We moved our son to The Meridian School in 3rd grade after our former school was unable to meet his academic needs. That move was the absolute best decision we could have made. The Meridian School offers intentional small group and experiential education grounded in proven science based academic strategies. Beyond core academic excellence and targeted support for all learners, The Meridian School excels equally in social emotional learning. Meridian learners and staffers live the school values of kindness and caring for themselves, for each other and for the community. We love being so close to many wonderful organizations in the Good Shepard Center and find the public park setting such a perfect way to be open to the neighborhood and the world. We wholeheartedly recommend The Meridian School to all families! read more

We have a 2nd and 5th grader at the Meridian School and could not be more impressed with the leadership, faculty and community at the school. The assistant head of school and interim head of school are very accessible, responsive and communicate effectively with staff, faculty and families. The board of trustees has a strong vision for the school rooted in its mission. We really appreciate the integrated curriculum featuring multiple specialist classes: music, health and fitness, creativity lab, science, library, Spanish, art. In the creativity lab, our children routinely have projects incorporating engineering, design, critical thinking, problem solving, coding, animation and robotics. Teachers regularly collaborate on project based-learning opportunities. The experiential learning takes the learning beyond the classroom. My daughter's grade has five field trips planned this year. Overnight grade-level trips begin in 3rd grade and by the time students graduate they have participated in a total of 5 overnight grade-level field trips around the Pacific Northwest. The trip to Mountain School at the North Cascades Institute was my son's favorite. All of these are included in tuition and covered by financial aid plans. The k-2 and 3-5 learning specialists are very dedicated. My 2nd grader has benefitted from extra academic support in the classroom. My 5th grader has received additional enrichment in math and language arts since he has surpassed grade-level benchmarks. The admissions director provides individual support to families as they embark on process of applying to independent middle schools in 5th grade. We found the community to be warm, welcoming and very engaged. Our family has made many lifelong friendships through the school. read more

Our family joined Meridian shortly after the pandemic as we recognized that our kids weren't getting the academics we desired at their previous school. It was a scary jump to go from our neighborhood school, to a private school. We soon came to realize that this community was very similar to our public school in that families were kind, grounded and welcoming. Moreover, the faculty had the ratios and resources required to give individual attention to our children and support their educational needs. We now have two graduates who have stayed on the independent school path and both made it into the middle school of their school of choice. The education that they received at Meridian certainly set them up for this success! read more

We joined Meridian this fall with a kindergartener. We were looking for a school that valued academics and creativity, community, social emotional learning, and saw kids as whole people whose full selves need to be nurtured every day. We wanted a balanced approach to learning with a variety of opportunities. We were also mindful of wanting our daughter to be in an environment from a young age that would help her develop confidence, use her voice, and the ability to advocate for herself. We spoke with several families during our decision process and repeatedly heard similar themes; appreciation of community, academic attention and differentiation, and kids who loved going to school. Lots of schools are great for specific kinds of kids, but we wanted a school that was great for lots of kinds of kids. What helped us choose Meridian was hearing from parents who had multiple children enrolled and felt like their very different kinds of kids were all flourishing. Our experience has been terrific so far. The school and the kindergarten teachers created such a supportive and welcoming environment that the transition from pre-k/daycare environments to kindergarten was effortless. Her kindergarten teacher is phenomenal and I see lots of kids excited to go to school and proud and excited to learn. The kids are encouraged and seen. We love that in addition to the typical classroom reading and math skills that there are lots of "special" classes. These include art, music, gym, Spanish, science, library, and creativity lab. The teachers create supportive learning environments that reinforce learnings in other areas. The use of themes as entry points and pathways to learning about themselves, others, and the world has been really effective so far. Our kiddo is young, but they have already enjoyed three filed trips and the ones ahead in the coming years look great. One of the things we appreciate about Meridian is the buddy program. Each grade level student K - 2 is assigned a buddy in a grade 3 - 5. This buddy program helps all kids be invested in one another and is a great part of building a supportive community. Our kid loves her 3rd grade buddy and is already looking forward to being in 3rd grade so she can be someone's buddy. Teachers, staff, and leadership are easily accessible and very responsive. The care that families and faculty have for the school make it a really special place that we are glad to be a part of. read more

