Chelsea House Montessori (in Lake City... close to Dicks and Seattle Gymnastic Academy) is where my son went, and it's an amaaaaaazing school. For 2.5 - 6. They do NOT do daycare (their hours are strictly 9-3... one can do 9-12, 9-1, 9-3, 12-3, 1-3 ... minimum 3 days a week to 5 days a week), so they usually have openings year round. They are a *very small* school, 3 teachers 1 classroom, and between 10-20 students. When we were there, potty training was also required for entry (but they were *really* good about accidents / etc... you have ziplock bags with full changes of clothes -from shirt to socks-, so if there was an accident ... no biggie. Change 'em out, the bag of wet ones by the sign in sheet at the door... and the kids just keep going about their day. No shaming or trouble, just an easy "lets strip and get in dry ones!")
It's not technically a "gifted school", like Evergreen in Shoreline, but it might as well be. Learning is FUN, and encouraged, and nurtured in a way that is *ideal* for gifted kids.
Here are some snippets of things that my son was just exploding at the seams to tell me / I loved about the school:
"Mom! Did you know the brain has a big CRACK in it?!? Right down the middle separating the lobes! It's called the longee-tuna-fishy!" (longitudinal fissure... from their human body study)
Hearing the word "strata" used correctly (from their study of archeology and dinosaurs)
The scientific names of parts of plants and flowers (stamen, foramen, etc.) being used as easily as "leaf, trunk, roots" is used.
Model of the earth's crust, mantel, outer & inner core
Eric Carle study "bird" painting (i had that one framed... it's in my living room).
Singing "The earth goes around the sun, the sun.. the earth goes around the sun! 12 months! 52 weeks! 365 days!" as part of the birthday ceremony as the teacher holds a candle in the center of the circle and the birthday child dances around the circle with a globe the number of years that they are celebrating, and then gets to blow out the candle for good luck.
All of his weekly works that came home... from over 50 maps (my son loved map works), bracelets and necklaces, reading works, math works (by the time he "graduated", SUCH a touching ceremony, this was + - and multiple digit x & / ), his "book worm" (for every book they read, they put an extra circle with title, author, etc and it gets added to the worm), science works (LOVE the 9 planets necklace that came home... yes 8 now... but pluto was still a planet at the time). Seriously, everything from scissor work to counting dots to silly stuff to solid academics that our public school district consideres "3rd"!!! (argh) grade work.
Their discipline procedure : I NEVER once heard that ANYONE had been "bad" or was in "trouble". Instead; "So and so was having a hard time being a good friend today" or "So and so is learning how to be a good friend" (aka we don't bite, hit, take stuff, etc... not because it's bad... but because in order to be a good friend that isn't what one does... it's ALWAYS in the positive and giving children options and the right way to do things), or "So and so had to sit in the timeout chair so they could calm down and remember how to be a good friend (aka it's not a stigma being sent, it's a chance to cool off and remember). However, it was sooooo rare that it was ever needed.
Wiggles and movement are encouraged
There is a ton of time for running around and playing outside (they are essentially outside playing every hour).
The monthly newsletter that outlined what all the kids had been working on that month.
Being able to talk with the teacher EVERY DAY about how things went/ were going... because plain and simple, they just always made the time, and because there is a 10 minute window for drop off and pickup. So I could stand and talk with the teacher on the playground while the kids played, and then scoop up my kiddo and head out after low fives with the teacher and hugs to classmates.
The bathroom is right there (there are only two rooms in the house, not including the bathroom) and kids can use it WHENEVER they need to, at any time (inside or outside) throughout the day
The kids all help with cleanup (wiping down tables, sweeping, windows... whatever they *want* to do) all with child sized equipment (my son had a thing for windows... that's not a normal thing, but it was what he asked if he could do... so that's what he did).
Tons of stuff. Just an amazing school.
They don't have a glitzy webpage, and I'd recommend phoning rather than email. Pasha is just an amazing woman. Chelsea house was one of only 2 preschools in the city I was willing to send my son to (the other being Learning Tree - who DO have a glitzy web page, but CH is still my top pick). I *thought* I had "easy" requirements for a preschool "safe, fun, & interesting"... but those two were the only ones to really meet all 3 that I found in my searching.
http://chelseahouse.tripod.com/