North Bend Elementary School

This is school is top notch, just like the other reviewers have said... except for *one* thing. The amount of homework given is too much and too soon. Kindergarteners have homework totaling 30 minutes, ditto for 1st graders. The 2nd graders have homework of almost an hour by the time you add up the typical times for the different things they are supposed to do (for reference, these are all times the *teacher* told me it was supposed to take, it can and does take longer sometimes if the child is struggling with the concepts.) I once saw a 4th grader sobbing out loud with no concern for who might see or hear him. I was told by another kid that was due to the amount of homework he had, although the kid talking to me couldn't say how much it was. I was really taken aback and worried. Now, I did have homework in 2nd grade myself (never in K or 1st). I had 15-20 minutes worth of a spelling worksheet. That was it, and honestly it was more than enough. After being at school all day my brain was usually fried and although I sat their dutifully and worked as hard as I could, I was almost always exhausted by the end. Take away the high amounts of homework and this is a solid 5/5
—Submitted by a parent

I attended NBE and my teenager did as well I have plenty of background and experience with the school. I would have to agree that the school is superior to others I have gone to or put my children in. I am home and that is what NBE feels like HOME :)
—Submitted by a parent

I am highly impressed with the school overall, but especially their special education dept. Sally Combs and her aides do an exceptional job for our kids and the rest of the school has gone out of their way to not only accomodate but make our kids feel welcome! Kudos NBE!
—Submitted by Christine, a parent

There is a huge amount of parent involvement and a very strong PTA group.
—Submitted by a parent

I have been in the Snoqualmie Valley all of my life. I have also driven school bus for this district. I love North Bend Elementary for my daughter. When there is extra help needed they are there. Last summer she attended the summer school program and her teacher, Mrs. Davis and Mr. Gieger helped my daughter reach that gole and she loved summer school. I want to note that both staff and volunteers make the school enviroment a joy and makes it so the children really enjoy going to school at North Bend Elementary.
—Submitted by Christy, a parent

I went to school here in the 70's and this school has continued to grow with tons of involvement from the community. They have several over the top educators working here such as Mr. Tepper who devotes so much of his personal time and energy to these kids it is almost overwhelming. The Principal is terrific and can always be seen walking with the kids. They love and respect him.
—Submitted by a parent

You could not ask for a better Principal than Dick Geiger. Great teachers! My daughter learned how to read in first grade and really loves it! This summer she read through the entire Junie B. Jones series and through part of the Magic Treehouse series. My daughter is also well on the way to learning to write. She has made great strides at learning addition, subtraction and using the computer. She also gained huge amounts of self-confidence in her gym class: She got her rock climbing license. This would not be possible if it were not for the help of great teachers. The PTA is very active in this school. North Bend's PTA has a RISE program which exposes kids to all sorts of extra-curricular activities like Arts & Crafts, Sign Language, Cardio Kickboxing, Drama, Foreign Languages, Dance, Science, Math, Chess... Some kids are learning to ride unicycles at NBE. Parents are very involved here - PTA and volunteering their time in classes. It would not work without them. North Bend Elementary is a really fun school for your kids! Kids really look forward to going back to school.
—Submitted by a parent

North Bend Elementary, led by Principal Dick Geiger provides a safe and caring environment for kids to grow up in. The teachers are exceptional in that they care about the kids here. The classes are based on no-nonsense basics - Reading Writing Arithmetic. Althouh NBE has computer equipment, it's not the focus of this school. Kids are not shoved behind computers in order to pass the WASL tests. NBE has some really unusual extra-curricular activities like unicycling, jump roping and rock climbing. The PTA is very active here; plan to participate. Many parents volunteer in the school. Safety is as you would expect - number one. Discipline problems are handled with appropriate measures - not too harsh, not too lenient. On the downside, we have some challenges with funding and have not yet been perpetually endowed by some high tech millionaire. Overall, I am very happy to see my kids go to NBE. If you are looking for a small town away from the big city where the community is very involved, and the kids can grow up without fear of crime, this is the town and school you. Many of the parents such as myself commute back into Bellevue and Seattle.
—Submitted by a parent

This is a wonderful school with teachers that are incredible and a principal that is outstanding. They work as a united team to ensure that the children recieve the best education possible. It is a warm and nurturing environment. I am proud to say that my children attend NBE and confident their education is exceptional.