Our twin boys are currently enrolled at French Immersion school of Washington for the last 3 years…read moreand we love the community - very diverse and ground to earth. As a family although we aren't native French speakers, however our kids learnt the language so quickly. It's an excellent bilingual immersion school, which offers a strong academic curriculum in both French and English in an experiential learning approach via projects related to Art, Science, Mathematics, Sports, History etc... throughout the year, field trips, outside in authors visiting to talk to students along with exchange opportunities with schools in France. French Immersion school of Washington is one of the most diverse schools in the greater Seattle area. I would strongly recommend the school for families who are considering Bilingual immersion program in the Greater Seattle area.

We're a tri-lingual family. When we moved from California to Washington state, we were looking for…read morea French school for our two kids as the French school system is disciplined and rigorous. What differentiate this school from other bilingual schools or public schools? (1) The caliber of the teachers and staff. We were impressed with how well the school were run, the caliber, passion, and flexibility of teachers. (2) Small class with attentive teachers. Over the course of last 6 years, FISW helps to raise our kids to be open-minded, kind, inquisitive, adaptable, and curious about the world, students are simulated to learn through observation, inquiry, exploration, play and creation, vs pure memorization. The school also has many events and activities to bring the parents and community together. This is the best choice we've made.

My son has been in this school for almost a year now. My experience so far has been really good. My…read moreson has learned many mandarin words, learned to clean up, learned to play with others.The teachers are caring. Her main teacher has a master degree in education. The director has been really nice and supportive.

Very scary my child was yelled at there by director. This is scary for small children I saw it at…read morepickup and it made me sad.

Just in case Natalie will explain my review from below in a long and overwhelming format. But you…read morecan always give me a red heart after you enrolled you kid and really learned about what I said in a hard way. And, you are welcome. We enrolled our child here for a few months and experienced so many problems that we decided to withdraw. Honestly, it's hard to put everything into words. If I had to sum it up in one word, it would be chaotic. The management is extremely disorganized, and it shows in every aspect of the school. They promise everything during the tour, but nothing is actually realized. For example, my son's potty training regressed while he was here, yet on his very first day at his new school, he was completely successful again--clearly showing where the issue was. Staffing is a major problem. The school feels understaffed, and instead of hiring enough people, they move teachers around constantly. Teachers are pulled from classrooms to cover the front desk, which leaves children without consistent caregivers and disrupts their sense of safety and stability. Sometimes multiple teachers sit at the front while classrooms and playgrounds remain short-staffed. When teachers are missing, children may be moved into other classrooms without parental consent or proper camera access. The facilities and environment are also concerning. The classrooms and floors are often dirty, even in the morning when children are first dropped off. The food quality is very poor, meals look like leftovers, often just cereal porridge with tiny bits of vegetables or meat, and not the organic quality that was promised. Supervision is lacking both indoors and outdoors. There are no cameras outside, and playgrounds are regularly understaffed. Our child was seriously injured outside and no report was provided. During one unannounced visit, I even witnessed children crying hysterically with no teacher comforting them, while other teachers raised their voices harshly at kids in full view of parents. Another disturbing concern is the culture: the school head's own child is in the school and acts as a bully in the classroom without intervention. Other staff members' children also receive special treatment. If teachers dislike your child, they may even allow or encourage other children to mistreat them. To make matters worse, they openly supports physical punishment, something every other preschool we toured explicitly prohibited. Unfortunately, our child experienced this firsthand. He was two years old, but punished in a harsh and rude way. The teacher had segregated and neglected him during nap time. We are contacting the agencies for the abuse. Hopefully they'll get punished soon. Communication with management is evasive and never provides reassuring answers. Overall, this school fails to provide the safe, nurturing, and trustworthy environment that children need. I cannot recommend it.

