We waited a couple months for a spot to open up for our 2 infants in foster care. The day one of…read morethem was supposed to start I was told they needed additional confirmation. I was standing in the daycare with my baby and her bag packed. I was told the boss notified them the night before that we needed additional confirmation to start. This was never communicated to us till I was in the building trying to drop my baby off... I asked them to give me an update that day. I called twice and left voicemail. I finally get a call back from them saying she is good to start... Communication is VERY poor which is ultimately why we decided for our babies to not go here.. HOWEVER, Jess was professional the entire time. I caution anyone sending their foster kiddos here.

if I could give a 1 star I would right now, I can't stress enough how important it is to watch how…read moreyou treat people. My family and I were getting ready for the tour, the lady named Jess only greeted my husband and my 5 year old son, while I'm standing there. she never made eye contact, never bothered asked if I'm the mom, meanwhile I was the one that recommended my husband to call and schedule a tour. My point is, I want to get to know the staff well so I know who I'm entrusting my kids to. However, it was already a red flag that I was being ignored. Thank you, but I'm taking my kids somewhere else.

We looked all over Thurston and Pierce Counties for the right private school and let me just start…read moreby saying, we made the right choice. It first started for us looking for a pre-K during Covid as a need, but instead it turned into gaining a whole community of friends that we adore. Since we are not the most religious in terms of being Christian or Catholic, some of the private schools in the area had too much focus on religion. Others pre-K schools felt as though we would have just been hiring a babysitter. Waldorf was a breath of fresh air, literally. The kids actually spend time outside in nature! Being kids, getting muddy, pretend play and learning about the wonders of our world. They focus on the whole child, not just academics and there are no grades, no tests, no homework and instead teach a love of learning. Not only that, they throw some really rad festivals and events for the kids - magical even! We are so blessed to have found a fun and safe place to call school.

I never thought I'd find myself writing a warning like this, but after what my daughter went…read morethrough, I feel compelled to speak up. They are not welcoming. We enrolled her in Olympia Waldorf trusting the promises of a nurturing environment, holistic education, community, and balance. What we actually experienced was chaos, lack of accountability, broken promises, and a lot of emotional strain. This school is nothing like what is advertised. Please do your research there are even documentaries that shed light on the reality. Sending my daughter here is one of my biggest regrets as a parent. If you want your child to be ostracized, send them here. Out of respect for my child I choose not to put specific details here. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out.

First, this is not so much a review of foundations, but rather with CADENCE…read more regarding Foundations, The teachers are wonderful, especially Ms Sarah and Ms Demi, who are fantastic. The facilities are great, and so is the quality of education they provide. As far as the school goes, I give it a 5 put of 5. That said, recently they have been acquired by a company called cadence. Since then your kid will get sent home for the slightest reason. If they have a fever then it's mandatory three days out instead of 24. For some things it's 5 days. Nor will they accept results of a negative Covid test. Cadence's ridiculous policies puts a tremendous amount of strain on working parents that unfortunately offsets many of the great aspects of the school. In Cadence's defense they will refund some of your tuition back if your child is out for a long time.

The elementary program for this school is less than adequate. We are leaving foundations after my…read moreson's kindergarten year and are working diligently to get him to where we think he needs to be academically. I don't know if that is attributed to the program or the teacher; I know I am not the only parent coming out of this year that feels this way. They test the students on subjects they simply don't teach. And if they do - I hardly saw evidence. The communication with my son's teacher was lackluster at best. During a parent teacher conference, I asked a simple question about reading materials, and she completely shut down. She couldn't answer what the kids use to assist in reading, as I quickly discovered my son hadn't learned anything and needed to know how best to supplement at home. When I asked what materials they use, she stopped talking, put her hands in her lap, and looked down for a good minute. It was truly disturbing. it was as if someone unplugged her. My husband and I were very confused. Communication over day-to-day activities was also lackluster. One Friday, my son dropped his entire lunch (that we provided), and they did nothing to get him anything else to eat. Not even a cracker. Nor was it communicated to me that this had happened. I waited until Monday to ask if he had actually dropped his food, and his teacher did confirm it and told me she looked for some food for him, but 'nobody had any', which is odd considering the school has a chef. Another day I walked up to the playground to see my son eating leaves off the ground. A typical kid thing to do, but his teacher had no idea. Why? Well, I asked what she did when they were outside - in Discovery Park - a pretty heavily wooded area. My son told me she remained at the picnic table for most of their outside time. Then, after he ate a berry off the ground - I emailed again, looping in the program director. I was surprised that they had a berry-producing tree (that the students had full access to); I was told then that 'Obviously, a teacher cannot supervise each and everything all children do while in our care.' Considering there were 10 students, and usually an assistant on the playground with the teacher. I was shocked. One day I got to school early, poor timing on my part; not wanting to interrupt his playtime with friends, I waited in the parking lot where I saw that his teacher indeed sat at the picnic table. She didn't get up once in about a 40 minute period. She sat facing the parking lot, away from the wooded area. This also explained why my son came home with scratches all over his body, with no explanation. The school set some pretty impressive standards for covid, which, to be honest, is why we enrolled him. Those precautions went right out the window; I'd say a month or two into the program. As parents, we weren't informed of this. I know of one event that happened a WEEK into the program that was explicitly against their self-imposed covid protocols. Any time I tried to express my disappointment, or frustration I was met with justification. These are our experiences, and I can imagine that if I receive any response, it will invalidate the things we experienced and justify behaviors. To be honest, I was reluctant to even post this as a review as I feel like in my gut, somehow it could come back on my son. We paid good money for this program, and to come out of it having sent him to daycare his kindergarten year, I'm sure any parent can imagine both the disappointment and the resentment that we feel.

