I can't say enough good things about the inclusivity of this school, the strong academics, the whole-kid learning, and the overall culture of positivity and celebration. We moved to the Seattle area from out of state just as my son was ready to start 6th grade/middle school. What a hard time to ask a kid to leave his lifelong friends and start at a new school. He had also really disliked school for the last couple of years. Wow, what a wonderful culture change it was to arrive at JDS. My son now tells me that he likes school, "because we do things. We do projects and make things." I've always known he was smart and, in previous years, it was hard to hear him say that he hated math. Now, he is doing GREAT in math. He is proud of his progress and proud of his grades. He feels safe enough socially to try basketball and the school pay. He is a happy guy at JDS and I'm a JDS fan. read more

My son joined JDS as a sixth grader, after attending public elementary school. We were first drawn in by its educational philosophy rather than because we were specifically looking for a Jewish education, and we have been very happy there. A few things that have worked well for my son: - Much more personalized attention and learning at his level. He was able to up-level in classes where he had capabilities and has gotten more support where he needed it. This was a very welcome change to public school where he always felt like things were too hard or too easy. If there is a concern, teachers are very responsive. - The inquiry based teaching method has been so great for him. It seems as though they learn with more depth and interest. The teachers have more freedom to adapt to the needs and interests of the class vs having a set curriculum that they are required to deliver. - The community is very tightknit and welcoming. Though the classes are small, but they build community and social connections across grades, and there are lots of chances for parent connection if you want it (and it's okay if you don't) The school is welcoming to both Jewish and non-Jewish families. My son has fit in well despite not knowing much about Judaism before joining this community. He really enjoys the Jewish Studies class where he learns about Jewish history and values within a broader context. For example my son's current unit is about The Universals of Culture. An excerpt from the newsletter described "Students learned about Greek and Roman art, burial practices of the ancient Sumerians, the development of cuneiform writing, the economy of Ancient China and how we celebrate holidays develops using The Fourth of July as an example". They then used that along with Jewish readings as background for a project where they build a culture of their own. It's been super engaging, and thought-provoking. read more

Since we had to leave our home due to the situation in Israel, we came to Bellevue to stay with our family. JDS welcomed our children and opened their doors and hearts. We had the opportunity to be a part of the JDS community and even though our kids had to move to a new place and a new school, where they didn't know anyone, they loved and looked forward to going to JDS every single day. With the great support of the school staff, our children fit in right away and enjoyed meeting and engaging with other schoolmates their age. Our children enjoyed the benefits of belonging to a school community, a school with a large variety of activities for students and family, as well as a high-level of academic studies. Our kids kept telling us about the academic methods of the JDS and they were enthusiastic about the varied and interesting study methods. Despite the difficult time our family went through, we were happy to discover such a warm and loving place, with brilliant teachers and supporting staff ,who welcomed us right away. We would like to express our deep appreciation to the school and thank you again for all your great help and support.. with great appreciation. The Regev family read more

I'm updating this review after we have been at JDS for 6 years. I am constantly in awe of the positive, supportive and affirming environment that JDS provides. In this day and age where kids are struggling with mental health, my daughter is the happiest version of herself at JDS. She constantly talks about how much it means to her to BELONG somewhere- where people actually care that she is there and shows up every day. She belongs because her whole person is engaged- her intellectual curiosity, her exploration of identity, and the level of support for social emotional learning. The middle school program is AMAZING! Her natural curiosity is nurtured each and every day through inquiry and project based learning. Students are never taught just to memorize facts but to truly understand the what and why behind their learning. The individual level of attention and challenge keeps her engaged and learning in a way that will support her for life. JDS has changed our lives forever- not just the kids! The parent community is the reason why I love it here. As a new family to town 6 years ago, JDS is where we all have made our closest friends. read more

This is my family`s 14th year at JDS. I have a JDS graduate who is now a 10th grader and a 4th grader. I am grateful every day for JDS. My 4th grader is challenged academically - the teachers meet him where he is by subject. He is well supported socially and emotionally. I`m convinced my kids he is thriving BECAUSE of JDS and that he would be having a much different and worse experience in other schools. The teachers really know the kids and can speak about them as individual learners. They are amazingly supportive with the kids when handling social issues, and it really feels like they have my back as a parent. I know when my family is going through difficult times that the JDS teachers, staff, and parent community are there for us 100% with support and love. My 10th grader left JDS with a strong sense of who she is. She is advanced academically compared to her peers, even at her Private High School. She is still very connected to her JDS friends and teachers and still seeks them for advice. She has a strong sense of social justice and putting good into the world, values that were reinforced at JDS. I would give up any luxury in my life to keep my kids at this school. It`s the best gift I could ever give them. read more

