Our Recent Posts
September 17, 2021
How our Two-Teacher Model in Primary Makes a Difference
What makes BASIS Independent Schools special? This is a question that I, as Head of School of BASIS Independent Bellevue, receive time and again as I meet new families and get the opportunity to speak to people about our new school opening in Bellevue. While there is not just one answer to this question (as I believe that our school is different in a variety of ways) there is one particular area of our Primary Program that I believe stands out above the rest. This is our two-teacher model involving a Learning Expert Teacher (LET) and Subject Expert Teacher (SET).
“What is an LET and SET?” Well, in an effort to explain what each of these acronyms mean, the roles that they play, and how it all comes together to best support our students, I want to briefly talk about the tandem land navigation exercises that I participated in while in the military. During these training exercises, I would work together with a partner in a two-person team and within this team, each of us had a specific responsibility. One member was responsible for holding the compass and guiding the expedition, so to speak, while the other scanning the area for obstacles or areas of concern. If any such hazards were identified, we would stop, take a moment together to formulate a plan, and then continue on with the mission. In fact, when broken down like this, I believe that our LET/SET teaching model actually works in a very similar way.
August 26, 2021
Her Vision, Your Teachers, and Our Community with Our Head of School
Ask any BASIS Independent student what they love about our program and “the teachers” is the first thing they mention. It is the passion, dedication, and expertise of our teachers that encourage students to question, make connections, experiment, and take on and apply deep content knowledge.
Ms. Elizabeth Thies, Head of School of BASIS Independent Bellevue, who has been and continues to be a stand out figure in the development of BASIS Curriculum Schools Subject Expert Teachers. Her vision for our school is, “To create a leading and robust learning community that empowers both students and teachers and allows us to work together to best serve the needs of the BASIS Independent Bellevue community.”
“I am passionate about training teachers,” Ms. Thies expressed, “and I look forward to having the opportunity to learn more about our students and working with our faculty to create a school learning environment that is engaging and compels our students to be excited about the learning process.”
August 19, 2021
Admissions FAQ: What to Expect on our Entrance Exam for Fall 2022
Thank you for your interest in BASIS Independent Bellevue for the 2022-23 school year! We are now accepting applications for our founding year for Grades 3-7. We will expand a grade level each school year as we grow into a full middle and high school offering.
We are excited to know that you are wanting to participate in an internationally benchmarked program where our teachers ignite passion in the mind, heart, and soul of every student. When students love to learn, they excel!
All applicants are required to take an online BASIS Independent Schools Entrance Exam. This online examination is created, administered, and proctored by BASIS Independent Schools. It is just one requirement of a student's application, which includes a Family Meeting, transcripts, and Math and English Teacher Recommendation Letters.
Listed below, are frequently asked questions about our Admissions Entrance Exam.
August 4, 2021
The Admissions Process: We Invite you to Join our Founding Year!
Participating in the founding year of a school is a unique and memorable opportunity.
And now, you have the chance to become a founding family of BASIS Independent Bellevue—a learning community where intellectual curiosity drives student success, where interdisciplinary instruction meets experiential learning, and where students learn at the highest international levels. Our passionate, Subject Expert Teachers bring our liberal arts program with advanced STEM offerings to life, using their expertise to help students develop deep content knowledge, subject mastery, and comprehensive critical thinking skills.
When applying, each family will work with members of the Admissions Team, whose role is to welcome new families to our program and educate them on the benefits of a BASIS Independent Bellevue education. They are the guides through the application and admissions process.
The 2022–2023 Application is Now Open!
We are now accepting applications in our Rolling Admissions Application Cycle for grades 3–7! Read on to learn more.
July 30, 2021
Join us for a Campus Tour of BASIS Independent Bellevue!
There’s nothing quite like discovering a new private school than by stepping onto its campus grounds to learn more about the program and the student learning experience.
We are excited to announce we offering families a tour of BASIS Independent Bellevue as our classrooms undergo renovation. We are offering private campus tours on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 4:30 PM and 5:30 PM. Campus tours are on a first come, first served basis and we will accommodate your tour request as best as possible. Tours will last approximately 30 minutes. Our campus is located in the Crossroads neighborhood of Bellevue. Click here to register for a campus tour!
