The New Year Begins: Time to Apply to New Schools

If you’re a parent of young children, you might come out of winter break a little frazzled. With the kids back in school you can finally catch your breath–but don’t get comfy yet– it’s Application time for many schools!

If you haven’t already, it’s time to get to those school open houses that you missed in fall 2014 on your schedule, and fill out and send in those school applications.

As if tax season wasn’t a pain enough! *sigh*

In our ‘hood, we have quite a few excellent pre-schools and elementary schools as an alternative to the public school system. Whichever style you go for, it’s good to do your research.

Here is a sampling of some of the schools in and around the Wallingford neighborhood. Please note that this is not an all inclusive list. If you have a favorite that I have not mentioned here, please add it in the comment section below. Please make sure to include their website or contact information.

Fremont Community School – Preschool

3530 Interlake Ave. N. (206) 547-4054

Fremont Community School is a program inspired and guided by the Waldorf principle of reverence for life and natural rhythms. Teachers guide children as individuals to learn about the world and their relationship to it. They focus on imagination, creative indoor and outdoor play, repetition, and movement. Their website says that letting children develop their own natural joy, compassion, appreciation for beauty, and love of learning is highly valued.

Open Houses – 2015-16 School Year:

January 25, 2015 – 3:00pm to 5:00pm
February 4, 2015 – 6:00pm to 8:00pm

Space is Limited, so please reserve a spot in advance.

Kapka Cooperative School – K-5

510 N 49th St (206) 522-0350

KapKa believes the role of the teachers is to create an academically stimulating environment where learning happens naturally and in a variety of ways that include both independent study and team projects. Parents have an integral role in running the school and provide support in the classrooms . Their website highlights that the experience, commitment, and creativity of their professional teachers, combined with the talent and dedication of the parents is what makes KapKa a unique, close and caring community.

Open House

Saturday Jan. 31, 2015 – 2 to 4 p.m.

Please contact registrar@kapkaschool.org with any questions or to request an application packet

North Seattle Fives – Preschool

5515 Phinney Avenue North 206-789-1807

This school states on their website that they provide a highly nurturing learning environment in which children develop academic, social and emotional readiness for kindergarten. They want parents to consider their school to be a great place for five-year-olds to spend the year learning and playing with their peers!

Open House

Saturday January 24th from 1-2pm

Cometa Playschool – Preschool

4106 Stone Way North 206.353.6781

Cometa Playschools is a Spanish language school with a philosophy based in believing that children are competent human beings on a journey to discover themselves and the world. According to their website, their curriculum is designed to develop children’s knowledge and necessary skills in all developmental areas and establish a foundation for lifelong learning. Using the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education they consider themselves a Reggio inspired program.

Open House

Saturday, January 24th and 31st 10am – noon

John Stanford International School

4057 5th Ave. NE. (206) 252-6080

John Stanford International School is an award-winning Seattle public elementary school (K-5) in the Wallingford neighborhood. It offers a dual-language immersion program to all students.

You can register students for all grades, including Kindergarten, for the 2015-16 school year anytime between now and September 2015.
For more information on registering, including the forms needed, please click on the grade level of your student.

• Kindergarten and Grade 1
  • Kindergarten Enrollment Nights flyer
    (Chinese, Somali, Spanish and Vietnamese)

• Grades 2 through 12