Our son has attended CMS for only a short while although, his confidence, social capabilities, and…read morespeech have advanced since starting! He's naturally bashful so our number one goal when scouting out schools was to find somewhere that offers small class size and kind attentiveness, which we've accomplished here. I enjoy the activities that the school organizes to include parents/ families and the staff is always gracious when I need assistance and/or have questions regarding scheduling, billing, and developmental progress. He is glad to arrive in the mornings and comes home healthy and happy! CMS is truly a gem, providing peace of mind because we know our child is in good hands and thriving when in their care, which is most important to a parent when away from their child.

As a Montessori kid myself and a mom of five who've attended seven schools, I can say without…read morehesitation that Chestnut Montessori is the most impressive and genuinely exceptional school our family has experienced. The teachers are deeply skilled in true Montessori practice--they don't just borrow the "Montessori" label, but actually live out the philosophies and methods. Chestnut Montessori fully embraces and lives out Dr. Maria Montessori's vision and approach, and the impact of that on my boys has been extraordinary. In such a short time, I've seen tremendous growth in their self-confidence, abilities, social skills, and overall development. I was hesitant starting the boys in school at a young age, but Chestnut Montessori earned our family's trust in the first interaction at the tour (when we left the tour, before my husband could buckle his seat belt he looked at me and said, "this is it. Cancel all the other tours.") The teachers' expertise, loving care, and genuine investment in their students shine through every single day--from drop-off and pickup, to communication with the administration, to the photos shared throughout the day, and the thoughtful extra-curricular events. I'm beyond grateful for CMS and so thankful to have found a school that truly supports my children in becoming exactly who they're meant to be. We'll hope to be here for the long haul!

Without question our children deserve a space where thriving in a safe environment is top priority…read moreto each parent. It is important for parents to feel at ease knowing they're sending their kids to a school that is trustworthy. It is unfortunate at this establishment safety is not one of their top priorities as mentioned in their mission statement. There have been one too many incidences that have occurred at this school with no proper communication with parents. There is no transparency from faculty members. Each faculty member are all mandated reporters which leaves me speechless as I'm sure there is a policy and procedure for all incidences that may occur with any of our kids. Yet incidences continue to arise without transparent communication and explanations to us parents. According to public records this institution has been cited for safety of our children to a lack of planned emergency planning this past year in 2025 which you all can find from public records on (find child care wa . Org) and input the schools name/address. I have also provided screenshots of my findings. Not only is safety a concern but also the turnover rate this establishment has with teachers is signaling a deeper issue in this institution. Surly as an educator/owner of a school one must know the significant impact that may have on our kids. Studies have shown a "connection of high turnover with loss of instructional quality, weaker teacher collaboration, and more classroom inconsistency" as Stephen Gibbons have done a study on. It is without question if you want your children to attend a safe and well managed school then this isn't the place you want them to be. The schools quality of care and lack in skill to care for our kids really shows.

From the beginning, there were things that made us uncomfortable. During our tour, Caroline…read moredirected most of the conversation toward my wife, who speaks Mandarin, and appeared to avoid engaging with me directly. Even when I asked questions, the answers were often given in Mandarin rather than addressed to me. As a parent trying to understand the school and make an informed decision for my child, I found this unprofessional and concerning. Over time, our concerns grew. The biggest issues for us were safety, communication, and accountability. In our experience, we did not feel confident that incidents were being properly documented or reported to parents in a clear and timely manner. With young children, accidents can happen, but parents should be informed honestly and promptly, and there should be proper records of what occurred. Our experience did not give us confidence that this was being handled appropriately. When we raised concerns, the response felt defensive and business-focused rather than child-centered. We did not feel heard, reassured, or treated like partners in our child's care. We also felt that the school often appeared to do the minimum rather than proactively creating the safest and most supportive environment possible. In addition, the number of school closures and days off, including some that were not federal holidays, added to our frustration. We also came away seriously questioning the leadership of the school. Based on our interactions, the leadership did not appear to demonstrate the judgment, communication skills, accountability, or child-centered approach we would expect from people responsible for young children. Rather than giving us confidence, the way issues were handled made us feel more concerned. For us, this was not about one isolated incident. It was the overall pattern: poor communication, lack of transparency, safety concerns, and leadership that did not seem willing or able to take parent concerns seriously. Stability, our child did not enjoy consistency in their education, given the high level of turnover of staff. Choosing a school for your child is a major decision. Parents deserve to feel that their child is safe, cared for, and that concerns will be handled with honesty, empathy, and accountability. Based on our experience, we cannot say that was the case here.

