My Kindergartener comments out-of-blue several times a week that he loves his school and said this…read moremorning he wishes he could rate it, so here we are :) I'm extremely happy with the school: It seems all the lower school specialists manage to work physical activity into their lessons, children are treated with respect and have SEL built into daily activities. The teachers and staff are highly conscientious, constantly revising their curriculum and methods based on outcomes, the latest in educational research, and community feedback. Just driving onto campus each morning feels good, because everything is done so well. The active and supportive parent community is wonderful. Lots of helpful parent Ed talks and resources (and plenty of nerdy, type A parents as you might imagine, that tend to knock whatever task they've volunteered for out of the park). Of course, each year is going to be different depending on the mix of parents, students, and faculty but the institutional structure of constant improvement and community involvement is one of the best I've seen. I also really appreciate the fact that my son is now middle-of-the-pack in terms of intellect and assertiveness, finding friends with similar interests and abilities. And I've been able to relax around the other parents who share similar experiences of parenting exceptional kids. Hope this is helpful; I know picking a school is a big decision and the cost is significant. All I can say it that we really love Open Window.

Open Window School Is a mediocre school,…read more As a current student it excels in programs for gifted students and for kids in need of special help. However, it lacks in some areas, it does not provide enough support to kids with mental health struggles and passes over kids they do not consider diverse. other than that, the teachers are the best teachers I have ever come to know and they always make sure that you will excel. overall open window is a mediocre school that is great if you are diverse and gifted.

The school is great! I love this place. Had a great time! So funny . The teachers are always so…read morenice :). And the students that attend this school are so kind and helpful. The windows gives me a peaceful feeling. I would recommend this place!

What's to say, they are not lacking any funding yet ranked #681 in the nation by US news. Luckily…read morethe principal left. She was a total bureaucrat, did not have the children's best interests at heart. At least it's a very nice building.

To recommend DWs post from 10 years ago - this is statement is still accurate in 2025…read more This school is fine for easy-going kids who would do well anywhere. They absolutely do not focus at all on the social or emotional development of the children. Any and all problems are considered the parent's problem to fix. They also hire teachers with no secondary education background, and have no business calling themselves a dual accredited school when they can't support a class structure - it's chaos in there

heaven. i attended this school from pre-k up until 3rd grade and it was the best school ever. i…read moremade so many friends and so many memories and every day was a good day. i now have PTSD because in 3rd grade i was criticized by some teachers for having special needs and was sent to a crappy public school against my will that was absolute hell and i also got PTSD from that school. so i have trauma from being practically abused by being transferred to a terrible school against my will but it was worth it

Words can't even begin to express by gratitude to the faculty and staff of Eastside Prep. My…read moredaughter began in 7th grade and now is a senior. My son started in 6th grade and now is a freshman. I am truly convinced that both of my kids are excelling in school and in life because of the enriching environment that this school has provided. The kids at this school are learning from experience. They are truly interested in the subjects they are being taught. I can tell from the highly intelligent debates that occur around our dinner table, that the education that they are receiving is engaging and inspiring. The teachers and staff truly KNOW who your child is, what their interests are, and what their strengths are. Each child is accepted and encouraged.

My child loves this school, she has been here for two years now and she has never been to a better…read moreschool. When I pick her up from school she says that she had the best time. She loves all of her teachers and I love them as well. I think this school is great for her and I am sure the same applies to your child. I would definitely recommend this school to the other parents out there.

This school is an amazing school.All of the teachers are amazing and are very kind and humble. The…read moreeducation there is very amazing. All the teachers help each and every student. This is one of the best schools ever.

