Hamilton International Middle School in Seattle, Washington

“hiya im a 7th grader currently attending this school i would say that this is one of the best school in the district the teachers r soo nice and the students to i was gonna go 2 eckstein but not anymore and next year for us is gonna be a great year exsting and we have alot of fun and education at our school if we have problems we have teachers helping us :) hope hamilton comes up on the top”
This review was posted by a student.

“The most disappointing thing about Hamilton is the complete lack of approachability. By that I mean that despite statements on the school's website about how they welcome parental involvement, the truth--at least in my experience--is that requests to meet with teachers are ignored. Similarly emails to teachers or adminstration simply vanish into the ether. And if you try to meet with the assistant principal, odds are good that you will be ignored then, or otherwise brushed off, as well. Coming from a very responsive elementary school--where parental involvement was encouraged--its quite a disapointment. I can no longer dispute the negative information I was given by friends and colleagues about middle schools in Seattle.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Hamilton is the best school ever! I went to Hamilton Last Year as an eighth grader and love Hamilton now and forever!!”
This review was posted by a student.

“i am a 7th grader goin to hamilton right now and i personally think that this school is awsome i dont know about what ther parents are saying cause some of that is personal (such as about the princapal) and by the way we have a new prinipal also if u are readng this all of these posts are from over 2 years ago now they have a music program as good as eckstein (ok mabey not that good but pretty close!) i would definetly recomend this school because there are not many clicks and the teachers have alot of respect for the students and i just think this is a great school!!!!!! (by the way next year we will have a new really pretty school!)”
This review was posted by a student.

“I currently attend this school and I'm really glad I switched here. I've made so many good friends and I've learned alot. Most my teachers are wonderful and its really differce here. Not alot of cliques.”
This review was posted by a student.

“I was a new student on my eigth grade year and I would definetly encourage for you to go to Hamilton if you want a diverse and amazing school year experience. I also loved that at Hamilton there weren't a lot of cliques like other schools have, and it was very easy for me, as a new student, to make friends. Everyone is different so you don't have to worry about fitting in.”
This review was posted by a student.

“As a teacher at Hamilton, I believe that it is one of the better schools I've worked at. I feel bad that parents need to write such negative reviews about our school. Middle school is hard for kids, chemically their brains are changing and hormones rule their life. I feel that Hamilton, although it's not the prettiest building in the district, it has the best staff!”
This review was posted by a teacher.

“I am a teacher at Hamilton and I think it is unfair to judge an entire school by the limited knowledge a parent might have about their student's teachers. There are some wonderful teachers at SHIMS that integrate computers into their curriculum, that use digital and video storytelling, international exchange activities, hands-on labs, and science journals, reading and writing workshop, and a terrific Writers in the Schools program. There is a constant flow of artists in residence and an after school music program that provides a lot of individual attention given the size of the group. There are no text books for middle school immersion programs and the language teachers have worked very hard to develop a program on their own and should be commended. I rarely use text books which are canned and usually not that good. Hamilton has been improving and will only get better. Support the new facility.”
This review was posted by a teacher.

“Computers are not integrated into the classrooms. Japanese and Spanish are offerred but they have no text books for students. It is difficult to be involved with your child's education and impossible to get progress feedback from some of the teachers. They also do not incorporate basic skills such as organization, keyboarding, computer literacy, and the science curriculum is very lacking. The school is delapidated and it's social environment chaotic. I would not recommmend this school.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Best school ever. I made up my email, just so that I could rite this letter. I am a 13 year old kid that goes to this school, and it rocks you soxs off. It has dances once a month and the food is really good. I love this school!!!!!”
This review was posted by a student.

“I am skeptical about this school and feel it is not a safe, positive learning environment for my son.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“LOVE Mr Acena! Hes wonderful with Students. Miss V is awesome too, Ms Gerlitz is a Great Coach as well as Teacher. They have a good thing there at this school can;t say enough good things!!”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Hamilton Overall is a good school. When an issue surfaces it is treated quickly and calmly. Hamilton is an international school, so alot of the curriculum is made so it can incorpurate international views and cultural information.”
This review was posted by a former student.

“We found the principal to be severely lacking in good judgment with regard to middle-schoolers budding self-awareness. The school also teaches to the lowest common denominator, and parents have to ask continually about the progress of their child if they are concerned that the child may not be doing as well as could be expected. We are fortunate that we experienced this school for only one year. We would never enroll another child here. The testing scores are very low. Many children are bussed in that have no interest in doing well. We cannot recommend this school.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“If you are looking for a school for your student, Hamilton is not a good choice. The building leadership is lacking, the music program is being phased out to make room for Japanese language and Spanish, and technology is not integrated in the classroom. Students mainly use the computers to play games, surf the internet or chat in icon-based chatrooms.”
This review was posted by a staff.