St Joseph School in Seattle | Military Town Advisor

Posted: August 14, 2026

St. Joseph School values conformity. The elementary classroom experience depends on the teacher. In our three years, one teacher was truly outstanding. Two teachers relied on fear and get-in-line-or-else tactics, which included shunning children by putting them in the corner or shutting them outside the classroom door or in a closet adjacent to the classroom. Children who do not readily conform are subject to peer-on-peer bullying. However, since bullying seems to be part of breaking down non-conforming students it appears to be largely unaddressed by the school. The Learning Resource Center (LRC) does not have the capacity or know-how to support advanced learning needs. Kids who are above grade level are encouraged to sit quietly and coast, even though the exceptional learner is unlikely to comply. The quality of the touted specialist classes depends on the teacher. Some teachers rely predominately on screen-based learning and/or fear-based discipline including more standing in corners, etc.

Posted: August 14, 2026

Posted: May 3, 2026

St. Joseph School in Seattle is an average school that lacks in many areas, especially math, music, ELA (grammar and writing) and extracurriculars (taught by parents). Substitute teachers are also pulled from the parent/grandparent pool, and they don't have teaching degrees. After 9 years at this school, I highly recommend tutors for your child in math, English language arts as well as history and science. The school will say that "grades are not the be all end all," which is convenient. However, as a parent, grades are an indicator of how your child will fare in high school, especially if they do not follow the Catholic feeder school route to Blanchet and Seattle Prep, et cetera. This can make applying to selective public universities an issue as well. I am grateful that I figured this out in 4th grade. The tutors and homeschooling made all the difference to my child's success. I would not recommend this school.

Posted: May 3, 2026

Posted: March 21, 2022

St. Joseph School has a good reputation around town and after the horrors we witnessed in the public school system during the pandemic we decided to make the switch to private. After reviewing all the private schools in town we decided on St. Joes. I am so happy we chose this school! Their academics are stellar! Both of my kids are on the advanced side of the spectrum and are absolutely thriving in their advanced learning programs in math, reading and writing. The school assesses where kids are at each trimester based on the upcoming materials to be taught and then breaks each grade in three learning groups- those that are approaching the standards to be taught, those that are meeting the standard and are ready to go into more depth and those that are already exceeding the standard and are ready for more challenging work. They do this approach for math, reading and writing, and it works amazingly well as every single student is taught with a Custom lesson plan that meets them where they are at and recognizes that this will change throughout the year and based on the material taught each trimester. Its pretty amazing. The teachers also meet regularly with consultants from Harvard to help them learn new skills in how they approach teaching subjects like math so they can meet the learning styles of every student. When you walk the halls of the school and look in the classrooms what you see are students that are engaged, participating and learning. Its really cool to see.

For science- they have really cool hands on projects- my 4th grader dissected a squid, as well as an eyeball, and is doing hands on projects learning about electricity and energy transference. He is also really happy with the WA State history projects theyve had and both my kids love their IT classes. My son is learning how to create Google forms, spreadsheets, and presentations. He is also learning how to take data from a form, view it in a spreadsheet then transfer that data into pivot tables and present it into tables and graphs to be usable for different stakeholders. They also have art, music, Spanish, PE, library, tech, and religion which both kids are really loving all of their extra curricular classes.

The community is tight knit. The school provides a ton of opportunities to meet other families at different events. The parents are all really involved. The kids all also participate in the CYO sports programs and after school clubs that start in Kindergarten. Highly recommend!

Posted: March 21, 2022

Posted: August 9, 2020

The education is perfectly average for the average child. A student on the higher or lower range of academic diversity will be short-changed. The administration is shockingly unprofessional and amateur in their decision making skills.

Posted: August 9, 2020

Posted: February 26, 2019

we have a current 6th and 8th grader. They do most of their school work during the school day. Every night there is about 30-60 minutes of work /reading depending on what tests or projects are due. Homework is managable and reasonable.

Posted: February 26, 2019

Our 8th grader was admitted with honors to high school. Our 6th grader was moved up from middle to high math group in October. The teachers are responsive. Overall we are satisfied and our kids are happy.

Posted: February 26, 2019

Being a Jesuit school, the whole child is educated and integrity, compassion spiritual health and respect are integrated throughout school day and activities.

Posted: February 26, 2019

The administrative structure changed recently to a head of school, middle school director and lower school director. The directors seem to have autonomy to effectively manage the school. The head of school is a strategic visionary who embracing the organic and dynamic nature of the school and its community.

Posted: February 26, 2019

They do a lot working with the children to teach anti-bullying and strategies for solving disagreements.

Posted: February 26, 2019

Excellent! We are very happy with all aspects of St.Joes.

Posted: May 25, 2018

I could not be a happier with how our two sons have grown academically and spirtually. Saint Joseph school and the community have been an incredible support in helping our children reach their potential.