Our son has been in Spectrum Academy since early January and we really like this school. Teachers…read moreare very patient, kind and loving. With their help, our son quickly got used to school life and he is now very happy to go there and see his classmates and teachers. He learned a lot in school and we can see him making progress every day. The teachers also did an awesome job helping potty train him. He got rid of diapers in about a month.

We sent both our kids to Spectrum Academy since the beginning of 2023 when we moved to Redmond…read more They absolutely enjoyed it! The teachers here are very loving and caring for the kiddos. They teach little kids reading and math, but most importantly, how to make friends with each other and be kind and supportive to each others, which in my perspective, is one of the most important values I would teach my children as well. The manager, Ms. Julie, is super responsive and flexible to accommodate our family need. For example, the school provide spring/summer camps, Chinese classes, PE, keyboard, dance classes you can sign your kids up. All and all, we are very happy with our experience at Spectrum and are grateful for all the love and care my children received during their time there.

We have loved our time at The Goddard School. Our daughter started in February, and she excelled…read moreduring her time there. She has loved being in Miss Chloe's class and is excited to go to school every single day. She is also learning so much. Ms. Carmen always has something nice to say as we come in which makes the day even better. In the beginning we were nervous about COVID and safety, but Kamal and Olivia were wonderful. The kids all wore masks, and had daily temperature checks. It has been a wonderful experience from start to finish. I cannot recommend this school highly enough.

Incredible curriculum (begins even in the infant room!), caring teachers and very secure building…read more Our son is really advanced for his age, much due to the environment of Goddard Bellevue. We have called this "school" vs. other places being a "day care" given the attention to detail of childhood development. The school directors, owners and staff are very approachable, warm and have a fantastic attention to detail. You really feel you are amongst family when you are attending this school! We particularly appreciate the beautiful art in each classroom that each student contributes to (and it is constantly changing with each season and highlights cultural celebrations from all over the world!), the Scholastic Book Fair, the Soccer Shots and Webby Gymnastics partnerships, and countless family events they plan! We have toured all the top schools in the area and continue to enroll at Goddard Bellevue for a reason!

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.

Physical punishment!!! My son (3 year old) constantly saying…read morethat One of the toddler teachers pinched his hand because he was not sleeping after lunch (BTW, the policy is that the nap is not mandatory for kids). It was strong enough to leave redness and bruise even after 24 hours, and we informed DCYF. Any policy, any condition; is really physical punishment allowed??? When we shared our concern with the director and expected to fire that so-called teacher or move her to another class by EOD, she refused and just asked if we want to withdraw and get refund. If your child safety and and health is important, please take this review seriously.

Pros: - we got lots of picture updates…read more- they do tons of activities with the kids - my kid liked all the teachers - covered playground for the rain/sun (though it gets pretty cold without the sun) - decent food Cons: - not the cheapest (not the most expensive either) - my kid seems to get sick more here (they have floaters in the morning & late afternoon, and a lot of teachers send their own kids in other classes, so it seems like viruses will not be contained to a single classroom) - parking lot is a pain during pickup/dropoff Overall I think this is a well-run school that cares about kids & its staff.

To recommend DWs post from 10 years ago - this is statement is still accurate in 2025…read more This school is fine for easy-going kids who would do well anywhere. They absolutely do not focus at all on the social or emotional development of the children. Any and all problems are considered the parent's problem to fix. They also hire teachers with no secondary education background, and have no business calling themselves a dual accredited school when they can't support a class structure - it's chaos in there

heaven. i attended this school from pre-k up until 3rd grade and it was the best school ever. i…read moremade so many friends and so many memories and every day was a good day. i now have PTSD because in 3rd grade i was criticized by some teachers for having special needs and was sent to a crappy public school against my will that was absolute hell and i also got PTSD from that school. so i have trauma from being practically abused by being transferred to a terrible school against my will but it was worth it

Both of our children attended Chestnut Hill Academy, and our youngest just graduated from 5th grade…read morelast week. Throughout their K-5 journey, every teacher was exceptional, supportive, and genuinely caring. Communication between teachers, staff, and parents has always been outstanding. We love CHA's focus on community building, leadership, strong academics, and the emotional well-being of its students. Both of our children loved their time at the school and formed wonderful friendships that will last a lifetime. As parents, we have had the privilege of watching our children grow into confident, resilient, and well-prepared middle school students with strong leadership skills and perseverance. We are incredibly grateful to the entire CHA community for the positive impact it has had on our family.

Our daughter attended CHA from kindergarten and will be completing 4th grade this year. The school…read morehas been incredibly supportive from the beginning. Each of her teachers from K-4 were engaged and provided regular feedback on matters related to academics, social, and well-being. We really enjoyed the school programs from performing arts, field trips, winter activities, and leadership opportunities. CHA also did a great job connecting parents and building a strong community with the school.