Frequently Asked Questions

You are committing for your child to attend from the first school day in September to the last school day in June. The Summer Program operates during July and August and enrollment is optional.

A key aspect of our program is the vibrant community and culture we have cultivated over the years. We deeply value our partnership with parents and actively encourage involvement through volunteering, classroom events, and regular communication via weekly newsletters from our directors and teachers. Students thrive when they see their parents engaged on campus, reinforcing a comforting connection between their home and school environments. 

Click here to see specific requirement for Parent Involvement.

All meals and snack are provided in the monthly and annual tuition. Each campus employs a full time cook who prepares meals and snacks from fresh ingredients each day.

Pre-Primary: morning snack, hot lunch, and afternoon snack.

Elementary: morning snack and a hot lunch.

Before & After Care:
For Pre-Primary and Kindergarten students at Redmond, Park Highland, and Northup, we offer breakfast during Before Care and an afternoon snack during After Care. Bellewood Pre-Primary students also receive breakfast during Before Care.

Please note that students at Bellewood Elementary receive an afternoon snack, but Before Care is not available for them, as they start their day earlier.

Visit our Food Program page for more details.

Yes, we offer four two-week sessions at all four campuses for our Pre-Primary students. Parents may enroll their children for the entire summer or sign up for specific weeks.

Click here for more information on this year's Summer Camp Program.

All four campuses follow a four to five-step admissions process that is designed to help us mutually understand if Cedar Crest Academy is the right fit for you and your child. Visit out Admissions Page for a detail look at each step.

Family-like Community
Cedar Crest Academy is looking for families who share our passion for education and community involvement. Our school is known for its close-knit, family-like environment, so we are particularly interested in those who will actively participate in our school events and help to maintain a positive, safe, and welcoming atmosphere.

Collaboration & Communication
At the core of our programming lies the collaboration between school and home. This approach aims to provide our students with a joint support system that caters to their social, emotional, and educational development. We highly value families who share our belief in fostering a strong partnership and maintaining clear communication channels with our school. 

Structure & Consistency
Cedar Crest Academy offers an advanced, hands-on core curriculum for Pre-Primary and Elementary students. As a result, our educational approach emphasizes a well-organized and distinct daily schedule. We encourage families to assess their child's readiness for formal instruction and daily transitions. We warmly invite families interested in continuing their child's education from Pre-Primary through Elementary. We hope to witness your child's progress and evolution from Preschool to Fifth Grade!

Cedar Crest Academy is proud to employ a group of phenomenal teachers who are knowledgable, personable, and creative. Each teacher brings a variety of skills, degrees, and experiences to the table. We are proud to share that most teachers hold a Bachelors degree or more across both programs. 

Please find biographies of our teachers, including training and experience here.

Yes, we offer an After-School Vendors program. Families enter into a private contract with a vendor of their interest to host the program right at Cedar Crest. Students enjoy attending programs with their friends after school, and parents love that their children are in the same safe environment. Please see our After School Vendors page for more information.

No. Uniforms are only required for our students who attend Kindergarten - Fifth Grade at the Bellewood location. All Kindergarteners at Park Highland, Northup, and Redmond are asked to wear weather-appropriate, comfortable clothes so they can participate in school activities.

Every year, Elementary staff organize clubs that cater to different disciplines and interests such as yoga, dance, reading, bird-watching, theatre, and more. All students from Kindergarten through Fifth Grade participate in ten clubs throughout the year, with each club rotation occurring twice a week

At Bellewood Elementary, we cultivate a strong sense of community through our house system, which encourages cross-grade bonding and friendly competition. We have five houses—Red, Yellow, Orange, Blue, and Purple—where students take great pride in their participation. 

Please see our School Houses page for more information.

Cedar Crest Academy is a highly capable academic program that prepares students to continue their academic success in the top private schools in the area or accelerated public school programs as desired. No matter where our students go, like an Osprey, they will soar!  Go Ospreys! 

While we are a young elementary still building our pipeline of graduates, our students have already been accepted to the following schools.

• Lakeside School
• Forest Ridge
• Open Window Middle School
• International Community School Kirkland
• Bellevue Christian

The Admissions Assessment is the fourth step of our Admission Process.  Elementary applicants (Kindergarten - Fifth Grade) participate in a visit day with an academic assessment to ensure fit with the program. The Assessment will cover basic subjects and concepts to ensure that the applicant can smoothly transition to the school and the grade they are applying for.

Our Pre-Primary admissions process is a fluid system that is based on the number of applications we receive.  For example, we may have far more Preschool applicants than Pre-K one year. As a result, a campus may go from 2 preschool classes to 4 to accommodate the influx of applicants. As a result, there is no way to quantify the likelihood of admission, but we try to place as many students as possible and will offer other campuses if need be.

Cedar Crest does not make any age or grade exceptions. A child must be the appropriate age by August 31st of the school year you are applying.

• Preschool (3 years old by 8/31)
• Pre-Kindergarten (4 years old by 8/31)

Our Cedar Crest Community reflects a diverse set of speakers from around the world. As a result, it is common for some students to speak a limited amount of English when joining. For those students, we ask parents to practice English in their home environment prior to the first day of school, so they have a smoother transition. We also like to remind parents that students pick up languages quickly and will adjust to speaking English at school over the first few months.

Our teachers and staff work closely with our our students learning English. We give parents basic phrases and words to practice in English at home. We also ask parents to share common phrases in their mother tongue so teachers can better help students. Parents can also read books, listen to music and review some basic flashcards in English.

At the Pre-Primary level, we are looking for students who are interested in learning and are curious about the world. Children who are involved, engaged and work well with other children typically do best at our school. This includes students who are familiar or have a basic understanding of letters, number and emotions, although this is not required for admission.

Yes. All Pre-Primary students must be fully potty-trained in order to attend our school.  No pull-ups or diapers are allowed.

Of course, we understand that accidents happen and our teachers log all potty accidents, so we may collectively keep track.