Our kids have been to Birch Tree (BTA) over the past 4 years. We've had an amazing experience, and…read morerecently realized how exceptional it is compared to other daycares. We took for granted the high quality care and high standards set by the management and staff. We took a short break and moved our youngest to another daycare for a month just to be closer to our house (national chain daycare in Kenmore), and it was literally night and day. The other daycare was subpar in quality and extremely short staffed, even though the tuition was comparable. We decided to move them back to Birch Tree, and drive the extra miles. What we love about Birch Tree is the management, warm and caring teachers who give lots of hugs, home cooked food, facilities, quality education, classroom camera and Bright Wheel App. Despite the locations expansion, BTA still feels locally owned and the owner Natalie and head of schools Jessica are very much involved in all of their schools. You will still see them in-person floating around the different locations. They generally know all student's names, and the local staff are always friendly and greating parents. They hold their staff to high standards and also expect the same of parents. Kids are well behaved, they wear inside vs outside shoes. Food is better than my home cooked meals, classrooms are modern with high ceilings and large windows, and all teachers have open communication with parents via the instant messaging feature. The admin staff is also on top of communication, and they have an abundance of teachers and admin staff. They also offer weekly PE, music, and Spanish classes which are all included in the price. They also offer parents night-out occasionally, and host events and weekly summer field trips for pre-k. You can do 3, 4, or 5 days a week. Speaking with staff, they enjoy working there and say that there's opportunity for them to grow and take on different roles within the school or office. Other parents we've met have moved from other daycares to go to BTA and seem very happy with BTA. They have well prepared our oldest for kindergarten and we are so thankful. None of these things we observed with the national chain daycare.

I've been studying with Madga for almost a year now and look forward to our lessons every week. I…read morestarted off in a class with 2 others, which then dropped to me and one other student sharing semi-private lessons at a very reasonable cost. Madga is a very patient & helpful instructor, and while we cover the material quickly, she is very good about going back and making sure we understand everything. We always have a fun time and laugh a lot. I especially appreciate the small groups as it is hard for me to hear in a larger classroom setting. Madga teaches in the Bagel Deli building, upstairs in a good-sized room with a conference table. Learning a new language is challenging and takes time, but if you are looking for a good, native Italian speaker to teach you, Madga is an excellent choice. Sidenote: Parking can be a slight challenge, but as the center is on 15th Ave, it is possible to find parking to the east. There is also a pay lot directly across the street.

I took classes with Madga for five years, and it was an amazing experience. My lessons were never…read moremore than five people in class size, engaging, and conversational. She moved the class at the pace we needed while pushing us, all materials are provided. When I first started I completed a short placement test/evaluation and met with Magda to see which level would fit me best (I took a few classes in college), she placed me perfectly. Lessons varied from listening to audio, worksheets, games, and reading and discussing current events. I would have continued if I could, but sadly stopped when I moved out of Seattle. Magda is an incredible instructor who is dedicated to your learning, flexible, and fun. This is the place to learn Italian!

We are incredibly grateful for the care and education our daughter received from Claudia…read more One of the biggest improvements we saw was in her English. When she first started, she faced a language barrier, but with Claudia's patience, encouragement, and support, she gained confidence and made remarkable progress. She also learned advanced math concepts that gave her a strong foundation and boosted her confidence when she entered school. Claudia is a very caring, patient, and dedicated caregiver. Not only is she wonderful with children, but she is also excellent at communicating with parents. Claudia always kept us informed, and we felt completely comfortable in her care every day. Another thing we appreciated was the variety of activities Claudia organized. I can see her students were always engaged, happy, and excited to participate. The daycare also created a wonderful sense of community--we made lasting friendships with other parents, which has been an amazing bonus for our family. We highly recommend Claudia to any family looking for a nurturing, educational, and supportive daycare environment.

Are you looking to give your child the best start in life?…read more I highly recommend Play Academy. Teacher Claudia understands that when it comes to your child's education, only the best will do. That is why she provides a holistic approach that brings together rigorous academics and engaging activities for children. My son is attending Play Academy and he is learning a lot. He is doing an excellent job learning social-emotional skills, English, expressing herself, motor skills, kindergarten readiness, and self-help skills. He is very happy going to school and he exceeded state standards. Please contact Play Academy today by scheduling a tour.

