The Little School

2812 116TH AVE NE

Bellevue, WA 98004

28 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-5
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on September 02, 2021

We have had the best experience at The Little School (TLS). My son completed kindergarten last year, and whenever I saw him on campus he was always so happy. He felt comfortable running around and saying hi to all of his friends, teachers, specialists, and the administration. After being at TLS for a few months, I noticed a change in his personality - it was the happiest I have ever seen him. He gained confidence and was genuinely having a blast.The community at TLS is caring and supportive. Even with COVID constraints, I feel a strong connection to the other families, teachers, and head of school. The faculty knows every singe child's name - and their parents' names too! The head of school, Julie Kalmus, is an amazing leader. She is organized, transparent, and communicative, and did / is doing a masterful job managing the school through the COVID pandemic.Additionally, the teachers are fabulous. They keep the students engaged, and they make learning fun - from math and science to environment, movement, and music.Lastly, the school is on 12.5 acres, and the faculty does an incredible job of enabling the kids to take full advantage of an outdoor learning environment.We feel lucky that our kids are at TLS, and you will, too.
Submitted by parent on January 05, 2021

My son has attended The Little School for 3 years (2nd-5th) and I really can't say enough about this incredible school community! He was warmly welcomed into the school from the first day, and has known that he is truly a valuable member of his learning community every day since. The small class sizes, outdoor learning opportunities, progressive educational model and continuous social emotional learning have come together to create the best learning environment possible for my son. He is excited to go to school every day, and I feel so confidant in the teachers and staff to guide him as he prepares for the next steps into middle school.
Submitted by parent on March 18, 2019

The Little School (TLS) is the BEST pre-K through 5th grade school in the Puget Sound region. This school is accepting of the individuality of each student, and is passionate about creating a learning environment that focuses as much on social-emotional learning (SEL) as on traditional academics. Neurodiversity and learning differences are celebrated and welcomed. The word "inclusion" is central to the school's ethos. Many schools talk up SEL nowadays -- TLS has been a pioneer in SEL and progressive education for 60 years! In other words, they helped create the concept of SEL and are ahead of the curve on it, not trying to catch up to this "trend." If you want your child to become a better citizen and to learn how to navigate complex social environments, learn to think critically, and not be burdened by tests and homework that have not been proven to be beneficial to early childhood education, TLS is the best choice for your family. My only guilt in sending my kids to TLS is that I feel every child should have the opportunity to go to a school such at TLS.
Submitted by parent on February 13, 2018

We are so glad we found this school!! Investing in private school was a big decision for us, but one that felt right for many reasons. So we looked at and visited a few different schools in our area, and The Little School was the perfect combination of a school that we thought could meet our son's educational and social/emotional needs. And now, almost a year into our time here, I can honestly say that I know we made the right decision!Probably the biggest indicator of that is that my children love going to school. And they're learning a ton, without even realizing it! I have a preschool aged daughter and and an elementary aged son, and when I hear my daughter doing "self-talk" (a social emotional concept they learned at school to help them stay on task or work through something challenging) or listen to my son describe how he signed up to do an [art, Spanish, library...] workshop during one of his lunch outside times, I can see the wheels spinning. And, for my son especially, the other side is coin is just as important to me -- he's gifted and could easily become one of "those kids" who sits and does academic work at every turn, but at TLS at least half the week he's now out playing a pick-up hockey game with his friends after lunch. And the past few weeks he's been having beyblade (spinning Legos, for lack of a better description) competitions with his friends -- where was a school like this when I was kid? Because the notion that he's learning self-direction, healthy competition, and physics all while having a blast is simply amazing to me.And lastly, because I could probably go on and on, as a parent walking on to the 12-acre wooded campus everyday I can feel my nervous system settle and know it impacts my children and their friends as well. To have that sort of daily interaction with nature (not to mention that both my kids adore the outdoor ed teacher and always seem to have really cool project going on in the great outdoors) is so good for them and something that's hard to replicate in any other way.
Submitted by parent on December 29, 2017

The school has nice grounds and seems to be a good school overall. My concern is with responsiveness of the admission office. Previous admission director, Barb, was slow to respond but at least she was responding to emails with some delay. The new admission director, Regan, responded to one of my questions not really providing an answer and then just stopped responding all together. With such a bad experience with admissions, we decided not to apply to this school this year.
Submitted by parent on November 20, 2017

After having our child here for a year, he learned very little and is now a year behind others in his grade level. The classroom environment was unruly and poorly managed by the teacher, and the head of school seemed to care more about hollow emails touting the school's hyper-progressive culture than about incorporating parents' feedback to improve the school curriculum. Though the school grounds appear impressive initially, up through grade 3 the children are only allowed to play in the small area behind each classroom. Overall we probably would have been better off sending our son just about anywhere but here.
Submitted by parent on August 26, 2017

