Giddens School

We tried our neighborhood public school and transferred to Giddens in 1st Grade. I exhaled within a week. Our twins are moving on to 6th grade in the fall, fully prepared for any challenge that will come their way (academically or socially). And they are nice kids that care about the world around them. We wondered if the Social Justice focus would in any way pull the focus on academics. Very pleased to report that isn't the case in the least. We regularly discuss how fortunate we were to land there.

Both my kids have had a great experience at Giddens, I highly recommend it! My daughter is in middle school now, but frequently comes back to visit. We've found Giddens teachers and staff to be caring, dedicated and committed to ensuring each individual students' needs are being met, both academically and on a social/emotional level. We especially love the social justice focus. My son who is there now is really happy and engaged in this diverse learning community and looks forward to going to school each day.

There are so many things I love about Giddens: the phenomenally talented teachers, the thoughtful way the administration works, the commitment to providing robust financial aid, the focus on social and emotional learning and academics, the way before and after school care are included in tuition (and don't require advance sign up!). This school has built an incredible, close-knit community of learners and I'm so glad my family gets to be a part of it.

We love Giddens School. We drive 20-25 minutes to school every day despite being in "the best school district in the state" because it is worth it. Our children are thriving in every way. Giddens School has an excellent academic curriculum taught in small classes with a focus on social, emotional learning and true commitment to equity and inclusion. The result is amazing. Our children absolutely love school.

Giddens has been fantastic for our family. It has a great program for students and amazing support for working parents. The homework is impactful and optional and (as much as it can be) fun for the student. When my son needed additional help with reading Giddens leveraged its small classes, help inside and outside the classroom, and deep and broad list of community referrals to make sure he went from lagging, to on track, to thriving. Every teacher goes out of their way to make sure each student (including mine) is met on their level and really understands the context of their instruction.

All 3 of my children have had great experiences at Giddens and continue to. I'd highly recommend this school to anyone looking for an inclusive and nurturing environment.

I am so happy to have found Giddens School. I have twins at the school who are currently in K/1; they started as Pre-K students last year. It's been wonderful to see their world's open up as they learn new things. Because of Giddens' focus on social/emotional development, social justice, and academics, they are learning how to manage themselves and their emotions, seeing how they fit into the world and how they can help neighbors in it, and gaining all of the foundational academic skills they'll need to be successful in life. In particular, I value the SPARK program which is a multidisciplinary program where kids learn how to apply what they are learning in science, engineering, math, and social science to create thoughtful art projects. Topics for the projects range from learning about good nutrition, to understanding ancestry through family trees, to learning about what 'home' means around the world and in our own city. This program gives them the ability to synthesize what they are learning from all of their classes and produce a thoughtful project from that knowledge--which is a valuable skill they'll need to be successful in life. The teachers and staff of Giddens are amazing. They are dedicated, effective professionals. My children know them all and feel comfortable, safe, and cared for at school. Again, I'm so very happy to have found Giddens.

Giddens has been a wonderful fit for my kids. My children are cared for in a loving, diverse community that truly embodies it's mission of social justice.

As a mother to two daughters (Kindergarten, 2nd grade), I was seeking an elementary school that would challenge and support them academically, while allowing them to grow their independence, compassion, and resilience. I was also looking for an opportunity for them to learn among children, teachers, staff, and parents with as much diversity and inclusion (across races, ethnicities, religions, sexual orientations/gender identifications, and economic status) as I could find in Seattle. Giddens School has delivered on those hopes, and as we start our second year, I'm really feeling a sense of community developing.My kids are thriving in small classes (12 - 16 students per class), multi-age classrooms (K/1, 2/3, 4/5) and through school-wide activities (e.g.,: family Spark projects -- multi-disciplinary art/science/social studies projects that run several weeks, each with a different theme (3-4 per year); Morning Sing, buddy programs (pairing 4th/5th graders with K/1s to support emerging readers), and grade band level field trips, art/music programs. Each takes two after-school Enrichment programs, including Parkour, Acting for the Camera, and Trendy Crafts.I was also looking for a non-competitive environment, where my daughters could get a lot of practice taking reasonable risks, socially and academically, and making mistakes (or, razzle frazzles). They are learning how to navigate conflict; how to stand up for themselves (without putting others down); and how to get to know themselves as people, and as learners (while recognizing that others learn and live differently from them). Even with somewhat high expectations, I've been surprised at how quickly even my kindergartner has begun exploring the world with rather sophisticated and complex questions. It's a joy to get to journey with them academically, socially, emotionally, and as citizens of their community.