My daughter, now 3.5 yrs., has attended the Sammamish Kindercare since she was 9 months old and I…read morecould not say enough about the center director, assistant director, or teachers / staff. When she started in the infant classroom, Ms. Tammy immediately connected with my daughter. She's such a loving and calm teacher. She's still super close to my little one even though she's in the preschool class. When my daughter joined the toddler and discovery preschool classes, she also had great experiences. The teachers were loving, yet also firm when needed and helped reinforce many of the skills being taught at home. She especially loved Ms, Jennifer (now the center's Asst. Director). Every single day my daughter looked forward giving her a big hug upon arrival. Ms. Ella was equally as special to my little one. We are also very familiar with Ms.Charu, Ritu, and Artuneta. The teachers really work well together to provide the best care daily. The activities are also very engaging. Now my daughter is in the preschool classroom and is being prepared for pre-k nicely. She attends a wonderful phonics class 2x weekly with Ms. Tanzy. Hands down this class has enhanced her letter recognition and writing skills. She's even starting to read words. Ms. Antura, her preschool teacher, incorporates very interactive lessons they keep the kids' attention. I'm 100% certain my daughter will be more than ready for kindergarten when the time comes because of the love and care provided to our daughter and family. Last, Ms. Seema, is the absolute best center director I've ever met. She is very organized, kind, has always been willing to discuss questions or concerns, etc. She is truly a director that's immersed in the activities taking place at the center. I'm just so thankful for Sammamish KinderCare's and would recommend it to any parent looking for a place to care for their child.

My daughter attended the Sammamish Kindercare for nearly two years. The staff were fantastic! They…read moreshowed genuine care and concern for my daughter's emotional and developmental needs. I knew she was in good hands when I dropped her off each morning. There was also an abundance of learning opportunities, great events, and a sense of community. Ms. Seema is an excellent director and she genuinely cares for the children. Five star - these are people you can trust with the care of your child.

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.

I just completed the fall class at the Alliance (French 201) and am happy with the experience. I…read morehad also taken the French for Travelers course there. Before starting at the Alliance, I had some previous private French lessons with a tutor. If you have had any background in French and don't want to start at square one, you can take a placement test. Fill out the form online and then you will be called by the Alliance director who will have you come in for an assessment. The assessment (about 30-45 minutes) is a made up of a multiple choice test and a couple of short essays. Based on your results she will place you in the appropriate class. If when you start the class you find that you are not comfortable at that level, you can always change classes (which is what I did). The teachers at the Alliance are mostly native French speakers, some are native English speakers who spent a lot of time in France and are completely fluent. The two teachers I have had so far were great - very patient! My only gripe is that you can't really choose your teachers i.e. depending on who is teaching that particular course during any particular semester, you may end up with a teacher from Quebec or another Francophone region outside of France and therefore you are learning French with their accents, which are different from the accent of the Motherland and often the difference is huge. I like that the classes are not big (up to 10 or 12?). The classes are not high-pressure and it is ok if you miss a class here and there. These are adult classes in the evening after all. Almost all of the students have full time jobs. The atmosphere is pretty relaxed. The curriculum includes a mix of grammar, vocabulary, comprehension and culture. It's not like your dry high school French textbooks. Once you reach the 200+ level, the entire course is taught in French, with complicated grammar rules explained in English if required. It's a great way to immerse yourself in the language, if only for a few hours a week. The Alliance is located at the Good Shepherd Center (built in 1906) in Wallingford, and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The classrooms are nothing fancy but it is cosy in an old-school kind of way. I plan to continue with the next level course at the Alliance. There is ample free parking outside the school. There is a library where you can borrow French books, DVDs, CDs.