Both of my kids have had an incredible experience at The Meridian School. We have been impressed with the dedication of the teachers, the global citizen ethos of the curriculum, the strong emphasis on caring for others and social justice, the focus on the arts and STEM, and the ability to differentiate learning within the classroom so that our kids (who tested into the HCC program in SPS) are being challenged with special projects, extension work, and small group breakouts during the school day. Whenever we have had a concern and raised it, our children's teachers have responded and acted immediately to address the situation, and have involved others (the school psychologist, counselor, principal) as needed. Our kids feel safe, seen, and valued at Meridian. They come home each day excited about school, excited about learning, and connected to their community at school. Literally, since we joined Meridian, every time we ask our kids how their day was, they respond with "it was a great day!" and then proceed to tell us about their day. No school is perfect, but for us, Meridian is about as ideal of a K-5 school experience as we would want for our kids. read more

My kids have had a wonderful elementary experience at The Meridian School. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a nurturing environment with small class sizes, a strong community and a wonderful project based learning program. Day to day academics are intertwined with a robust specialist program (including science, art, PE, Spanish, creativity lab and Spanish) that keeps kids engaged and excited about learning. The Meridian School does a great job of supporting the whole child with social emotional support and teaching children to care for themselves, their place and others. read more

We love being at Meridian! I really feel like they know every child! Given the small class sizes, every kid is able to get what they need in a supportive learning environment. My child was not doing well at public school, but Meridian found ways to reach and engage my child, and now they're a star student! I would recommend this school to anyone! read more

Do not look to this school for summer camps. I signed my daughter up in February and they waited until May to say that they were cancelling. Of course all other alternatives are full. The kicker is that they still tried to keep my $25 registration fee, just to really pour salt in the wound! read more

It is great that the current head of school - Meghan - is resigning as of 2021. The school is expensive in comparison to other private school options with more effective specialists for learning. Additionally, the school infrastructure is dated - fine - but for the price tag - you can get a higher end classroom with technology and teachers. Our son's first grade teacher who was amazing - left for Bush. His second grade teacher was under whelming and failed to identify learning disabilities. Not surprising since she was an attorney turned teacher. Lastly, the school failed miserably in the spring of 2020 to deliver any substantive education during coivd. Nice idea for a school - your money will be better spent elsewhere - bush, perkins, bertschi among others. The school lost its focus under Meghan - the current and now departing head of school. read more

To be honest, this is sour grapes talking. Choosing a school for your kids is a very personal and quirky decision, and every school, no matter how crappy, has it's fans. If you are deciding where to send your kids based on reviews on Yelp, you should reconsider your choices. We sent both kids to Meridian, and loved it for some time. Times and directors change. Over the years, the tuition has gone up (nearly doubled) and all there is to show for it is some very shiny physical improvements and Wood Furniture! Children must learn better on wooden desks. The emphasis on community learning has gone down, the math program continues to change to the newest-yet-the-same program, and the continuing relationship with the autonomous Neo Art school is troubling (if you have girls, it won't matter, but they succeeded in making the boys hate art). The writing program is good, the teachers are mostly excellent (some outstanding, some crummy). It's a very average school, less so in the competitive north end of private elementary schools. We left. I have no regrets. read more

