Salmon Bay k-8 does their best to keep their students engaged and learning. They care about the…read moremental mindset of their students with many activities throughout the year so school isn't just about writing on paper. They also have very good special education with many staff members jobs being dedicated to helping students learn they way that they want to. The one thing that I don't like about the school is the people who attend it. But to be honest, people ruin everything so I shouldn't be surprised.

this is school is actually It has great elective options as well as SEP and camp at the end of the…read moreyear! If this school closes I would actually cry!

While we're not regularly enrolled at Spruce Street School, we've been participating in their…read moreSummer Camp program and couldn't be more impressed. The camp offers an outstanding balance of activities, care, and experiences that have thoroughly engaged my two children. The program's size is perfect - small enough for staff to know each child personally and provide detailed daily updates, yet large enough to foster new friendships and exciting group activities. During 'Games & Sports Week,' the activities were incredibly varied and well-organized, including: - City bus trips to parks and splash pads - A Tacoma Rainiers baseball game (via chartered bus) - Walks to the International Fountain - Ferry rides to Bainbridge Island - Water games - Visits to Golden Gardens Park The program includes lunch, and their pricing is competitive with, if not more affordable than, other local camps. Looking ahead, we're excited to explore their other themed weeks, such as Music and Theatre, Art, and Water Sports. The staff's dedication to each child's experience and well-being is evident, making this program truly exceptional. We'll definitely be returning next year. Thank you, Spruce Street School!

This school is terrible. this coming from someone who actually went there. The teachers give you no…read moreprivacy. barely teach you any math, they teach the weirdest stuff. DO NOT SEND YOUR KID HERE

Coming back to stay I still love this school! Our family has been at University Cooperative School…read morefor 10yrs - my 15yr old attended K-5th grade, and I currently have a 4th grader and my youngest is in PreK. We are incredibly grateful for this school, the holistic education it's provided our children and the community that has been the anchor for our family life. The teachers are excited about what they teach, care deeply for the students. With enthusiasm for their subjects and the freedom and support they need to follow that enthusiasm they make engaging, responsive, project based learning the norm all through the program. The kids stay excited about learning, comfortable asking questions and learn to ask for what they need as a learner. Our modern lives are designed in a way that is isolating and can wearus down with the load of demands of parenting- but the model of cooperative school (that's very flexible/understands we work too!) means that you can build real relationships and community in a society where that can be incredibly hard. At U co-op our children end up with so many loving adults who know and care for them - I can't overstate how valuable that is. Especially when life brings rough seasons or crisis. We know each other's kids and support each other through this parenting journey. The nurturing, adventurous environment helps kids be comfortable and confident in themselves -quirks and struggles included. My kids love going to school and I love the joyful childhood it has given them.

We have loved this place…read more We've been with U Co-op for the last two years, with almost a year and a half of that during the pandemic. I can't express how incredible the school has been. The most extraordinarily compassionate teachers and staff, and a parent community that has been supportive, resourceful, kind and caring. There is a warmth to the building (which we are thankfully back in - and masked) that we fell in love with from the first tour. It didn't feel cold or modern; it felt like creativity and childhood. There are nooks for reading, spaces for found art, paintings up everywhere. The teachers allow the children to follow their curiosity and even adjust the lessons to be relevant to the things that interest them. The kids are learning just as much as peers at other schools, but in a way that focuses on their self development and self esteem. This school has been a great find and has helped carry us through this difficult stretch.

My Alma Mater... I love the art stuff, and I really miss my 5th grade teacher Ms. Paulk, my 5th…read moregrade math teacher Mr Hertzog, the gym teacher Mr. Faucette, my 3rd grade teacher Mr. Barkley, and his equally awesome replacement Ms. Windus! A very high recommendation!

A true hidden gem. Warmly recommend for anyone looking for a school that fosters creativity and…read morelearning and really engages the kids. I can only echo the other reviews here -- phenomenal art and science programs, daily hour of park time, and kids get to mix with different ages for lunch, play and reading. We also love the strong emphasis on reading. Instead of homework, kids come home with one book to read every day. Our son went from deciphering 3 letter words to reading books within weeks of starting K at Matheia. All this without screens. And where else do you get to build a rocket and launch it at the park!

We are part of the school and moved from a local public school where we completed kindergarten. We…read morelove the school. Among its strengths: project based education (kids get depth of learning rather than transactionally hopping across disjointed exercises and concepts every 10 mins), low student to teacher ratio (which means teachers are not stressed, truly attuned, and can tailor approaches for each student), very strong and friendly parent community, phenomenal art and emotional development program.

Our kids have been at Kapka for close to 4 years. We're incredibly grateful for having discovered…read morethis elementary school when we were looking. Our two kids and their friends continuously impress us by how comfortable they are in various social situation, how eloquent they are in diffusing tensions and explaining what is on their mind.- whether they're in the play yard or in situations at home, and how curious and interested about the world they are and how resourceful they can be to entertain themselves and the people around them. Kapka has nailed social-emotional learning. If you're looking for a fantastic school for your K-5 child, and you'd love to be part of a warm, diverse, interesting and engaged community, Kapka will be school for you and your child.