There are not enough words to describe JDS. As a former alumni myself - everything that I loved and remembered about JDS has not changed. The feeling of community, togetherness and a family has only gotten stronger. As a parent - we joined JDS for the 2020 school year with a first grader. The education, preparation from the teachers and school does not go unnoticed. Every topic that goes on in the world is covered - teachers and staff pour their heart and souls into teaching and the best curriculum. As a parent of an elementary school student, I look at middle schoolers in awe during assemblies and presentations. They are so well versed, so educated and so technologically savvy thanks to all their previous years at JDS. With covid - JDS has done an amazing job keeping our kids in school, however when there have been times when school is remote, I got to see the teaching methods first hand. Everything is meticulously organized, each child receives individual attention when need be. The administration staff also does not go unnoticed. Rain or shine, they are greeting families in school drop off lines. What other school staff knows every parent and grandparent by name, their car and who they are picking up?!? Looking forward to JDS only growing and thriving. read more

The short version: we've been very happy and impressed sending our 4 children to this school: 6th grade, 4th grade, 1st grade, and pre-school. The longer version... Our kids just finished their first year at JDS. Every one we've met at the school has been great and focused on the kids. From the director of the school, to their teachers, to the groundskeeper. Everyone. They get to know the kids and families and they really partner up with you to do the best possible for each child. That was such an amazing change after years of public school where it's all about which teacher you are lucky enough to get. There are a few things that we were impressed by... Project Based Learning has been great - it really forces the kids to think creatively about what they're doing and why they're doing it, not just memorizing. Our kids have done some very interesting projects on natural disasters, festivals across countries and religions, and the holocaust. A big range! Another thing that impressed us is the way judaism is *and isn't* integrated. We're Jewish but not practicing. We don't even belong to a synagogue. So we were a little bit worried. But JDS teaches Judaism in context of the world and values. Who doesn't want their kids to learn about helping others, or being respectful? I think the best example for me was that when they discussed the Genesis story from the bible they didn't just say "this is how we Jews look at it, let's go deep on this and call it good." Instead, the teacher positioned the creation story as part or a larger context where every religion and culture has a creation story. So different kids took on different creation stories and presented them to the class. My son did his on the Aztec creation story and was super excited. He didn't just learn about Judaism - he learned about the world. I can keep going but I'll just say that we're very happy and highly recommend the school for any family, including non-jews who don't mind a small bit (Shabbat and here and there) of Judaism. read more

My student joined the middle school in sixth grade. Our family was warmly embraced, and we feel fortunate to have been part of such a supportive school community. The teachers and staff at JDS made our experience so positive. The small class size makes all the difference. read more

This is our first year at JDS, and we are delighted to be a part of such a fantastic school and community. When we were looking for a new school for our two kids, then 6 and 9, our priorities were the safe and nurturing environment and challenging yet engaging education. Previously, kids went to Clyde Hill Elementary in Bellevue and had a poor experience with some of the teachers. Not every child can benefit from a standardized educational approach and lack of personal attention. We decided to stop gambling with our kids' education and help our children get the best experience in learning and socializing. After extended research, we got very fortunate to have found JDS! We instantly were impressed with the outstanding staff and exceptional teachers. JDS provides a hands-on approach to learning new material and gives personal attention to student's strengths and weaknesses. In addition to quality education and knowledgeable professionals, we have found a warm and welcoming community. Both of our kids had an easy time adjusting to a new environment and making new friends. We can't be happier with our decision. My kids are happy at JDS and they enjoy learning new material. I see significant progress in such a short time. read more

We came to the Jewish day school looking for a preschool class for our 2.5 year old daughter. I myself am an alum of the school and my husband has always been in public school. I thought I would have to do a lot of convincing to get him to want to join this schools community, wow was I wrong! A little bit into the open house tour of the early childhood program we were sold. We met the most kind hearted, talented and committed educators. Every day when we come to school in the morning we know our daughter is cared for, inspired and taught so many new things. We love to see her enthusiasm for the Jewish holidays and all of her classmates. I cannot stress how accommodating and understand the staff and teachers have been with us (letting go of you first born for the first time is no easy task). We love this school, for its top tier education and amazing community that we get to be a part of! read more