I am a seasoned parent, having kids in college and elementary school at the time of writing this review. I have been around the block once or twice on assessing public and private schools in 3 states across 18 years. So when I say Meridian is by far the finest independent school I have encountered, it comes with years of school scrutiny. Here is why Meridian outshines every school we have attended (in Arizona, California and Washington): It is a school with a progressive philosophy, thoughtful curriculum and a truly devoted staff who carry out the mission of the school thoroughly. Very few schools actually deliver on their missions. Meridian really does. The school has inspired leadership and is quick to respond to the rapidly changing world- a world in which we honestly can not know what the work landscape will resemble as we teach our current first graders the "three R's". My Meridian students are savvy about adults and children, they are able to assess group culture rather rapidly- they have high "E.Q" as it were. This is the first school in which they have felt truly comfortable and relaxed- enough of a change from their former school that we are seeing their academic abilities soar. Both of my Meridian students say it is a "warm and sophisticated school"- those are THEIR words not mine. Meridian's approach is actually and honestly "individual". Their small class size and high number of specialists really deliver a personalized education plan to suit every single growing student. Other adjectives my kids use to describe the school are "cozy" and "friendly", "fun" and "interesting". Whether your child processes information while moving, with eyes downcast, or only visually, he or she will be met right where they are and will not miss out on any of the curriculum just because of a learning style that is not "standard". Our parent teacher conferences are the most thoughtful and creative I have ever experienced. When it was discovered that my child's former school had not prepared her enough for one subject, the teacher's first response was "let's first check in about how this has made her feel. There could be some decisions she is making about herself that are not accurate. Then we will come up with a plan to support her so she is getting what she needs." The holes in my kids' prior education are not being marched out in front of them as "deficits" - they are placed with other kids in small groups with a specialist - these are other students who may also benefit from more review or a slightly different approach to the topic and they work together in a completely non-stigmatized fashion. ALL kids work with specialists- at their level and there is no labeling whatsoever. They talk about "razzle-dazzles" (strengths) and "razzle-frazzles" (areas for growth) and really work with kids to set out achievable goals, and then support them through thoughtful planning and interventions to reach their next best place as a learner. At Meridian EVERY child matters. Teachers believe that there are multiple ways to learn and therefore multiple ways to teach a topic. Finding the right way in to ignite a child's curiosity and strengths while supporting another area that may be flagging behind is the schools' promise. And they deliver. Until Meridian, I have absolutely never seen a school perform like this. And rapidly, without waiting a semester, or waiting until somebody above them has time to discuss the child, or any number of other excuses I have heard as a parent in the past. Meridian simply does what they say they will do, immediately. The parent community is warm and intelligent without being stuffy or elite-feeling. We have lived in a university town before and have been in lots of schools with a family culture we found too-competitive and overly focussed on "the prize" - and usually, the price paid ends up being the happiness of the children. Not so at Meridian. Kids are kids here. Happy, playing, part of the greater community, aware of and connected to their fellow students both older and younger, students are shown the way to grow into heart-centered, curious and intelligent beings. We have never been more impressed or happier with a school. Meridian is a real gem. read more

I was looking for a school that would nurture my son's love of learning. I also wanted a school that would be responsive to my concerns as a parent. As a parent of a kindergartner at Meridian, I am convinced that I found the right place. The teachers are happy, compassionate, and motivated. The entire faculty and staff is completely responsive to our needs and concerns, and those of our child. I am certain we made the right choice for our child and I would recommend Meridian for anyone looking for a balanced approach to education in Seattle. read more

The school we left was not the school we started at. In the end, we pulled our child out because our child was traumatized-- not sleeping, not eating, physically causing herself harm due to inconsistent, unpredictable, and punitive methods of managing challenges, especially in social situations. Not typically a child to shy away from confrontation, she grew fearful of retribution by adults and other students, and our concerns were dismissed by an administration only interested in maintaining the status quo. If your child is moldable, well-behaved, and will toe the line, they will do fine at this school. If your child is in any way neuro-diverse, unique, or outspoken, they will be made to feel badly for being themselves. Look elsewhere. While there are a few exceptional educators at this school, like many schools, it is a roll of the dice. This school talks the talk, but does not walk the walk. They check the boxes for having "social and emotional learning" but punish any child who dares step outside the box of conformity. Don't be fooled by the wording on the website, flashy marketing materials, or the school newsletters that imply they are on top of their SEL game. Their actions when things actually get complicated, however, are completely out of line and developmentally inappropriate. Our decision to pull our child out mid-year was made easy when we realized the administration would never stand up to the parents who socially engineered their children's social relationships and/or whose deep pockets funded the auction. The school was happy to call us with complaints about our child's reactions to painful and challenging social situations, but not once did they inquire after her well-being, even when we shared examples of her rapidly declining mental and emotional health. We were not the only family to depart mid-year, and will not be the last. read more

The reason for my one star review of Meridian is very specific: my child attended Meridian for Kindergarten and first grade. My child is differently-wired ("special needs"). This was an emerging fact while he was at Meridian, but the administration did not identify this until well after his mother, my mother and several other professionals and friends had. We missed an opportunity to act earlier to intervene for our son's experience with education and success in part because of Meridian's inaction. Meridian was also inflexible with us when it came to arranging for alternative schooling for our son, not willing to allow us some slack for a decision on enrollment for second grade (with our paying for aide support) despite not announcing to us until March that they couldn't meet his needs. Lastly, I would not have written this review had Meridian administration (especially head of school Jack Shea) replied once to my several offers/entreaties to give them feedback on their process of working with students with emerging special needs. I will add that the first grade faculty at Meridian and many, many of the support staff were absolutely excellent with our son--the fault I find is with administration and culture. We are blessed to have found our way into the APL school! read more

