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.

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!

Unprofessional. I won't go into details because they are quite personal but for me, this was a…read moredangerous place to have my children.

Gabriel is aggressive and confrontational. New Yorker or not--her inability to work toward mutual…read moreagreement is infantile. I was given an old enrollment packet with old tuition, for the new year. The new monthly tuition for two kids for 2019/2020 increased to an additional 160+/month. I wasn't told about this change until after I paid fees and submitted 2019/2020 paperwork. What a terrible experience with a business owner in over her head. This act is fraudulent and I was never notified email or otherwise after I paid the fees. I was only notified when I asked. I wouldn't recommend Gabriel's art kids, and I will be sure to tell every parent I know about this experience

My daughter absolutely loves this place! It's been so great with my other kids learning Spanish in…read moreelementary school and her learning it at A Step Ahead. Craig and Margarita are incredibly caring people. My daughter actually says she's her best friend. She's extremely happy at the end of every day when we pick her up. We love A Step Ahead and couldn't be happier! The staff is always very friendly as well and really helps me if she's ever clingy in the morning. She always wants me to stay to play with her friends and is disappointed when I pick her up early!

My daughter loves going to school here. The teachers are warm and welcoming and Craig is a great…read morecommunicator. We looked at so many different options and this was the only place that took 2.5year olds that we liked. The busy road outside did kind of make me hesitate at first, but the covered outdoor play areas out back and the interior of the building are wonderful. They have handled the Covid-19 pandemic so professionally and I'm impressed by the way they teach, nourish, and care for my daughter everyday. Gracias!

My niece was a student last year in 2021 until January of 2022. The monthly fee was paid for the…read morenew year and the yearly membership fees were also paid. We came to class for mini gymies and was told I needed to call and reserve a spot for the class. NO WHERE on their website informs ANYONE about calling for returning students to continue with the class. I was not notified about having to call in and neither front desk nor the owner gave me my money back. I have been waitlisted and still have not been called to this day. The only way I'd be back is to receive a refund and use it for the North Coast Academy business across the street.

I love this place so much. All the teachers are incredible. They are patient, kind and my kids have…read moregrown so much since going here. Thank you for all you guys do!

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.

It kind of sounds like AP and CP had a run in with the old principal. If I was rating this school…read morewhen he was there JUST on him, it would have been a 1/2 star. He was really really bad at his job. It got so bad I had to tell him he wasn't allowed to discipline my daughter without us present and he was not to have contact with my wife regarding school issues. NOW, so you understand I was these guys in 2014 as well, you should also appreciate that the new principle is EVERYTHING the other wasn't. He is kind, patient, parent friendly, respects women and is leading the school in a wonderful direction! I am an alumni of BCS, my daughter went there from 1-8th grade and my son will probably do the same. AGAIN, we were leaving this school before they fired the other guy, SO glad we stayed!

This is a small private school and unlike a public school they are not required to provide…read moreadditional resources to vulnerable populations such as ESL or special needs students. This, in combination with small class sizes, allows for a certain level of increased academic rigour. That being said, any of the legal provisions which protect students at a public school, such as rights to privacy and anti-bullying laws or teacher professionalism and credentials processes, do not have to be observed at this or any private school. At BCS in particular, these rules are not independently supported either. Furthermore, the school's administrator is punitive and capricious in his discipline tactics. He shows little regard for parent input, and is particularly dismissive of women in general. He is terse and stern with the older students, and often selects one or two students to malign as the class parriah. He does this in a very personal and calculated way. As an alumni of BCS as well as an educational professional who is invested in this community, I do not recommend this school.

We had our son in a childcare center while we were on waiting lists around town. The center he was…read moreat was less than par but we were in a pinch. When we got the call from Blossom to come tour we were excited. Our son has been enrolled since the fall and we couldn't be happier with the staff and facility. Our son used to cry before school and now he is so happy. Every staff member we have had the pleasure to interact with clearly loves and wants the best for each child. I have no thoughts or worries about leaving our son each day.

Great, friendly staff that make you feel comfortable leaving your children in their care. The…read moreowners are very professional and have an amazing curriculum. Beautiful 2.5 acre campus with plenty of room for your child to run around. My favorite part is how they have a massive playground, as well as a field, and a wooded area.