My two children went to BWS. While there were several aspects that were delightful including specific teachers and the community, as some of the only people of color - it was a very damaging experience. Unfortunately, one of the faculty that was responsible for the most humiliation and damage is still teaching at the school. That is quite unfortunate. I would not recommend the school for BIPOC kiddos. read more

Bright Water is no ordinary school, so do read up on Waldorf education before submitting your application. It is a philosophy, a special attitude toward education that you need to share in order to appreciate what Bright Water has to offer. This is what got our son going there... and the reason why we did not re-enroll for next year. Our son went to Bright Water for Kindergarten and academically he hardly benefited much, though all the time they spent outdoors (rain or shine!) helped build up his agility and aided his physical development big time. Apart from occasional drawing and small projects, do not expect your kids to learn reading, writing, or counting. It is simply not on the agenda yet (I believe, until they are seven) if you start with K. The pros: 1. Great kids, great families, good teachers. 2. It's a small school where you will know most people and kids, and they will know you (and your child!). 3. Hot lunch on Mondays and Fridays, and overall food is mostly natural, organic, and high-quality. 4. Good after school program. The cons: 1. A ton of breaks and service days when you would have to figure out what to do for childcare (many more than any other school I know!). 2. No academic focus whatsoever in K and first grade 3. Very little expectation - it is okay for kids to pretty much do nothing 4. Awful parking for drop-off & pick up read more

The best of the Waldorf Schools, all 3 of my children graduated here. One is a molecular biologist planning on medical school, the other an award winning Industrial Designer, the third an honors student entering the University of Oregon. Believe in your kids, believe in yourself as a parent. Unplug as much as you can. Slow down and teach your children a love of the outdoors. Come to this school and transform your family. We did. read more

My daughter is in the second grade at Bright Water Waldorf School with Jennifer Quinn as her teacher. She has had a wonderful experience in MS. Quinn's class. We have found Ms. Quinn to be a teacher with great heart and dedication. We have loved her inclusion of diverse cultures and the care with which she teaches our child. She has helped her become confident in reading and develop a great joy for learning. Our daughter has blossomed in Ms. Quinn's class and we are so grateful. This is a school focused on developing the whole person. It teaches children how to think and question as they work towards an answer, not just memorize. It may not be for everyone but it has a beauty and depth that we find stunning in this quick paced, sound bite world. read more

I met one of their teachers and her preschool class on an outing with my adult ESL class and had a nice chat. I would have loved to send my kids there. read more

This is our fourth year at Bright Water, and I don't think we could be any happier with the education that our children are receiving, not to mention the warm school community that we have become part of. We did not know much about Waldorf education before starting our oldest son in BW's kindergarten, and it was certainly a big leap of faith, because Waldorf schools are quite different from the mainstream. At Bright Water, my children's social, emotional, creative, musical, artistic and physical development is given just as much attention as their intellectual development. I believe that the world is in need of empathetic, curious, and confident problem-solvers, and from everything I have seen, this education is deeply geared towards nurturing these traits. My children are still in elementary, but I can tell you I have never seen such happy middle-schoolers as I see at BW! Yes, it is a different path than public or most private schools, so it is important to educate yourself about the pedagogy and look much deeper than traditional academic metrics and outcomes, particularly in the early years. Sure, it may seem strange that my third-grader learned to knit way before learning to read, but he got there when he was ready, was reading at grade-level in a flash, and is now a voracious reader (AND loves to knit -- which let me tell you is a great activity for a VERY active 9-year-old boy!). One thing that I wasn't quite expecting is how amazing the community at our school is. Parenting is not easy, and I don't know what I would do without the non-judgmental, mutually supportive group of parents I have gotten to know here. There is so much to share that won't fit in a Yep review -- I know from experience how overwhelming it can feel to choose a school for your child, but I can't recommend enough that you add Bright Water to your list of possibilities! It will take some research and experience to really understand what it is all about, but I think it is well-worth the effort. read more

My son has been a student at Bright Water Waldorf School from Early Childhood (he was 3 years old) through 8th Grade. He'll be graduating this spring. I guess that makes me an 11-year customer! HOT TIP -- if you are interested in Bright Water School but concerned about the cost for your family, please don't hesitate to inquire, there is a strong financial aid program at the school. Our family fell into Waldorf education on accident, and its been amazing. The curriculum and programs are supported by a real philosophy, and every teacher and staff person at the school has shown a serious commitment to our son's academic, physical, emotional, and social growth. They challenge him when he needs a challenge. They show patience and deep kindness, even when offering corrections. Of course parents should research Waldorf education, and take a tour, and thoroughly research the school. Waldorf offers a boldly immersive curriculum, and is based on teaching what is developmentally appropriate for young brains to learn at different ages and stages. There is no push towards 'accelerated' learning that you see in some other educational systems. Its a special flavor of education, and its not for everyone! At the end of this 11-year journey I see my son standing tall and ready for High School with an incredible store of knowledge, solid work habits, wild curiosity, and a respectful, joyful way of encountering other people. I believe he learned these things growing up inside this loving school community. read more

