Arbor Schools

We love being part of this school. Everyone has been very welcoming to our family. The teachers and administrators have done a great job explaining the Montessori philosophy of student based learning as well as explaining the curriculum guidelines and expectations for the coming year! We are very excited.
—Submitted by a parent

My two sons are starting their second year at Arbor. I can't imagine sending them anywhere else! Both of their teachers pay very close attention to my boys and know exactly what they need. I am amazed at how quickly my older son has learned to read and how much he loves school. My toddler has learned to put on his own shoes and wash his own dishes - and clean up after himself! He is so proud of himself, and I am happy to see toys put away at home. The teachers are also potty training him at school! Most of all, I very happy with the culture of kindness and supportive community at the school. The students are taught to care about each other and their environment. They learn to help and to be responsible. The older students read to the younger students and teach them how to work with the math manipulatives. I can see that my boys are thriving here, and that the teachers care very much about them.
—Submitted by a parent

We have 2 children at Arbor, a 3rd grader and a 5th grader. This is our 3rd year at Arbor and we are very excited that Junior High program has come back so that our oldest can stay at Arbor for the next 3 years. The way the program has developed is very unique and the teachers and administration have done a wonderful job! I recommend checking this program out if you are not satisfied with traditional education.
—Submitted by a parent

Avoid this school at all costs. You will spend equal to the tuition to tutors in order to fill in all the gaps the school leaves in education. Any local public school is better.
—Submitted by a parent

This is our family's 4th preschool on the plateau and BEST one ever. Every teacher knows the name of every student and in the classroom he was understood by his teachers. Only disappointment came from his teachers not responding well to my request to push him out of his comfort zone a bit more (thus the 4) thought Montessori would probably support their choice to leave him. I was concerned about the negative reviews but actually found a few current parents who had thorough, positive attitudes toward Arbor before we joined and glad we did. The older, lower reviews have been outgrown and corrected.
—Submitted by a parent

Arbor School has been a fabulous alternative to public school for our elementary school aged child. He can focus and excel in core academic subjects taught by highly educated, respectful teachers. We are pleased with the fine arts and social responsiblility he has learned at Arbor, too. The school puts emphasis on teachers in the classroom with a low student to teacher ratio. Our child is recieving an excellent education at Arbor School.
—Submitted by a parent

Our family has had a very good experience with Arbor - I personally like the small class size and think this is very good for kids. This school really cares about the kids and we have gotten tremendous support. I myself have seen a great deal of individualization. I also applaud Arbor's emphasis on true respect for others as well as the academics. I am happy the original director is back and glad to hear the junior high program will be managed by excellent teachers next year.
—Submitted by a parent

My child is Thriving at Arbor. His confidence has grown in a short period of time and I'm amazed at how well he has progressed academically. Arbor is a fantastic school with individualized attention, strong teachers and a caring atmosphere. I couldn't be happier.
—Submitted by a parent

I am very pleased with the direction the school has taken with their new director. Academic programs have been redesigned, excellent enrichment activities such as a string orchestra were introduced along with additional after school clubs and sports. I feel that the respect and acceptance taught to Arbor students is rare in private schools let alone public schools. I couldn't be happier and will be re-enrolling my daughter all the way through 9th grade.
—Submitted by a parent

My son is returning next year for his third year at Arbor. His academic and social growth this year has been phenomenal. The community we have found here is supportive on all levels which is something I have not found at public schools. His confidence he has gained here, not just as a learner, but as a person has given him a new outlook on life. I can do anything I put my mind to. I am successful and people like me for who I am. My nephews spent seven years at Arbor and their transition to their new school was very successful. Their new teachers were amazed at their academic ability as well as their social and emotional strengths. Arbor has the children's interest as the heart of the school.
—Submitted by a parent

The year is almost over and I have seen my child blossom. She has received the attention she needs that she would not have gotten from public school. There are no more than 20 children to a classroom and two teachers! How can it get any better? She has grown with confidence this year and the academics she has learned this year have been amazing. She has learned through materials in the classroom, not just text books. I look forward to many years with Arbor.
—Submitted by a parent

