Cascadia School

4239 162nd Avenue Northeast

Redmond, WA 98052

37 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-5
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on May 28, 2024

Vanessa did this review too. I hope you like it.
Submitted by parent on August 31, 2023

We have been with Cascadia for 5 years (since Pre-K and have two more years to go) . We cannot be happier and love so many things about the school. The school focuses on the whole child. In other words they help with the kid's overall social emotional, character development and not just academics. Being a small school, we love the nurturing close knit community feel and the kids know all the teachers and students across all grades. We love the big playground where kids across all grades play, mingle and socialize with each other. The head of the school Mrs. Keeton knows the strengths and challenges of each student well and has their well-being and best interest in her heart. The amazing teachers partner closely with parents, share detailed progress reports twice a year and cater to the individual needs of each student. Our son has grown so much and Cascadia is his second home. We are deeply grateful to Cascadia and can't recommend the school enough.
Submitted by parent on June 24, 2023

Our child went to Cascadia for 7 years (pre-k through 5th grade). The teachers and staff are supportive and truly care about the children. It's a small community parents, teachers and students and everyone knows each other and you feel the support from the community. I have nothing but great things to say about Cascadia!
Submitted by parent on March 29, 2023

Cascadia provides a nurturing yet stimulating environment where my children feel completely at ease. Each child is encouraged to explore their interests and be their authentic selves. The teachers are truly dedicated to each child's growth and development, always willing to go above and beyond to help them reach their full potential. My children have been attending Cascadia since PreK and they both adore their school. They eagerly look forward to attending school every morning and return home with enthusiasm, eager to share their amazing experiences. I am deeply grateful to Cascadia for investing so much in my children's education and well-being.
Submitted by parent on January 22, 2023

Cascadia has been an amazing school for our children and we love the school! We have had two children at Cascadia over the last 7 years - our older daughter graduated to middle school at Lakeside last year and younger son is still at Cascadia. Both our kids love Cascadia and have gained not only strong academic skills but also developed a well-rounded character, high self-confidence and robust intellectual curiosity. The curriculum at Cascadia is rigorous and advanced compared to public schools. There is a lot of emphasis on building good reading, understanding and synthesizing skills through a structured approach. The school also promotes developing leadership and public speaking skills. Our kids have different learning styles and personalities - our daughter patient and organized, our son more passionate and eager. The teachers at Cascadia understand the individual needs of a child and encourage them to push themselves so everyone can succeed. For example - our son's second grade teacher understood the subtle personality traits of all the kids and knew how to channel them in the right way. Our son still talks about the 10-15mins he got to chat with her before the beginning of the school about skiing, her dog and other topics that he was interested in. Since he gets easily distracted, she gave him challenging problems after he finished his work to keep him occupied.Over the last 4 years after the school transitioned to a new Principal - Ms Keeton, we have seen it blossom even more. She has introduced novel ways to encourage kids to grow through debate club, monthly reading contest, science fair, Noetic math test prep and participation. Thanks to this strong foundation our daughter received at Cascadia, she is thriving at Lakeside both academically as well as in her leadership and public speaking skills. She uses all the soft skills and public speaking skills she learnt from Ms Keeton at the speaking/debate club even today. All in all, we have been very happy with Cascadia, have recommended the school to our friends who also send their kids there and would highly recommend it to parents looking for a place where their kids not only learn to excel academically but also in leadership and other personal growth areas.
Submitted by parent on December 03, 2022

We had a wonderful experience at this school for both of kids. It focuses on the whole child, and provides a great balance of rigorous academic education, excellent art / drama programs, emphasis on character building, and having fun. The teachers are all very wonderful and really love their job. Many teachers have been with the school for a long time. There is a great community among teachers and parents. We have experienced the transition of ownership during the time our kids were there. Even though the two owners have different styles, I respected them both highly for their principled approach to running school and their love for kids. The school navigated the COVID situation extremely well. They had the technology ready to quickly transition the entire school to online learning. As they brought the kids back to school, there were extremely buttoned up in all the requirement and testing measurement and communicated closely with the parents as the situation eases back to normal. I would highly recommend this school!
Submitted by parent on November 19, 2022

We loved Cascadia School! It enormously helped our son form a solid foundation academically and socially which boosted his confidence and leadership qualities.
Submitted by parent on October 18, 2022