Bright Water Waldorf is a gem of a school. Our three boys are thriving here and we fully recommend this particular school, its faculty, and the community to anyone interested in Waldorf Education. A language arts education provides children many practical and transferable skills while developing the whole child: their physical aptitude, imagination, individual creativity, relationship to the world. Where this education stems from a euro-centric viewpoint, the faculty at BWWS work to incorporate a more expansive worldview into their classrooms and the parent community is invited to join faculty and staff on the important work around inclusion, equity and inherent bias. It is still becoming and I am optimistic and filled with hope for the direction our school is going! read more

I'm perplexed by these two reviews although I know that typically people write Yelp reviews when they are unhappy or have an axe to grind (sad fact of life). So I would like to provide a bit of balance here. Our son went to Bright Water School from 4th grade and graduated after 8th grade. If we had known about BWS earlier, it would have been a wonderful thing. It was our first introduction to Waldorf education but because it was BWS Waldorf, we were spoiled (he subsequently went on to a Waldorf High School in Seattle and that was a very different experience - not one we would at all recommend). But back to BWS, here are the elements that made his experience so incredible: outstanding teachers and staff, a school Director (Laura Crandall) who has vision and successfully leads, an urban modern environment that has all the wonderful elements of Waldorf without the rigidity/inflexibility at certain other Waldorf schools :), and a TRUE focus on the whole child with a certainty and faith to let these children breath and develop naturally. The education was truly classic, balanced with academics and art and went deep (vs. the skimming/testing that is so much of the focus of so many schools right now). That coupled with the social tools that were focused on in each class community gave our son confidence and self-knowledge and provided a foundation for him to be happy and successful as he moved on (he is a senior in high school currently and is planning on attending college in the fall with many options available to him). We will forever be grateful and cannot recommend this school enough to families. See for yourself - get in touch with the school - meet the staff, take a tour and talk to the kids and the families there. read more

We came to Bright Water School with our first child into the second grade. The idea that the kids at this school are "behind" is not true. We came from an excellent top-tier private school. Unlike many other private schools, Bright Water believes that kids are kids, not little college students. There is ample time for music and movement, and by taking the academics at a slightly different pace, the kids actually come to have a much fuller grasp on the concepts, rather than showing off tricks. It is true that the kindergarten is not academic (doesn't teach reading) but all the kids are excellent readers in time, and love story and learning for its own sake. read more

Our son attended Bright Water School from pre-school through 8th grade. He was always thoughtful, artistic, and inquisitive and our feeling was the Waldorf environment would foster these strengths, whereas public and even other private schools would squash them. Although he had his share of growing pains, our son's experience at the school was fantastic. He is now a strong, confident student in a public high school. He is excited about his future. His academics are great. His relationships with his former Bright Water classmates are strong and continue to support him as he continues in the world. He continues to do volunteer work at his old school. read more

I think the school has great intentions and a staff that really cares. But it is a new school and I don't think they quite have the academics down. When my child was there for about three years I loved the environment. I loved the community. However, a lot of the children academically were behind compared to other school children in Seattle. (Even the public schools) I know a number of parents felt the need to supplement their children's education there with tutoring because they felt the basics were missing. I would not enroll a child there now but give them three to five more years I think it will be a great school in the academic area. read more

The Bright Water School is one of only a handful of schools in The Pugest Sound region where a parent can enroll a child to take advantage of the many benefits of a the Waldorf curriculum. Reverence for nature, early and careful handcrafted construction, attention to the arts and minimizing the negative impacts of technology and commercialization are benchmarks of the anthroposophical movement. Children that successfully complete Waldorf school education are highly desired by local private schools. You can learn more at: http://www.theatlantic.com/past/docs/issues/99sep/9909waldorf.htm read more

Our son spent 9 great years at Bright Water School. He has moved on to a public high school where he is doing great. We were satisified that he was being well prepared on all the core learning subjects and this was validated when he took his first standardized test at age 14. This is an unbelieveably unique experience that we are happy we could give our son. read more

What a wonderful school! It's calm, it's rhythmic, it's beautiful. It's full of stories and thought. Little children are allowed, encouraged to spend time at play and a lot of that time outdoors, exploring in nature. Grade school children continue this emphasis on movement and the outdoors while beginning their academic journey, adding in math, reading (first and second graders are allowed time for the magic of reading to happen naturally and with joy), writing, and science skills through imagination, creativity, critical thinking and problem solving. In addition, children learn Spanish, Japanese, how to knit and do other creative handwork and woodwork, play the flute, paint, sing. They get to pick a stringed instrument in grade four. Once in middle school, the academic learning steps up with algebra, physics, geology, geography, human physiology, ancient cultures and more. I have a second grader and a sixth grader, and my children wake up every morning excited to go to school. We are deeply grateful for what this school gives our children and our family! read more