Guidepost Montessori at Celebration Park, Federal Way | Fees, Rankings, Address, Admission, Vacancies, Reviews & More

When we first chose Guidepost we were excited with high hopes. Unfortunately, what unfolded was a harrowing experience that left my 2 year old with a trauma diagnosis from a licensed mental health professional that specializes in pediatric mental health.

Some of the issues we faced in just one week at this facility included, but are not limited to: (1) lack of access to water leading to dehydration, (2) lack of access or encouragement with food, resulting in even my child’s most favorite foods being fully untouched in their lunchbox at the end of the day, (3) multiple head injuries, all of which we discovered only upon picking our child up, and all of which no one could account for and we either had to demand an incident report for OR the incident report given was inaccurate, (4) admissions that they were out of ratio when another attempted injury occurred, (5) admissions that the children were not being properly supervised, (6) failure to work collaboratively with us to address concerns.

The final straw was what followed an incident that occurred 4/12/24. I was told that a child attempted to bite my child and that they checked for a mark and there was no mark but “a mark later appeared.” The Lead Guide told me she would be there at pick up so she could walk me through what happened as it didn’t make sense to me that a bite mark would just magically appear. When I arrived she was not in fact there. I observed the very prominent and deep bite mark less than an inch from my child’s eye as well as busted lip that was very swollen and scabbed over, the latter of which was never disclosed to me.

When I very collaboratively attempted to address my concerns, again, with the Lead Guide (Renée) and local leadership (Rylie and Sasha), the excuse I received about my child’s lip was that my child “must have” been sucking on their hand. My continued requests to meet to discuss my questions about the suspicious narrative around the bite and busted lip were met with dismissal and push back. Through the course of the protracted email exchange with local leadership, in their attempts to gaslight me and sweep my concerns under the rug, a number of facts were revealed about what had been occurring that week, including acknowledgment that the actual bite was in fact a separate incident resulting from their negligence, with an excuse that they “do not recall [child] being in distress at any point in the day that would have given us an idea of when the incident may have occurred.” Note: To date, no one has been allowed to review the camera footage that would put these issues to rest.

As a result of that exchange I took my child into be examined by their pediatrician, who confirmed that (a) the busted lip could not have possibly been caused by my child “sucking on his hands” and (b) it is implausible that anyone, let alone a toddler, could sustain a bite of that degree, particularly to the face, without any reaction. They also firmly and in no uncertain terms told me to never take my child back to the facility and advised me to report the pattern of injuries and our experience to CPS.

I did meet with regional leadership about this issue. During that meeting she claimed to have horror and heartbreak over what had transpired and apologized profusely for our experience and the stunningly unprofessional and inappropriate way Rylie and Sasha handled the situation. Unfortunately, when my child is still undergoing therapy as a direct result of what he endured at this facility, her apologies are just empty words that fall flat.

Guidepost’s response is nothing more than a continuation of lies, gaslighting, and marginalizing their neglect and negligence that resulted in a 2 year old receiving a trauma diagnosis. I am more than happy to supply any concerned parent with the unaltered copies of the email exchange, photos of my child’s injuries, and excerpts of the medical providers reports substantiating the injuries and emotional trauma. My name is unique and I can easily be found on Facebook.

STOP WHAT YOURE DOING! THIS SCHOOL IS THE BEST!!

Now, I understand that everyone has their own opinion but let me tell you that my opinion, perspective, views and beliefs about this school are true to my heart. My daughter has struggled in her last school, fighting us every day to a MELTDOWN if she had to go. NOW, she wants to see her teachers, friends EVERY SINGLE DAY. She wants to explore and learn and she has just taken to the environment and bloomed beyond anything I have seen in her yet. She tells me about her day with her friends and teachers all the way home (45 min drive, thats a long winded child)

The school itself has enhanced my daughter’s drive and curiosity for learning, they challenge her, keep her motivated to learn new skills and I cannot say enough to that. I will keep my daughter at this school until she cannot anymore, they teachers and staff are THE MOST KIND and AMAZING people who LOVE the kids. ALL OF THEM. I have walked in at different times of the day and every time I see them handling a tough situation with genuine care and gentleness that I, personally, do not even posses.

To the Admin team, Riley is a gem of a person. She is welcoming and kind. If there is anything going on, she is completely and fully transparent and that is so rare nowadays. Sasha is a wonderful face to be greeted with and also extremely knowledgeable, if she doesn’t know something she finds out quickly and is very helpful through the process.

In conclusion, if you are on the fence or unsure, leaving knowing this. I trust my daughter to be at this School all day Monday through Friday. I have had severe anxiety leaving my child that long, but after seeing my daughter bloom the way she has, all of that has dissipated and been extremely reassuring. Thank you for reading this far.

We are so thankful to have found Guidepost and a staff that we can trust. Our daughter has been attending Guidepost for over a year. Her guides in the toddler room are amazing. They welcome her so warmly each day and she loves going to school. Every staff member, even those teachers in other classrooms, make a point to say good morning to her each day when they see her. The sense of empowerment and independence she has because of Guidepost is incredible. She is challenged in the classroom to keep growing and learning while also being surrounded by supportive teachers and other children. They make outdoor time a priority each day and she loves playing on the playground.

Our son recently started in the Nido (infant) classroom. Dropping your kids off to be in someone else’s care is really difficult, but having the trust in the Guidepost staff made this transition so smooth. The classroom is so peaceful and calm with so much space for the kids to explore. The guides in the room are so kind and warm. My son gets so excited when he sees them that he rocks his whole body back and forth.

The communication from Guidepost staff is unparalleled. Not only do they provide daily updates through an app on naps, toileting, and meals, but they also post pictures frequently and they do not hesitate to reach out directly if needed. They also host events frequently for parents to interact and be a part of their kids experience at school. We are so grateful for Guidepost, this community, and the love and care they have given our children.