Hillside Student Community

5027 159th Place Southeast

Bellevue, WA 98006

25 Reviews

School District
Grade

5-12
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by other on January 19, 2024

Finally, anthropology, a class Hillside does not have. Instead of discussing what at Hillside made me fall in love with, and prepare me to succeed in, the subject, I will instead focus on how on Earth I can take three majors. It all stems from the running start program that Hillside is a part of. In senior year, students take classes instead at Bellevue College. To be perfectly frank, I did not enjoy my time in running start, but that’s entirely my fault. I didn’t really go out of my way to make friends and treated it instead as a place where I show up, sit through classes, and leave. In part, this was because Hillside had set the bar so high that the level of instruction BC provided couldn’t keep up; however, I’m still glad I went. The freer schedule meant I could help out at Hillside as a TA for the fifth and sixth grade math class, an incredibly rewarding experience. And, more relevant to my degree, I got a ton of college credits. Since most of my graduation requirements were already filled, I ended the year with a boatload of transferable elective credits, as well as many of my college prerequisites filled as if I had taken the AP exams. For example, every student is required to take two writing courses, 1122 and 1133; Since I took an English class at BC, I only need to take the latter. Since I entered with so many spare credits, I easily have space for a third major. Hillside is a magical place. Its forest campus strengthened my love of the outdoors, and the student teacher community, small though it may be, is incredibly tight. By the time I graduated, I could truly call the teachers my friends, and I’m still in contact with people who graduated four years before me, and who will graduate many years after. By far, Hillside’s greatest strength is the relationships that students of all ages can form with one another. Older students truly serve as mentors to their underclassmen, and as someone who was fortunate enough to be on both sides of that dynamic, I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything in the world.
Submitted by parent on March 14, 2023

We believe one of the best gifts to give a child is for him/her to be confident in who they are... Hillside has created that environment. Our son has been at Hillside for four years (since 7th). Coming from public schools, our son was attracted to the strong interactions occurring between teachers and students at Hillside ("kids and teachers actually talk WITH each other, not to each other"). Due to its small size, it's not a fit for every kid, but our son plays sports at the public high school. Small class size means students must engage throughout the class. Students graduate with college-level writing skills; writing was a struggle for our son pre-Hillside, but now he chooses to do research papers! When asked, "why Hillside?" our son replied, "Imagine you have two friends; one is great...the other one makes you want to be a better person. THAT is Hillside."
Submitted by parent on March 17, 2022

Our son is currently in 6th grade at Hillside (his first year at the school), and it has been an excellent experience. For K-4th he attended a Catholic school in Seattle with mixed results. He is both highly gifted in terms of IQ and has ADHD. The Catholic school struggled to meet the needs of “twice-exceptional” kids like him, and it had a wide-spread bullying problem. He left there with his self-esteem in the gutter. For 5th grade, during COVID lockdown, we opted to homeschool, and then we discovered Hillside. Our son is now absolutely thriving. The academics and levels of homework are appropriate—they both interest and challenge him. All of the subjects are taught in such a way to foster strong analytical thinking skills and creative ideas. His teachers are skilled and compassionate. For after-school extracurriculars he has joined the school’s fencing team, drama club, and Model UN, and he loves all three. The five acre forested campus is another big bonus. Hillside is truly a hidden gem for families that want their children to learn how to be intellectual and capable independent thinkers. It’s an outstanding education without the social status/entitlement vibe of other private schools. For us, it’s well worth the drive from Seattle to see our son happy, blossoming, and working to his potential.
Submitted by parent on June 15, 2019

Caring, supportive teachers. Inclusive student community. Our son loved going to school every day.
Submitted by parent on December 19, 2017

My son attended Hillside for 5th grade through his 12th-grade year, attending classes at Bellevue College for Running Start. He bloomed as a student at Hillside. My daughter is now attending, and loves going to school every day. Both of them benefit immensely from the smaller class sizes, dedication of the staff, and creative atmosphere. Full disclosure: I am both a parent, and staff member (support staff); I often joke that I had children so THAT they could attend Hillside. It's been a privilege to work alongside such dedicated people, and have them guide my children. Their dedication has been an inspiration to me, and a motivation for my children.
Submitted by parent on March 16, 2017