My daughter came through mid-year. She fell in love with her teachers…read more The staff took our vegan diet seriously and respectfully. They worked with us and genuinely want to give families a good experience. There was a field trip a week. There was a gorgeous farm school campus. Now, my daughter was in the Tumwater location but still learned and loved. She would skip into the classroom without turning back to say goodbye to me. I am so grateful for the wonderful experience. Thank you!

My son has been at Sequoias Treehouse since he was 3 month old, he is now 10 months, and our time…read moreat Sequoias has been wonderful! I greatly appreciate his teachers, Sandy and Laila. I call them his second and third moms! They both have such a warm command of the room, and I am provided with a detailed sheet every day reporting how much bottle he drank and at what times, also outlines his naps and wet diapers. They have an open door policy in the infant room so I often stop by on my breaks to say hello for a quick baby snuggle.

Our daughter loves it here. They have taught her sign language. She loves the teachers and often…read moredoes not want to leave because she is loving the game they have created. I appreciate how the staff is consistent and she has connections with her teachers.

My youngest child, age, currently attends Great Beginnings. My older children attended when they…read morewere younger as well (see below!). He has learned so many skills that are setting him up for success in Elementary School and beyond! The focus on social/emotional development is invaluable as well as sign language, music, reading and writing! He is exposed to so many awesome things that help his creativity grow. I appreciate the teachers positive and caring attitudes and love seeing my child happy and learning new things everyday. The relationships my older children formed at GB are still relationships they have today while in middle school. We love Great Beginnings! My previous review: My two children have been at Great Beginnings since they were 12months old, they are 5 and 6 now. They have had an immensely positive and caring experience with all the teachers (who have been there for MANY years) and children. They have learned so many things that have helped them grow into respectful and smart individuals :) The program is a full day program which has helped my oldest transition easily into kindergarten, she was also WELL prepared for the academics of kindergarten! I cannot tell you enough how great the staff, environment and educational growth are. Great Beginnings is truly GREAT!

Our family withdrew from City Kids Country Cabin due to ongoing communication concerns…read more After my daughter suffered an injury that required sedation and stitches, I requested camera footage and spent the following week trying to get answers. Licensing later determined the incident appeared consistent with an accident and found no concerns regarding supervision. What was disappointing was the lack of communication and transparency afterward. During our enrollment, cameras were presented as a benefit for emergency situations. However, despite requesting footage on the day of the incident, I never received the opportunity to view it and was given multiple explanations as to why it could not be shared. The owner did not personally contact me until nearly a week later, at 9:30 PM on a Saturday, after seeing an anonymous post I had made in a local moms group seeking advice. Despite already being aware of my daughter's injury and my concerns, that was the first time the owner reached out. Ultimately, we felt trust had been lost and decided this was not the right fit for our family.

Absolute wonderful center! My granddaughter loves going to this center and has so much fun here!…read moreThey take incredible care of the children in their care. They also have the children do many different kinds of projects and crafts that are the cutest! Highly recommend this center!

Caring teachers and very invested principal. Mr. Kealy is very responsive to kids and parents. HFS…read moreis awesome!

We started our 4-year-old here and we're so impressed with the individualized, caring approach that…read morewe moved our two older kids to Holy Family the next year. It's a small school, and that means the entire staff knows your kids and the teachers always get back to you.

Both of my grandson's have attended Capital Montessori for 3-6 year old. They have enjoyed…read moreeveryone that they interact with there. They always looked forward to their day at school. The staff is nurturing and kind. Both of my grandchildren learned to love to read and learned how to enjoy their independence. I highly recommend looking closely to see if they are a good fit for your family.

CMS is a great school with an assortment of great traditions, from Absolutely Incredible Kids Day,…read morefamily potlucks, to the annual egg drop. Most recently they've been ages 3-6, but starting July 2013 they will begin an elementary program again. Mrs. Reed in Children's House 2 is a patient, intelligent, nurturing teacher who works with parents to help their children enjoy learning.