As a parent of a Westminster School graduate, I can say with confidence that this institution…read moresignificantly, positively, and permanently influences children's lives. My child, for nine years (K-8), grew up in a caring community dedicated to bringing out the best in every student. Westminster's teachers are passionate about their subjects and truly go the extra mile to help students achieve academic success. Even more importantly, the emphasis of the school, as guided by a devoted administration, is the holistic growth of each child. It starts with the etiquette and respect for one's elders that is expected of all students; it continues with opportunities for enrichment such as taking classes on public speaking. It "ends" with the 8th grade play, the last of nine annual shows in which those who have attended Westminster since kindergarten will have performed a major role and which allows students to blossom into the poised, self-confident, self-aware, and ultimately well-rounded people they have consistently been raised to be. The lessons and impact of Westminster really never end. I cannot tell you how much my son mentions his time at Westminster and thanks its community for building him into who he is today. As an up and coming professional play-by-play broadcaster, he points to the extensive public speaking experience he received at a young age as a key factor in his success. He also often speaks of accomplishing tasks "neatly, completely, and with pride," a Westminster expectation for every student, faculty and administrative staff member of the school. While it may be daunting to think of the cost of a private school K-8 education, Westminster School is extremely competitive and the education your child receives will pay immense dividends throughout the rest of his or her life!

Horrible. Rigid, unreasonably structural, not even remotely understanding of different needs. One…read morelittle girl (middle school age) wasn't allowed to leave her classroom to use the restroom. She actually needed to change her menstrual pad, but couldn't! Another child was denied a water fountain break after playing sports. And I could go on... The school is all about control and the headmaster's ego. And about school plays. . Please, keep your children far far away! There are other excellent private schools in our area and we are also fortunate enough to have very good public schools too.

Pinecrest is a little gem in the heart of Annandale. The small student to teacher ratios ensure…read morethat each child is nurtured and taught in an environment where they can have their needs met. The teachers are warm, caring, and provide exciting and challenging curriculum while helping maintain a creative environment. The motto "This is Community" could not be more true as parent and teachers work together, are involved and always looking out for the best interest of the children. Pinecrest also has a wonderful Mindfulness program that is implemented in every classroom on a daily basis! It's a wonderful and warm place to have your children learn and thrive!

As an educator I know a quality school when I see it. Pinecrest School (as well as their summer…read morecamp- Pinecrest Summer Pavilion) is an incredibly unique learning environment, with a school community like no other. I often think how much I would have loved going to school there as child. Pinecrest's leadership and staff are highly qualified and incredibly talented. The class sizes are small and the students truly LOVE their school. There is a genuine joy of learning that takes place at Pinecrest from both the students and the staff. The energy at Pinecrest is buzzing with creativity, comfort and community. It is a true gem of Northern VA.

