The admissions process is really getting the one star review. I can't comment on the actual…read moreexperience of having a kid in this school because after taking my deposit for two children and then talking at myself and my husband about how superior the school is and how there's a million year waitlist because not only is Waldorf education the best but this particular Waldorf is the only one in the Pacific Northwest to do this and that, and despite myself and my husband having ample experience and knowledge about various alternative pedagogical approaches including Waldorf, we felt the admissions person just didn't really want to know about us or our children. Our family has moved a couple of times for work and we've applied to many different independent schools in the most competitive systems in the country; NY, LA, SF and Seattle. They have gotten into most but not all. Never have I come across a school however that despite having checked in a couple times along the way, stating interest, and being told decisions go out in April and then April came and went and no communication, at all. There were a bunch of other strange lacks in communication along the way as well I just don't need to bother. For a school that seems to think they're community and respect based, for the first time in applying for schools I definitely felt like my deposit was just money they like to collect every year. I feel like it was a dodged bullet though, I have talked to others that had a similar experience. The campus is adorable though!

Bellingham has wonderful public schools staffed with committed teachers. A private school here…read moreneeds to offer something dramatic to make the financial sacrifice worthwhile. For us, it was the appeal of a rounded, rich curriculum that includes the arts as an intrinsic part of daily routines. Waldorf kids spend more time outdoors, have differently paced days with carefully established rhythms, and develop close relationships with teachers who honor and respect individual patterns of thought and learning. One of the high school principals in Bellingham once told me that he always spots the Waldorf kids at his school as they are often the ones that most easily converse with adults and they bring with them a unique kind of engagement and curiosity about the world. He said that they were some of his favorite kids to work with. We have seen a Waldorf education work its magic on both of our kids. Our older son thrived at WHWS and went on become a confident and successful student in public high school and now college (where he has created a classic Waldorf-type of major that combines his love of economics with art history). Our younger son is currently in third grade at WHWS and we hope that he will remain through 8th grade.

This is a great school! Teachers here are so wonderful they truly care about the kids here.read more

From the owner: At Bellingham Childcare & Learning Center we know that quality early learning experiences matter…read more We believe that regardless of income, it is of critical importance that children in their earliest years develop in an environment that is safe, loving, and stimulating. BCLC is grounded in the belief that children are competent, curious, resourceful learners. The child's role in the classroom is to construct their knowledge and develop skills through exploration, self-expression, and collaboration with their teacher, parents and peers. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) has recognized BCLC as an accredited early learning program since 1999. It is a true validation of the quality of the program and the dedication of the staff. The heart of NAEYC accreditation focuses on the child's experience. The process carefully considers all aspects of a program including health and safety, staffing, staff qualifications, and physical environment. The greatest emphasis is on the children's relationships with the staff and how the program helps each child grow and learn intellectually, physically, socially and emotionally. Unlike other childcare facilities, BCLC calculates tuition on a sliding scale, based on a family's ability to pay. BCLC is the only Center in Whatcom County that offers this unique sliding scale program empowering parents to work and gain higher levels of education while providing essential early learning opportunities for their children.

The childhood every kid deserves! This place is magic. While they encourage students to grow in all…read moreareas, they also honor how and when each child is ready. Each thrives in their own way. True play based learning (which is sadly rare) throughout every day. Tree houses, sand pits, mud pies, dolls, books, cozy nooks, rope climbing, sewing, carrot peeling, daisy chains...all the best parts of the old days. As a child development specialist, my heart grows every time I observe teachers interacting with students. They are "gardeners, not carpenters". Love, empathy, curiosity, and firm boundaries all shine here. They are as engaged with social emotional teaching as they are "academic" skills. The world would be a better place if every child experienced this kind of early education.

We feel so lucky to have found A Loving Space school. All of the teachers and staff are so…read morewelcoming and caring, and truly make school a home away from home. They are amazing!

Despite the one negative comment (read it - talk about not Christ-like!), this is one of the best…read moreLUTHERAN churches in the area, and they're all pretty good, but maybe not for everyone with their very Lutheran emphasis on personal responsibility even if, as with Martin Luther, takes you in radically different direction from what the mainstream is saying and wanting you to do. I don't know why the woman's partner was told to leave but he probably earned it, given her attitude to another thriving community of fellow Christians. There's probably more to the story because this 50-year-old ministry has always made a point of accepting anyone and everyone. Since this includes the full spectrum OF LBGQT (and others) people which the two groups she mentioned, consider to be deliberate and apostate sinners. Bur that's why "CTS" is a neat place, it's chock-full of sinners. People who need and want to be there. It's not a fundamentalist place, with more rules than a golf course. It's a group of friendly confessing Christians who welcome strangers, and celebrate their wins and console their losses. you'll know right away if it's for you - if you need to be told what to do and whom to vote for, you'll probably pass on this wonderful congregation. Etc. Etc. It's a place where Phiippians 2:12 is at the core, and at this church, you'll find a lot of fellow-travelers who will welcome you and stick with you.