The director of enrollment, Barb, departed this year seemingly for personal growth reasons and an out of state move. Following her departure, though, a series of dramatic shifts followed that cause one to question what may have been behind that move. Historically TLS has been a school that grouped children based on style and ability and didn't call out traditional grade levels. Parents are acclimated to having a student in "Steve's class" without it being articulated clearly whether that is K, 1st, or some other mixed 1st/2nd or K-1st group levels. This year, after class lists were announced, levels were for the first time called out. Presumably a shift in the direction to receiving school voucher funds at some future time. While the school offers an idyllic setting and warm and creative teachers, student experience will depend heavily on whether they are placed with an appropriate peer group and teacher style match. Once these decisions are made, they are final, and parents are not invited to weigh in. With the announcement of "grade levels," the student placement bubble takes on a new flavor. Parents be prepared - your student may or may not advance to the next "grade," or may skip a "grade," and you will not be party to these decisions. Don't fool yourself that the ~$20k you contribute to have your student there buys you the ability to have a role in your student's educational decision making - it doesn't. Stick to a public school where your advocacy may actually make a difference.
Submitted by parent on January 02, 2017

After an uninspiring year at our local (highly ranked) elementary school, we decided to find a school that our kids wouldn’t dread going to each day, and found The Little School. Fast forward five years, and we not only have our oldest still at The Little School, but our younger kids go there as well….and they all love school. Our nine-year-old can’t wait to tell us what he did at school each day! Because of the small classes, the teachers and staff members get to know each child well and can support and challenge each kid at an appropriate level. There is also a strong sense of community, which is fostered by everything from all school events, to playing after school on the big field, to class get-togethers. The administration is extremely approachable and willing to meet and listen to parents. We’ve found that overall the teachers at TLS are excellent, though each come to the classroom with differing perspectives and styles. The school encourages kids to grow not only academically, but puts a lot of focus on social learning and fosters acceptance, team work, empathy, self-advocacy, confidence, and problem solving. As our oldest child is about to outgrow TLS and move on to middle school, we feel she has been well prepared for future success.
Submitted by parent on October 31, 2015

Our son's application process was a breeze thanks to Barb's quick scheduling the tour and classroom visit. She also answered our questions promptly via emails and phone calls.Our son's teacher and teaching assistant are wonderful educators, creating a loving and engaging environment that makes him feel safe and motivated.The school is a tight community, always having school or class events to bring families together.At drop-off and pick-up each day, the principal, teachers, and other staff take turns helping the students getting off or on the cars. We do really feel like a family.Parents have a chance to sit in their child's classroom during the teacher-parent conference weeks.The school is beautifully nestled in woods and meadows. It enjoys large areas of playgrounds, fields, and gardens. Students have plenty of opportunities to explore nature.Field trips are scheduled as well. Our son's class just had a field trip to Seattle Art Museum which they liked so much.The school has excellent after school programs taught by the teachers or other professionals. The extended day service is a great help for those parents who work full-time and those who cannot show up at the pickup time occasionally.When our son asked to go to school on Saturday night, we know he really likes his school. We are glad that we've found this peaceful and loving school for him to learn and thrive.
Submitted by parent on October 28, 2015

The Little School is an amazing place for children to grow and learn. We started our son in his (very highly rated and ranked) neighborhood school for his first year – and it was “okay.” Then we moved him to the Little School for his second and now third year and he is blooming – happy, engaged, talking, making friends, sharing, telling stories. If you want your child to have a true education about people, society, and life – in addition to the academics – then you should seriously consider The Little School. The curriculum includes art, stories, culture, math, science, reading, and recess time. The instruction method is through discussion, demonstrations, projects, experiments, and group learning. The kids learn from each other, the teacher, the TA, and the staff. The teachers and staff engage with each child directly, and adapt their teaching styles and the pace to fit what each child seems to need. Our over-riding goal for our son is that he keeps alive his curiosity about the world and he drives himself to learn more and develop and reach his own goals. We are confident that The Little School is the best place for him to be during his elementary years and the people there are the best ones to help him us and him.
Submitted by parent on October 26, 2015

This is our first year at The Little School and we are beyond overjoyed. I spent nearly two years looking into schools for our now almost 5 years olds twins. I searched schools that were not just amazing for preschool, but also for elementary/upper elementary. When I first stepped on the campus, I had a sense of peace. As I toured the school and spent the time in the classrooms, I felt like the learning process was the most organic, natural way of learning. We are now a month and a half into school and the social, emotional, and academic development my twins are experiencing is shocking. They eagerly and effortless make it to school every day and are somewhat sad on Saturday and Sundays that there is no school. When I pick them up, there excitement is contagious and their pure love and joy for their day is so transparent. I am so grateful for the entire staff at the school- they have all been so welcoming and forthcoming with all aspects of their school. I highly recommend The Little School to all families.
Submitted by parent on October 22, 2015

My kids have been students at The Little School for several years. I love the small class sizes, which have given my kids the opportunity to be truly known by teachers and staff. Teachers can (and do) tailor the curriculum to the needs and interests of their students. When a class is fascinated by a particular topic (e.g. space, dinosaurs, Egypt), the teacher uses that interest as a way to explore all sorts of subjects (e.g. math, reading, science, art, music). Since the kids care about the theme of the lessons, they spend more time on and are more invested in their lessons than I've seen in other elementary-aged kids.Teachers are very responsive to the needs of the individual kids in their classes. Lessons are taught in many different ways - with conversation, exploration, and movement to name a few. Classrooms are set up in a way that allows kids to have some autonomy and take ownership of their learning. I'm continually impressed by the depth of caring and intentionality evident in every aspect of The Little School. My kids have had the opportunity to grow and learn in an environment that nurtures their inherent love of learning. I'm grateful for our years as a TLS family.
Submitted by parent on October 11, 2015

