During our sabbatical in Seattle, enrolling our daughter at Pikake was hands-down the best decision…read morewe made. From our very first tour, we were struck by the professionalism and warmth of the school director -- organized, thoughtful, and immediately welcoming. The teachers carried that same spirit throughout the year. Our daughter's teachers, Ms. Maple and Ms. Tristen, were truly exceptional. Our daughter learned so much and genuinely thrived -- by the end of the year she could out-quiz her elementary-school-aged brother on world geography! The curriculum let her choose her own projects and go deep into each subject, which made learning feel meaningful and self-directed. We also deeply appreciated how warmly the teachers and families welcomed us, despite having no personal connection to Japanese culture. We got to experience traditions like Hinamatsuri alongside families who made us feel like we belonged. The food deserves its own mention. Every morning we walked in to the smell of freshly made Japanese food -- homemade, seasonal, and genuinely delicious. Our daughter's palate grew so much that year. (Her current school's lunch, by contrast, has us packing her meals daily -- nothing compares!) If we had stayed in Seattle, we would have continued to send our daughter into kindergarten. We are so grateful for the year we had there. And in our daughter's own words: "I had an amazing time with you! I wish I could be there right now. Pikake is the best preschool " -- said everything.

My child has been going to Pikake School for a couple years now and we couldn't be more pleased…read more Our child has really enjoyed the teachers and environment and has blossomed since they started going to school here. The teachers and staff are knowledgeable and caring, they go above and beyond for all the children. The school and staff worked very hard through lockdown and the covid pandemic to offer a safe and nurturing environment for all the children. Pikake School has continuously added new features for children safety, like a new padded astro turf area on the playground. My child loves it and tells me about it every day! It brings my heart great joy to hear about all of the wonderful and positive things my child experiences throughout the year... things like the Reptile Man, meet and greets with Fire Fighters and Police Officers. They even had a visit from Santa during Christmas! We are so happy that we found Pikake School, the director, teachers and staff strive to provide the most loving and nurturing environment for all children. I have to say thank you for all that they have done and still do.

The appointment was easy to make. The online questionnaire wasn't always reliable to finish…read moreproperly. The initial assessment of skill sets is relatively thorough - motor, speech, and emotional. Based on this a worker can come to your home twice a month to help as well as offer classes if warranted. So far a positive experience.

Our speech therapist (Elizabeth) was super nice but sadly our sessions were a waste of time and…read moremoney (insurance did not cover the sessions). Our speech therapist spent time chatting with me about life. Which was nice but our sessions were short and I wanted help for my kids not a friend. The speech therapist read books and played games with my girls. They just went from game to game. That's it. I wish our speech therapist actually practiced pronouncing sounds and helped with correcting their speech. There was no work or help with speech. This was just very expensive play time. If passive learning worked then no one would need speech therapy. Only after I requested to cancel services, was there an offer to do drill based sessions. This is something that should have been discussed day 1. This was so frustrating because again what a waste. I hope this message reaches the therapists. Your services are expensive. Please do not waste our time and money.

My son did two years of preschool plus kindergarten at Lake Hills Montessori School. I'm sending my…read moredaughter next year, so I guess you could say we love it. The small class sizes mean that the teachers can really give each child individual attention: most often, lessons are one-on-one. This school has a great balance between discipline and freedom. Kids are allowed to choose what works they do, within reason, but the environment never feels hectic. My son was very shy and worried when he first started preschool and he had really blossomed in this environment. I think having consistent familiar teachers for all three years made a difference. They were willing to be patient with him and work slowly at his level until he was ready to open up. Financially speaking, this school is a really good deal for what you get. 5 days a week, 2.5 hours a day. The price is higher than a church-run play school, but much cheaper than a day care school, and the educational quality is much better than either of them. I love that my son really learned things instead of played all day, but did it in an age-appropriate way (no worksheets, no sitting at a desk). He was always so excited about the new things he had learned and remembered them years later.

