independent
Independent or Independents may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups
* Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States
* Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...
,
egalitarian
Egalitarianism (; also equalitarianism) is a school of thought within political philosophy that builds on the concept of social equality, prioritizing it for all people. Egalitarian doctrines are generally characterized by the idea that all h ...
Jewish
Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
day school from kindergarten through 5th grade, located in North
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
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Washington
Washington most commonly refers to:
* George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States
* Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A ...
, USA. The school is accredited by NWAIS (Northwest Association of Independent Schools), a member of the
Washington Federation of Independent Schools
The Washington Federation of Independent Schools (WFIS) is an umbrella organization of private and independent schools in the U.S.
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily ...
Established in 1991 as Seattle Jewish Primary School, the school later expanded to 5th grade and changed its name to SJCS. SJCS was located at Congregation Beth Shalom, then Temple Beth Am, and the school purchased its current building on October 24, 2008.
SJCS has had four Heads of School in its 19-year history. Debra J.G. Butler was the founding principal and served until 1995, establishing the school's primary division. Joyce Shane was head for a decade, and expanded the school into 5th grade. Upon Shane's retirement, Butler returned to SJCS to lead the transition to SJCS' Northgate-area campus. From 2010 to 2018, Shoshana K. Bilavsky was Head of School. Ron Waldman became Head of School in the summer of 2018.
SJCS opened a new campus in the Green Lake neighborhood on Woodlawn Ave N.E.in the building formerly occupied by Billings Middle School.
In addition to tuition, SJCS receives funding from individual and institutional donors including the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle and the