My 5 year old son absolutely loves JDS and so do we! He takes the bus daily from our Seattle home (about a 25 minute trip). The school has provided a car seat for the youngest students and the bus drivers are long-time employees who are completely dedicated to their jobs and the well being of the students. My son has formed strong friendships with many of the other students on the bus and now has friends and role models in elementary and middle school. The teaching and academics at JDS are top notch. The entire staff is dedicated to providing a safe and engaged learning environment. The school also instills strong Jewish values while being inclusive and open. read more

JDS has been such a wonderful experience for our family. Our four year old has undergone a dramatic transformation over the last year and the credit goes to his amazing teachers. JDS is more than school, it's family. read more

We moved our middle schooler to JDS this year, and I just wish we had found JDS sooner. We are a non-Jewish family and have been embraced and engaged since day 1 by the school and the other families. The community and inclusion is so impressive, and something we had failed to find in our prior middle school. The inquiry based learning approach has her engaged with the learning through reflection and creativity. She comes home and tells us what she is learning and is excited about it! She loves all of the faculty, and I love the fact that they are helping build independence and High School readiness in their middle school program. Would highly recommend their middle school program. read more

We just graduated an 8th grader after he has spent his entire educational career at JDS, since age 3. We have two more kids coming up through the school, and are committed to giving them the same experience. There is something magical that happens in this school as kids go from being little cute characters into mature, capable, curious, considerate young adults. The education is superb, but it is so much more. Kids are taught to respect their broader community, to experiment, to ask challenging questions and to collaborate with others in everything they do at the school. They exit well-rounded and thoroughly prepared for high school and beyond. Unbelievable gem of a school. read more

We had a pretty awful experience with this school. We found the administrators and faculty to be incredibly unprofessional. They've done a great job with their marketing/messaging....unfortunately, it has little to do with what actually happens in the classroom. read more

My husband and I bought our house in the neighborhood we did (Kirkland) because we fully intended to send our kids to the excellent local public school ... but my older daughter was extremely quiet and we just knew she'd be swallowed whole in a large kindergarten class. We decided to try out JDS, mostly because of its smaller classroom size, for just a year until she got a bit more confident..... and we were hooked. We really love it here. My oldest daughter is now in 5th grade and has been at JDS since kindergarten. My younger daughter is in 2nd grade and has been at JDS since junior kindergarten. From the welcoming community to the fact that the teachers really know and support and love our girls in the specific ways that they need. Both my daughters have blossomed academically (which is a given at a private school, right?) but also socially. Unlike my older daughter, my younder one would likely be totally fine in most any school environment, but she's still really benefited from the unique attention she gets and all the focus on the social/emotional stuff. The shy older daughter actually joined the volleyball team this year -- much to everyone's SHOCK including my own -- which just shows us all the impact JDS has had. It was also funny how many other parents, even families that we're not super close with, commented to me about how great it was to see her participating in a team sport and how much she's grown. It has been so fantastic to see how she's changed from this timid, nearly-silent kindergartener to a more outgoing, confident girl. (Okay I'll stop bragging!) What else can I say? I'm Jewish and my husband is not, so there's that. We don't belong to a synagogue but I'd consider us "active" in that we celebrate holidays at home, my kids go to Jewish sleepaway camp in the summers, etc. (That said, we also have an Xmas tree every year and celebrate Easter.) There are also JDS families that are affiliated with synagogues and are fairly strictly observant, and then there are folks at the other end of the spectrum that don't do much of anything. There are a lot of "flavors" of Judaism at the school and it's all welcomed and supported. I can not highly recommend JDS enough. read more

So happy to have found a school that is academically challenging and emotionally tender. My girls are thriving at this school.