You will love this school if it is important to you, like it is to me, that children are taught by caring teachers, surrounded by polite and caring students (with the same caring attitude in the after care), academics are excellent but not in-your-face. The teachers will be more than happy to give you and your child as much material as quickly (or as slowly) as you choose (as long as your child keeps making progress). The only other thing to add is how convenient it is for those in and around Sammamish - the school is on the main Plateau drag, the 228th, bus stop is next door as well, and is next to the new library and the planned Sammamish Town Center. It is a hundred times better than any surrounding public schools, because it keeps control in parents hands and because the education is never about passing WASL
—Submitted by a parent

I've been at Arbor for 5 years, and I can't tell you how happy I am with the school's approach to education. Arbor s progressive away of teaching the children is demonstrated through the student s performance. This year my child with her peers and teacher are going to NY to represent India at the Montessori Model UN; this is a life experience that is priceless. Thanks to the dedicated teachers and the whole school commitment. Please if you have any doubts about this school, just go for a visit and you can see with your own eyes. Parents are also available to talk to candidate families to answer any questions.
—Submitted by a parent

this school is absolutely amazing. it gives you challenges at your grade level and doesn't just let you get by with minumum. the classes are fun and as you grow into it your thirst for knowledge also grows. i feel like arbor schools has really challenged me academically and i will be ready and prepared to go out into a high school and stay with my level of learning just fine.
—Submitted by a student

I am a returning student, about to graduate from Arbor schools after my 8th here. This school has an excellent educational environment, in which you are given a personal time with the teachers to help improve your academic skill. A small environment teaches the student many different life skills that are necessary throughout life, including respect, companionship, cooperation, and a plethora of many others. When comparing the average grade level of Arbor schools to any normal public school, you have to remember that Arbor schools has a smaller community, so if there was just 1 bad test score, it would substantially lower the average grade. I think Arbor schools is a well-rounded Montessori school that I would recommend to any parent.
—Submitted by a student

Our daughter is in the upper elementary at Arbor and has attended the school for five years. The school has met our every expectation. The curiculum is detailed and structured and our child progresses at the rate that she can successfully demonstrate the learning, as prescribed by the Montissorri methods. The instructors work with our chld until she is competent in each skill before allowing her to progress to the next activity. This was a challenge for her the first year at upper elementary, but once she accepted that her progress was her responsibiliy and not the teachers, she has thrived. This is in direct contrast to the public education our son experienced where everyone went through the curriculum at the same rate and those that 'got it' get an A and those that have problems get C's, but regardless, the class proceeds.
—Submitted by a parent

My grandchildren attend Arbor and couldn't be happier or more engaged. The few disgruntled parents that attack the school here are just that. The facts speak for themselves. The average tenure of the staff at Arbor is over 4 years. The average CTP4 test scores of students who have been at Arbor since preschool is 'above average'. when leaving Arbor 99% of students get into the school of their choice . The use of manipulatives in the Upper Elementary is in line with the most recent brain research that states that concrete, multi-sensory and manipulative materials engage all four lobes of the cerebrum. This impacts brain wiring that will be available to the child as they grow into analytical thinking and problem solving. Elizabeth Noone

My three children attended Arbor. While attending Arbor they were individually nurtured, academically challenged and became culturally aware. Of their academic memories those of Arbor are the most clear and meaningful. They have each choosen different paths toward becoming responsible citizens of the world, but each is strong in their choice in large part because of the strong foundation they built while attending Arbor.
—Submitted by a parent

The reviews on this page miss the point of the Arbor education. I send my kids to Arbor for two reasons: --To foster the love of learning. --To help them become life-long thinkers. Arbor excels in both of those areas through a loyal interpretation of Maria Montessori's teachings. She believed a child reaches her potential through the overall development of her mind--not just bits and pieces. In math, for example, Montessori strives to develop the mathematical mind as a whole. That takes time. In fact, it is critical that an elementary Montessori student goes through the entire three or six year cycle of learning. At the end of the six years, the child will be doing algebra, but if you pull the child at the end of two, you are not going to realize the benefits. I have seen the strength of this approach with my children and wouldn't go anywhere else.
—Submitted by a parent

I started at Arbor Schools in Kindergarten, and continued on through 5th grade when I transferred to Forest Ridge. Looking back at my time on Arbor I have never felt as listened to and responded to by teachers. The transition into Forest Ridge was very easy, as I was ahead of most of my friends in school work, particularly in Math and English. I remain close friends with the students that were in my class in Arbor, and I wouldn't trade my experience with Arbor for anything.
—Submitted by a student