Salmon Bay School

My son is a Kindergartner at North Beach and also attended Pre-K there. I honestly have only wonderful things to say about our experience.North Beach is a small school (around 300 students), which creates a strong, close-knit community. Just a few months into the school year, I knew most of the Kindergarten students and parents by name. A group of parents even runs a weekly “bike bus,” where kids ride bikes to school together. The PTA hosts several fun, well-attended events throughout the year such as the Harvest Carnival, Movie Night, and Culture Night. I got involved with the PTA early in the school year and have been really impressed by the level of parent engagement and commitment to supporting the school. The PTA also runs a robust after-school enrichment program with activities like chess club, basketball, theater, drawing, and more.Academically and socially, our son is thriving. We love his teacher, Mrs. Niemeyer. She sends a detailed weekly newsletter and regularly invites parents to volunteer in the classroom. She’s also been very clear about how our son is progressing with reading and math. We haven’t done a lot of reading practice at home, and very little math, but thanks to Mrs. Niemeyer’s teaching and the strong parent and volunteer involvement, his reading skills are developing right on track.We’ve been thrilled with our experience at North Beach and truly can’t imagine our family being anywhere else.

We are incredibly grateful for the Northwest Montessori Community and truly LOVE having our children be part of such a rich, multimodal, engaging, and child-led learning environment.Our first child began in 2021 at two and a half years old in the primary multi-age classroom. It has been wonderful to witness how the older children naturally care for and mentor the younger ones. As each child grows, they are thoughtfully observed and guided with developmentally appropriate lessons that gently challenge them toward greater independence. It is amazing to see children helping one another tie aprons, thread sewing needles, practice counting, sweep the floor, play sound games, and engage in meaningful conversation. The classroom culture fosters confidence, collaboration, and genuine joy in learning.The teachers are exceptionally well trained and committed to ongoing professional development. They are passionate about Montessori education and truly take the time to know each and every student as an individual. They also organize frequent parent partnership events that help families better understand the Montessori approach while building strong connections within the broader school community.When our second child turned two and a half, he was welcomed with open arms. Even before officially joining, he already felt connected to the school. Now in his second year, he is thriving. Our oldest is currently in the lower elementary program and is always excited to go to school each morning. He often wants to stay late to take full advantage of the enriching afterschool offerings, from comic book creation and cooking to putting on plays with friends.Northwest Montessori has nurtured not only our children’s academic growth, but also their independence, confidence, creativity, and compassion. We feel deeply thankful to be part of a community that supports the whole child and creates such a joyful foundation for lifelong learning.