My daughter is just finishing up her first year at JDS as a 5th grader. We moved her out of our local public school because she was the type of student who could easily get "lost" in a larger classroom. I wanted to find a school for her that would encourage and support her and help her find her "voice" not just let her skate along doing "just ok." So far, her experience has been fantastic and she is academically engaged and excited every day. She is really enjoying her academic experience at JDS so far and I can see her emerging as an "active learner." We are definitely looking forward to the middle school years here. read more

While our older daughter was thriving in the public schools, as our younger daughter approached kindergarten, we could see that a smaller and sweeter environment was needed for her. So, we looked at several private schools, with the intention of staying only for kindergarten. The night before my tour at JDS, I almost cancelled my appointment- I did not see myself as a Jewish Day School parent, the school was too far away from our home, and the cost felt out of reach. I did, however keep the appointment, and after observing in several classrooms, knew that this was the right place for our daughter. Five years later, my child has blossomed from a shy, terrified kindergartener who would not look someone in the eye to say hello to a confident, engaged learner. At JDS, she has been treasured for who she is- the school actively appreciates and cultivates non-academic skills such as kindness and cooperation, which built a foundation of confidence on which her academic skills could bloom. Students are met where they are, are appreciated, supported, and encouraged to continually grow and stretch, all while knowing their strengths as learners. The opportunities to ask questions, think deeply, explore, and create are vastly different than our other daughter's experience in public school. And while we were not drawn to JDS because of the Jewish content, that is a big part of why we have stayed. Our younger daughter's sense of who she is, and what she can contribute to this world is deeply rooted in Jewish values, and has been a powerful contribution to her development and to our family as a whole. We cannot say enough about how thrilled we are to be part of this community. read more

I am so grateful to JDS for the incredible online education experience for my 4th and 6th graders. Having an 8th grader at a public middle school, the difference is gigantic. With JDS, the kids get a full day of class: teacher instruction, small group work, one-on-one support, opportunities to ask questions and rules of accountability. They also benefit socially from seeing their friends and being able to work and learn together. And it has been this way since day one of lockdown - a truly seamless transition. Compared to my older child, who is largely left to his own devices. His education, I regret, may suffer. Whereas at JDS, there are no gaps, no skipping of content, and no compromise of learning. I have always believed in the value of JDS, and in this daily changing environment where adaptability is key, JDS has come through with flying colors! I know I am giving my kids the very best education and experience available! read more

Great school - nice to not have to worry about the cuts being made in public schools. Kids get individual attention and it's a real community and more diverse than we expected. Being an intermarried couple, we weren't sure about how we would fit but it's been great. Check it out at www.jds.org. read more

We love JDS. Our three kids are enrolled in the school and we've had experience with all its three portions (Early childhood, elementary, middle school). The teachers and staff are phenomenal. They are caring, devoted, and wholeheartedly invested in the academic development of the kids, as well as in their social and emotional well-being. The academic level in science, math, literacy, and general studies is very impressive as school emphasizes inquiry based learning, individual exploration, independent critical thinking, and development of real-world skills throughout all grades, in an age-appropriate manner. All these encourage creativity, curiosity and self-reflection. Building a wide array of academic proficiencies in early grades prepares kids for doing remarkably well in middle school, where they enjoy hands-on experience designing projects that bring together physics, chemistry, math, engineering, presentation skills and team work capabilities at a high level. In JDS, our kids enjoy bilingual experience learning Hebrew from native speaking teachers. JDS is a pluralistic Jewish day school that welcomes all observance levels and makes everyone feel at home. The students/teachers ratio in the school is excellent, promoting a personal touch and meeting individual and unique needs of each and every student. Our kids enjoy a beautiful campus with vast green areas, soccer field, a modern gym, an outdoor amphitheater, and renovated classrooms. JDS feels like a second home for our kids and for the whole family. It provides a strong sense of community and belonging. As JDS parents, we know our children are happy, safe, seen and heard for who they are, and we enjoy an open channel of communication between us and the JDS administration and staff. read more

We love the Jewish Day School of Seattle - it's a great place, great teachers, everyone knows everyone and we love that community service and environmentalism are a part of their curriculum. We also came from the east coast and feel like we discovered a real educational gem in Seattle. read more

I have had 3 children attend this most fabulous school. Currently my kids are (boy age 17 doing great in the IB program in public school, girl age 14 in a selective private HS and girl age 9 in 3rd grade at JDS). It was so great, after moving from the east coast 8 years ago, to find a Jewish school that teachesa Jewish pride and heritage in a way that really instills a love of Judaism, and not the brow beating with which we had become accustomed. My kids are conversational in Hebrew, are proud to be Jews and are truly citizens of the world. I attribute this success to the progressive curriculum and weaving of Judiacs with secular topics. The teachers are gifted, devoted and loving. My kids have their whole lives to interact with the wonderful diversity in this country, but I will release them feeling proud of who they are and well educated. What more could a Jewish mother want?? P.S. My not Jewish husband loves the school too! Win win! read more