St. John School

120 North 79th Street

Seattle, WA 98103

25 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by student on September 04, 2022

horrible it has gaven me ptsd and i have been bullied many times.
Submitted by parent on November 05, 2017

It is a solid neighborhood school. Not great, but you get what you pay for and we aren't paying Lakeside level tuition here. It's not worth driving from Shoreline or Capitol Hill to go here, but if you are within walking distance it is a solid choice. You will see a major portion of the school repeating the Catholic schools path their parents did: St. John > Blanchet > Gonzaga, which isn't a bad path but is really just kind of OK (Blanchet is really no better than Ballard High School). The curriculum is a little heavy on the soft stuff (art and music) which, in my opinion, should be relegated to extra-curricular after about grade 5 to free up more classroom time for core academic subjects. Spanish has been a low point up until this year when they changed the schedule to offer it year-round to middle school (how can anyone retain Spanish skills when you only teach it a few weeks out of the year? why bother?) Most teachers are very committed, skilled, and care about the students and their families. There are definitely some under-performing teachers and staff members who perplexingly remain in place year after year, but that's probably true of any school where you are paying less than 15k for tuition at this level. The school also fails to really progress in terms of trying newer techniques enabled by recent advances in technology such as flipping the classroom and classroom response systems. They don't even support students turning in work electronically and teachers often do not know how to operate the technology in their own classroom. The science teacher has a massive fancy telescope a parent gave him which he has not even figured out how to use -- what a wasted opportunity. Again, a decent school but a bit stuck in methods from 15+ years ago. And I will agree with the other reviewer: some of the moms are quite cliquey, judgmental, and obnoxious.
Submitted by parent on July 30, 2017

Our family has been so blessed by the St John school and community. Our daughter has had a wonderful experience with her teachers, other students and administrators. We have felt very supported during our time here. The school and curriculum has been wonderful for her education this far. We noticed an immediate difference in her abilities after just a few months.
Submitted by parent on March 16, 2015

St. John is a tremendous school. The educational standards are well-designed and supported by the curriculum, which leads to students performing extremely high against national averages. My second grader has been challenged beginning in kindergarten and though the effort and time required can be significant, it is very much worth it. Just as important, the administration, from front desk, to admissions, to the principal and VP, are an efficient, compassionate, and highly effective team that runs the school incredibly well. Supporting the school itself is the St. John Parish and wider community, which is full of helpful, caring folks who are ready and empowered to cooperate, collaborate, and do great things for the school/parish. And then there is Fair Share tuition. St. John's is the only private school I'm aware of that runs this program, enabling families of all economic backgrounds to take advantage of St. John's stellar program.
Submitted by parent on March 07, 2015

Very disappointing. Poor academics and pompous moms. Busy parents who work and unable to volunteer are excluded, so are their children. We had friends coming to one of the social events in school and they were appalled by the whole "stepford wives" atmosphere. Very poor history, math, literature education. School unable or unwilling to deal with problem kids who make so many other children miserable , probably because their parents bring in more money. I will never recommend this school to anyone. We will just try to forget what a horrible experience we had there.
Submitted by parent on November 13, 2014

St John has been a very positive academic experience for our daughter. This year in middle school has been particularly good due to the way math classes are organized; which have allowed for all around smaller class sizes and more individualized, targeted attention. Socially, we have found the St John community to be very warm and welcoming.
Submitted by parent on October 30, 2014

We highly recommend St. John School. It is a great place for families who want their children to have a supportive and challenging academic environment while surrounded by a warm and welcoming community. We originally looked at other public and private school options in the area before selecting St. John. The excellent academic reputation, strong community and caring faculty and staff drove us to choose St. John. We have been very happy with our choice.
Submitted by parent on July 04, 2014