Posted: March 22, 2018

We transferred from an amazing private school in New York City. We had heard of the wonderful community and incredible teachers at St. Joseph's and we have absolutely been blown away. We feel truly blessed to be part of such an incredible school and community.

Posted: March 22, 2018

They keep them challenged during the week. But the weekends are usually homework free.

Posted: March 22, 2018

Could not be more pleased with the kindness and individual time they take with each child.

Posted: March 22, 2018

Though it is a Catholic school...religion is taught more with a strong moral compass and compassion for your neighbors.

Posted: March 22, 2018

Excellent learning resource center. Works with students that need support and also with students ready for more challenges.

Posted: March 22, 2018

St. Joe's is an extension of our family. We could not be happier with the school, the teachers and leadership. The entire community is invested in my children's short and long term success.

Posted: March 22, 2018

We have three children at St Joes. They are very happy. They are challenged academically and love their teachers.

Posted: March 22, 2018

Posted: September 28, 2017

St. Joes is both an EXCELLENT school and a welcoming community. The administrators and teachers are always available and show a sincere interest in child development both academically and socially. The parent community is very involved and supportive. St. Joes is not just OUR school, but OUR community. I HIGHLY recommend St Joes for K-8.

Posted: September 28, 2017

Singapore Math, Spanish, Computers, Music, (real) PE (not dancing with scarves), Phonics, Art, Religion (think of this as a philosophy class), Spelling, not to mention the require Social Studies, Science, and Reading for all grades, starting with the Full-Day Kindergarten classes, . . . not starting at 5th grade, . . . all the things I had in my schooling as a child, but are not required by law, . . . this was enough for me to love the school, but it was my child that picked the school, out of all the schools we looked at / visited / toured, because of the teachers (they really seemed to care). Sports offered by the Catholic Archdiocese but coordinated through the school, so that practices, games, locations all fit easily into your schedule, . . . fantastic after school programs that you WANT to put your child in even if you do not NEED to (because you have a job and work), with things like tennis, chess club, piano lessons, basketball, etc., made affordable / convenient / in a safe environment. Bullying: not allowed, addressed immediately, 1 teacher in the classroom, 1 teacher outside of the classroom giving more individual help to those that struggle and those who do not, . . . Volunteering required: you (yes, you have to volunteer, too) and your child learns to be an involved and caring person, and here's a little secret, . . . its pretty FUN!!! I have made some great Parent friends that continue to help me navigate through this thing called parenting. :-) I feel confident that I have put my child/ren in the best school, for them and our family, in Seattle (if not the state of WA. We did look at Boarding schools). Good luck with finding a school that works for you child. I hope this write up helps.

Posted: September 19, 2017

This is a fantastic school that educates the whole child. We have found wonderfully loving teachers, a close community and strong leadership. It is both a progressive and academic school. They are investing in the learning resource center to cater to the entire spectrum of learners. They have also improved the quality and variety of after school programs (STEM, Drama). We love it!

Posted: July 7, 2017

St. Joseph has been wonderful for my son. Not only has he thrived academically, but socially as well. He has had a lot of opportunity to develop and demonstrate his leadership skills, has built confidence through sports and made lots of friends.
The parent community is very involved and welcoming and the teachers have been an absolute delight! I can tell they care about my kid and are invested in more than just his academics.
I appreciate the the values the school holds and the expectations they have set for the students both academic and social. I can confidently say, my son has grown both academically and in his character and I attribute both to St. Joes.

Posted: July 7, 2017

Posted: April 10, 2017

St. Joseph School is the best!. The teachers are loving and student-centered, the principal is phenomenal, and every staff person truly cares about each child. We can't recommend it enough! The Learning Resource Center provides support for both advanced and struggling students--our daughter transferred in during 2nd grade and was behind in certain subjects--the amazing team in LRC got her up to speed very quickly. The academic instruction is well-known as the best in the city. Kids are WELL prepared for college preparatory high school. Two things we especially love are 1. the all-school focus on a virtue of the week such as compassion, persistence, competence; and 2. the parent community is exceptionally involved and inclusive. St. Joseph is a special place--like no other we've experienced. Even though our daughter graduated, we know that she, and we, will be connected with St. Joseph people for our entire lives.

Posted: November 21, 2016

The teachers at this school are terrific. The community is caring and focused on all aspects of respect for others, hard work, culpability, and outreach to others. My daughters have attended since kindergarten, and they are excelling academically and socially. They are becoming independent and confident. The teachers are prepared, organized and accessible. The administration is cool, and I love that the school is hip, yet traditional in their teachings of manners, excellence in academics, respect toward others and respect of self. The children of St. Joseph School are lucky to have so many people who care about their success.

Posted: October 6, 2016

Pros: great for sporty well behaved kids -especially girls. Teachers and administrators really care about the whole child, and go out of their way to make a new kid feel included. Art is tilted to typical girl subjects. (My son's realistic drawing of a zombie got turned into the school counselor. Luckily the counselor found it brilliant!). Religious emphasis has made a positive impact on my kids.