We have two very different children currently at Meridian (4th and 1st). Our oldest is introverted, with a desire to please, and some learning issues. The younger is sharp, boisterous, and extroverted, and can be authority-challenging. I have watched the faculty, head of school, and staff at Meridian meet both of my children where they are, come to know them both deeply, and handle the social/emotional and academic needs of each with great care. We are very happy with the school. Our children are growing into wonderful people there! As for the school community, there's a great variety of families there. Although it's an independent school, the vibe is warm, friendly and very approachable. The school tours offered throughout the Fall are a great way to get a glimpse of the entire school. Take a look for yourself. Online reviews can only go so far, and you'll miss a lot if that's all you rely on. read more

I have two kids at Meridian and a recent grad as well. We first came to visit the school not knowing much about it, and immediately loved the vibe. The one thing I tell people is that Meridian really tries to keep learning fun. It's a reasonably challenging curriculum, but the school tries hard to balance academics with social and emotional development and also with citizenship. Classes are small and the kids get an incredible amount of attention and care from teachers. It's a great community of parents and they seem as a whole less intense than at other independent schools in Seattle. The physical setting is really unique-- the school is in an historic building and is surrounded by acres of public park. They walk through Seattle Tilth gardens to get to class. My kids can't wait to get to school in the morning, which is priceless. read more

It's my daughter's first year of kindergarten and I must say that we've had such a good experience so far. The teachers are fun and make learning fun for the kids.The teachers and administration are responsive to parents.The principal is always around and always smiling and interacting with the kids. I absolutely love it and would recommend this school. The after-school extended care program has a variety of fun activities for kids. A thoroughly well-rounded and stimulating caring environment. My daughter loves it and so do we. read more

I'm a current parent at Meridian, and I have two kids there and one recent graduate. I wasn't intending to write a review of Meridian here, but I am frankly surprised by the previous reviews, and feel that I have to chime in. We love the school and our kids are thriving there. The academic program is strong, the teachers are great, and the community is amazing (committed but relaxed parents). There are some very cool traditions there, including a global studies unit that lasts a whole year and culminates in the school morphing into a giant museum, with the kids as docents. My kids wake up in the morning excited to go to school, and I think the same is true with the vast majority of their classmates. The school makes learning a lot of fun. But the thing that I think sets Meridian apart is its commitment to character education. Every day starts with a class meeting and specific exercises that are meant to build trust among the kids. There's lots of focus on the kids' emotional well-being, which is why I am surprised by the previous claim that the administration dismissed concerns about bullying. If anything, I would say the opposite is true. I can also say the school did a fine job of preparing my oldest child for middle school (and helping her get into a good school as well). I could go on. Five stars all around. read more

We are new to Meridian this year and our son has been very happy there in K. He feels challenged, inspired, cared for, and known by his teachers and peers. Particular strengths of the school include the Global Studies curriculum, a Place-Based Education emphasis, and Service Learning program. The school, unlike many of its competitors, is housed in a public building shared with other non-profits. This affords many great opportunities for collaboration and connection with the greater world. The public gardens and playground that surround the school are lush and well loved by all members of the community. The faculty at Meridian, in our experience, are highly skilled and dedicated practitioners who understand the importance of addressing each child's individual needs. We are very happy with our choice so far! read more

We transferred from public school and we just completed our first year at Meridian. We had a wonderful experience--just finished reading the very long report card and I can say--"They know my son!" His learning is stimulating and self-directed. Their emphasis on peer to peer learning excited him. Everyday he mentioned something he had learned from someone else. One day he said, "I miss my friends at my old school but I am happy I am here. The class is small, I can hear myself think and no teachers have to raise their voices!" Cant beat that. read more