All these glowing reviews posted on the same day strike me as weird. It seems like there was a campaign for a group of hand picked people to write positive reviews. It makes you wonder why. Our smart, social kids had a hard time at this school. They are completely different but both ran into social issues which the school couldn't solve. We tried to stick it out because the academics are good. The social environment is cutthroat even in the younger grades with helicopter parents volunteering in the classrooms and working in the office and using the information they gather to spread gossip about children. Even Kindergarteners. When my easygoing, sensitive , perceptive and incredibly kind 2nd grader's best friend was told by her parents not to play with my kid at recess by her parents because they felt their kid should have more popular friends that was the last straw for us. If you can put up with this kind of stuff your kids can get a good education here. Everyone told us we would run into similar problems if we left because that's just how parents are these days, but that isn't true. We haven't seen anything like it since and our kids are happy and have lots of friends.
Submitted by parent on April 29, 2014

St John School is a breath of fresh air in this very fast paced, competitive and difficult world we are living in. They stand for what is important in life; love, faith, service and education. Kids are in a safe a loving environment and taught to make the right choices in life. They do not wear blinders but still are innocent. They have concern and empathy for each other along with people in need. They are challenged by meaningful school work. The teachers are at school because they want the kids to succeed. Parents participate and volunteer for events. Faith ties them all together. May St John continue to thrive and send responsible students into the world.
Submitted by parent on April 29, 2014

My school is a great community. It is a great place for kids who need challenged in school and equally a great place for kids who need extra help with school.
Submitted by parent on April 29, 2014

St. John School is a wonderful academic environment for my two daughters. They are very different learners and St. John's philosophy of love and support for all students who want a catholic education means that they receive all the support and challenges they need to thrive. The community is active, inviting and supportive. When you need them, they are there for you, 100%! The teachers are all wonderful, dedicated and committed to the school's mission. The K-8 model means students have continuity of learning and are known as individuals. Part of growing up is learning from your mistakes and I love that my kids will do that in a place where they are known and valued as individuals.
Submitted by parent on April 29, 2014

St. John is an excellent school because of it's amazing Principal, Vice Principal, teachers, staff & parent community. We highly recommend St. John School.
Submitted by parent on April 29, 2014

The school curriculum is excellent and rigorous. The teachers and staff have been great partners in our children's education and development. We highly recommend St. John School.
Submitted by parent on April 29, 2014

This school has fabulous teachers and reading and math specialists! They really take the time to help each student meet the standards at their own level.
Submitted by parent on April 28, 2014

My school is great because it meets the learning needs of both my daughters, one of which has learning disabilities. They have gone out of their way to help both my kids in all sorts of circumstances. The teachers are skilled and loving, compassionate and gifted.
Submitted by parent on April 28, 2014

St John has provided an excellent education for my daughter, and my son is still attending. Both children are learning good study habits that will serve them well in high school and college. I appreciate that in addition to academics, the school incorporates service opportunities and a sense of community and citizenship.
Submitted by parent on April 28, 2014

St John School and Community are an important part of our life. We have been there since preschool and I can say after these 6 years that I'm so glad I made the choice to send my children to St John. They are learning to be good people and also getting a top notch education. The teachers are amazingly dedicated and caring, well educated too. I value a Catholic education even more than I thought I would. The CYO sports teams have been great as well. The only thing I would change is the parking/neighborhood situation, it's hard to find a close spot to park a car during pick up time, especially if I am running late from work.
Submitted by parent on April 28, 2014

I can't say enough great things about St. John!! While it is very strong (and getting stronger) academically and has the most wonderful music program, the most incredible thing about the school is its sense of community. It doesn't matter if you've been here since your kids were in Preschool or just started at middle school, whether you are Catholic, another religion, or none, this community of faculty and parents is the best!
Submitted by parent on April 15, 2014

St. John provides an excellent, well rounded education for students grades K-8, both Catholic and non-Catholic. The school focuses both on academics and community, helping to guide the students on a path to becoming successful and aware citizens of the world. The community of St. John parents is very active on campus and volunteerism is taken seriously. All 4 of my children have attended St. John and I could not have been happier with the education they have received.
Submitted by parent on April 09, 2014

This is our first year at this school and we are in love! Teachers, parents and the community overall, make this a wonderful place for our family.