Northlake Academy was the most disappointing school experiences we've had, out of 4 private schools…read morein the area with our 3 kids. It's close, cheap, but that's about it. Teachers leave, curriculums are disorganized. Despite the small class sizes, our children received little support from staff over the years until we called it quits. Teachers mostly blame kids and parents during teacher parent conferences. Communication was very difficult, especially with the principal's sporadic and illogical blame emails and "no reasons for concerns". Teachers aren't native speakers with thick accents, the qualified teachers left for other schools. ITBS scores are faked, since they spend a month rehearsing almost the same tests and memorizing. Many kids we know were not qualified for accelerated classes at other schools. The restrictive year-long contract signed in Jan/Feb leaves families locked-in before final grades and staff changes. They don't release contracts and brush away parental concerns.

Fully agree with another review here from Mindy H. Our son was expelled in 2 days for 'behavioral…read moreproblems'. He was going to a daycare for a full year, before going to Northlake. The attitude in previous school was to help him if he fumbles. The apathy from preschool lead teacher was appalling. He was least welcomed. Who does that to a 3 year old. After 2 days of education, she also kept the deposit. Really regret the decision to even trying this school.

Loved EBM! Great program and the teachers are very sweet and attentive. Our kids learned so much…read morethere and are more advanced than most kids their age. Mariela manages a great program and the Spanish immersion works extremely well. Fully recommend!

My son attended this preschool for 2 years and we loved it! The teachers are warm and really care…read morefor the kids. The kids learn a lot in fun and creative ways through the Montessori program. My son learned independence and made great friends. I highly recommend this school - we will miss it!

My son has been going there. I see a marked improvement in his comprehension and essay writing…read more One of main challenge was to get him to use English words instead of Gen Z slang. Ann is a truly amazing and genuine person, who cares about the kids and parents equally. Tony my son's tutor has been so amazing, patient and so much empathy for him. The best thing is that my son looks forward to going to Brightmont. Truly happy with Brightmont. Highly recommend giving them a try, you never know that may be the missing piece, before it all clicks for you kid.

A wonderful school that offers self paced one-on-one instruction with kind staff and workers…read more Excellent for students seeking more support/credits academically. Also a great place for kids that struggle with the distractions and noise of big class sized schools. Brightmont Academy offers flexible scheduling with the seamless ability to transition from in-person classes to online classes.

My daughter was in this preschool for two years. We had a wonderful experience! She loved the…read moreteachers and befriended some kids. She also learned to recognize and sound out the vocabulary even though she is not a native speaker. I really enjoyed their way of inviting the parents to join a short performance or concert for Christmas and other celebrations during the year.

Our daughter has been at St. Brendan for 4 years now and we enrolled our son last fall for full-day…read morepreschool. We've had an amazing experience and love the teachers, staff and community. I am incredibly grateful for the positive experience we've had with all of our kids' teachers. The school does an excellent job of integrating strong academic standards with faith based values, and I love that my kids have gained a religious foundation by attending Mass and praying regularly. The school hosts a variety of events throughout the year that bring families together and strengthen the community. From trunk-or-treat to the annual Craft Fair, to the Bite of St. Brendan and the family dance, there is always something that encourages connection and involvement. All the activities and events create lasting memories for the students and truly reflect the welcoming spirit of the school. I strongly recommend St. Brendan to any family looking for an environment where their child can thrive academically, spiritually, and socially.

We love everything about St. Brendan. We are very impressed with the teachers, especially because…read moreeven though they are young, their dedication and the individual support they give our kids is amazing. They know everything about our children and are always looking for ways to help them learn and grow. The community is truly wonderful!

We absolutely love Bear Creek. It's our third year at the school and it has been a blessing. Our…read moredaughter came out of Covid from public school and unfortunately schools were trying to catch students up who were the most behind rather than teaching at grade level. The teachers, staff, administrators, and family community are amazing. The academics are challenging; they push the kids outside their comfort zones with opportunities for public speaking and large presentations. In fact, Bear Creek is now ranked 5th for best college preparatory high school in WA. They also teach the kids to be good citizens of the community at large. Whenever we have had an issue, the Division Head has helped and addressed the concern. The student body is diverse and we have never experienced any racism. I felt compelled to write this after seeing the one star review that unfairly paints the school in a negative light. Perhaps this school is not for everyone, however, that's why school tours and meet and greets are imperative. We actually toured the top ranking middle/high school, and knew immediately that it wasn't a good fit for our daughter and family. If you are looking for an academically focused school that is nurturing but still has high expectations, Bear Creek fits the bill.