Our son went to Cascadia and I must start by saying: this is exactly the institute that someone would want for their child. A mix of formal learning + hands on experience + a practical approach: Cascadia does make learning fun for the kids. The teachers are very communicative, have minimal (actually zero in our case) attrition and really develop that bond with their students. Our son had a great time in Cascadia, all the way from learning mathematics concepts to spelling tests to participating in the Walkathon to raise funds for a noble cause to having a water fight with the principal (after reaching their reading week hours) to visiting the zoo and learning about reptiles to creating his own mobile for the egg drop experiment. The staff takes real pride and joy in what they do and it can be seen in everything they do: the graduation ceremony, the theatre event, they real coach their students to bloom while having fun. Also, no other institution navigated Covid as well as Cascadia did: we had weekly communication, weekly rules sheets (which Cascadia was very strict about and rightly so) and daily updates on the situation; they really did an excellent job to ensure that they navigated Covid to provide the kids the social environment a school should.
Submitted by parent on October 12, 2022

Two of our children have attended Cascadia from K-4th grade. What the school managed to achieve during 2 yrs of the lockdown has been truly astounding. They ensured everyone’s wellbeing (physical via constant covid tests and emotional via letting children have a normal routine as much as possible). Teachers proactively communicate with the parents about all the goings-on.The current principal used to be a teacher at the same school, so its a big positive because she has a great relationship with her staff, the vendors and outside educators (like programming, arts, crafts) which is crucial to a child’s well rounded development. The parent community is helpful and feels empowered too. This is a great elementary school and you can be assured of a stable, enriching and positive environment for your child.
Submitted by other on October 11, 2022

Both our kids attended Cascadia, and we couldn't be more glad they did! We left the area, and moved our kids to another school recently.The school and staff do a great job balancing academic, social, extra-curricular and sport education. The campus is wonderful, the staff are caring and have built a close knit community with the parents and students. The way the school and staff navigated Covid-related challenges was great, and helped the children continue on their learning journey amidst chaos.We're glad our children got the strong foundation that they did while at Cascadia, and we miss our Cascadia family dearly!
Submitted by parent on October 11, 2022

Great great school. My son learnt to enjoy learning, being kind and respectful to himself and others. Learning was made fun but with a dedicated structure and discipline through this tenure at Cascadia from Pre-K through 1st grade. My son still missed his friends and teachers at school.
Submitted by parent on September 23, 2022

The newer ownership that took over the last few years has been a disaster. You can see a great decline in quality of teachers, administration, and school policies despite the continuing increase in tuition. The director is not an easy person to deal with and further reminded our family just how much this school has went downhill since our older child’s experience when Marilyn Franklin was still the owner. If you’re considering this school, be ready to be bombarded with a ridiculous amount of messages and updates up until late night.
Submitted by parent on September 22, 2019

We’ve had our daughter grow so much in the last 3 years she’s attended at Cascadia Montessori! Love the dedicated staff and great curriculum.
Submitted by parent on August 03, 2017

I want to share my wonderful experience at Cascadia Montessori School over the last 5 years. In our interview, Mrs. Franklin said that compared to the rest of the kids heading to K, my daughter was behind academically because of her delay in speech. (My daughter, Emily did not say the words "Mommy and Daddy" until 3.5 years old. Emily would point instead of talking.) Mrs. Franklin indicated that to help my daughter accelerate, parent involvement in the school and homework are essential, and her strict vacation policy is not negotiable. Nevertheless, Mrs. Franklin accepted Emily to Cascadia for K. Mrs. Franklin takes the time to talk to each parent on the progress of their child. If your kid is doing well, she will tell you. If you kid is doing poorly, whether it is academically, an attitude adjustment or something not right, she will tell you. She spends time with every child, knows their behavior, strength and areas for improvement. The kids in Cascadia are loved, they treat their teachers and classmates with respect. The kids do not use foul language in school or at home. They are happy, idealistic, safe and can be kids at this age. At the same time, they are learning so much. Each summer starting from pre-K to 3th grade, the kids are given packets for the summer so that they will retain the work and not have to spend 2 months re-learning the work in the fall. The kids learn to type in 1st grade and proficient by 3rd grade. The kids start to write 3 to 5 to 10 page-type stories and essays by 3rd grade. By the 4th grade, the kids writing proficiency at the middle-school level.Fast forward to the present, Emily is in 4th grade. She is intelligent, witty, a vivacious reader and writer, and extremely talkative. My husband and I really appreciate the attention and love Cascadia Montessori has shown to our daughter.
Submitted by other on April 22, 2017

