Does anyone know about Seattle schools?

amother

Khaki

Tue, Feb 26 2019, 9:49 am

I’m a nurse practitioner, and Washington State is consistently rated the best for job prospects, quite unlike my current state. But I can’t move anywhere there isn’t appropriate schooling for my kids. I’m from an out of town community, so I’m not expecting massive culture shock. My kids currently attend an OOT Bais Yaakov and the corresponding community boys school. Is there something like that in Seattle?

doctorima

Tue, Feb 26 2019, 9:56 am

There definitely is an established frum community there with schools. I'm not up-to-date, but when we visited several years ago, we were told that there's a lot of politics with the schooling options. Hopefully somebody local and with current information will have more to contribute.

FranticFrummie

Tue, Feb 26 2019, 10:12 am

I left Seattle 4 years ago, and several schools have changed administration since then. If I were you, I'd interview each school for yourself. The choices I am aware of are:

Chabad. If Morah Esther is still there for first and second grade, she is a LEGEND. She is currently teaching the children of her original students. Downside, mixed classes until third or fourth grade, unless they've gotten more pupils. Upside, very accepting of all backgrounds. Heavy Hebrew and Torah learning, not so much with the secular.

Seattle Hebrew Academy. Very modern left Orthodox. Mixed classes. Upside, there is a separate learning track for Sephardic kids. If you are Sephardic, that is for sure the school you want. 50/50 kodesh/chol.

Torah Day School. Straight up yeshivish. Most families have lots of money, so kids can be snobby. The school had a LOT of growing pains in it's first few years, so if you are checking recommendations, make sure you are going by what is most current. 50/50 kodesh/chol.

Jewish Day School. I don't have any experience with this school. It's Reform/Conservative, mixed classes. When people want a less intense hashkafa, they send here.

And just FYI: Graham Hill Elementary. Amazing public elementary school. If you have an IEP and need extra help, this is the school you want. They are fully funded for every type of special needs. I have a friend who sent her HFA son there, and he made amazing progress. My DD ended up going there, and she thrived with extra help.

The Seattle schools are not very accommodating for special needs kids, so keep that in mind. I am extremely grateful to have Graham Hill as an option, and it's right next to all the shuls. The school is very mixed racially, religiously, etc. and all the teachers and staff are familiar with the needs of the Jewish community. I found them to be very accepting and helpful.

Feel free to PM me if you want to chat, and I can fill you in on the shuls, too.

Last edited by FranticFrummie on Tue, Feb 26 2019, 10:47 am; edited 1 time in total

amother

Beige

Tue, Feb 26 2019, 10:45 am

FranticFrummie wrote:

And just FYI: Graham Hill Elementary. Amazing public elementary school. If you have an IEP and need extra help, this is the school you want. They are fully funded for every type of special needs. My DH ended up going there, and she thrived with extra help.

Freudian slip? Smile

FranticFrummie

Tue, Feb 26 2019, 10:48 am

amother wrote:

Freudian slip? Smile

, thanks, fixed it.

If stbx had gone there, he might have turned out better. Lord knows he could have used the help!

amother

Khaki

Tue, Feb 26 2019, 11:19 am

Frantic Frummie are there options for girls high schools? I imagine I will still have to send my older boys away, but I was expecting to.

FranticFrummie

Tue, Feb 26 2019, 11:24 am

amother wrote:

Frantic Frummie are there options for girls high schools? I imagine I will still have to send my older boys away, but I was expecting to.

The boys go to Yeshiva in Vancouver, and it's supposed to be an excellent school. I've only heard good things about it. So many Seattle boys go there, that they'll never feel alone.

The girls have a new high school. https://derechemunah.com/

I know all the families who started the school, and they are the best of the best. You couldn't ask for a better school. It's pretty small, but that can be a big plus.

I also know of a family who sent her DD to BY of Denver, and it made a world of difference for her. She was struggling locally, and a year later she was the most eidel, settled young lady you could ever want to meet.

amother

Emerald

Tue, Feb 26 2019, 9:19 pm

amother wrote:

Frantic Frummie are there options for girls high schools? I imagine I will still have to send my older boys away, but I was expecting to.

They opened up a boys hs this past September

FranticFrummie

Tue, Feb 26 2019, 9:36 pm

amother wrote:

They opened up a boys hs this past September

Wow, that's exciting! Not having a boys school has been a huge problem for a long time. I hope that means that more families will stay, and not move away.

Do you know who's running it? Do they have a website up? I don't need to send anyone there, I'm just curious as to who's involved.

amother

Emerald

Tue, Feb 26 2019, 9:50 pm

FranticFrummie wrote:

https://www.torahacademypn.org/faculty

Iymnok

Wed, Feb 27 2019, 1:46 am

I went to the co-Ed college prep highschool. It is very modern. My sister went to BY Denver, a few of us went to San Diego for a year or so each.
My brother went to Vancouver. It is a Chofetz Chaim school that starts at 8th grade. Many boys did start there then since they weren’t so happy with the local schools at that age.
Many boys have gone to Ner Yisroel, but with the very good option in Vancouver it’s pretty rare now. Vancouver is 2.5 - 3 hours drive. They come home about every 3 weeks. Either a parent drives or they take a bus together. Occasionally they get a Rebbe or dorm counselor to drive.
I’ve heard some very good things about the girls highschool. I just heard that some girls go to Vancouver.

FranticFrummie

Wed, Feb 27 2019, 11:30 am

amother wrote:

https://www.torahacademypn.org/faculty

WHOA! According to the profiles, they have a serious 5 star lineup of teachers. I'm very impressed.