I totally agree with the last review about chaos at The Little School. We’ve been at The Little School for four years. Every year, they let go 3-4 of the older/experienced teachers and replace them with new hires from outside the school. They only have 13 teachers so this turns out to about a 30% turnover each year. Of our daughter’s four teachers, three are gone. Pretty crazy and not sure how you maintain a culture with this kind of ongoing change. I encourage any new families to ask questions about this situation.
Submitted by parent on August 02, 2015

The Little School (TLS) has been a wonderful place for our son’s social and academic development the past three years. TLS does what it advertises in terms of applying progressive education principles, including balancing academics and social-emotional development. Our son is knowledgeable, confident and curious, and he loves his school. We are very satisfied. I disagree with the post below from May 30, 2015. TLS is going through healthy, normal changes. The school does strategic planning every five years, as all thoughtful schools do, and which I believe may also be required for accreditation. Recently, TLS completed a new 5-year strategic plan and is implementing it. A summary of the strategic plan is on the school’s website. Further, it is misleading to say TLS has had three heads of school (HOS) in six years—one could just as easily say there have been three HOS over the past 21 years, and only five since the school’s inception 55 years ago. The current head of school is excellent and is going into his sixth year. Finally, check out the latest research on social-emotional learning and you’ll understand why TLS prepares children for success in life.
Submitted by parent on May 30, 2015

The Little School is going through a time of disruptive transition. They seem to be trying to “find” and reposition themselves. The Little School is on its third head of school in six years and the chaos shows. These are facts. Of course, The Little School has a right to put whatever spin on this they want, but I wish we had known to ask before we started attending.
Submitted by parent on May 17, 2015

The Little School has been a wonderful place for my daughter with Autism Spectrum Disorder. She is in her fifth year here, and has grown and thrived with the personal caring and attention given to her by the teachers and staff at TLS. As a family we have appreciated that the school focuses, every year, on creating a classroom that supports each student while inspiring a cohesive whole group. TLS is a place where the kids' diverse needs are, thankfully, a priority.
Submitted by parent on March 30, 2015

Dear Fellow Parents, if your child has any learning difficulties or diagnoses like ADHD or autism, your child is NOT welcome at TLS. My child has an autism diagnosis (very mild). She is highly verbal and good natured. She is not aggressive, disruptive nor loud. She responds well but needed some extra guidance and attention with learning. Isn't that why people put their child in private school? I applied to TLS for the low teacher student ratio. Foolishly, I disclosed her diagnosis thinking honesty is best. But TLS only saw the diagnosis, the scarlet "A". They said she "wouldn't be a good fit" and they "didn't have the resources she needed". That is utter b.s. We never asked for, expected, or needed extra resources. We only wanted a small class size. They didn't even bother to meet her. TLS says it's about "Progressive Education" and inclusive to people from different backgrounds. They say they let the child develop at their own pace. Last time I checked, people with disabilities, learning difficulties and autism are part of our community and deserve to be included in your $19,000+ annual tuition cost. I write this is complete truth. It is discrimination. Shame on you TLS.
Submitted by other on April 24, 2014

The Little School, 2812 - 116 Avenue NE Bellevue,WA.98004. The Little School is a great place for a child to learn and grow It has a well rounded curriculum which life skills, art and nature and the environment. I am so happy to that my grandchild attends this school.
Submitted by parent on March 07, 2014

The Little School is beyond outstanding. Our daughter has attended The Little School for 6 years (is now 11 years old), and we could not be happier with her education or the school's learning environment. Every teacher is incredibly strong and supportive, and the school fosters a tremendous sense of confidence, community, and caring within the students. There is meaning and purpose in the curriculum, and our daughter has learned so much - not only the basics in math, science, literature - but also about the world, environment, communities, and responsibility. The Little School encourages independent thought and discussion among students, which has led our daughter to a love of school and passion for learning. Our daughter has not wanted to miss a single day of school since she started. We could not have asked for a better foundation for our daughter's growth, education, and development. She will go on to be incredibly successful in middle school and beyond, thanks to The Little School.
Submitted by parent on March 07, 2014

I cannot say enough great things about this school. My son went to The Little School from age 4 to age 11. He is now in middle school, thriving, successful, and more than adequately prepared by The Little School. Not only is he doing well in his classes, but he is a compassionate, confident, adaptable, community and service-oriented kid -- which may be unusual for typical middle schoolers, but not at all unusual for Little School alums. Careful not to be swayed by negative comments listed in the Feb 15 "The School Has An Interesting " post. Do your homework and shop around for the right school. If you do choose The Little School, there is a high probability you will love it! No really! Something like 95% of parents are highly satisfied with their experience year after year! It is a school and community like no other in the area.