Pacific Crest School

600 Northwest Bright Street

Seattle, WA 98107

5 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK, K-8
Type

private

Find Homes for Sale in this School Zone

Reviews

Submitted by other on January 26, 2023

I've had the privilege of being both a student and a staff member at Pacific Crest, and I can confidently say that it is an exceptional learning community. As a student, I was able to grow academically, socially, and emotionally in a supportive and challenging environment. The teachers and staff were dedicated to helping me reach my full potential, and I am grateful for the positive impact they had on my life.As a staff member, I've been able to witness firsthand the dedication and passion that the teachers and staff bring to their work every day. The school's commitment to providing a well-rounded education for students is evident in the academic, extracurricular, and community engagement opportunities available.Overall, I highly recommend Pacific Crest to anyone looking for a high-quality, nurturing Montessori learning environment. It's been a privilege to be a part of such a wonderful community, and I am proud to be associated with this school.
Submitted by parent on January 11, 2021

We have had 2 children here for coming on 6 years now and we absolutely love it. Through the pandemic PCS has done an amazing job at 'reinventing the wheel' for Montessori at home learning, which is no small feat considering how hands on Montessori is. The school has an amazing panel of experts in the fields of science and medicine helping guide our community safely through this crisis. Despite the pandemic PCS has manage to offer in person learning for the youngest group of children, and small groups of outdoor in person learning for the older children most weeks. The school has also done a wonderful job of supporting parents, and easing the burden of being the 'teacher'. My children (8 & 9) barely need me during their school day which is wonderful.Once some sort of normalcy comes back, the school farm is an incredible resource for children to learn about real life and the natural world. Even now they are trying to offer small family groups the availability to go and reconnect with the farm and help with farm work and just watching the seasons change. On top of all of this the school and parent community is wonderful. PCS has so many lovely school traditions, which allows us in times of wellness to all come together and celebrate. From Summer and winter solstice, to celebrating the Sumer bounty at the farm. Highly recommend.
Submitted by parent on December 16, 2020

Pacific Crest School creates a thoughtful, thought-provoking environment that supports the academic engagement, happiness, health and safety of each child. While many schools talk of supporting the whole child, Pacific Crest truly and authentically walks the walk. The prepared environment at Pacific Crest includes beautifully curated classrooms and access to the school farm on Vashon Island. The opportunities for the students to explore and learn independently abound, supporting the child in reaching their full potential as responsible and engaged citizens of the world. The teachers are truly masterful at guiding students to independent learning opportunities that allow them to feel a sense of pride and mastery in their work. They fuel curiosity and allow the children to thrive academically (vs leading or directing children to achieve academically). The nurturing and compassionate community - across the classrooms, from all of the teachers and staff, throughout the parent community - is truly a spectacular thing to experience. I continue to marvel at the support our family received after suffering a great loss very soon after joining PCS. It's hard to put to words what an impact the school made on our lives - by meeting our child where he was (i.e. offering one-on-support, additional time outdoors, emotional support) and by rallying to support our family (i.e. organized meal trains, running of errands, emotional support). The supportive community has been lovingly cultivated over decades, and at the risk of sounding hokey, there is something magical about it. We are so lucky to be a part of it.
Submitted by parent on May 12, 2019

We have 3 children at the school and each child with it's different strengths and challenges is thriving at the school. Each classroom experience has been nothing but supportive, engaging, stimulating for each of our children.The amazing school farm on Vashon Island, which is a great learning experience for the students adds to the fantastic curriculum.
Submitted by parent on November 28, 2015

We've been with PCS for the past six and a half years. At the end of the school year my girls will be leaving with fond memories, and we'll miss the staff and school quite a bit. My older daughter will be graduating eighth grade and moving on (in a ceremony that will be filled with tears, smiles, laughs, and hugs from the teachers as much as the students). Our family is moving, so our younger daughter will be moving to a school closer to our new home. Her new school will have some very large shoes to fill!!My older daughter has thrived in a Montessori environment since kindergarten. We love the focus on the child, on more than just math and science (while not slouching on either of those), the responsibility the children have for their own school and classroom, and the community feel of a good Montessori school; which Pacific Crest most definitely is. We feel our older daughter is ready for whatever high school has to throw at her, and she has plans to pursue STEM going forward, hopefully at Stanford or another great university.Our younger daughter has ADHD and so in a traditionally classroom she would not do as well. She'd be labeled "disruptive" or "bad", and it's quite possible the school would be pushing for medication (we may still medicate, we don't know, but it will be a decision based within our family, not pushed from the school). In a Montessori primary/early childhood classroom there is enough movement that her school day is not bothered by her inability to hold still. If she can't focus she can move to another activity. Her teacher noticed ways to help her cope a little better, all without singling her out as different. Our love for this Montessori principal and ideals is steering us toward another Montessori school closer to our new home.We will miss Pacific Crest. We'll leave it, but it will never leave us completely. I've met one or two families who found that the Montessori ideas didn't work for them, and that's fine, but the majority of Pacific Crest families and students are thrilled with their choice. If you're considering it, please definitely do.