My son spent four years at Hillside. He had a fabulous 5th grade and a mediocre 6th grade experience. His two years following were devastating academically and socially. The standards to which they taught were well below those of public school. He did no significant writing for those two years and received 0 feedback on the writing he did do. His math teacher was so inexperienced that when I asked why he was underperforming she was unable to even contemplate a reason. It was only through being that quintessentially pushy parent, demanding that they complete Algebra 1 by the end of 8th grade (only 2 out of the four kids in the class did), and by hiring two outside tutors to make sure he had adequate grasp of the material that he was prepared for 9th grade in public school. With other teachers it took intervention to enable home/school communication. The grading system is not kept up to date, yet they rely on that to inform parents. Hillside is a beautiful idea and I suspect that the high school program is stronger than its middle school offering. But a school is only as good as the teachers and/OR as good as its leadership. We encountered none of this at Hillside in the middle school (with the notable exception of drama). One of the most marked differences between last year and this year is the homework. The kids had a fairly heavy homework load at Hillside; much heavier than in 9th grade in a Bellevue public high school. And yet in terms of the learning that took place? Not even close. My son refuses to miss a single day of school because "he learns something every day in every class." Last it did not matter whether he was there or not. Finally, the leadership at Hillside is very inexperienced when it comes to community and building positive experiences between students and teachers. Despite its claim (and genuine desire I believe) to foster community, we (and others) encountered teachers who berated kids and tolerated socially unacceptable norms. The school has great promise but it is not realized in its middle school years.
Submitted by parent on May 11, 2016

My son is finishing his first year at Hillside. He is in the 5th grade and the growth he experienced this year is simply incredible. He comes out of school smiling. He willingly does his homework without being reminded. He takes pride in his work. He looks forward to learning. Sigrid and the rest of the team are truly special teachers who impart their love of learning to each and every student.
Submitted by other on November 04, 2015

Our son is currently attending Hillside for the second year. He is in the high school program. Since the age of 9 years old he has been fascinated with science. We could have "fast-tracked" him into a science heavy program. We felt that this was not the well-rounded education he needed. Hillside has been the well-rounded education we were looking for. He has become quite the programmer, writer, historian, Spanish speaker, artist and fencer.The staff is very gifted and dedicated. They have an enthusiasm for their jobs that is refreshing to see. With the small class sizes, they really get to know each student and can play to their strengths while helping them learn and grow. They see each student individually and are very invested in their education. We have always wanted our children to have a love of learning. At Hillside he is excited to go and learn each day. They have fostered that love of learning that is so important.
Submitted by parent on November 03, 2015

Both of our daughters have attended HSC following homeschooling after public school was a poor match for both of them. HSC encourages and supports them as people with unique gifts and both have flourished academically and gained confidence in many areas of their lives. The drama program is exceptional, and art is really emphasized in addition to a great college-prep curriculum. Can't say enough good about this place!
Submitted by other on November 01, 2015

Hillside Student Community School is a small school, and with all the benefits you would expect from a small school. The student-teacher ratio is excellent, allowing teachers the freedom and opportunity to work closely with each student. Hillside provides a safe environment that encourages each student to express their individuality. Hillside fosters personal development and teaches students to advocate for themselves. Hillside's drama program is excellent, and all students participate at some level. It's a very positive experience for all students and parents.
Submitted by principal on October 05, 2015

I recently learned that Hillside was rated one of the top ten private schools in Washington State for 2015 by niche.com, based on SAT test scores, the rigor of the colleges graduates attend and student feedback about Hillside's program. This news is not surprising. This is a rare school where the teachers and administrators teach by example and embody what they value -- kindness, genuine curiosity and passion in their subject area, a strong work ethic and willingness to go the extra mile -- be it on the behalf of a student or a coworker. Students follow suit, and In this atmosphere of trust, they relax, focus, grow and excel. This is a great school and these are lucky kids.
Submitted by parent on April 03, 2015

Hillside has been fantastic for both my girls. I can't say enough about how it has changed their lives and completely prepared them for university. Both girls have loved going to school every morning for over five years of attendance. It's a place of acceptance and tons of humor and good cheer. In addition, the academics have been fantastic. My kids can write papers without stressing. My girls have been very supported in math/algebra/calculus with class sizes of 1 to 7 kids. If they fell behind, the teacher immediately jumped on it and helped them catch up. The drama program is unequalled to any other program anywhere. Also, I like the leadership of the school. I have seen so much fun, knowledge, kindness, moral behavior, wisdom, and excellence in their own field by the teachers. My oldest daughter attended Newport High School and I lament that we did not know about Hillside School when we were deciding where to send her because the preparation for university from Hillside far surpasses Newport High School
Submitted by parent on March 03, 2015

We highly recommend Hillside Student Community for parents and students looking for a more integrated model of learning. Both of our daughters thrived there with small classrooms, caring teachers and engaging lessons. They both also enjoyed the outstanding drama department and grew as critical and creative thinkers in Hillside's supportive, in depth learning environment. Hillside is a wonderful alternative to the big classroom, busy work approach to schooling and offers respect for the different learning styles and personalities of the students.
Submitted by student on March 03, 2015