My almost-four-year-old son currently attends Griffin Academy. We are working parents and needed…read morefull-day care, and we did a pretty exhaustive search in the area for an affordable preschool. I cannot BELIEVE how lucky we are to have found this place. Let me tell you why you should send your kids here. Even before I talk about my son's experience, I need to mention how well this program is run. Kristine Lee, the preschool director, is one of the warmest, kindest, most competent and professional humans with whom I've had the pleasure of interacting. She was so responsive and helpful throughout our enrollment process that we felt like we were already family members from the first contact. This was not our experience with other preschool programs. Many private preschools, like the one our older daughter attended, have strict arbitrary rules, parent work hour requirements, and intimidating admission processes that (for us) made us feel a tiny bit unwelcome. None of this from Westminster. This private school, with its classical focus, has managed to wrap us in its arms and surround us with a community of funny, warm, and down-to-earth people. It feels EASY, not stressful, to attend school here. As private school first-timers, we had to adjust to uniforms, but it's been no sweat. Teachers. We knew that our son liked his teacher, and that she (and all of the Griffin teachers) had been kind to him, and patient as he adjusted to a full day of school. We were so incredibly impressed when we met her in person at back-to-school night. Beyond having exactly the personality you would want for a preschool teacher (gentle, nurturing, and understanding), Miss Horner brings incredible expertise and professional knowledge to her job as classroom teacher. I myself am a board-certified teacher, so I have some clue about what they do, and my son's teacher is at the top of her game. Literally every aspect of her students' experience seems to have been designed with their development in mind. Everything in the classroom is accessible to the children, with the goal of fostering their independence, improving their fine and gross motor skills, and promoting harmony. The children are taught to greet each other respectfully, refer to their classmates as "friends", and express appreciation frequently. We toured other schools in our search, and at some well-known schools, we were dismayed to notice that the teachers did not seem to have a loving relationship with their students. My son's teachers LOVE him, and it shows. This was the single most important thing that we as parents were looking for. Every child deserves to experience preschool in a class like my son's, and we cannot overstate how fortunate we feel to have landed here. Here are some other fun things that we love: - They go on field trips (on the Westminster bus!) on almost a monthly basis. That is so many out-of-class experiences! - Each classroom has an imaginative play area that changes monthly (post office! garden! cave! grocery store!). - You can pack your child's lunch, OR order hot lunch from their service! Or both! - Excite Soccer offers a short after-school class on Thursdays, and our son goes to this and LOVES it. - French. Library. Music. Science. Our preschooler's schedule is as varied and rich as our 1st-grader's. My son is a wiggly little boy. Was I worried that he wouldn't have enough opportunity to move and play in the course of his rigorous classical education? I was. I've got one word for you: GYMNASIUM. If you can show me another preschool where kids get to run around a huge gym first thing every single morning, I'll be astonished. My guy comes home happy and tired every day. I'm typing all of this because when we were looking for preschools, there weren't a lot of parent reviews to read, and parents need to know that this wonderful option is available. Look no further!

Our son went to Griffin Academy for preschool and he attended some of the Griffin camps (winter,…read morespring, summer.) Griffin Academy is part of the Westminster School, however, it is on a different campus and it is run by a different headmaster. So first, I must say that this review is for Griffin Academy not Westminster as we do not have any experience with Westminster directly. The best part of Griffin Academy is the teaching staff (actually, all of the staff) and the facilities. If you take a tour of the facilities I have no doubt you will be very impressed. Having an indoor gym-type of space in the winter was hugely beneficial. Also, the teaching staff was excellent, and I mean really excellent. My son had a primary teacher who he adored and then he did rotate through other teachers who teach specialty subjects, and they all got to know him and I was really impressed with all of them. The expectations, educationally, were set very high which works well for my son and our family because I felt that he was pushed just the right amount. The class sizes are small so the teachers are really able to work with the kids at the level that they are at. They also worked a lot on his manners and his social interactions. My son came out of Griffin at age 4, able to sight read entire books on his own, silently, to himself. So educationally, I cannot fault Griffin at all; I was very impressed. Our son was definitely not bored, which is a big thing for us. The hours that they provide childcare/school for are also very good for working parents, as they provide a variety of options to allow the parents to be able to choose and manage the hours of school and childcare that they need. The price was also surprisingly much more affordable than a lot of other preschools. The only reason I am not giving the school 5 stars is because, just out of bad luck, is our son really didn't have that many other boys in his class, so unfortunately a lot of the stereotypical boy activities, he was not able to partake in to the fullest extent of what he would have preferred, so I ended up having to enroll him in some outside extracurricular activities (karate, etc.) just to kind of make up that deficit. The class he was in was almost all girls. However, as I say, I realize that experience was probably just unique to us and unfortunate due to the way the classes broke down. The reason that is a big deal to me is my son needs a lot of physical activity to get his energy out and that really requires him basically running around like a maniac playing soccer, etc. He is already at the age where he doesn't want to play what he thinks of as girly games so that was a bit of an issue during the school times, was not having enough physical activity for his liking. (***During the camps sessions it was a better mixture of boys and girls so this problem actually completely went away for us during all of the Griffin camp sessions.) The only other pretty minor complaint I had about the school was at times I felt they were a bit too strict on some things that I myself am pretty relaxed on - especially the "clean your plate" mentality, I am not really that into. On the flip side, his manners were much improved and he is able to do a lot more on his own and for himself than he was when he went into Griffin, so I have mixed feelings about that. All in all, I would really recommend Griffin, it is a very good preschool, and when our daughter is old enough we will probably be sending our daughter there.

