Northwest Gemological Institute offers classes in jewelry appraisals. This school is located downtown in an office building off Main Street and 108th Avenue Northeast, and its lobby is decorated with gems, most notably a large rock cut open to reveal its quartz contents. NGI is affliated with Northwest Gemological Laboratory, which bills itself as the "Northwest's first and formost independent appraiser of fine jewelry."
Bellevue Massage School provides a variety of educational programs and study topics, including Thai massage, ethics and massage, and inflammation response. The school offers both morning and evening class sessions, as well as a licensing program that enables students to meet state requirements. A free introductory class gives potential students a taste of what massage therapy is all about.
Bennett Elementary School, in the Bellevue School District, has an all-day kindergarten program, a program for children with special needs or who are learning disabled and on-site day care provided by the Boys and Girls Club. The school has a reading program for students in kindergarten through third grade who need the extra boost.
The Bennett PTSA organizes fundraisers and helps with programs such as a before-school language program that teaches Spanish, French, Japanese and Chinese. The language program is also open to children who do not attend Bennett. The PTSA also has a website.
Lil' People's World provides childcare for infants and young children in a residential setting located next to Lake Hills Elementary. The daycare, which also has locations in Kirkland, Seattle and Lynnwood, offers a 10 percent discount for Microsoft employees and a 15 percent sibling discount. Public vouchers are also accepted.
French Immersion School of Washington (Ecole Francaise de l'Etat de Washington) is a bilingual, private elementary school, where 75 percent of the instruction is in French. The school's library has 12,000 volumes in French and English.
The school follows the structure of the French Ministry of Education, including the school break pattern (although the school does attempt to schedule most of the breaks with the Issaquah and Bellevue public schools). According to school officials, not only have FISW students graduated to local public and private middle schools, but students after fifth grade have been able to enroll in schools in France.
Families need not be native French speakers, but prospective students in the upper elementary grades will be assessed for French language skills before admission.
Financial aid is available. French nationals may also apply to France for financial aid to attend this school.
Since 1985, Open Window school has been educating gifted children. Having started as a pre-school, Open Window now serves students through the 8th grade. The philosophy at Open Window is "children first, gifted second." This school strives to teach the whole child. There is a full curriculum with a strong enrichment component, including after-school clubs such as martial arts, chess, dance and writing, among many others. Open Window offers tours of the campus for interested families; call for an appointment.
Kindering Center provides a variety of therapy and educational services for infants and children with special needs. The organization's programs include speech and language therapy, family counseling and support groups for parents and siblings. The Bellevue facility is adjacent to Crossroads Park and features a warm, modern interior.
Newport Heights Elementary offers a full curriculum, as well as activities including chess club, a peer mediation program, basketball, Girl Scouts, tutoring, math, reading and drama clubs and a science fair. Its PTA also organizes a foreign language club for students.