If I could I wouldn't even give this place one star. Worst "church" ever! There is nothing Christ…read morelike about this church. My husband and I live in walking distance from the church. We are avid church goers who attend a different church but my husband goes on prayer walks on the trail by this church and for over a year has stopped at their church and spent time praying. Yesterday the "pastor" and one of his minions approached him and told him to get off their property. No questions on who my husband is or what he's doing there just immediate cold demeanor and demand to get off their property. My hubby introduced himself and that he knows someone who works there. There's a Daycare on their property so they told him he couldn't be there without a background check. Which is a lie since people who come onto their property for the church wouldn't have that but he explained he has tons of background checks and they said they dont care and made him get off. Then today my husband was walking the trail making sure to avoid the church and stood on the public sidewalk at a bridge near the church to pray and the pastor HID IN THE BUSHES and called the cops saying he was staring at kids. So the cops showed up to our house and told my husband he has been trespassed and no longer allowed on their property. We go to a church with a daycare and they also hold a food bank next to our church. Even pastors would at least kindly ask who he was and ask what he was doing and kindly suggest that he should find a different place to pray. So, if you are looking for a God fearing friendly church I suggest almost anywhere but here. Hillcrest or Christ the King are friendly, loving and live and present the Truth and have acceptance and understanding when it comes to others. Not so with this place.

I would not recommend this school to anyone who was planning on their 3+year old going there…read more If you want a daycare that masquerades as a Montessori school, this is it. They "follow the child" in a way that also doesn't help to guide, help, educate , or keep the child safe. After 6 months of our eldest being there, she said she was repeatedly being bullied by a child. I contacted the teachers, asked for help, and they said "it's normal childhood development." I said I would like them to keep an eye on it, they didn't. After more bullying, I talked to the bully's parents. They stated, the teachers had never even talked to them about his behaviors (You might be asking how do you fix something if you can't talk about it at home, the answer is you can't). The parents stepped in and it was better for a short time, but then he began to bully my younger child instead. The owner of the school, is too afraid of conflict, so she does not address bullying. She was completely unable to have a constructive conversation around a child's abusive behavior, AND she scares the other teachers away from those conversations as well. She also didn't address a random mom that frequently taught there, yelled at my 2 year old after the abusive 5 year old had lashed out towards my son. There is no reason a caregiver should yell at a two year old to the point of tears. I watched said 5 year old physically shoulder check, push down, and call my son mean names on the playground at various pick ups/drop offs. He also shamed him about being friends with his older sister and her friends that were girls, to the point of which he would not come into a woman's restroom with me (it was later determined the bully repeatedly called him a girl), my son was 2 years old, being bullied about gender is totally inappropriate. Yet, the school would not talk with me about a possible safety plan after all these incidents. The interaction with the mom "helper" (also friends with the bully's parents', below), was the last straw, despite family hardships we made it work without child care, rather than leaving our children in the unsafe environment with these people. I want to reiterate, I asked for a plan to help these kids at least 4 times, over the course of a year. I even offered to help find services to the other child's family. The owner gaslighted everyone involved, including her other staff members who had observed the situations. The other staff members confirmed that not only that the child was bullying, but that he was also stopping lessons for everyone in the class. The owner denied everything, until our exit interview, which she acknowledged the child was abusive and encouraging his younger brother to act in an abusive way as well. She had no plan to curb the behaviors. Do what you have to do for child care, but don't expect the helpful, safe, kind values they state. They can't uphold them.

We love Kelda, Skylar and the Gardenview community. They provide a positive, loving, safe,…read moreintentional and thoughtful environment for our children. The recent negative review/rant from an angry parent is simply not true and can be verified by many folks. Clearly this person is lashing out, possibly due to larger issues in their life, past and/or with their family. Personally attacking folks who invest 110% love and compassion into the community is innapropriate, borderline defamation and plain mean. Our family and friends Highly recommend Gardenview.