As a two-mom family with three young children at St. Thomas School, we have had an overwhelmingly…read morepositive experience. The teaching faculty at STS lead with empathy, nurture leadership skills, and excel in fostering social-emotional development--all while maintaining strong academic standards. The parent community is warm, engaged, and contributes greatly to the close-knit feel of the school. Since joining in 2021, we've consistently felt supported, welcomed, and truly valued.

Absolutely incredibly school…read more... Three years ago we conducted a tremendous amount of research on private schools within a 50-mile radius of Seattle. My husband went on countless tours and after attending an Open House at St. Thomas School he knew in his heart that he had found the right place for our children. Two academic years later there are a great number of reasons why we continue to feel St. Thomas School is the best place for our sons. Firstly, I believe that the STS guiding principals continue to have a great impact on our sons. The school's dedication to the development of the "whole child" has help shape their understanding of ethics and morality. I have found that there is a philosophical and moral code that runs deep through the students, faculty, and administration. I also firmly believe the STS community demonstrates that above all else it is important to be a good person. Secondly, the faculty and staff at St. Thomas School embrace the differences in students and are dedicated to understanding how each child learns. Our younger son currently attends Kindergarten in the Early Learning Center and we appreciate that the teachers support learning through exploration. Through our two years in the ELC we have seen found-object galleries, alphabet and reading/phonics artwork, and cooking projects; since our son has a tendency to retain knowledge through hands-on experiences, we feel the schools current ELC curriculum supports our son's learning-style through many tactile-based opportunities. Lastly, I deeply appreciate the value St. Thomas School places in leadership, stewardship, and community and demonstrates true dedication by holding Chapel every morning. Chapel offers our sons the unique opportunities to learn the value of teamwork, open discussions, group consensus, healthy opposition, and most importantly, leadership in service of others. I wholeheartedly believe that the experience of Chapel has made a lasting and eternally positive impression on our children. We believe this modality of fellowship is a wonderful way for young children to experience spirituality-based gatherings, public speaking, and companionship.

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.

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.

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

We absolutely love Bear Creek. It's our third year at the school and it has been a blessing. Our…read moredaughter came out of Covid from public school and unfortunately schools were trying to catch students up who were the most behind rather than teaching at grade level. The teachers, staff, administrators, and family community are amazing. The academics are challenging; they push the kids outside their comfort zones with opportunities for public speaking and large presentations. In fact, Bear Creek is now ranked 5th for best college preparatory high school in WA. They also teach the kids to be good citizens of the community at large. Whenever we have had an issue, the Division Head has helped and addressed the concern. The student body is diverse and we have never experienced any racism. I felt compelled to write this after seeing the one star review that unfairly paints the school in a negative light. Perhaps this school is not for everyone, however, that's why school tours and meet and greets are imperative. We actually toured the top ranking middle/high school, and knew immediately that it wasn't a good fit for our daughter and family. If you are looking for an academically focused school that is nurturing but still has high expectations, Bear Creek fits the bill.

We send our daughters here and they really enjoyed going to school. I did ask if they are open to…read morego back to public school to save their father some money for a new fancy boat and both kids almost had a melt down. It sounds like I am not getting that new boat.

at my previous school, I was bullied, depressed and hated learning. none of the teachers were nice…read morebut, hillside is the complete opposite all the teachers are nice, obviously care about their students and what they teach. all the students like each other. I'm still recovering from my past experiences, but hillside is doing a darn good job at helping me heal and helping nourish my gifts.

Flashback to 1989: I had just learned my parents had enrolled me at Hillside and I was furious. How…read moredare they enroll me in private schooling instead of buying me a car?! Needless to say, looking back, I'm glad of their decision. I hadn't been the most social kid in middle school and Hillside provided the perfect mix of supportive community, yet challenging academic environment, to enable me to succeed. If you're not familiar with Hillside, take a tour. They have one of the best college-prep, personality-development and real-world training programs in the area.

My daughter attended the toddler program at Arbor, and unfortunately, our experience was not very…read morepositive. From the beginning, she was reluctant to go to school, though at her age (3 years old) she couldn't clearly express why. On the administrative side, I often found communication confusing and overly bureaucratic. The primary care director frequently stepped in when issues arose in the classroom, but her messages did not always align with the teachers', and she did not appear to have decision-making authority. When we finally decided to withdraw our daughter after several difficult months, the process was particularly challenging. We submitted our withdrawal notice one day later than the contract required (on a Sunday rather than Saturday). While I acknowledge that this was our oversight, the financial impact was in the thousands of dollars, and the school was unwilling to make any accommodation. Discussions with the primary director, assistant head, head of school, and eventually the owner all reinforced the sense that policies were rigid and prioritized the business side over the child's well-being or the family's situation. I later spoke with another parent who had a very similar experience regarding withdrawal fees, which made me realize this was not an isolated case. To be fair, there are dedicated teachers at Arbor, and I know some children do well there. However, if challenges arise, families should be prepared for limited flexibility and a process that may feel more focused on contractual obligations than collaborative problem-solving.

very unfriendly, not welcoming staff. Atmosphere/ environment is dingy not well lit, a bit…read moredepressing in-fact. not family oriented and to say it lightly biased.

I cannot say enough good things about the school and the staff. My son used to go to a different…read moredaycare before and the day he started going to Good Samaritan, I can see total change in his personality, he is more confident and outgoing. The principal and all the teachers are very caring, they care about kids as their own, my son is happy here and I would recommend anyone this preschool.

I would give this school ten stars if I could. The staff are absolutely incredible with the…read morechildren and care about them as if they were their own. I have had two children attend there through the years and the staff turn-over is very low. The director is incredibly thoughtful and friendly and caring. She goes above and beyond to make sure you feel comfortable with your children in their care. One of the best parts is the school's flexibility. You can choose two, three, four, or five days per week, choose the days, and choose the amount of time. The regular day is 9-1 and the kids eat lunch at school. You can also choose a longer day of 9-3, and/or before and after care which would cover a full work day. They follow the LWSD school district calendar, for the most part, and also offer summer camps. I couldn't be more pleased with our time at Good Sam School!