Villa Academy

"Pretty school with good teachers and well manner kids. They even have yoga mats for kids and care about kids with food allergies."

"Villa has been great for both my children who have very different learning styles. They both have benefited from the smaller class size and the connections they have made with their teachers. My son feels truly known and valued as a student and his self-confidence has increased greatly due to the wonderful teachers he has had. This in turn has had a huge impact on his academic performance. As a parent I love that the social-emotional development of each child is just as valued as the academics."

"Villa Academy is awesome! Our daughter attended Villa from K through 8th grade. The homework load was heavy, but she was extraordinarily well prepared for high school. 25 acre waterfront campus with classic red brick buildings, cheerful classrooms, well qualified and engaged teachers, and small class sizes. More expensive than the subsidized Catholic schools, but less expensive than other independent school options. Don't need to be Catholic to attend (more than half of the students are non-Catholic, including our daughter). I'd also like to offer a rebuttal to "Google User" with the one-star post from a five years ago. Villa students from my daughter's class were accepted into Lakeside, Seattle Prep, Holy Names, SAAS, Bush, University Prep and others. If you meet with the enrollment team, they will privately share with you test scores, high school placement, and they are building their college placement database. I know a number of Villa grads who have gone Ivy League and to other highly selective schools."

"My two boys became Villa students in 2014. And since their arrival my parental guilt has kicked in BIG TIME! I keep asking myself: "Why didn't I get them there sooner?" While I truly respect personal choice when it comes to sending kids to school, Villa Academy embodies everything I ever wanted for my kids. Since joining the Villa community, I have witnessed my two boys become engaged and excited students. Is the work challenging? Yes. And it is with one eye on compassion as well as gentle, unwavering support from every teacher and administrator that it is assigned. The students truly care about one another. They are expected to be compassionate and supportive. They exceed that in every way. Every time I walk the halls of the school, there's always some little person asking me if I need directions. (I must look incredibly lost...) And parents, let's be clear: the school is unapologetic in making sure every parent participates not matter how big or small. Everyone is welcomed and respected. It is one thing as a parent to say I really love the school. It truly is another to watch my boys bound out of bed daily (and one even makes his bed!), ready to head to school; and return every afternoon appropriately tired, engaged and looking forward to what the next day at school has in store for them. Isn't this what every parent wants for their kids? While not every child will attend Villa; I do wish every kid COULD."

"I have two girls and a boy at Villa Academy, all of whom have attended since pre-school and one of whom is currently an eigth grader. So I know the place from soup to nuts. The overwhelming positive with Villa is the culture. You couldn't ask for a more nurturing school for your child or a more supportive community of parents. I love my children's classmates and admire their parents' dedication to their kids and the school. Socially I'm on the periphery, and while other parents on the periphery have occasionally felt alienated by the cohesiveness of the neighborhood's more established families, I've always admired their cohesiveness and think it churlish to begrudge them that. Most new families integrate quickly anyway, partly because parents are friendly and intentonally inclusive and partly because Villa has worked in recent years to attract families from a broader range of neigbhorhoods. Similarly among students: My 8th grader is shy and reserved, and yet has always felt safe and accepted. She has found a group of friends that my wife and I feel really good about--hard-working, courteous, almost wholesome. Academically, Villa students do well. I have sundry quibbles with some of their instructional priorities (e.g. I wish they spent more time on writing and less on making posters and iMovies) and a curriculum that sometimes seems haphazard and faddish (except middle school math, where they're rigorous to a fault); but because the teachers are earnest and caring, and parents are educated and highly engaged, students graduate well-prepared for high school, including the local Catholic and independent prep schools. To non-Catholics who might be apprehensive about a Catholic school, I'd say that Villa wears its Catholicism proudly but lightly, and embodies the brighter, more progressive aspects of contemporary Catholic social teaching, such as inclusiveness, cosmopolitan perspective, public service (service learning is huge at Villa), environmental stewardship, social justice, and respect for self and others. You pay more for Villa than for diocesan Catholic schools, but in exchange you get smaller class sizes and the city's most idyllic P-8 campus. You pay less than you do for local independent schools for which you accept less in the way of extracurricular opportunities such as performing arts. In light of the different trade-offs, I'd argue that Villa offers about the same value as its diocesan and independent rivals. For parents considering independent or Catholic schools Villa Academy merits serious consideration."