Cons: not very skilled in managing kids with learning differences like dyslexia and ADD. Behavior problems (which result from kids trying to get out of being called on), and disorganized kids (disheveled desks, forgetting to turn in homework) baffle the teachers. These kids get singled out not because the teachers are mean spirited, but because these teachers truly don't get why these students aren't falling in line. I believe this attitude trickles down to the students. Kids that are different tend to get picked on unless they happen to be athletic. Recess, especially for boys, is limited to sports as the only option. (Tip: if you can swing it financially, consider Morningside Academy!)

On the other hand, if your child happens to be gifted, options are also limited. There is ALO for advanced reading, but no advanced math. If you request a more rigorous program, teachers tack on more of the same which ends up discouraging the student. Kids that are too smart also get picked on, but not to the level that the learning challenged ones do. Overall, if your child fits the smart, well behaved, athletic, socially typical kid profile, this is a great school! Each kid is different and my boys didn't do well here, but my daughter loves it!

Posted: October 6, 2016

There are too many projects that require parent involvement. Because these projects are shared with the class, parents tend to go overboard in order to not set their child up for embarrassment.

Posted: September 7, 2016

if you care at all about your child's education then dont send them here. As a student I can honestly say St. Joes were the worst years of my school life. The teachers treated me differently than the others and one teacher didnt even bring up the fact that i wasn't doing good in their class until parent teacher conferences and said they would never write a recommendation for me. Not once did she bring this up with me in class however. The school cares more about there "banquets" (which are really just events so you can give them money) that students will literally just not do P.E and instead set up carpet squares, or they will take them out of religion to do it. also the attention they give to choir verses the other electives is extremely disproportional. choir will have 30 -40 students and get to go Disneyland for their trip while the band class has 6 students and the teacher doesn't even do attendance. If your going to pay for a school please send them somewhere better.

Posted: September 27, 2013

We have two kids at St. Joseph (starting our third year at the school) and are very happy with all aspects of the school. We are not members of the church, but have felt welcomed into the community. Like most schools, there is quite a bit of fundraising, but it's not excessive. The administrators are top notch and every teacher we have worked with has been great. Together, they keep the curriculum on the cutting edge. They are supportive of the kids without coddling them. One of our kids went to another school that was twice as expensive and the quality of the educational experience at St. Joe's is just as good if not better. We especially like the emphasis on character development; they do a great job of helping kids to reach their potential. We feel fortunate to be a part of the school.

Posted: May 15, 2013

We love this school - nothing but good things to say about it. Excellent teachers and attentive to individual students needs.

#	Name	Type	City	State	Distance
1	Manette	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Bremerton	WA	14.6 mi
2	The Carriages at Fairwood Downs	Apartment Complex	Renton	WA	14.8 mi
3	Blueberry Meadows	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Bremerton	WA	15.2 mi
4	Meredith Heights	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Poulsbo	WA	16.4 mi
5	Caldart Cottages	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Poulsbo	WA	16.8 mi
6	The Reserve at Bucklin Hill	Apartment Complex	Silverdale	WA	16.9 mi
7	Kitsap Lake	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Bremerton	WA	18.5 mi
8	Fairway Lane	Apartment Complex	Bremerton	WA	18.6 mi
9	The Ridge at McCormick Woods	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Port Orchard	WA	19.2 mi
10	Woods and Meadows	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Poulsbo	WA	19.4 mi
11	McCormick Woods	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Port Orchard	WA	19.7 mi
12	Whisper Ridge	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Bremerton	WA	19.8 mi
13	Mukilteo	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Mukilteo	WA	21.6 mi
14	North Everett	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Everett	WA	25.1 mi
15	Stadium District	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Tacoma	WA	25.7 mi

#	Name	City	State	Distance
1	Downtown Seattle	Seattle	WA	1.8 mi
2	Bainbridge Island	Bainbridge Island	WA	9.9 mi
3	East Bremerton	Bremerton	WA	14.7 mi
4	Port Orchard	Port Orchard	WA	16.3 mi
5	Ridgetop	Silverdale	WA	17.3 mi
6	Poulsbo	Poulsbo	WA	17.5 mi
7	Silverdale	Silverdale	WA	18 mi
8	Naval Base Kitsap	Poulsbo	WA	18.7 mi
9	Lakeness Meadows/ Vinland Area	Poulsbo	WA	20.6 mi
10	Maple Valley	Maple Valley	WA	22.1 mi

Base	Distance
Coast Guard Seattle	2.8 mi.
Naval Base Kitsap - Bremerton	16.3 mi.
Naval Base Kitsap Bangor	19.8 mi.
Everett Naval Station	25.5 mi.
McChord AFB	35.8 mi.
Fort Lewis	39.3 mi.

St Joseph School

Seattle, WA 98112

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Seattle, WA 98112

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