My updated review reflects our family's experience at Ren from grades 1-8. Our child is now a…read moreFreshman at St Mary's Academy and is on the honor roll despite having some learning differences. Ren prepared our daughter for a rigorous college prep program. Although she had some nervousness about final exams and needed a primer on letter grades and GPA, she was academically well-prepared. The girls who attend St Mary's after Ren School seem to excel. Most importantly, Ren was instrumental in helping my daughter develop a strong sense of herself. Ren's holistic approach to education, with a focus on social and emotional development, is stellar. It mattered to me that our daughter's education encompassed far more than just book learning. Over the years, she was nurtured and went from a timid and anxious child to a confident and creative young woman. As a college professor, I recognize the importance of academic preparedness. I also know that social and emotional stressors can make it challenging to learn. Being in a safe community where she was known and cared for by all the teachers meant the world to our family. Thank you, Ren!

Ren is still a really magical place, as per my previous review. Like at most smaller schools,…read morespecific experiences and accommodations will vary by grade and teacher, which means it can be a bit of a roll of the dice year to year. My experiences thus far are still all with the lower school, which has a noticeably different feel than the upper, though there's abundant mingling in all the good ways. Reading through a bunch of other more recent reviews I'm updating mine to reflect reality on some points that others have found frustrating in theirs: * The school does not have specific services, expertise or accommodations for neurodiverse kids. There is no counselor or administrator with specific training or credentials for helping ND scholars, and the overall body of staff lacks up-to-date pedagogy and training on the most current and effective ways to help these students, though there are *plenty* of well-meaning, helpful adults on the team, who do their very best. That said, the open, creative and varied nature of the environment *can* make it a much better fit for some ND kids than a standard classroom, and as such there are many ND kids in the student body who are thriving. But it's important to make sure that your kiddo will fit within the (not super explicit) boundaries when deciding if Ren is a good fit. Be open and clear about any special needs/quirks/features of your child to make sure it'll be a good fit, and if your visit day leaves you with open questions, ask for another one! Everyone wants everyone to succeed and no one is helped by accepting a student who won't flourish. * The school is not well organized, in terms of paperwork, documentation, administrivia, follow-up, etc. If you're looking for the well-oiled accountable machine of larger or more established environments, you may find this very frustrating. Everything takes a while, and you generally have to bring things up a bunch of times before things start moving. It's a worthwhile trade for a space where your kid can feel safe and happy, but one you need to decide to make so it doesn't irk you along the way. * While the kids form solid and important relationships in school, that does not extend out to the parent-body, which can leave some families feeling isolated. No PTA or parent interest groups, and minimal volunteer participation, though there is a core of very willing and available parents who show up if an effort can be organized for a specific issue or by a specific class. I remain an enthusiastic parent of multiple scholars, and am grateful that a welcoming and creative space like Ren exists, even if it does have rough edges to keep working on. If you find me in a local parent group or some such thing, I'm always happy to talk about Ren and answer questions. Good luck!

My son has been sending this school for about a month and it has been a very positive experience…read moreoverall. The staff is absolutely wonderful and the school itself is clean and well organized. Communication is beyond excellent! I feel very informed as a parent, and there are plenty of opportunities to get involved if you feel compelled. I've never felt pressured in any way. Huge shout out to Joelle and Camille, who are amazing and patient teachers! I am beyond grateful for all of the care and time they give to the kids I'm still waiting to determine the efficacy of the French immersion aspect of the education so I'll post more of an update later. Otherwise, the pedagogy for a preschooler seems more than adequate.

In general we were happy at L'Etoile, but we had very different experiences with each child. These…read moreexperiences were influenced by of course their unique dispositions, the different families in their classes, their teachers, and notably the school being sold to a private equity group (Spring Education). Being owned by a for-profit private equity group shifted some aspects of the school, some for the better, but other aspects declined. Things that felt reasonable before, such as after-care costs, sky-rocketed in price. A primary concern of ours after learning the school was sold to a private equity group (Primavera Capital Group Owns Spring Education) was the protection of our data and what data specifically the non-US based Primavera Group had access to which was not specifically disclosed to parents. We wished we had been given more notice regarding the sale - we had already signed up for the next school year and paid non-refundable deposits. In our experience, neurotypical children thrive at L'Etoile. Our friends with neurodivergent children had many difficulties and the school really struggled to adequately respond. As always, it greatly depends on the specific needs of the child. Children in both Kindergarten and 1st grade were sent to 'the principal's office' as a regular course of action when reoccurring issues arose. We didn't love being part of a community where this was the common response for 5 and 6 year olds. The school did bring in an outside expert and this outside expert helped train new incoming teachers on effective discipline and also worked with parents as needed. Another area that was of concern for us is that the school uses interns in each class from France, ages 19 to 23 for supplemental staffing. In the 2024/2025 school year, two of the classes had assistant teachers that were brought over as interns completing their Master's programs, one in the TPS class and one in the MS class. This should have been disclosed to parents in advance when signing up for the new year, but it was not. There were many playground issues which parents frequently brought up to administration and we felt strongly that the cultural differences/expectations and the intern's general lack of experience with behavior issues at this stage of life did not serve as a help in resolving playground dynamics which frequently involved unkind behavior between children and physical boundary issues from some of the children (hitting, shoving, hair pulling, etc). The interns also serve as the primary staff for the after-care program. Many of the teachers at L'Etoile are outstanding and truly have a love for teaching and working with children. The upper school uses the French curriculum which is fine, but has drawbacks for children ahead or behind. One of our children ahead in math was left bored/unchallenged. Parents at the school whose children are behind in reading often hire private tutors as the school's reading specialists can't help with issues of dyslexia or reading delays in English. The school has a strong parent community and as I said before, neurotypical children without academic challenges thrive here. Amazing field trips, teachers that care, a beautiful setting, and an environment where children between grades have the opportunity to collaborate and learn from each other. As with all schools there are both positives and negatives. Overall, we would choose L'Etoile again.