My child goes to the Villa Academy…read more We want our kid to be a decent citizen. If she becomes a corporate tycoon, a brilliant scientist or an astronaut, great. But we would like her to do those things while leading a life that respects her fellow man/woman. Next to the door of one of the kindergarten rooms at Villa, the teacher has created a mural with the words, "Respect, Compassion, Self-Discipline, Citizenship, Trustworthiness, Honesty, Responsibility, Fairness, Perseverance, Integrity". The Villa Academy is not some haven for rich kids that merely gives lip service to these values. They walk the walk. Even the earliest preschool classes have seasonal projects that focus on helping others. Service to others is a main focal point. Our child's teachers have all been excellent. Small class sizes with classroom assistants keeps the classroom environment orderly and focused on learning. Mrs Olson, you ROCK. To an outsider, I'm sure Villa might appear to be a bastion of the WASPs. Be careful. As soon as you drop your guard, and stop viewing people as wealthy snobs, you just might discover that most parents at Villa are really very warm hearted folks. People go out of their way to help each other out. And Villa parents are very, very dedicated to both the kids and the school. While my child has benefited from Villa, I think I have grown as a person as well. For what its worth, there are plenty of folks who are not Catholic who send their kids to Villa, and quite a few who are not Christians. We are very, very happy Villa parents. I won't make light of the cost, its not cheap. But people send their children there for a reason, and its not to brag to the neighbors. Its an excellent school, and an excellent community.

Honestly one of the best high school experiences available. Staff are approachable, caring,…read morerespectful, and invested in their students. The new buildings foster a unique educational environment, and integrate well with BSD's 1-to-1 Laptop initiative. The number of unique tech and career prep experiences--along with AP and other rigorous courses--help prepare students for life after high school. With a robust extracurricular experience, students can get involved with the school and community in any number of ways. Most impressive, however, is the sense of belonging and safety I felt at SHS while attending--which many graduates can also attest to. I know writing reviews of schools is a little weird, but I figured SHS has definitely earned its 5 stars.

This is possibly the worst lunch I have ever had. The fries were the wrong color, the apple was…read morerotten and the milk CARTON!!!!!!!! wouldn't open. All in all this is most likely the worst lunch I have ever had and I am not sure if I have some random disease or not.

My daughter was treated kindly and as though she was highly valued as an incoming 6th grader during…read moreour school tours. We felt that our daughter would have been given small classes, individual attention, and a unique all girls perspective at Forest Ridge. The administration and teachers were teaching innovative things that my husband recently had emphasized in the corporate world. Each time my daughter had an experience with one of the FR students, she felt very happy and excited to attend this school. We ultimately are not able to send her to the school because of potentially moving closer to family due to health reasons but feel this would have been the perfect school had it not been for these circumstances.

