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Reviews
Submitted by parent on January 24, 2025
Montlake Elementary is truly a gem in the community. From the moment you walk through the doors, it´s clear that this school prioritizes not only academic excellence but also the well-being and happiness of its students. The teachers and staff are incredibly dedicated, creating a warm and supportive environment where every child feels valued and encouraged to thrive. The staff are more than just educators, they´re mentors and role models who take the time to understand each child´s unique strenghts and challenges. One of the standout features of Montlake is its outstanding art program. The school places a strong emphasis on creativity, and students have ample opportunities to explore various art forms, from painting and sculpture to music and writing. In addition, the students are offered a variety of sports and physical activities throughout the school year, encouraging them to stay active, develop teamwork skills and build healthy habits.What really sets Monlake apart, though, is the sense of community. Families are actively involved in school events, fundraisers, and classroom activities, which creates a strong bond between the school and the neighborhood.
Submitted by parent on October 27, 2023
Over the school years, we've really come to think of the Montlake Elementary family as a second home. Our neighbors attend the school and teach at the school. There is a really strong emphasis on community, social emotional learning, and art, along with stellar teaching in core subjects as well. The administration is caring and responsive. We love attending our neighborhood school!
Submitted by parent on September 05, 2023
Administration is communicative, thoughtful, and listens. Teachers are dedicated, well trained and supported by the school community. An engaged and supportive surrounding community helps to further the school’s impact and quality of education.
Submitted by parent on August 09, 2021
The school tends to produce happy, well-adjusted kids, but academics are certainly a second priority here. We've personally liked each of our child's teachers, but feel that the teaching level has consistently been about a year below our expectation (I went to a rural school in Washington--my expectations really aren't that high). Reading curriculum, particularly, seems to be the weakest link. The spelling approach tends to be "spell as you like... write more and it will come". I'm not convinced this is productive at our child's age--seems more likely to build lasting bad habits. Given the affluence of the neighborhood, you would certainly expect much more, academically. Parents are highly involved, but I see very few of them agitating for more educational rigor. There's almost no homework to speak of, and the few worksheets that come home are either simplistic, or confusing, with obvious errors. In many ways, the online learning the children experienced during the pandemic was superior, because they could move past the grade level expectation and work at more challenging levels. That said, the teachers are nice, and most of the kids appear to get along well, i.e. they build a good community.
Submitted by parent on May 08, 2019
10 we have had a wonderful experience at Montlake. I wish our child could have stayed here. But, we moved due to our area we were living in. Teachers, Principal and staff make every effort to help guide each child toward a strong education foundation. As well as making them accountable when issues come up that they have been responsible for. Our child is a minority and never experienced racism. She just felt like a kid at school and nothing more.
Submitted by parent on May 22, 2016
This is a wonderful school made up of a tight-knit community of very involved families. The PTA pays for additional teachers/programs. Our daughter especially loves the art teacher and greenhouse classes. Homework is a fair amount with "optional" pieces for students who want to do more. Teachers ask for parent feedback and listen/adjust accordingly. We could not be happier and love this school.
Submitted by parent on May 14, 2016
I think this schools rating is inflated because it's in an affluent community, parents have money to spend on good pre-school and after school study. Facilities are terrible. Homework is a joke and I don't believe it's ever reviewed. I keep finding unfinished homework in my daughters backpack and her teacher never requests it. This isn't just one teacher, has been happening across many grades.
Submitted by parent on January 04, 2016
My son has blossomed in this school. The teachers are absolutely wonderful. Particularly Ms. Lee. The school has great energy and a very special feel to it.Frederica Jansz.
Submitted by parent on November 17, 2010
Outstanding school. As good if not better than just about all the elementary schools in Seattle including the private schools. Rigorous academics. Outstanding reading, writing and math programs. Before and after school foreign languages, Math challenge, chess club, music. A very high proportion of children testing well enough to join APP programs remain at Mtlke, because level of instruction is equal. The children are well prepared for middle school. It's also a true neighborhood school well supported throughout a very highly educated community. A gem.