Madrona K-5 School

Was a little nervous going in as I had seen the rating and wasn't sure what to expect. We LOVE Madrona! The teachers, Principal, students, and the small but mighty PTSA all really care and you can feel a shift in the energy of the school. I think great things are just around the corner for this school, but that isn't to say that great things haven't already begun! The play this year was amazing, we enjoyed helping out at Garden work parties in the school garden, the after school programs, once implemented, are awesome. There is a healthy snack program, Multicultural night is an amazing annual event that really showcases the diversity and community of the school. We may be moving in the next year, but Madrona will always have our hearts.

This our daughter's second year at Madrona, and we're glad she's here. She started first grade behind her grade level in reading, and she's ending first grade reading way above her grade level, thanks to her teacher and the school's reading interventionist. She's enjoyed the wide array of afterschool programs, from yoga to story drama to Girl Scouts (full disclosure: I am co-leader of her troop. We started with twelve Daisy Scouts, and now we have forty-five kids from kindergarten through seventh grade. Yes, I'm biased, 'cause they're great kids who make a great troop). I've found the staff responsive, whether it's the counselor helping her with anxiety, her teacher helping her with leadership, or her principal helping with a bully (who is now one of her best friends, thanks to the principal's intervention with the kids and all of us parents). Yes, we were freaked out about the test scores, but test scores don't show the whole picture. They don't talk about the kids who are dealing with the stresses of homelessness, violence, and just being a kid in the 21st century. The PTSA struggles to raise funds and get more parents involved. And we deal with the luggage from ten years of old newspaper articles, blog posts, and playground gossip. Come to a tour and see for yourself. Madrona is our neighborhood school, and our daughter wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

This school has gone through an amazing transformation over the last 5 years. We live outside of the school boundary zone and have opted two of our kids in to attend here. The teachers and administrators know the names of all of the kids and are interacting them directly every day in meaningful ways.

Madrona is the quintessential neighborhood school, situated in the "sleepy" neighborhood of the same name. My daughter has attended Madrona for the past three years and she enjoys it thoroughly. The student-to-teacher ratios are excellent, all of the teachers are dedicated and highly invested in their students, and the PTSA is highly active, contributing thousands of dollars in fundraising efforts to support programming and activities for the students.

Notably, Madrona is a diverse school, attended by many difference races and ethnicities, and it is this diversity that is one if the school's major strengths. My daughter has come away with an appreciation of the rich heritage of her neighborhood as well as an understanding of several different cultures among her peers.

There are many extracurricular programs offered and the school makes a concerted effort to engage the broader parent body and community in its many activities, including drama, cultural programs, music, and more. Additionally, the school has also become home to one of the largest Girl Scout troops in the Western Washington Council.

There are many aspects to Madrona that the numbers and persistent aspects of its past do not convey. It is a thriving and dynamic school and we are proud to support it.

First year at Madrona and we love our daughter's teacher and the energy at the school. There are a lot of parents engaged and excited to help this school succeeed. There are some amazing things happening currently and in the works including an incredible new playground that will be breaking ground the summer of 2017.

A wonderful community school, full of love and a real sense of neighborhood. Cannot recommend enough!

My son and daughter attend Madrona and we have been extremely happy there. The teachers are passionate, kind and professional. The small size means that my students are well known throughout the school and are given extra attention to push them to achieve at their highest possible level. I also appreciate that the student body is racially integrated, especially since many of the schools in central cluster are highly segregated by program (APP or Montessori verses general ed). I believe my students are learning invaluable things by being in a school that includes many different types of people. The school is a real gem that many judge without having stepped foot inside it. It has its challenges as every school does but it also has extremely dedicated staff, parents and students who work hard to ensure that every child is getting a good education. This is one school that you really need to see first hand before judging it - don't judge based on test scores! Go on a tour. Talk to the teachers and parents before deciding if its right for you.

I'm currently and 8th grader at Madrona and let me tell you it is a really good school. The school challenges students to push themselves and has a very open learning environment. The one downfall is the middle school is so small with only 150 kids you feel a little cramped. The teachers for the most part are fantastic the school seems to be a little sexist sometimes as guy restrooms do not have doors but girls do. The school is quite old they were supposed to start building a new one in 2009 but then the budget took a nose dive. So all in all its a decent school.