Forest Ridge is a school where people look at the ground as they pass by someone in the hall…read more Students are throwing up, CRYING or having panic attacks in the bathroom. Teachers don't last more than a few years, max. Administration doesn't care if a students are so stressed that they end up causing HARM to themselves. The thing to be happy about? Graduation. The academics are AMAZING, I can't deny that. And most teachers are pretty incredible, some of the best in the country. But mental health care is non existent, and without healthy students things such as academics and teachers cannot be enjoyed or be helpful to students in the way they should. Being a recent student at Forest Ridge in Bellevue WA, I cannot emphasize enough how much I REGRET my decision going here for High School. When I entered as a freshman, I was a happy, cheerful, friendly, hardworking girl. When I left as a senior I was still a hardworking girl but I was also sad, depressed, reserved, anxious, distrustful and tired. For many people, everywhere, the high school experience is less than ideal. However, my experience as well as my classmates experiences were horrendous. The amount of emotional damage we sustained was simply unacceptable, and even now the school denies there is a problem. So many students were so miserable and mentally challenged that I would have to worry about my peers' physical safety and lives. This is NOT a normal thing. Forest Ridge administration consistently responded/responds to mental health concerns with dismissal. The safety and lives of students are NEVER a priority. What is a priority? GRADES, GRADES, GRADES and academic achievement, success and competition. Forest Ridge makes success out as being smarter than everyone else and getting the best grades, with no regard for emotional well-being or mental health. There are a few ways you can have an okay to good experience at Forest Ridge: A) Be a favorite. There are a few special students favored and adored by the school who are used as the public face of the school wether it be for admissions pro-forest ridge speeches (which are, by the way, completely ingenuine) or college acceptance advertising. (FUN FACT: you probably have a much better chance of getting into a prestigious college at a public school anyway). Pretend to love the school and never object to anything, be the top of your class, don't tell anyone how you feel or use your voice, and you might have a shot at this special status. You'll get rewarded with good grades and a full-time teacher's pet status. B) You have the pushy parents. If your parents yell enough at teachers, or perhaps threaten administration that they will pull you out and therefore your $$ might not be going to FR next year, watch your C's magically turn to A's. Or you can go the route of hiring an outside specialist and paying them to have Forest Ridge make your workload and academics easier without the situation on record. Another interesting note-- the campus "counselor" doubles as a college counselor and does not divide or separate the two programs properly. She is not qualified to be helping teens with psychological issues, and she does not appear to care about helping them either. The administration is no better, and is likely the root of the problem. In general, the teachers care about the well being of students but are so scared of loosing their jobs or being PUNISHED that they will not speak out about the situation. Honestly, I feel bad for the teachers. The majority of the teachers are GOOD people who could run the school a whole lot better than the recent administration ever did. I think it is also important to note that Forest Ridge was not always like this. My middle school experience was FABULOUS. But, today, the environment and atmosphere is truly toxic. Until there is a significant amount of change at Forest Ridge, I would highly advise parents and potential students to think hard before choosing to attend Forest Ridge. A place for youth that doesn't care if students are SAFE or HAPPY is not a place anyone should have to endure spending 40 hours a week at. Someday, the school will HAVE to make a change, or the place will simply FALL APART. At the rate teachers, administration and students are leaving, it won't be long. And the way mental health is handled, there will be a lawsuit any day. I hope parents take this warning seriously and continue to search for the TRUTH. Current students, life DOES get better after, and the rest of the world does NOT operate like Forest Ridge--don't worry. What you are told is normal...is not normal outside of that campus and community. And teachers- thank you for sticking with us. We know its not easy at FR for you either and we appreciate your willingness to stay and try to make things better. However, we don't blame you at all if you leave. We get it.

My son is about to finish his second year at Holy Spirit Lutheran Preschool. The teachers, Miss…read moreRuth and Miss Kieko, are incredible. Miss Ruth is constantly thinking up fun new activities for the students which are educational while remaining play-based. In addition to focusing on Kindergarten readiness skills, she pays close attention to the interests and talents of the students. When she noticed that my son loved talking about construction, she set up a construction play area in the classroom including an area to draw up architectural designs before starting a build. She also set up a fun outdoor play area where the kids have built "habitats" for bugs out of leaves and pebbles, and they can make noise in the "sound garden" where Miss Ruth re-purposed various old kitchen objects along the fence for the kids to drum on. Every week the kids explore a new area of interest, and Miss Ruth comes up with creative and fun ways to dive into the topics. Miss Kieko is one of the kindest and most caring people on the planet. She gently directs students' attention when needed, ensures all the kids are dressed appropriately for the weather before going outside, and often checks in with the parents to tell them about something their child did in class that was funny or sweet. She exudes kindness; and her love for her job, and for the children, is evident in her every interaction. The classroom, though in the basement of the church, is bright and open. There is an exit door from the classroom that leads to the parking lot, which remains locked for security purposes but is handy in case of emergency. The classroom, and all of the church, are clean and well maintained. It is a really cute preschool. First year preschool students will get to see the quilters group each week, which is comprised mainly of older generations from the church community who gather in a space near the classroom each week to quilt. The quilters are really sweet, and I think it is pretty special that the kids get to interact with them from time-to-time, and see their quilting progress. I also love to see this church flying the rainbow flag, and posting signs on and around their building that are based on inclusiveness. All the religious teachings at the preschool level have been age-appropriate and focused on kindness and love. If you are looking for a preschool in the Kirkland area, I highly recommend that you check this one out! They have scholarships available for families needing financial assistance, and their tuition is very reasonable compared to other schools in the area!