of young children and embracing our children in the heart of the Jewish community from a very young age.

Being in community with other Jewish children helps each child to feel part of a large Jewish community. We build early Jewish identity by celebrating the Jewish holidays through art, science, cooking, stories, songs, and dramatic play. Our classroom environment includes Jewish objects, pictures, books, and music. We build Jewish values through our safe, nurturing, stimulating environment that promotes the physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development of each child and responds to the needs our our families.

Members of Temple Beth El receive discounts and priority registration at Simcha Preschool.

For information on tuition rates, parent education, preschool events, our teaching staff, and more, please visit us at www.simchakids.org.