We chose Kapka for its small class sizes and playful learning styles, but soon discovered the…read moredozens of reasons why Kapka is a magical place to be a kid. At Kapka, every child is known, and their uniqueness celebrated. We see our child's confidence growing weekly and her enjoyment of school has skyrocketed. As a parent volunteer, spending time with the kids and teachers is a highlight in my week. I marvel at the staff and teachers' ability to connect with the students, I'm inspired by their patience and I'm grateful for their presence in my child's life.

This school is truly amazing. Every child is known. Each child has value and purpose within the…read moreschool. I'm disappointed to see a bad review from 7 years ago. I can confidently say that St. Alphonsus is nothing like that review. It's gone through many changes including a new principal and vice principal who are deeply committed to the well-being and growth of the school. St. Alphonsus has a half-day preschool class and two full-day preschool classes which shows how much this school is growing! St. Al's is diverse and welcoming of all religions and family dynamics. There have been many positive changes over the years leading to the beautiful school it has become!

So glad that we found this small school with a big heart! I cannot say enough about the welcoming…read morecommunity and focus on academics and merits. The diverse and community is also great and a welcome change from our prior Seattle public school experience. Our kids have all liked their experience here and the academic and service focus is also a plus.

We have a 2nd and 5th grader at the Meridian School and could not be more impressed with the…read moreleadership, faculty and community at the school. The assistant head of school and interim head of school are very accessible, responsive and communicate effectively with staff, faculty and families. The board of trustees has a strong vision for the school rooted in its mission. We really appreciate the integrated curriculum featuring multiple specialist classes: music, health and fitness, creativity lab, science, library, Spanish, art. In the creativity lab, our children routinely have projects incorporating engineering, design, critical thinking, problem solving, coding, animation and robotics. Teachers regularly collaborate on project based-learning opportunities. The experiential learning takes the learning beyond the classroom. My daughter's grade has five field trips planned this year. Overnight grade-level trips begin in 3rd grade and by the time students graduate they have participated in a total of 5 overnight grade-level field trips around the Pacific Northwest. The trip to Mountain School at the North Cascades Institute was my son's favorite. All of these are included in tuition and covered by financial aid plans. The k-2 and 3-5 learning specialists are very dedicated. My 2nd grader has benefitted from extra academic support in the classroom. My 5th grader has received additional enrichment in math and language arts since he has surpassed grade-level benchmarks. The admissions director provides individual support to families as they embark on process of applying to independent middle schools in 5th grade. We found the community to be warm, welcoming and very engaged. Our family has made many lifelong friendships through the school.

Our family joined Meridian shortly after the pandemic as we recognized that our kids weren't…read moregetting the academics we desired at their previous school. It was a scary jump to go from our neighborhood school, to a private school. We soon came to realize that this community was very similar to our public school in that families were kind, grounded and welcoming. Moreover, the faculty had the ratios and resources required to give individual attention to our children and support their educational needs. We now have two graduates who have stayed on the independent school path and both made it into the middle school of their school of choice. The education that they received at Meridian certainly set them up for this success!

I attended SCDS from kindergarten to 5th grade. The facilities are pretty nice, with the middle…read moreschool and gym both being built within the last 10 years, and the rest of the buildings had been remodeled and taken care of regularly when I attended it. Most of the teachers there seemed to care about the kids, and tried their hardest. Special shoutout to the 4-5 science teacher, Doc O, who was my favorite teacher I have ever been lucky enough to have. Despite us only being in 4th and 5th grade, she always treated us like we were older. Her class taught me so much of what I know today. However, I didn't love all the teachers. I didn't really learn that much Spanish in their Spanish program. Plus, the administration there never seemed to get anything done. For example, I knew someone who was getting bullied. When I brought it up to the counselor, there was no punishment for the kid. Really? SCDS isn't strict enough. The school environment felt very elitist. Because the tuition is so high, the school is predominantly middle-upper class white kids. The school also only accept kids in the 97% percentile or better in IQ tests. White, smart rich kids. To be fair, almost all of the kids that I met there were really nice. Just the whole environment always felt a little snobby. Finally, coming out of SCDS, I felt like I jumped into a pool of cold water when I went into public school. The difference is night and day. If you are at SCDS right now, then I'm warning you if you are going into public schools any time during your life: it's totally different. In all, I liked this school. Maybe it wasn't a perfect fit for me, but I liked it. However, I didn't pay for it. If I was a parent, I'd send my kid to public school and save my 30k per year. Cheers!

No school is perfect, and SCDS is no exception, but I love the feel of it, the kids, the teachers,…read morethe playground, the parents. A lot of bright kids, and equally bright teachers. A warm sense of community and a surprisingly down-to-earth group of families.