Cascadia Montessori is very unique in every ways. When we first arrived at CMS 6 years ago, we were taken by its quietness and its old world charm. We were very impressed by how well the school was maintained by Mrs. and Mr. Franklin. Our decision of enrolling our daughter at CMS in pre- k was the best thing we did for our little girl.Cascadia Montessori provided a wonderful learning environment for our daughter. The school emphasized experiential learning, with a comprehensive yet flexible curriculum that has helped hone her mathematical and music skills, while also strengthening her communication and social skills. Math camps and coding classes allow her to challenge her math and analytical abilities. Music, drama and hip-hop classes are part of the regular school day and enable the musical and creative aspects of her personality to flourish. Cascadia has also gave our daughter a nurturing platform to grow socially and emotionally. The teachers are supportive and they feel like a part of our family. The teachers even take time out to attend concert performances outside of CMS. The classroom environment is intimate, with children of different age groups in the same class, and this has helped our daughter tremendously with her social development and leadership skills. Our daughter excelled at all the subjects taught at school. The curriculum covered helped her get good scores in the gifted programs in our district public school and she scored well in SSATs, an exam for placement in private schools. We were thrilled to know we had options to choose from to begin our journey for the middle school. Our daughter still calls Cascadia Montessori “my other home”.
Submitted by parent on January 31, 2017

The school principal is only interested in kids that will stay in her school forever. She is more interested in running as a business than the children .
Submitted by parent on November 10, 2016

Cascadia Montessori is a home away from home for the kids and parents. While it is very academic with a strong curriculum, the school is also very dedicated to the all rounded development of the child in all areas - moral values, social, physical and emotional growth. The school provides a very safe environment for the kids and with a small class size, the level of attention to each kid is noteworthy. The events and activities for the kids vary with class and age and provide a good opportunity for kids to learn and experience other aspects of education like theater, dance and camps (4th graders). The teachers and principal will go the extra mile to work with you on all aspects of your child's development and make the Cascadia journey and transition after fourth grade to another school easy for both the students and parents.
Submitted by student on November 09, 2016

Cascadia Montessori is a wonderful school. Our daughter is in 1st grade here and our son attended K and 4th grade. We were out of country during our son's 1-3 grades. After coming back to the country, there was no question in our mids where we sent the kids. The school surrounds the kids in an extremely nurturing, challenging and positive environment. We feel both our kids really enjoy going to school everyday and have flourished here. The school has a nice intimate setting, with a great student-teacher ratio. The teachers are extremely knowledgeable and both our kids like all the teachers they have had. We feel the school strives to bring out the best qualities in the kids. Also the principal and the staff were very helpful with our son's transition out of the school to 5th grade.
Submitted by parent on February 25, 2016

My youngest child attended Cascadia for just the 4th grade. It was hard for her to leave all her friends and the familiar routines of her previous school, but by December she was very well integrated. By June, she had formed many deeper and more lasting friendships than she had found in her three years at a private school three times larger. She was also well ahead academically and socially of where she would have been had she stayed at the old school. She is thriving now at a local prep school.Having had children at one Eastside public and three private elementary schools, Cascadia is hands-down my favorite. Both students and family are treated with respect. At all levels, expectations are high for academics and behavior. Even better, the staff actively work to enable the students to meet those expectations. They incorporate social-emotional learning, utilize a variety of learning styles and techniques, teach the kids to budget time and set mini-deadlines for extended projects, and so many other things. Cascadia doesn’t need parent volunteers to give spelling tests, file papers, or make photocopies, because the teachers have plenty of support and everything is well planned in advance. At Cascadia, parents chaperone small groups on field trips, chauffeur on library visits, serve as audience for student presentations on special projects, join in with annual events (Halloween party, holiday meal, etc.), and appreciate musical, theatrical, debate and other performances. And if you have a special talent or story, just ask and you’ll be invited to share it.Don’t be turned off by the small grade span at Cascadia (K-4th). When my oldest moved to private school, I thought that a K-8th grade school would be perfect: one admission process for eight years of school. But now I believe that K-4th or 5th is really better socially for the kids. 6th graders are totally different creatures than 1st graders, and both groups are better off when they don’t have to share staff, space, and rules of behavior. And the Cascadia staff are very experienced in helping parents and students with the transition to 5th grade at a new school.
Submitted by parent on January 08, 2016

Cascadia Montessori School in Redmond, WA is a great school. My daughter attended this school from Kindergarten to 4th Grade. It is a close knit community with small size class allowing the kids to bond well with the teachers and fellow students. The teachers were awesome, supportive and played a big role in bringing my child out of her shell. The students participated in a variety of group projects that helped them learn working with peers to problem solve. Focus is on providing a solid foundation in Math, reading and writing concepts. Apart from a well rounded academic program, the students enjoy field trips to the Seattle Children's Theater, Mercer Slough etc. My daughter enjoyed Hip-Hop, Music and Soccer and French. We are very happy for having had the opportunity to get to know CMS. Like all other reviews, our only regret is that it does not go all the way to 8th Grade.