After sending two children all the way through Meridian, I believe it is an excellent school and seems to be getting better all the time. New head of school is making educationally significant changes. If you are considering sending a child there, go see it for yourself. Lush green park, shared building with other non-profits that the school sometimes partners with, emphasis on balance--kids are engaged and challenged academically while also encouraged socially and emotionally. It is a warm place where kids and families are valued and known. Hard working, creative teachers at Meridian love the kids. Learning is joyful! Not a rat-race school. If you want lots of homework and stress, this isn't the school for you. read more

We love having our daughter at Meridian. We've been there for two years and just completed the first grade. What makes Meridian special? At a high level, it's their emphasis on getting the kids to love learning. So while it's important to have students excel in math, reading, or Spanish - perhaps more important is that the kids become confident to tackle math problems, eager to pick up a book, or excited about a different culture. In regards to the classroom, we have watched our daughter achieve incredible heights both socially and academically. With class sizes not being above 16 students, a full time teacher, a shared grade-level aid, and ever-present parent volunteers - we feel like there is plenty of support and help where it's needed. The result is smaller groups getting more guidance, and lots of targeted attention. Today our daughter loves reading and this year alone she's gone from reading Level 1 primer books at the beginning of the first grade to enthusiastically reading chapter books at every opportunity. Meridian seems to continually be re-calibrating its approaches to improve on its goals - this year we've seen the Bridges Math curriculum brought on board and the approach is showing up in my daughter grasping sets and patterns in a manner that took me much later in life to figure out. Our teacher this year has reached out often and appropriately: sometimes in regards to classroom reminders and updates, and sometimes to touch base on a particular issue regarding our daughter. In regards to the parent community, there's a continuous stream of opportunities to get involved with the school and other parents. Some of our best friends are now other parents at the school. As a natural result of the classroom cohort, there's a lot of family social opportunities at the grade level. Parents are regularly scheduling social events outside of school (non-school sponsored) which have been great for getting to know other parents and other kids in the same grade. Examples include: UW Volleyball, Storm Games, Sounders games, Paint the Town outings, Camping, and birthday parties (which never seem to stop happening). While volunteering is not required, there are a lot of parents that enjoy being there and helping out. Opportunities include volunteering in the classroom, helping to set up with events, driving on field trips, and participating on committees with the administration and staff The on-site afterschool program is another Meridian strength. Because we are two working parents, we need to leverage the after-school care. The grounds at Meridian provide an incredible outdoor environment, regardless of the weather. The staff is helpful and very competent and the options for additional instruction each quarter are numerous. Over the last two years, our daughter has participated in sewing, circus, theater, roller-skating, and piano to name a few. In regards to the overall School, Meridian takes its theme-based global studies curriculum seriously. Last year was focused on Oceania and this year was North America. Even in Kindergarten, classroom activities were often relevant or tied to cultural and geographic concepts in those themes. In both years, she worked all year towards a project: the first year focused on a market in Polynesia which the kids proctored and had visits from other parents and students. The second year on building early American houses from a range of materials. It's harder to imagine, but seeing the work and coherency was impressive. Friday morning has a school wide meeting ("Friday Morning Meeting") which brings in a weekly theme - often tide to the cultural them (e.g., dancers from Polynesia or a Native American Story Teller), but also demonstrate how students are tied to other students as well. Other example of cross-grade interaction includes pairing new families with a veteran mentor family, giving each child an older buddy (e.g., the first graders have activities at the school with a third grade buddy), and the school play where students are involved with older and younger grade students. We highly recommend Meridian. It's reassuring to get pestered sometimes in the morning: "Is it time for school yet? Can we go now?" read more

Both of my children are currently enrolled at Meridian School and from the beginning our family has been so pleased with the commitment and caring the very engaged teachers, Head of School, and staff have shown. My children are such different learners but the teachers have honored the kids' strengths and worked collaboratively with us to help build the skills that need still need strengthening. The community at Meridian is welcoming and diverse and parents are invited to be part of their children's educational journey. We feel lucky to have found a school that is dedicated to teaching our children to be compassionate, globally independent thinkers whose confidence we see growing day by day. read more

This is a wonderful school with an incredible faculty. They acknowledge and respect the many various learning styles and personalities represented within the walls of the school. Our daughter receives all the attention that she needs from her teachers. She is always engaged and cannot wait to go back to school the next day. This is our first year of kindergarten and we're looking forward for the next coming years at Meridian!!! read more