St. Therese School

Our daughter started kindergarten here this year and we couldn't be happier with the school. Her teacher is fantastic, the program is academically challenging- even in K, the children are bright/interesting/friendly/wonderful, and the community is very strong. The small class size allows the teachers to tend to each child's needs.
—Submitted by a parent

My son graduated 8th grade last year and now is an excelling student/athlete at Odea Highschool. The school kept him on track with studies, embraced him with encouragement and induced him into a wonderfully diverse community of people that care. I have a daugter in 2nd Grade there and she is also having a positive experience. The entire staff is warm and welcoming to all.
—Submitted by a parent

I feel really lucky to have my daughter at St. Therese. It has everything I was looking for in a school. The student body is very diverse as is the parent community, so kids grow up knowing that multi-cultural families are the norm. The small class size is amazing and makes a huge difference, especially in the earlier grades. She gets so much more attention and individual instruction than she would in a public school. I also love the smallness--all the staff know her name because it's such a small school. It makes me feel secure while I'm at work that she is looked after and well-cared for, not lost in a huge school. Academics are great, parent involvement is high, and the emphasis on social justice and values is very important to me too. Really happy with our choice!
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter is now attending this school and I have to say that she is thriving there. The teachers and staff are genuinely friendly and welcoming. The school is quite diverse which adds to the education. I highly recommend it.
—Submitted by a parent

I have multiple kids at St. Therese. My kids have very different personalities and learning styles but St. Therese is able to meet their distinct educational and social needs. I love that their class size is small so they receive individual attention from all of the adults in the school. The community of parents, teachers and administrators are all committed to ensuring that our children receive an excellent educational experience.
—Submitted by a parent

Small school but very diverse, we love it here! staff is caring and supportive. We send our 2 kids here and couldn't be happier with the education and support staff.
—Submitted by a parent

My two sons have attended St. Therese for three years having transferred from a Catholic school on Capitol Hill. At thier former school my sons were 'bullied' and did not fit in because they were not 'rich' or 'mean' enough -- despite the fact our family is fairly well off. St. Therese is a very caring, diverse student body -- my sons LOVE the school. The academics in the lower school match any other private school in the city. The upper school needs work. Nonetheless, the kids who graduate from St. Therese get into all of the private Catholic high schools in the area, including Seattle Prep, O'Dea, Holy Names, Forest Ridge, Blanchett and Kennedy. I will take a student body that is inclusive, caring and kind over one that is high achieving, self absorbed and mean any day. The school is worth checking out.
—Submitted by a parent

You know, my son has been at St. T's for two years now. We transferred him in after spending his K year in a nameless, yet awful SE Seattle Public School (hint: rhymes with GRR!) My husband and I have been so pleased with our child's growth and aptitude. St. T's is a very, very small school filled with teachers who are dedicated to every child's academic needs. The school's size allows for all of the kids to know one another; and for the teachers to 'tailor' the needs of each child's academic needs. The informal atmosphere makes us feel like we're with family instead of a bunch of administrators who are required to enact one-size-fits-all policies. And, at the end of the day- our fairly laid back child, reminds us to register him early to ensure a spot in the next year's class. What more proof did we need?
—Submitted by a parent

i just submitted my review. I just want to add we are lacking languages we need languages to start in Elementary school at St Therese.
—Submitted by a parent

Inclusion. Social Justice-focused, Accessibility. These three words summarize this school. We feel great about the quality of education our son is getting, and even stronger about the total program (academics, sports, after-school programs, mentoring/leadership role of middle-school children). Every school wants and deserves more resources, and St. Therese is no exception. But what they've accomplised is remarkable: this is an affordable private school centered on providing access to as many children as possible. It's diversity is stunning! And the total community is constantly learning, evolving and doing it's best to work together.
—Submitted by a parent

