The Perkins Elementary School

We love Perkins. Our child has attended since Kindergarten and is now a 5th grader. The school has provided a warm, positive community for our whole family. The former head of school strengthened the academic program and brought incredible teachers to the school, as well as made phenomenal changes to the physical plant to make better use of the small space. The new head of school (since 2010) also provides strong leadership and has brought many innovative programs to the school, expanding the environmental stewardship and teambuilding activities. The teachers are outstanding ad LOVE working there -- it shows every single day. The experiential curriculum is exciting and enriching for the kids. Not to mention that every teacher, staff and the head of school all know our child and care deeply about our child's development and well-being. Our child has had an incredible elementary experience here and we know it has set her on path to being a successful, confident, caring student and young person. We are thrilled with our experience at The Perkins School. I wish I could have gone to school there!
--Submitted by a parent

Our daughter has attended Perkins for 6 years. She moves on to middle school next year & is well prepared for her next educational journey.While looking for middle schools I thought I would see how Perkins rated. Reading through these reviews, I noticed the discontent the school suffered a few years ago. I will affirm there was turmoil however, the school has righted itself & is on a wonderful path lead by a new Head of School. What stayed consistent over the years was the quality teaching staff & academic program. With a new head we seem to have flourished.The science program promotes critical thinking. Our daughter has learned to play the recorder in music class. She is learning French. I am pleased with the sophisticated writing skills learned. This year she has not missed one assignment due to the planning skills learned. I could go on & on. The mixed grades & small classes foster a supportive community of learning. The playground fosters imagination. The native gardens & pea patch give hands on learning to care for our environment. The school is steward to Thornton Creek. The chicken shack & the boot barn add excitment everyday when gathering eggs. I highly recommend Perkins!
--Submitted by a parent

My two kids attended Perkins a while back, during the time of the administrative issues that caused the turnover/exodus at the end of one school year, but even then, it was a fantastic school for the students and there wasn't any teacher turnover during the school year AT ALL! Just the opposite, in fact. Prior to that period, there had been a great deal of teacher loyalty and dedication to both the school and to the students. I hear that kind of atmosphere has resumed under the new leadership. I couldn't have asked for a more caring and nurturing environment for my kids. I have no doubt that the small class size and individual attention along with the wonderful enrichment opportunities helped my kids develop into who they are now--confident and knowledgable students that have been very successful in middle school. This is a lesser-known but very high quality school that shouldn't be overlooked when considering elementary schools!
--Submitted by a parent

I asked the school about attrition in response to the post below. I found out that last year, other than a teacher going on maternity leave (planned for and kids/parents knew way in advance) there was no teacher turnover - there has been very little student and teacher turnover in the past few years. I think the poster below is referring to the major issues this school had a few years ago and shortening the timeline to make it sound very recent. Those past issues resulted in a mass exodus of teachers and students. They now have a new head of school, a clear vision, a staff that appears to be on board with that vision, and families that also want to be there. I will give 5 stars for now since this site forces you to rate and everything I have seen is great! I would prefer to not rate and reserve judgment since we are applying this year and don't currently attend. I hope others will also ask questions and visit for themselves before assuming that negative things from past years are still the case.

Ask about their attrition rates. We took our son out of this school last year after a 85% attrition rate the first year and a 45% attrition rate the second year. In our son's first year, he had five different teachers. On his second year, he had two different teachers. Ask the school, how many teachers have left since 2007. Ask how many students have left since 2007. The numbers speak for themselves. Ask whether they still have a computer program. I do not need to disparage the school, because if you ask the above, you will find out all you need to know.
--Submitted by a parent

My wife works as a teacher at the Perkins School. Being a former teacher myself, I have to say that Perkins knows what they are doing. Their philosophy is put into practice every day. From my wife's daily stories and my own observations during special school events, I can see the students are engaged, happy, and intellectually curious. With a cohesive, professional staff with lots of energy and many years of experience, the Perkins School is an amazing place for learning and growth. I wish the school and their students continued success for years to come!

The leadership of the Perkins School has changed for the better since the new Head of School started this September, 2010. Our family has been at Perkins for several years now. The new HOS has made many positive changes including energizing the faculty and bringing the children together over all the grades. We are very pleased with Perkins and encourage prospective families to really take a look at our great school.
--Submitted by a parent

I moved my children from Seattle Public Schools to Perkins and could not be happier with our decision. As public school class sizes are increasing, at Perkins we found the small class size ideal for learning. My kids are thrilled with Perkins and have amazing stories of what they did every day. The answer to, "what did you do in school today", is never, "nothing". It is always some exciting adventure, fun curriculum, and amazing facts they learned. If you're looking for a school with small class sizes, an amazing and challenging curriculum. ability to work with individual needs of students, involved families, supportive staff and administration, and an encouraging environment, then Perkins is the school for you.
--Submitted by a parent

The Perkins School is a SMALL school with BIG results! This is our family's third year here & our satisfaction with the school has only increased each year. The teachers have been a consistent team of caring and collaberation. Because the school is small, each child is thoroughly understood and respected by every staff member. My two sons have VERY different learning styles and personalities, yet I feel they have both received the attention and education promised. And the communication between teachers, administration, and our family is stellar. With a new Head of School, bringing with him 15 years of experience from a well-regarded local school, The Perkins School will continue to provide quality education with the support of a talented administration. After experiencing two years of applications to Seattle private schools, we can say with absolute certainty that The Perkins School process was the least stressful and most inviting.
--Submitted by a parent

I have 2 children currently enrolled at the Perkins school. I am proud to say that both of my girls LOVE going to school and I am shocked on a regular basis on the amazing activites they are able to participate in. The teachers are thoughtful and it is obvious how much they care about each student. The small community feeling of the school provides a safe and warm feeling that I think helps students become comfortable very quickly. The fact that my girls speak to each other in french at home speaks for itself! I feel lucky that we found a school that values young childhood education so much. With such small classes I feel my children get more one on one attention that fits their needs. Our experience has been amazing and the only downfall is that they have to leave after 5th grade!!!!
--Submitted by a parent