I have visited in person the local Alliance Francaise in Seattle several times over the years. The…read morestaff is pleasant enough, especially the French director. I did find that the courses would be too easy for me. There seemed to be several volunteers possibilities as well. * * * * * Does anyone in school learn --not even actually speak--a foreign language any more? There are insanely ugly languages--Cantonese with its braying, cacophony, American English with its outlandish diphthongs and tendency to be grunted or shouted (compare Jamie Foxx to Ralph Fiennes), Spanish. And then there is French (Parisian, Swiss, or Belgian, but not Quebecois). ...Certainly not on a par with the Alliance Francaise in Boston or San Francisco (or New York, which I have not visited but assume is the largest in the U.S.), the Alliance Francaise de Seattle is a cozy outpost located in Wallingford. It offers classes in conversational French at various levels as well as a program of social/cultural activities for mostly beginning learners. Particularly good for those who want to brush up on the French they took in high school or college, as well as for those planning a trip to a Francophone country. A small staff headed by the directrice Misa Bourdonneau is gracious and welcoming ensures that the classes are small and personalized. Whatever the global reach of the U,S. is in the decades to come (as well as the concomitant dominance of the English language), the French language will always maintain its peerless reputation as the the language of culture in the traditional sense of the word (America obviously dominates pop or mass culture). It is important to live in a multi-lateral world, politically speaking, and to have a counterweight, culturally, to the United States. **** Why study French? Once you fall in love with this language, it lasts a lifetime. It is spoken by an estimated 200 million people around the world and one of the six official languages of the U.N. and one of the two working languages of the Security Council ('English being the other). Guyana (once French Guyana) in South America is actually part of the European Union, with representation in the French National Assembly (it is actually a part of France in the same way that Hawaii or Puerto Rico are part of the U.S.). Language and culture are inseparable, and I am tempted to believe that if Americans had less distrust for nuance, less certainty that we are "sui generis" as a nation, we would have less of a "bull in a china shop" approach to world affairs. It should come as no surprise that the French over a century have been attempting to restore Angor Wat and other ancient Buddhist temples in Cambodia to their original splendor. Compare to the early days of the U.S. invasion of Iraq when the soldiers ostensibly guarding the National Archaeological Museum in Baghdad did NOTHING to prevent the shocking looting and pillaging taking place right under their very eyes. The respect the French have for their language is in sharp contrast to the general sloppiness with which Americans employ their own (how many Americans could profess a love of the English language?). **** Maybe if the U.S. (George W. Bush) had listened to France, which, with Germany, refused--on principled grounds--to "go along" with the invasion of Iraq, we wouldn't be in the mess we are in today. Former prime minister Dominque de Villepin's speech to the United Nations Assembly before the U.S. invaded Iraq was extraordinarily eloquent ("Yes, I come from an OLD Europe, one that has known great suffering...We believe war is an admission of defeat and ought to be used as the last resort" brought tears to my eyes. (This was also the occasion, as I recall, of Colin Powell's infamous "Saddam has uranium enrichment..."). http://www.ina.fr/archivespourtous/index.php?vue=notice&from=fulltext&full=Dominique+de+Villepin+&num_notice=2&total_notices=158 On the other hand, many, if not most Americans truly believe that freedom actually began in the year 1776. However, the American Revolution was followed by another equally important revolution 13 years later. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/28/opinion/28furstenberg.html?em&ex=1193716800&en=6fe9bb653edfa0b5&ei=5087%0A French chateaus (Chenonceau, Chambord, et. al.), museums, cuisine, art, and cathedrals are also magnificent repositories of its rich history and culture. And yes, many French have a rather distorted, knee-jerk anti-Americanism combined with a doltish love of the worst aspects of American culture (hip-hop, Sylvester Stallone, etc.). Republican Party strategists interpreted the victory of Nicholas Sarkozy over Segolene Royal, the socialist candidate, to the presidency of France as a blueprint for them to win in 2008. Sarkozy was the successor of a very unpopular president (Chirac) from his own party, in the way that GWB has become an albatross for the Republicans.