Kapka Cooperative School

Our personal story:
We chose Kapka because our 6-​year-​old twins’ (boy and girl) preschool experience was such a wonderful revelation. It was a little «woo woo,» and I was snarky about that at first, but what that school did for our kids took the snark right out of me. They were tended so carefully to grow into themselves — the strongest selves they could be — and, astonishingly to us, to be full of joy.
That might sound corny (it would have to me in the past), but my husband and I have raised two older children (16 and 19) in the «traditional» system. We watched their individuality and happiness gradually diminish. Nothing traumatic, nothing terrible, just circumstances a lot of us accept as normal and unavoidable in school: inflexibility, prescriptive expectations, busywork, hyper-​competitiveness, pressure to conform, stress…
We didn’t know children could love going to school every single day and feel joy in everything they did, in the world, in learning and, most importantly, in themselves. It hurt to think this would end after preschool, especially knowing, as we do now, that it didn’t HAVE to. But what could we do? We couldn’t afford any full-​tuition private schools that purported to offer this kind of experience (and I’m not sure they do, really).
But we found Kapka. Yes, the co-​operative aspect seems daunting.* Yes, the facilities aren’t fancy.** Yes, it’s a bit «kumbaya.» *** But I believe it’s one of the best elementary schools in Seattle. If you think that joy; confidence; curiosity; a loving, respectful community; and excited, creative, devoted teachers who really know your child are the best foundations for learning (as we do, having experienced the alternative); if you think play and art and music and experimentation and plenty of time in nature matter to children’s development, then you want your kids to go to Kapka.
Does this sound like a promo pitch? Hmm. I don’t know. It’s all true.
*in re the cooperative commitment: it isn’t nothing, but it’s not nearly as much or as onerous as we anticipated. The school is flexible, very supportive of parents whose circumstances make it difficult or impossible for them to be in the school. There are options. Still, one of the amazing benefits of a small cooperative school is that the parents get to know every child. I love knowing all the children and I love that so many other adults know mine. That wasn’t the case in any school my older children attended, private or public.
** But they work really well (kids getting squirrely? how about a quick dance or a few laps in the gym right outside the classroom door? maybe put those sight-​words up on the wall and run and touch them as the teacher calls them out. maybe five minutes of hula-​hooping, then back to reading or place value.)
*** Just roll with it:) It’s good for the kids. And these are some of the smartest, funniest, fun, kind and non-​judgmental parents I’ve ever met. No granola necessary.

Our daughter is a mild mannered, attentive kid who could probably fit in fine in a wide range of school settings. But we worried that because she generally does follow rules and behave well that she could wind up flying under the radar in a school with large classes where teachers are stretched thin and occupied with more disruptive kids.
At KapKa, with its small class size, she gets plenty of personal attention. Also with the smaller classes, she has the opportunity to be a leader and build her confidence. KapKa creates a supportive, positive environment where kids can take risks in their learning and feel safe about stretching themselves academically. The school is a great place for building a solid academic foundation.

On paper (well, to be honest, online), I found Kapka similar to the few other co-​op elementary schools in northern Seattle, which all appear to be wonderful schools, but Kapka’s teachers were clearly a notch above any of the other schools we visited. About five minutes into the open house, my wife and I knew this was the place for our son. The teachers are simply amazing.
Our son is a highly energetic, but very positive, little boy who could easily become a «trouble maker» with a teacher who was overloaded or didn’t understand him. At Kapka his exuberance is celebrated and gently guided and nurtured to be a tool that is going to serve him for the rest of his life. And my son certainly doesn’t have a monopoly on happy energy. Any time I have seen the Kapka kids at school there are smiles all around and you can see the inquisitive curiosity that the teachers cultivate.
The school creates a warm and safe environment where children learn to get along and contribute to a community, and within that learn the joy of learning.
At night, we often reflect on the highs and lows of our days. It’s wonderful to hear my son say that the high-​point of his day was going to school.
And to be selfish for a moment, the coolest part is that Kapka is a co-​op, and I not only get to hear about all the fun stuff they do at school, but I get to participate, too!

A year ago, I was dumbfounded and amazed by both the number of school options and the breadth of difference at each of the schools. From public to public option to parochial to private, my wife and I looked at them all, toured, open housed, and even interviewed. If they had a Seattle address my wife and I took a look. I made it a point to leave no stone unturned and finally after months and months, we chose KapKa.
We chose it because it appeared to be ideal. Ideal in its class size, ideal in its developmentally based, progressive and experiential learning design and ideal in it authenticity. A lot of schools we visited looked great on paper but the feel was off, if their was too much tech — forget it. If the teachers started talking about homework for our 5 year old or standardized testing — no thanks. If the race was on to get our not yet reading 5 year old to read us The Hobbit by the end of 1^st grade, we were gone.
We were looking for a place that could harness his sometimes wild enthusiasm and 5 year old self. We wanted a place that could inspire the desire to learn, to be naturally creative and to be truly empathetic towards others. We weren’t worried about the reading and the writing, the math and the algebra. And not to take those things lightly as they are real and really important. Its just that we are involved and present enough to help make that happen. We expected and were looking for something better. Something more authentic…
And now after being there 6 months, my wife and I couldnt be happier. We have stumbled upon the best little school in Seattle. This place is the real deal, no pedagogy, no absolutes. Just individualized creative learning taught by exceptional teachers to some of the greatest little people around.

My daughter has been at KapKa for three years, and we could not be happier with our decision. She is genuinely bummed when she has to miss school, counts her teachers as family, and loves knowing well all the kids in her school, as well as their families (her mom and dad really love that, too). She has flourished, too, academically, with the small class sizes that allow the teachers to differentiate curriculum. She has been able to soar in areas where she is able, and has gotten support in areas where needed. We simply love being a KapKa family.

Sending my daughter to Kapka was one of the best decisions our family has made. We chose Kapka for the small community that we thought would be ideal for our shy apprehensive girl. In the first month at Kapka she was comfortable and happy to go to school everyday. Particularly impressive following three years of dragging her out the door to preschool. Now in her 3^rd year at Kapka she is happy, confident, loves to learn and still excited to go to school everyday. The teaching team is fun and fabulous and the community is warm and caring and feels like family. As a family with 2 full-​time working parents (albiet with flexible schedules) we weren’t sure how we would be able to pull off a co-​op school, but it is such a strong community that it has been great and not felt overwhelming at all. Our 4.5 yr old can’t wait to start kindergarten at Kapka in the fall.

Both of my kids have done their early elementary years at KapKa.
What I appreciate about KapKa is the way that children are encouraged to ask questions and learn what is important to them rather than just master prescribed content. My elder son is now in the APP program for middle school. He was never bored at KapKa.
Its also just cool to have your kids be happy at school.
LIKE.

Going in to our third year at Kapka and my child still runs through the gate never looking back, so sad for me that sometimes she forgets to say goodbye. So great for her that she cant wait to get inside to be a part of the creatively integrative learning environment. We love you Kapka.

My daughter started at Kapka after we moved to Seattle from Pittsburgh. We were extremely concerned about the transition as we knew nobody in the city and had about three weeks to make all the transition plans for the move.
Because KAPKA’s tradition is based on the primacy of community, respect and inclusion, our first grader was literally «at home» within three days of starting school. The small class size (12 kids per grade) and the unique student/​teacher ratio, provided the contact and support she needed to avoid feeling lost in the new environs.
My school experience was much more traditional, but similar in that the school I attended was the center of a community of families. I see my daughter picking up many of the same lessons that I had as a student, namely: «when the school is important to the parents/​teachers, it becomes even more important to the students.»