My kids are in Annandale since she was 2 years old then come my second child was also at Annandale…read moreboth of my girls love it there because the staff are very friendly and nice

I met with staff and visited their location. They took the time to see what needs my son may need…read moreand informed how they could help us. Glad we found them.

MSNV is an amazing school from pre primary up to upper elementaty. Our three boys attend and it's…read morebeen wonderful, loving and the teachers and community are great!

Best Montessori school in the DC region. Hands down. Wonderfully run business, lovely families,…read moregreat teachers, beautiful setting, value for money. Authentic, Accredited, and Awesome!

Absolutely love this place! Our daughter started when she was 4 years old and she learned so much…read moreso fast. Best decision we made to enroll her here. The staffs are always friendly, professional and courteous. Most importantly, this is a safe place for children to learn and the children are always being monitored/cared for (security is always important). The Principal is always paying close attention to who comes in and out of their building. The teachers won't release the children unless she sees the parents. Mrs Fell & Mrs Culpepper are amazing teachers & our child absolutely adores them! Two thumbs way up for this awesome Pre-School!!

Our daughter just started attending Ravensworth in the fall of 2015. She absolutely loves each and…read moreevery day she attends! The teachers are caring, patient and professional. The children get a well-rounded experience with activities such as art, music, field trips, recess and even yoga. In the short time that our daughter has been attending, she has developed leaps and bounds. I highly recommend Ravensworth PDO for anyone seeking an affordable, caring, nuturing and professional environment.

We have had a wonderful experience sending both our daughter and son to Annandale Cooperative…read morePreschool (ACPS). Our daughter was in the Spiders' class, and our son has been in both the Fireflies' class. The teachers and staff here are truly exceptional. They are incredibly dedicated, knowledgeable, and nurturing. As a cooperative preschool, it provides a unique opportunity to be truly involved in our children's early education and build a tight-knit community with other families. The play-based, child-centered curriculum has been perfect for their development, and it is easy to see why they are highly recognized in the area. We highly recommend ACPS to any family looking for a warm, engaging preschool environment!

Our family has a wonderful experience at ACPS. It truly feels like a community, where families,…read moreteachers, and children all support one another. My son absolutely loves going to school each day and has grown so much. One of our favorite aspects is the amount of outdoor time the children get, allowing them to explore, play, and learn in nature. We are so grateful for this school!

We love the Wee Center. Staff is so friendly and caring. The facility is very clean. Ms. Lipton is…read morean amazing director. I wish this were a full-time program!

The WEE Center at Parkwood Baptist is one of the most amazing schools I have ever encountered. Two…read moreof my children have attended the school, and it is surely the kind of warm and supportive environment that is perfect for preschool-aged children. All of the teachers are wonderful people who care for the children as if they were their own and recognize the beauty and potential in each student. Ms. Ann Lipton is an EXTRAORDINARY director who has made the school into a faith-centered atmosphere that provides the resources for children to grow and develop in this precious stage of their lives. I only wish that they had classes for older children! ;) The WEE Center holds a special place in my heart, and I only hope that whatever schools my children attend in the future, that they be as nurturing as the WEE Center.

Raised both of our boys from infancy. Both of our children had positive experiences with both…read morefriends and staff. There are several staff who have been at Carousel for 10+ years, a few who have been there for over 20 years. Others have mentioned the lack of cosmetic updates to the facilities, however, ownership changed hands a year or two ago, and steady improvements to the facilities (new bathrooms, fresh paint) and technology (parent app, door camera and entry system) have been made since. At the end of the day, our children have thrived here, our oldest is doing well in elementary AAP classes and the youngest is nearing the end of his final year. We couldn't have been happier with the way things have gone, especially given the lower price than other nearby facilities, such as bright horizons in the inova complex. 10 years after nervously dropping off our first infant, barely 90 days old, we'd do it all over with Carousel. A deep thank you to all of the staff who work tirelessly so that our children get needed attention and care while we are off pursuing our careers. Kudos to you all.

My son has been going here for 6 months now and I couldn't be happier. My son loves his teachers…read moreand the teachers are so caring! This was his first daycare center experience and I was really worried that he would not like it but he loves going everyday! We have been very fortunate and blessed to have found Carousel!