We send our daughters here and they really enjoyed going to school. I did ask if they are open to…read morego back to public school to save their father some money for a new fancy boat and both kids almost had a melt down. It sounds like I am not getting that new boat.

My child has been attending WMS for four years - since the Early Childhood level. We continue to be…read moreimpressed with the rate at which our child excels and her love of learning is truly fostered. We are always amazed at what our child comes home with. They do not limit children's learning and treat them as though they can handle learning advanced vocabulary and vast concepts (because they can!). What we love - the classroom sizes and student/teacher ratio - individualized learning - the community - no limit to what children can learn/handle - fostering love of education - teaching kindness in social skills

Woodinville Montessori may not be for everyone. Its orderly environment is maintained by…read morerestricting the freedom for some kids to learn and explore on their own. When a kid fails to comply due to their age or personality, parents are simply told to take their kid somewhere else with very little regard to what it does to a young child's mind or heart. I went to a Montessori inspired school myself. Although I have never been trained or certified as a Montessori teacher, I have years of experience on the receiving end. For me, the Montessori system allowed me to learn independently at my own pace. The freedom to learn was essential for me to establish self-confidence. Because of that, we believe our 3 year old child can benefit from the Montessori system as well. Our child was accepted to the early childhood program. It's a mixed-age class with 20 children ranging from 3 to 6 years old. Being one of the youngest children in the class, it would require time for him/her to adjust to the transition. Prior to Woodinville Montessori, he/she has been going to a play-based daycare with kids in the same age group. The transition was not easy. Our child struggled adapting to the new environment. However, he/she was making progress. During our scheduled one-on-one with the teacher, we talked about his/her struggles and improvements. Everything was appearing to be heading in the right direction. There was no mention of rejecting him/her from the school during this meeting. We even asked the teacher if there is anything concerning that requires special attention. Nevertheless, we received an email from the school 2 weeks after our one on one meeting with the teacher indicating the need to discuss his/her "readiness" to continue attending Woodinville Montessori. A special meeting was set up as the result of that email. We attended the meeting ready to make necessary adjustments to better prepare our 3 year old for the school. We actually looked forward to receiving recommendations. Instead of providing constructive suggestions, the school basically told us to take our child somewhere else. It was explained to us that the primary reason for the school's decision was his/her poor ability to follow instructions. During this meeting, the school demonstrated very little understanding of our child and willingness to work with us. Our kid is not a perfect kid. He/she can be challenging at times. We are certainly not perfect parents either. However, we try our best to understand and to make the best decisions based on this understanding. The expectation from Woodinville Montessori for a 3 year old child to follow directions and stop exploring on their own was not the best for our child. The school's lack of willingness to work together was also extremely discouraging. The Montessori method was originally developed to help children with learning disabilities. It was the method for teaching the "unteachable". It's based on the understanding of how a child's mind works. Although an "orderly" environment is a major element in the Montessori method, it should not interfere with the children's natural tendency to want to explore. Montessori or not, the purpose of education is to help the children. Turning them away when they are struggling simply does not align with this fundamental goal. We saw the efforts from our child trying to adjust and to be accepted to the new environment. It was heartbreaking when all their effort was simply rejected. In the end, imagine having to explain to your child that they cannot go to the school and see their friends anymore.

My child has been at this school since preschool. I would say that Lower Elementary is definitely a…read morestrength, as some other reviews have mentioned. However, Upper Elementary was a different experience. In my opinion, it's not worth it. The academic pace feels slow and behind. You might get lucky and end up in a class where the teacher sets higher expectations(I heard from my child there is only one class), but otherwise, it's hard to justify staying that long just for academics. If academic progress isn't your main concern, it could still be fine. Overall, this school may is not the best fit for fast learners. Teachers focus on keeping the class balanced, which often means slowing down advanced students to match the majority's pace.

Due to moves, our daughter has been to two other schools, and WMS has been exceptionally better…read morethan the other. The environment is calm, positive, and incredibly welcoming. The student-to-teacher ratio is wonderful (23 students and three teachers). The school administration and teachers proactively communicate. The lead teacher in Dogwood is an absolute blessing. She has been very attentive to our daughter's anxiety, and our daughter has blossomed in this classroom. The school celebrates many cultural holidays, and our whole family has been enjoying the community events hosted by parent volunteers. The school sends visibly sick children home, as they should (not our experience with previous schools). We are thankful for fewer sick days because of this. Our only feedback would be to increase recess/outdoor time and to add additional greenery to the outdoor areas.