West Blakely

Our child went here for 3 years. The level of teacher engagement and experience varied from year to year, but overall we found students are not held academically accountable for doing their work, learning, and communication throughout the year on your child's progress and work may also vary. One year communication from the teacher was non-existent and we had to keep asking to see some work. Another year was better, but still not truly representative of how he performed since starting to homeschool. We are now homeschooling. The test percentages on this page are surprising as well. Kids spend too much time on devices. Kids are told they cannot keep score during games at recess (may hurt someone's feelings), nor show joy or cheer if making a goal (may hurt someone's feelings), and don't run when playing tag. Christmas, Halloween, Mother's Day, Father's Day, etc are disregarded at this school. Prior principal explained to us that because a couple families may not like Halloween, nobody should partipate or wear costumes. This is not universal across all Bainbridge schools. Principal made this decision individually, disregarding parent opposition at the time. Yet, my kid tells me his teacher brought a small tree into class during December and made the class recite, "this is not a Christmas tree," when it obviously was. My kid looked around and said, "Yes, it is a Christmas tree." Too many inconsistencies at this school; however, the main disappointment was in the overall lack of academic excellence and accountability.

This school is one of a kind! My children have all adored their experiences at Madrona, both in the early childhood and grade school programs. They emerged more confident, curious, and kind, due in no small part to the strong bonds with their outstanding teachers. The Waldorf approach has worked for them, and transformed academic learning from a daily grind into a engaged and proactive intellectual journey. They have loved the school’s outdoor time, nature, and art, as well as opportunities for deep friendship and connection in a small-group setting.