My wife and I are so pleased to have our daughter enrolled at this school. Lake Hills Montessori…read moretakes awesome care of children, teaching them responsibility and giving them a sense of belonging. Literacy, team work, leadership, communication, respect, patience, all aspects that are important for littles to work on are addressed through meaningful and well-articulated curriculum. As a Bellevue School District teacher, I appreciate the communication I receive about what she is learning in class. My wife and I are empowered to ask questions about what she is learning in class thanks to the weekly themes and regular progress updates. Students going through the Montessori method are regularly creating things they can bring home with them, so we get a piece of her learning back with us nearly every day. The kinds of soft skills that Lake Hills Montessori enforces is on display anytime you go to visit. Classroom procedures and expectations are clear and transparent, and you regularly can observe students working on and teachers giving feedback about those procedures. This enables a classroom environment that is remarkably calm and focused for students as young as three years old. Our daughter is full of energy 24/7, but this program has an excellent way of channeling and focusing students learning during their time there. As a music teacher, I also appreciate the use of song and the recognition of composers throughout the school year. The implementation of music is clear when we drive home and hear fragments of new songs and lyrics that we don't recognize. This provides one more way for us to interact with our daughter about her education, seeking out videos of the music she is learning and singing with her at home. The staff at this school are kind and nurturing while also being fierce professionals at what they do. The intentional preparation and attention to detail is evident from the first visit when we met the staff and continues with each visit afterwards. We are both so thankful for this excellent program!

Here's We have had a great experience at Birch Tree Academy Lake Hills so far. The staff are caring…read moreand do a wonderful job making the kids feel comfortable, and they actively teach important skills -- from building new vocabulary to self-sufficiency skills like dressing themselves, eating independently, and potty training. Enrolling our daughter here was genuinely life-changing for our family. It enabled both of us to return to work full-time with the peace of mind that our little one is in good hands. Communication from the teachers and staff is timely and thoughtful. They keep us informed about any incidents or needs as they come up -- nap-time challenges, behavioral hiccups, and the like -- always with our child's best interest at heart and always in a kind, informative way. Big shout-out to Miss Julie and Miss Kate, who run this location so smoothly -- they've helped us with everything from enrollment questions and arrangements around medications (our kid has an allergy, and they walked us through the entire emergency process) to updates on events. And the classroom teachers -- Miss Lakshmi, Miss Shomika, Miss Zamira, and Miss Raja -- clearly have our daughter's best interest at heart. We couldn't be happier.

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 son has been here 2 years. Great staff and our son made…read moresome great friends and enjoys the teachers and playing here.

My kid started at 3 at this place and WOW this place is amazing!…read moreThis place provides the perfect setting for kids to develop and grow! On top of that we REALLY LOVE the TEACHERS! YES every single one! They love the kids and treat them with love!. Our kid have developed so much from this place. It was the best decision that we have made for our kid! We are really thankful to all the teachers that helped our kid grow and we are going to miss this place alot! Highly recommend this place!

The 4th grade teacher and some office staff were not very friendly…read more Ms. Ibrahim is the best. Overall not very pleased. But still one of the good schools in the city as WA is the most unchurched state.

Our daughter has been at ECS since 1st grade and is now in 2nd. She's built such strong bonds with…read moreher classmates, and we've seen how much those friendships actually help her in the classroom. When they hit tough topics--like some of the more advanced math concepts--having that supportive group of friends keeps her motivated and makes the challenges feel much more manageable. We also really value how the school handles social growth. When a conflict came up, the teachers and the principal didn't just 'fix' it; they helped her develop a real strategy for resolution and taught her how to navigate things in the future. It gave her so much confidence. Most importantly, we love that the school is centered on God and faith. Seeing her so excited to talk about Jesus after chapel is a huge blessing to our family. It's a wonderful, supportive community and we're so glad to be part of it.

Our 2.5 yo son has been going to the Growing Tree for 6 months now, and we couldn't be happier. He…read morehad previously always been watched by his grandparents, but when he turned two we decided we wanted to enroll him somewhere he could learn to interact with other kids. We visited a bunch of daycare facilities, especially the big named ones, but none of them fit our schedule well and we had not heard the best reviews from a lot of them. We heard about the Growing Tree from another mom and initially we were drawn to them because of their flexibility. But quickly we realized how much these teachers care and how much we love having them in our sons' life. He comes home and talks all about 'school'. He has learned so much and asks to go to school almost every morning now. We couldn't have found a better place for our little man to go to and spend his mornings.

