Sammamish Children's School is our two-year old's home away from home. Every morning when he wakes…read moreup, he's excited to go 'play with friends' at 'new school'...he's been attending for two months, but this is his name for school. Our son is in the 'Dippers' class, and his teacher, Ms. Melissa and assistant teacher, Ms. Bella, are amazing. There are stations setup each morning with age appropriate and engaging activities (water play, sand play, Mr. Potato Head, etc.) which our son loves! There's music class every Monday and Thursday, an amazing outdoor play space on acreage, and nutritious, diverse meals served. Emotionally - Ms. Melissa and the staff helped reinforce preparing our son for the arrival of his baby brother by talking about being a 'big brother' and reinforcing our son's role in our family. It made the transition of bringing baby home more exciting than nerve racking. Above and beyond a typical school experience in my opinion. Operationally - SCS also has many less closure days than some of the schools my friends kiddos go to in the area, so much more predictable for work schedules. It did take us a little over 7-months to get off the wait list, but Ms. Kelly (assistant director) was awesome at helping us plan for a reasonable date to possibly join. I cannot say enough positive things about this school, the faculty, the activities, the food, and overall experience. Highly recommend to any families looking for a long-term 'home' for their kiddos.

The absolute best! Both of our kids have gone from 1 year old day care all the way through…read morekindergarten at SCS and it's the best money we've ever spent. Great Teachers (even at the early age, 1-2-3, they have a curriculum) Well run operations (sign ups, billing, updates) Awesome chef (yes, they feed the kids healthy food, you don't need to pack fruit by the foot) Safe! (Before, during, and all the way through the pandemic) The kids love it and it's really set them up for success.

Our youngest son has been attending this school since he was 3.5 years-old and potty-trained. He…read morewas very ready to ditch his large daycare in downtown Issaquah Highlands. I found Aster when it was recommended by the director of Sno-Springs School, near our home. I was admittedly skeptical as I was not particularly impressed by other Montessori schools on the Plateau and in the Highlands. Ms Aparna and her assistant director worked with me and my wife to devise a plan to acclimate our son to their environment and routine. We started with part-time enrollment in their summer camp program. My son immediately loved their large grassy and wooded play area, which was 3x bigger than his old daycare's concrete one. We then continued with Aster into the school year. Although it was very difficult for him at first, Aster Montessori was very patient with our headstrong son's adjustment to Montessori. He quickly improved his social skills ("grace and courtesy") and made good friends at the school. He looked forward to going to preschool each day. As parents we are pleased that our son is achieving his language & math milestones with ease -- he is ahead of his older sibs when they were in preschool -- we are most excited that he's maturing as person. That is, he is starting to understand and regulate his rather challenging temperament. I just wish Aster had been around when our daughters were in preschool! Pros: Happy and eager classmates Low turnover among the teaching staff; they are experienced, too Great communication with parents at pickup, by e-mail and during conference. Clean and bright classrooms Big playground for a small preschool Nurturing environment Many attendance options available Amazing music teacher Cons: Montessori not a natural fit for every personality (like my son's?) Can be difficult to get to know other parents Once-a-month snack duty (ok, not really a problem) Only offers preschool-to-kindergarten (i.e., 3-year 3-to-6 y.o. cycle through Kindergarten)

Not enough stars for this place. Mrs.Aparna and all the staff/assistants/volunteers are top notch…read more They have have a very warm and welcoming environment. Many of the staff and kids come from different countries and cultures which I love. My daughter has learned so much in just the few months in attending. Also, they have a very fun and partially covered playground in the back. Which is quite nice for Washington weather.

My daughter attended the toddler program at Arbor, and unfortunately, our experience was not very…read morepositive. From the beginning, she was reluctant to go to school, though at her age (3 years old) she couldn't clearly express why. On the administrative side, I often found communication confusing and overly bureaucratic. The primary care director frequently stepped in when issues arose in the classroom, but her messages did not always align with the teachers', and she did not appear to have decision-making authority. When we finally decided to withdraw our daughter after several difficult months, the process was particularly challenging. We submitted our withdrawal notice one day later than the contract required (on a Sunday rather than Saturday). While I acknowledge that this was our oversight, the financial impact was in the thousands of dollars, and the school was unwilling to make any accommodation. Discussions with the primary director, assistant head, head of school, and eventually the owner all reinforced the sense that policies were rigid and prioritized the business side over the child's well-being or the family's situation. I later spoke with another parent who had a very similar experience regarding withdrawal fees, which made me realize this was not an isolated case. To be fair, there are dedicated teachers at Arbor, and I know some children do well there. However, if challenges arise, families should be prepared for limited flexibility and a process that may feel more focused on contractual obligations than collaborative problem-solving.

very unfriendly, not welcoming staff. Atmosphere/ environment is dingy not well lit, a bit…read moredepressing in-fact. not family oriented and to say it lightly biased.

We are so grateful to find Rising Mind for our 5 year daughter during covid. She was home and we…read morewere looking for something to keep her busy. We first started at Rising Mind with online classes and later we find the whole schedule and teaching classes really great for our daughter that we decided to put her in-person. School staff is so friendly and taking care of all covid measures so well. It is neat and clean and Mrs Radha make sure each parent and kid is healthy and doing good in their learning curve. My daughter loves the school and she never wants to miss a single day. Thanks to whole staff and curriculum prepared for kids growth. I would highly recommend this school for every kid who wants to learn and have fun at the same time

We are happy to send our toddler to the sprouts preschool at sammamish. Teachers are kind and…read morewelcoming and our kiddo loves to go to school. Ms. Preethi as well as other teachers are very affectionate with the children. They do crafts and sing songs and have a lot of playtime outdoors.