BASIS Independent Bellevue is opening fall 2022 with grades 3-7 to start. Our campus will grow a grade level each school year as we expand to a full 5-12 program. In our program, students participate in a curriculum benchmarked to the best education systems in the world, brought to life by passionate Subject Expert Teachers, and in a culture of support. For these reason and more, our students build a love for learning and achieve extraordinary outcomes as they discover their potential.
July 22, 2021
BASIS Independent Schools - Teacher Recruitment
What does the teacher hiring process look like at BASIS Independent Schools?
Everyone remembers that one teacher—the one that left such a strong impression that you actually started to call English your favorite class even when you’ve always been a “math person.” To paraphrase BASIS Independent Brooklyn French Subject Expert Teacher Mr. Mandeville, at BASIS Independent Schools, all teachers are that one teacher—each one forges a true connection between their students and the lessons being taught, instilling in them an avid love for their subject. Good luck asking one of our students what their favorite class is. They either tell you, “all of them!” or, “it changes each year!”
Our dedication to hiring world-class teachers is one of the reasons our network and students have seen such notable success over the years—from achieving top results on the OECD Test for Schools (based on PISA) and Advanced Placement exams, to our students gaining admission to some of the world’s best colleges, including Columbia, Yale, Harvard, Stanford, and more. Our robust teacher recruiting process is designed to find and hire high-caliber educators who inspire students to gain the knowledge, confidence, and critical-thinking skills to accomplish whatever they set their minds to.
To help families better understand what goes into ensuring every teacher at school is their child’s favorite teacher, we want to provide you with a look inside our teacher selection and hiring process.
July 13, 2021
BASIS Independent Schools: Inside the 2021 Senior Projects
The Senior Project is the crowning achievement of the BASIS Curriculum. The last two years may have looked a little different—with Senior Project research, on-site work, and presentations taking a virtual form—but our students persevered in order to complete this extraordinary milestone.
This blog sheds some light on the Senior Project, its history, our incredible advisors, and most importantly, the students who continue to show that they can and will exceed all expectations.
July 7, 2021
Developing a Growth Mindset at BASIS Independent Schools
Ms. Wendel is a Math and Psychology Subject Expert Teacher, and a Master Teacher at BASIS Independent Schools. She is a part of the fabric of the BASIS Independent Schools network. Ms. Wendel teaches AP Psychology and AP Calculus (AB and BC) at BASIS Independent Silicon Valley.
In the beginning of the school year, I always give my Psychology students an assignment that asks them a couple of questions about themselves so that I can get to know them better. One of the questions is, ‘Where do you see yourself in five, ten, and fifteen years?’ In my mind, I was thinking I would receive answers of doctor and lawyer, and, since we are in Silicon Valley, numerous software engineering positions. However, what the majority of my students submitted was surprising: Venture Capitalist. Even more intriguing is that it is not just a distant dream as you might expect—but they actually have a concrete plan on how to get there.
June 30, 2021
A School Designed to Set the Pace of Global Education
Welcome to BASIS Independent Bellevue!
In our private school, we combine the world's highest academic standards with the innovation and creative spirit of American education. We set the bar high for students with an advanced, content-rich curriculum spanning both the liberal arts and STEM, led by passionate Subject Expert Teachers who support them along their journey. Through a focus on interdisciplinary instruction and experiential learning, our program fosters individuality, self-confidence, and resilience as students build critical inquiry and problem-solving skills.
We believe any motivated student can meet and exceed whatever challenge they face. Our ultimate goal is to inspire students to become active participants--not spectators--in their education and beyond.
June 10, 2021
BASIS Independent Schools Students Continue to Soar in OECD & PISA Performance
There’s been a lot of buzz in the news recently about student performance on the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). While PISA results are informative from a data standpoint, there is not much information about how these exams lead to nationwide or global improvement in the classroom. At BASIS Independent Schools, we are excited to explore the implications of our results.
One of our network’s consistent excellent outcomes is that our 15-year-old students outperform their American and global peers on the OECD Test for Schools (based on PISA). And although some countries may be stagnated or underperforming, BASIS Independent students continue to perform, on average, at the top 1% of U.S. schools, and at the top 3% of schools globally. How are these results possible, and what does that look like at BASIS Independent Schools?
Welcome!
Inspired by the blissful feeling of uncovering connections, our blog Eureka! Bellevue is about sharing moments that capture the essence of what it is to be a BASIS Independent student, teacher, administrator, or family.