Thank you to Billings for letting me be myself for three years. This will always be my favorite…read moreschool I went to. The teachers are so kind and everyone is just a weirdo as we all are during middle school. I wish they had a high school because most high schools are terrible places.

Billings is a very special place where middle schoolers are seen and respected for their unique…read morepersonalities. My child loves going to school every day and loves her teachers and classmates.

My experience with Spring Academy was the best phone interaction with a school I have ever…read moreexperienced. Andy Smallman went above and beyond in helping me feel heard and offered suggestions for other support in the Seattle area (our son is a 5th grader and not qualified). I will not hesitate to reach out to Spring Academy in the future. Andy called weeks later after our first phone call to check in. His compassion and encouragement is wonderful.

I cannot give Spring a higher recommendation. Our entire Spring experience by far exceeded our…read morefamily's expectations. Our student came in feeling discouraged and disconnected from learning. Her experience at Spring built up her confidence and helped her develop independent study skills in a positive environment. Their approach intentionally fosters students to develop motivation from within. The teachers are skilled and patient, meeting the student where they are at and helping them discover their own interests and goals. The administration is communicative, organized, and hands-on. The head of the school, Andy, has a genuine passion for students and their learning experience. While I was a little hesitant about the non-traditional approach when I first heard of Spring, my first conversation with Andy gave me an instant wave of relief. He knew exactly how to help when we were at a loss of how best to do so. Out of the gate, he understood our goals as parents and our student's goals for herself, empathized with challenges we'd experienced, and explained how the structure and curriculum of Spring is designed to nurture students and embrace their strengths. Our student maintained a hybrid schedule between Spring and public school; we started with one class at Spring, but after seeing the improvement all around, shifted more of her core classes over and maintained electives at public school. They were flexible and helped us with all transitions, including helping with credit transfer. What I appreciate most is the shift we saw at home -- no more constant tension over homework, incentives and punishments, disciplined schedules and nagging. Spring stepped in with the kind of support I'd been trying to provide on my own, allowing me to take a giant step back, and our student to take gain independence and ownership of her obligations. We are all breathing easier! Thank you, Spring!

I can't say enough positive things about our family's experience at The Perkins School in Seattle…read more Our son joined as a 4th grader, and from day one it was clear he was genuinely known, supported, and cared for. I asked him recently what he liked most about Perkins, and he said, "the community -- I really liked the teachers and the kids." His teachers prioritized getting to know him; at our first parent-teacher conference, we were amazed when his teacher described details of his strengths and weaknesses the same way we would have. We watched his confidence grow as he was challenged in ways that felt supportive. That foundation has truly paid off--he's thriving in middle school, both academically and socially. We are forever grateful for the love and care the entire Perkins community showed our son and our family.

Our kids have loved their experience at Perkins! We've been at Perkins for five years now, and…read moreregularly make the 30-minute drive (one way) to school because it's such a wonderful place for our kids! Unlike many other independent schools, Perkins places a very high level of importance on building community within the school, and on the social and emotional health of each child. Perkins has a down-to-earth, kind and loving feel that runs through the faculty, staff, parent community and the kids. It's such a rare find! In addition to building a strong academic foundation for success, every Perkins student enjoys the experience of being truly known by every teacher, and most of the students know each other. This creates a truly "small town" community feel and one that is overwhelmingly positive! This school does differentiate for ability in the core subjects, and also provides enriching "specialist" subjects for a well-rounded overall education. We can't imagine our kids being anywhere else!

A very good school. Very new. Awsome fun teachers. School is tech friendly and allow phones at…read morelinch time. STEM classes which are fun for the students. Over all a very good. School

Shity school, terrible principal, annoying students and bad neighborhood. Just plain bad, wouldn't…read morerecommend. A couple of the teachers were good though.

Brightmont has been a light in the darkness for our family. Our daughter was struggling with doing…read moreall of her schooling online with Seattle Public Schools. She said she didn't feel connected to the material. Her grades and self esteem were plummeting. I spoke with a number of her peers who were having a similar experience. They all reported that they didn't feel like they were learning much in the public school remote learning environment. Signing her up at Brightmont has been a fantastic decision. She is back to actually learning again, and she really likes her teachers. Her confidence in her ability to learn, and be successful in school has also returned. I have been very pleased with the administration. They have been kind, accommodating, and very responsive to our communications and needs. My expectations are exceeded, especailly knowing how busy they must be! The school is doing a great job with covid precautions. I feel safe when my daughter attends in person. She also has the option for working remotely online. Attending in person gives her some social interaction where before she had had none. I highly recommend this school.

Granted, everyone might be exceedingly busy right now as Brightmont and every other place had to…read morevery QUICKLY transition to online distance learning platforms! But I do have to say, that communication with school administrative leadership has been slow, waiting several days for replies to emails. On the other hand, applause for Brightmont not skipping many beats in this transition. 1:1 classes went online maybe a week or so after the Seattle area closed all schools due to Covid 19. The jury is out whether the instruction is just as good as in-person, face-to-face--I'm sure that varies by instructor, student, and material/content. If digital distance learning is just as good as IRL, we might not go back to in-person instruction. Distance learning is a ton more convenient wrt commuting time, and I'm guessing better for the environment, too.

We're loving our new neighborhood in North Seattle! After picking up my daughter, we decided to…read moreexplore and stumbled upon the beautiful St. Matthew Catholic Church. We took some photos outside and were drawn to its peaceful atmosphere. As a Catholic, I'm excited to visit the church when it's open and experience its beauty firsthand. The exterior gives a glimpse into the tranquility that lies within, and I'm looking forward to reflecting on my faith in this sacred space. Maybe next time we'll get to go inside!

Sacred grounds for fundamental concepts of community and affinities to catholicism. It's enviroment…read moreof calm hymns, homilies, and prayers has remain a classic practice with some subtle progress in sitting/kneeling protocols. Bread and Wine combo remains pure and holy. One of the largest change featured a new class of devotees that brought youth and diversity to the prayer session. It was a refreshing sight to see a vocal variation in the choir, aswell as a fresh interpretation of bibical reference. Lastly, a once enduring pain of one hour, it's full experience felt snappy, quick, and on point. A nostalgic religious experience, one that merits donuts and lemonades at their community center once the alot time commited to the words of god has been fulfilled.