Pinehurst K-8 School

I only went there for a year, but I found that I really liked this school. If you do better in a smaller environment then this is the school for you. I found myself able to attend almost every day of school unless I was actually sick, whereas at my previous school I was "sick" at least once a week. In my experience the kids here are open to making new friends, as long as you are too. Now the teachers are amazing. I loved my teachers and I felt that I would be able to talk to them about assignments. This would be a pretty good school for someone with anxiety, but the students may have a hard time realizing that you want to talk with them, but you just have a really hard time doing so. This school is amazing for many reasons, and I found that kids aren't afraid to be themselves, they don't try to hide who they are, this is pretty rare at most schools.

We love this school and all the teachers. My son is in kindergarten and he is thriving to learn new things every day. We really like the experiential learning approach and I think there are doing a great job at teaching respect, compassion and wonderful life learning technics. Just by looking at how the older kids in the school behave and interact make you see what a great school Pinehurst K8 is!
—Submitted by a parent

Third year here and my kids love it. Secretary may be fancy but she loves the kids. Teachers are passionate and compassionate. Even the middle school kids seem happy! If you are tired of pretense and fashion shows taking precedence over substance and learning, this is the place for you and your kids
—Submitted by a parent

Small and heart-felt, this school has taken great care of my daughter over 6 years and she loves all the experiential learning opportunities. The staff work hard and are creative about teaching to all kinds of minds and guiding kids to good chocies.
—Submitted by a parent

Because the school is so small, it is understaffed, and the staff at this school is not willing to work hard to see the needs of the students are met. No experiential learning, no alternative discipline.
—Submitted by a parent

Our son started 1st grade here this year and we have been very pleased. The school feels is small and all the classrooms are mixed grade. The community of students and teachers seems tight-knit. There is also much more critical recess and P.E. time for young kids than at other public schools. The school is an alternative school, and tends to appeal to those trying to escape the "teach to the test" mentality of the mainstream public schools. I have heard that the school's low test scores are due in large part to certain parents who object to the "teach to the test" focus so strongly that they keep their children home on test days. The school district counts their absence as a zero, which greatly pulls down the remaining students scores. Certainly the test scores reported on this site do not seem to reflect the academic rigor that I am seeing in the school's curriculum, or the passion of it's teachers. My son loves school and he is making rapid academic progress. Among the middle-school-aged kids there seems to be much excitement about their undefeated record this year in Ultimate Frisbee. And all the kids enjoy expert instruction in the use of school's climbing wall.
—Submitted by a parent

We have had two children attending Pinehurst K-8, and we are incredibly grateful for the creative approach to learning supported by the staff and community. Our children have been inspired to be intellectually courageous, caring, and confident learners. This school is a true gem which deserves a second look by those seeking an intimate public school with high academic standards, experiential learning, and a focus on compassion for others.
—Submitted by a parent

What I love about this school, in addition to the things other parents describe, is that when you enter the building, you see kids of all races playing and eating lunch together. This school really "gets" anti-racism. This is a great feature for everyone, but particularly important to me as the parent of a biracial child.
—Submitted by a parent

Our daughter loves learning! Pinehurst K-8's teacher's approach to education deserve much credit in providing strong academic standards coupled with nurturing our daughter's interests, in academics, athletics, and the arts.
—Submitted by a parent

I love this school - the children learn through interdisciplinary projects using multiple learning modes, not just sitting/lecturing/reading. Kids learn critical thinking early, get good exposure to environmental and social justice issues, and much of the staff has had Undoing Institutional Racism training.
—Submitted by a parent

This school provides a viable alternative to traditional public schools in the area. We are small with an engaged parent community and kids that truly care and are connected to their school community. Our kids ENJOY coming to school, their views are respected, their interests are nurtured, all kinds of minds are welcome! Our test scores reflect the fact that our teachers don't cater their classrooms towards improving test scores, but teach kids how to be lifelong learners-knowledge beyond a standardized test!
—Submitted by a parent

(Pinehurst) K-8, rate this school in Teacher Quality, friendliness, respect, and challenging academic programs. Strong prncipals and fairness.
—Submitted by a parent

This is the only public school I know of that really allows students to develop their passion for learning. Students have the freedom to pursue what interests them and they also are encouraged to be good community members. We also really appreciate the schools focus on social justice and experiential education.
—Submitted by a parent

My kids have learned to be free and independent critical thinkers at AS#1. They have been allowed to learn that education is a life-long process, and that learning doesn't have to happen in a classroom all the time.
—Submitted by a parent

AS #1 is a great community, alternative education for those who thrive in a community model. It was Seattle's 1st alternative school, is a rich part of our history in Seattle. Children are supported in their emotional development, they are encouraged to be active members of a community, to mentor younger kids, to work cooperatively, and to pursue whatever they are interested in. There is an 'anti-racist' library. The kids are a part of a group to 'end institutional racism at AS#1' and there is even a 'forum' which is an alternative model for ending disputes among children which allows each child to speak, be heard, and have a community resolution to personal conflicts. Parents can also be involved at the school, helping to teach languages, drama, etc. This school is awesome and produces active community members, future world changers, world leaders, and self aware and self assured youth.
—Submitted by a parent

I think AS#1(Pinehurst) K-8) is the best public school in the country because children are allowed to be who they are so that they can learn. I love the strong commitment to social justice and to anti-racist education, led by the school's Equity Committee and infused throughout the school. It's a small school with small multi-age classes, which allows for the experiential learning that has been a hallmark of the school since its inception. Kids don't just do research in books or in the library, they are out in the community examining things firsthand. My child would probably do fine in any school, but she is absolutely thriving and blossoming in this environment where she is treated with respect, and where she can get the individual attention all kids benefit from. We previously thought this would be impossible to find unless we were willing to pay high private school fees and put our child in a less than diverse environment. But although AS#1 is a public school and routinely struggles to find enough resources, the commitment of the staff and the families to AS#1's progressive model of education allows the good work to continue year after year.
—Submitted by a parent

It's place where kids, parents, and teachers all work together to make a happy, safe learning environment! Everybody has a voice!
—Submitted by a parent

Focus on social justice and helping kids meet their unique potential!

Our first year here and so far it is great! Friendly, sincere, genuine, open minded, talented, happy children and teachers!!!
—Submitted by a parent

This school has been in transition for the last five years with a new Principal. He is leaving and there will be another new one. Field trips are frequent and great but often unorganized until the last minute. Classroom experience is based on the teacher. They give the core definition of how it will function, good intent but not always practiced. Really some teacher are amazing and teach kids about the things they will see on a field trip others just take them and do not use it as an experiential learning experience. They get to camping but not always learn about the forest, just play all day. The school experience is based on how functional and organized your child's teacher is. True for most schools but since there is little structure it really depends on the teacher. Very good at teaching social equality and emotional intelligence.
—Submitted by a parent