My kid started at 3 at this place and WOW this place is amazing!…read moreThis place provides the perfect setting for kids to develop and grow! On top of that we REALLY LOVE the TEACHERS! YES every single one! They love the kids and treat them with love!. Our kid have developed so much from this place. It was the best decision that we have made for our kid!

We've had a wonderful experience at Evergreen Montessori Academy! The Montessori curriculum is…read morethoughtfully designed and encourages our child to grow into an independent, curious, and confident learner. It's been amazing to see how much she developed both academically and socially through hands-on learning and self-directed activities. One of the things we appreciate most is the low student-to-teacher ratio. The teachers truly get to know each child and tailor their support to meet individual needs. It's clear that the staff genuinely care about the students, and that makes a huge difference in how our child feels about school every day. Another unexpected bonus has been the lunch program. Chef Renato prepare food that is healthy, balanced, and kid-friendly--and our child actually looks forward to lunch! It gives us peace of mind knowing she is being well-nourished during the day. We're so grateful to have found a school that aligns with our values and supports our child in such a holistic way.

My daughter Nora is having a great time at school here. She not only has learned to respect other…read moreteachers and friends, but also has become more independent and confident. I highly recommend EMA.

Both of our children attended Chestnut Hill Academy, and our youngest just graduated from 5th grade…read morelast week. Throughout their K-5 journey, every teacher was exceptional, supportive, and genuinely caring. Communication between teachers, staff, and parents has always been outstanding. We love CHA's focus on community building, leadership, strong academics, and the emotional well-being of its students. Both of our children loved their time at the school and formed wonderful friendships that will last a lifetime. As parents, we have had the privilege of watching our children grow into confident, resilient, and well-prepared middle school students with strong leadership skills and perseverance. We are incredibly grateful to the entire CHA community for the positive impact it has had on our family.

Our daughter attended CHA from kindergarten and will be completing 4th grade this year. The school…read morehas been incredibly supportive from the beginning. Each of her teachers from K-4 were engaged and provided regular feedback on matters related to academics, social, and well-being. We really enjoyed the school programs from performing arts, field trips, winter activities, and leadership opportunities. CHA also did a great job connecting parents and building a strong community with the school.

My son is currently attending BCA in the Kindergarten level. He was started in BCA from PreK level…read moreone and half years ago. Based on many recommendations from my friends and colleague, we decided to apply BCA for his Pre-K study in order to have better preparation for his elementary study, the result is amazing, he grew much faster in BCA both academically and socially compare with his previous school. His preschool study was in a good private school too, but this one year in BCA, I can clearly see the difference in his academic growth. He really like the school, feel encouraged and cared by the school teachers and staff, and do not even want to go to public school for elementary study. His effort and work are fully appreciated here, therefore he feel much more confident than before. The school also has many afterschool enrichment class to choose on site, including but not limited to Drama, Karate, Art, Reading, Writing, Chess, Origami, Dance, etc, which give kids different opportunities to explorer their potentials. The summer camps are also very popular, including IB (International Baccalaureate) and Features oriented programs, such as LEGO. Like being said by others, the tuition is on the higher end, but it's comparable/similar with other top private schools in this area. The additional $5000 mentioned by others is actually a CD thing (similar to term deposit), the full amount + interest will be paid back to parents once kids leave/graduate from the school. Based on my son's very positive experience in BCA, this year I am applying my daughter to BCA for her Pre-K study too.

Worked formerly as a teacher here so this comes from my own personal views and opinions, although I…read morecan say that many former colleagues would agree with me... I can say with confidence this school is the worst school I have ever seen, been to, or worked at. To start, the tuition rate is outrageous, they have a turnover rate of almost 50% of staff every year, and they barely pay teachers with Masters and PHD's a living wage. In working at public schools before this, I can say the curriculum here is substantially worse and far less engaging. Parents get scammed into thinking this is some elite school for gifted kids. Your child will be far better off at any public school than here. Save your money for a good college or a real private school, not this horrendous place that calls itself a "school". PS after paying over $30,000 a year per child for tuition, that doesnt even cover school lunches, field trips, or any after school enrichment opportunities or activities. They just want your money, and if you pay enough I am sure they will give your kid amazing grades without them having to learn anything! (The school will pressure teachers to give students better grades so it will reflect better on them and make student look more capable than they are)