Tina's help this past year has not only helped me pass pre-calc, but also regain the math…read moreconfidence I had lost in my first two years of high school. I was really struggling in my pre-calc class earlier this year, and went to Tina for help. Not only did she show me useful tricks and techniques to approach problems, but she explained broader concepts that have helped understand math, instead of simply going through the motions. She also tutored me for the SAT, and my score was 380 better than my initial PSAT. She helped me relive my stress around the test, and tackle problems with confidence. I am so happy with the support I got from Tina she last year-she was a life saver. I would 100% reccomend her services!!

My two kids transferred to a magnet school and needed a tutor as they moved through an accelerated…read moremiddle-school math program. They are both very different kids with different learning styles. Tina really took the time to know them individually, to pace instruction with their needs and personalities. Even if they're tired or grumbling on the way to tutoring, they usually emerge energized and excited. They especially loved the math tricks and shortcuts Tina taught them. It makes them feel like they have a secret tool or a super power. Tina is patient, gifted and flexible, a real pleasure to work with.

We've had such a wonderful experience with our piano and cello teacher. They are incredibly…read moreattentive, and patient. I've seen a noticeable improvement in my kiddos technical skills, confidence and love for music. I highly recommend them to anyone looking for dedicated, nurturing, and skilled music teachers!

My kids take piano lessons once a week. They said the teacher is great and they feel like they are…read morelearning a lot. I like that there are several lessons happening at the same time in separate rooms so it feels like everyone does this as part of life.

We've attended Bridge City Montessori for almost a year now and we couldn't be happier. Our toddler…read moreis thriving; growing social skills, curiosity, and independence. We love getting photos of him working on new skills and learning about a new continent every month. He really takes pride in the American Sign Language (ASL) he's learning and teaches us new signs every week. The teachers are friendly and supportive, classes are small, and the parents are a close friendly community. I couldn't recommend them enough!

BCMS offers lessons in both ASL and spoken English! This is something that had a profoundly…read morepositive influence on our son. He was challenged by the classroom materials but expressed how he, "could do hard things!" We are so fortunate to have such an amazing program that supports children so lovingly as they attain a wide range of skills. We saw vast improvements in his verbal, social, and cognitive skills. He also developed some strong friendships that we continue to this day!!!

Our kids' preschool is currently setting up enrollment tours for Fall and I just had to share!…read moreLife's Little Joys Learning Center has been a true blessing to our family. We began 3 years ago with our oldest and our daughter now attends as well. We have loved watching them both grow in a close-knit community with supportive teachers and a positive learning environment. Joy has taken the time to get to know the kids' individual strengths and needs. She continuously invests in new experiences for the kids; yoga, woodshop and music classes by outside providers are an added weekly treat in addition to creative endeavors and thoughtful new materials. Joy's dedication, timely communication and pure passion has blown us away! Her early childhood education is evident~ Life's Little Joys is a hidden gem in Beaverton.

Joy is professional, warm and caring. You can tell that she knows what she is doing and the space…read moreshe has created at Life's Little Joys is simply amazing. Within the first week of starting with Joy my son was already coming home with new skills.

From the moment we walked in here, we've had an amazing experience. The teachers are kind,…read moreorganized, warm, knowledgeable, skilled. They know how to encourage and how to support and how to motivate. The kids all enjoy each other's company, work out their problems on their own, know how and when to be polite. All the adults are creative, warm, nurturing. My kiddo is not yet six, is reading short sentences, asking for extra math for fun, and is a motivated, happy problem solver. We came here after a disastrous first year at a nearby Montessori chain (that has since closed), so the difference is especially visible to us. At the place we left, they had all the Montessori trinkets, but a revolving door of staff, most of whom were clearly not trained in the method or the materials. She did not learn much that year -- but has grown by leaps and bounds here. And the parental community is an awesome bonus, as well.

Without a doubt, this was the best decision for our daughter. We are so fortunate to have been…read moreassigned guides Lydia and Lindsey. They are truly a dream (come true) team and my daughter adores them. She comes home and shows off all the new skills she's learning. She is asking "who, what, where, when, and why" questions during our reading time. It's exactly what we wanted for her - a positive learning experience with two incredible instructors. Bonus: we adore the parents and other kids in her class. We are our own little community.

Great, personal way to overcome 'fear of learning a foreign language!' Betty is an easy way to…read morebegin studies. She's incredibly patient with her students.