Hillside for me was a safe place to explore language, culture and identity (creative writing, Spanish language, history), nature (access to outdoors, biology) and community (friends, teachers, small classes). Safe, however, should not imply that I wasn't pushed or stretched to grow... internal growth was indeed constant! My teachers seemed always aware of the students and our unique challenges and gifts, and drew on those differences in supporting the community's growth. Larger projects like the Medieval and Renaissance Feasts really showed me (and, I believe, our families) how hard work paired with close study of an individual (or narrow subject matter) can result in a beautiful and deep appreciation for history! Singing songs in myriad languages on the short but sweet bus ride up the Hill is one of my fondest memories of my youth. Thank you to my teachers, mentors and classmates! Keir W
Submitted by parent on February 20, 2015

Hillside provides a rigorous college preparatory curriculum, but in a very warm and supportive manner. There is rarely more than 8 students in a class. This allows for some very close interaction among students and teachers, and for some really lively discussions. When I visit the school, it is not uncommon to find teachers and students seated in sofas -- just like talking in very comfortable living room. No student can just "hide" in this type of environment. The school has a great liberal arts program -- including fine arts, drama, creative writing, literature, etc. The objective is to make sure any student is able to do high level analysis/reasoning, really solid writing skills, learn how to take risks, how to react to failures, and exponentially increase expressive language. Then, the student is supposed to explore his/her own potential in an independent manner -- including more advanced STEM focus. By 12th grade, all students are taking exclusively college level classes -- and quite successfully. Personally, I think the secret of Hillside's success is to create a very supportive environment among the students.
Submitted by parent on July 03, 2013

I have 2 daughters who attended Hillside for several years before they had to leave due to our moving out of the area. Hillside was a fabulous experience for them, and they were sad to leave the school. Both girls got an excellent education with tons of individual attention and very small classes. The teachers care about each student and are responsive to each student's individual needs, strengths and weaknesses. They spend a lot of time on each student. For example, the high school humanities teacher spends hours going over all writing assignments from his students with copious comments and revisions and really teaches them how to write. Best of all, Hillside nurtures each student's individual gifts. They place great importance on everyone in the community treating each other with kindness, respect and appreciation for who each person is, and there is no expectation like in many public schools to conform. Everyone is accepted for who they are. As far as how students treat each other, bullying is absent, as is exclusive behavior. All that plus rigorous, high quality academic instruction.My husband and I heartily recommend Hillside.
Submitted by other on May 24, 2013

Going to Hillside was a phenomenal experience that prepared me for all aspects of life intellectually, creatively, and inter-personally. I still maintain connections with most of my piers and teachers from my time there. Truly a wonderful place, and one that not only nourished and readied me for the best colleges and academic pursuits, but taught me to become an involved member of my community and hugely enrich my life.
Submitted by other on May 21, 2013

I'm a Hillside Alumni. I was there from 4th grade (they no longer have 4th grade) to graduation. As a 3rd grader coming from a terrible public school experience, Hillside was exactly what I needed. The teachers and staff genuinely care about the students. I felt safe and looked out for by not only the staff and teachers, but students as well. These are the kind of people you want your kids around. I was struggling with school confidence and I was able to get the 1:1 help I needed to help with the school subjects I was lacking in at the time and my personal confidence too. If your child goes into the upper school grade levels, they will learn how to write a quality college paper. I graduated from BC (AA degree) and UW (BA degree) and was amazed how a scary portion of my peers didn't know how to write a quality paper. I helped edit a lot... Other graduates from Hillside (who are still my best friends today) also experienced this at their college. There are at least 3 more qualities I wish I could list that I loved about it but I'm rapidly running out of room. So to sum up, if you're not sure. Win and doubt check it out.
Submitted by parent on May 21, 2013

Looking for the next step after Seattle Country Day for our two daughters my wife and I knew what we wanted in a school, but not where to find it. It was important that both go to the same school. One was very strong in math but needed help with her writing. The other was the exact opposite. We were looking for a strong foundation in basic skills, not frills or current educational fads. Although I was initially very skeptical based on the size and appearance of the campus by the end of the first year both my wife and I were completely won over. Hillside has a gifted teaching staff that offers a flexible approach and attention to each individual student, meeting them at their current level. While the small size of the student body does limit some opportunities it also promotes a level of cooperation, respect, individual responsibility and tolerance that won't be found in more conventional schools. If looking for a school today we would make the same choice. Involvement with the running Start program is a plus. The results speak for themselves- the older daughter is a mechanical engineering major at Stanford, the younger a biology/anthropology double major at Bowdoin.
Submitted by parent on May 12, 2013

The curriculum of this school is exceptionally demanding, but also the teachers are incredibly warm! My child is very confident and supported by his peers. This school is a hidden gem for any student who is interested to achieve their very own best.