We are going on 4years at St. Therese. My daughter, who now attends Blanchet, used to struggle in school and is an A/B student because of St. Therese. My son currently attends St. Therese & loves it! He is a straight A student too and hates to miss school. My family tried 3 different schools before we found St. Therese and finally feel at home! I have a 4 yr. old who will also attend there. We drive from Renton because we love it so much. The teachers, parents and children work together building such an amazing community. Every school has issues but our community does a great job coming together for one another and communicating when things need to change. Our very diverse community works hard to show our youth that everyone has a voice. St. T attracts the finest families around that help this school run smoothly.
—Submitted by a parent

I have two children in middle school. Both of them love their teachers,they enjoy all of their classes and they respect their classmates. They both love the same sex classes and are thriving. I get compliments all of the time about how well behaved, intelligent, caring and respectful they are. My chilren have attended St. Therese since kindergarten and both have told me and their father that they would not want to attend any other school. Sure, it's not perfect but it's diverse, the teachers genuinely care about the students and the principal is well qualified with a strong background in educations and management. You get a quality education for the money. Both my son's are well prepared for high school given that the middle school is set up like a high school ( 6 different teachers, changing classes, projects, etc.), great project management lessons and skills taught.
—Submitted by a parent

I am a St. Therese parent and looked at numerous schools both public and private for my daughters first year of school. My first impression of St. Therese was happy faces on the students and helpful, friendly staff. My first visit took place during the school day and gave me a glimpse as to what the day-to-day schedule looked like. After my personal tour with the principal, I eagerly anticipated our acceptance letter in knowing that my daughter would attend a school that is diverse, has a challenging curriculum, small class sizes and a student body with outgoing personalities. My daughter is now into her second year and I plan to keep her at St. Therese through middle school. I recommend St. Therese to any parent that is looking for an outstanding education for their children.
—Submitted by a parent

St. Therese is a wonderful environment rich with diversity! Exceptional teachers and small class sizes make give my children the best opportunity to learn and flourish. Best of all, it costs less than the average daycare. Affordable! High quality education! Sure there are challenges, but after researching other schools public and private, we found that the exact same challenges face other programs as well.
—Submitted by a parent

This is an excellent involved community. We moved to St. Therese from Public School and could not be more pleased. The classroom sizes are small, the academic focus is excellent and the community of parents is very involved.
—Submitted by a parent

St. Therese is a small family school that offers diversity. My oldest graduated in 2006 and will be graduating from a O'Dea in 2010. St. Therese has prepared my son for highschool very well. My son has wanted to go to O'Dea since his 4th grade because of the values and teaching St. Therese offers. Parents are encouraged to be apart of their childs education and it's pure joy!
—Submitted by a parent

St.Therese is not your typical Catholic School. They not only provide a really good education, but they also teach kids civic and community responsibility. The middle school students are particularly good to the younger kids. The parent community is great---feels like a family. I am not even Catholic and I really like this place. And it is not too parochial---but the messages they teach the kids are good (compassion, respect, leadership). And I know the middle school students do really well. Last year 23 out of 25 were accepted into other private schools in Seattle. They have great teachers, great kids, a really nice parent community and it is reasonably priced for private school in Seattle. And the school specifically reaches out to kids who would not normally be able to go to private school. About 60% of the kids gets some sort of scholarship or financial aide.
—Submitted by a parent

St Therese is a well diverse school. The school is not perfect but it has been a great experienced for my child.Many of my child friend liked the middle school teachers as they are caring and affectionate.My child did take and passed HS entrance ( archdiocese school) with high scores.
—Submitted by a parent

St.Therese has probably saved a few kids from going crazy. Sure there's a great community, but the academics aren't the best. Many of the middle school students dislike their teachers. The academics could be better. Many of the eigth graders scored below average on the science part of some of their high school entrance exams. I love the people at this school, and exposes students to diversity. But middle school could use some work. I don't think St.Therese has lived up to the expectations like it use to. But if your child needs any help with specific subjects I would suggest this school. If a student owes the school their sanity, that should mean something.

St. Therese is a well-diverse school. The small school community is like family. Many of the alumni go on to send their children there as well, which speaks to its strong committed families. The parents are very active and teachers are well versed in best practices.
—Submitted by a parent