To say that I love this preschool is an understatement. My son is graduating pre-k this year and I…read morewish there was a way we could stay longer. The teachers are kind and loving. They do super fun and educational activities: The biggest asset that this school has is the director Ms. Aimee. She is very hands on, and just an amazing person. She is also a super organized director, and amazing with children, they all love her. Go for a tour, I am sure you will fall in love with this little school like we did.

From the owner: Joyful Discovery Preschool provides a safe, nurturing environment with child-centered learning…read morebalanced in play, academics, and exploration! We offer classes for children 2 years old through 5 years old. *Early academic preparation *Expert, credentialed teachers *Celebrating each child's individuality *Large facility, gym + playground *Creative, rich + developmentally appropriate curriculum *Monthly Faith Focus

Miss Eva has created a warm, loving and nurturing environment for kids to socialize, play and "be…read morekids". The home like atmosphere helps kids feel at home/ease. Our son enjoys/loves the freedom to be self-directed. At the same time, Miss Eva/Kristine are very well organized and have a plethora of art/creative/learning activities planned every day. These activities have traditional learning (math, reading/writing) integrated in a subtle/natural way. Miss Eva is great about communicating daily updates via mobile apps. Our son is having a blast! We recommend arTree without any reservations!

Ms. Eva cares about the students on an individual level. She is the owner of the school and wants…read moreto do a very good job. We have been to places where a care giver may care more about some students for whatever reasons (i.e., being more talkative or having more parent involvement), but we felt that she cares about every child. What she does every week is also very interesting to the kids as they do lots of hands on activities. She also share photos of the children every week that are fun to watch.

We've had our 4 yr old daughter at Evergreen for the past year and it's been a wonderful experience…read moreoverall. Ms Gowri and Ms Lucky are the best and our daughter loves being in their class and has grown and matured quite a bit in the past year. They run a very polished, tight, safe/secure ship there and she's learned so much this past year. We're very greatful to Ms Gowri and Ms Lucky and also to the admin-staff and support-staff as well!

I wouldn't recommend here unless you look for a temp care. The teachers are fine but the…read moreadministration and mgt needs to improve.

I enrolled my daughter in Little Gems last year to get her ready for Kindergarten. She blossomed…read moreunder the tuteledge of Little Gems staff. She loves her pre-school and is ready for Kindergarten in a much better, prepared place than she would have been otherwise. The owners and the staff are wonderful educators and have a real appreciation for all the children in their charge. The activities and the interaction is awesome and my daughters command of reading, writing and socialization tripled in the time she spent with the classes. I highly reccommend this preschool as we have had great experiences all year long and my daughter continues to love learning and interacting with her teachers and students alike. A lot of 1:1 engagement and team building, hard to do with 4 and 5 year olds, but Little Gems makes it look effortless. Kudo's to Debbie and John for continuing to hold true to the values and commitment they bring to every student. Thank you! I am looking forward to sending my two year old son there when his time is ready. Sincerely, -Anna Ward acward@ix.netcom.com P.S. I am happy to answer any questions through e-mail that you might have in selecting Little Gems for your child/children.

From the owner: Check out our new Yelp page under our new name - Lil Gems Preschool!read more

We love Issaquah Montessori. Our child has blossomed from a shy toddler to a very outgoing,…read morepleasant mannered one. Teachers are so patient and nurturing and let the child take the lead. We love the very innovative strategy of teaching kids the fundamentals to read, write and look at them as a whole child instead of focusing on ticking boxes like teaching them to write, read etc, which takes the fun out of learning. We are definitely enrolling our second one here!

Both my kids are now attending the school. My daughter started 5 months ago and even though she…read moregot a new teacher, the quality remains top notch. In regards to schools, it doesn't get better than Issaquah Montessori!!!

As a fellow early childhood educator who has run a childcare program before, when I was looking for…read morea preschool for my son, I knew I wanted a play-based program where my child would have plenty of opportunities to explore and simply have a great time. We came across The Farmhouse School, and I was so excited. The philosophy is exactly what I hoped to find- Play-based, a focus on social emotional wellbeing, open-ended exploration, and great family support. My son had only been with me for his first three years of life, and I wasn't sure how he would take to being away from me, but he's done amazingly well so far. He is excited to go, and even asks to go on the weekend. He always has a big smile on his face while we head to school, and he tells me about how he plays with his friends at pickup. The teachers are all lovely and warm, and are very compassionate. They understand how to work with children and families to ensure the transition from home to school goes well. I can't say enough about the school. It's great, and I wish there were more schools like this in the area so more children could experience what best practices are for this age group!

The Farmhouse School is a charming and wonderful school. The teachers are very patient, kind, and…read morecontinuously ask the students great questions. Some favorite components of the school for my daughter was the rotation of exploratory areas and touch areas. For example, some weeks they have a big bin of leaves and other weeks they have interesting beads, or water play. Some weeks there are tables with writing with interesting things or ways to write your name or guess the smell in the cup. There is even a quaint writing center and student mailboxes for sharing letters. An important component is outside play everday no matter the weather. They have a wonderful outdoor play space complete with garden and live chickens. One of the most important aspects of the school is the teacher interation with the students. For ex: When students are telling a story, the teacher is writing down what they are saying or writes down titles or explanations of the artwork created by the students. The preschoolers feel respected and love that their ideas are seen as important. Last year the students were interested in collectively creating a bug hotel, they worked on this project all year. The teachers helped the students generate lists of what the hotel needed and they were continually creating collaboratively. For a few weeks the students were interested in doing a play so the teachers started writing down their script ideas and in a few days at pick up all the parents got to watch a very charming preschool production on the back porch. When you are thinking about a place to start your child's education, Farm house is a wonderful, creative, and kind place to start.