We are in our third year at McLean School and we have been very happy with our school. Our son had…read moreattended two other independent schools and by the end of the 1st grade he was still unable to read. We had a neuropsychological study conducted and found out our son has ADHD and dyslexia. Where the other schools were unable to teach him effectively and even categorizing our son as a behavioral problem, McLean understood his struggles and brought him to grade level in 2 years. The school is a very supportive environment for the students but also for the parents. It is a supportive and engaged parent community and I am proud to be heavily involved with the Parents Association. In reading some of the reviews, I am saddened to hear that other families had issues with bullying. When we were made aware of another student engaging in bully-like behavior with our son, the school reacted swiftly and addressed the issues. We look forward to continuing with McLean for the foreseeable future.

Wonderful leadership and faculty who thoughtfully consider the needs of students who are not served…read morein traditional classrooms. Beautiful facilities and happy students.

I recommend this school to everyone that is looking for a serious and true Montessori program. In…read moreMD any school that claims to be Montessori has to be approved by the state and has to have at least one Montessori-trained teacher. However, I have heard parents complain sending kids to Montessori is a waste of money because it's just a name to sell the school. So, not all state-approved Montessori programs have good quality of education. So being aware not all schools are the same, I toured 3 Montessori schools: Lone Oak, Manor and the Woods Academy. I found the Lone Oak Montessori on AMI website and Woods academy on AMS website. Manor was recommended by other parents and it seems to be a popular choice when it comes to Montessori preschools in Bethesda area. I took my 3-year-old son with me to all the tours and he loved the Woods the best because we were allowed to walk into the classroom and had very brief interactions with the students and teachers, to observe and also play some toys in the classroom while parents were talking to the director, Mrs. Gerber- who is very knowledgeable and experienced about Montessori programs and part of the reason we chose Montessori is because of her expertise and experience. After the tour, my son wanted to go back the next day because the classroom was just so fun and interesting for little kids. My son is happy every day and cannot wait to tell me what he learned in school. The teachers encourage independence, good manners, trying new things/food, healthy snacks, and creativity. They are caring and loving but also very firm when giving instructions. My son learns new things/facts each day and not just merely playing with expensive toys. For instance, he came home one day start singing "The family of the Sun," and talked about all the facts he learned about planets and I was amazed. And three weeks later, he started to learn the sounds of alphabets and try to read! The teacher told me she would advance any student if s/he is ready so there is no need to wait till 4 or 5 to learn how to read. The other pluses but not major factors are- 1) facility, it's a school so it has it's own gym, music/art classrooms, library, and playground. It's very spacious, clean and well-maintained. 2) it has PE, music and art classes once a week for 30 minutes. The school has a very strong art program. 3) faculty and staff are very friendly and they know student by names. I felt that students are given a lot of attention because of its small classroom size. The only downside is the tuition. It is about $2K more than other schools I checked/toured. We've been happy with our choice and would highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a good preschool in Bethesda. If you want more information about the Montessori program, check out the blog: http://woodsmontessori.blogspot.com/

This is a very good private school in the Potomac and Bethesda area. I went here for Montessori…read morethrough 8th grade and loved my experience here. There were incredible resources and the teachers were awesome! I definitely recommend looking here for your child.

We chose Mercy for our two young children as they entered PreK 4 and 1st grade because of the…read morestrong academics, Catholic principles, and welcoming community that it has. We moved to the area not knowing anyone and without family nearby, which was very challenging. We quickly this learned area has many good options, but after touring Mercy twice, once with the principal and once with the admissions counselor, it was a very easy choice to make. Mercy is the only three-time blue ribbon school in Maryland, and they pride themselves on education which is completely transparent. The teachers all have professional degrees in education and work very closely with their students. We were excited to learn the young grades have small groups for reading and math, (and as the daughter of a teacher) the levels of work they do has been impressive. We were greeted with friendly parents and our kids made new best friends very easily. One of our favorite things about the school is the enrichment programs they offer which have included Spanish, art club, Wondermakers, and chess. The art and music teachers are incredibly incredibly talented and would encourage anyone thinking of this school to meet them and learn about their projects. The principal, church, and school leadership are professional, welcoming, and open to new ideas that will encourage the best school community possible, including the current playground and school construction. The community has been wonderful to be a part of, and we've been grateful for such support and kindness. Recently, a group of fathers and some staff play soccer on Fridays, and there are fun events throughout the year which fosters the school community. As any school, it's the most of what you make of it, and we've found there are lots of opportunities here which make it a very special place.

Horrible!!! I was told my children had a place in the school and then suddenly they didn't. Not…read moremuch of an explanation and very indifferent.

Best school in the town! Great leadership, great staff, great students! Friendly front desk staff!…read moreFriendly atmosphere all around! People actually say hi to each other! And when you are the one to say hi first, they reply to you!!! Highly recommend this school to any parent who wants the best for their child and to any career seeker in public schools! Go bulldogs! I am a proud teacher and parent at Churchill!

My youngest received a Merit Award last night. The event consisted of middle school age children…read morefrom all over Montgomery County. The award ceremony took place at Winston Churchill HS. I truly believe any facility dedicated to the education of our future (our children) should be given five stars. I was a little perplexed about the size of the lockers. They look like they belonged in an elementary school. In this day and age where high schoolers are 10 feet tall, I don't think they should have to get on their knees to get in and out of their lockers. Maybe that is their exercise for the day. Who knows. The school was very clean and their trophy case was loaded. I would have taken a picture, however I hate to be in pictures (via reflective glass).

Not what you'd expect from a private school…read more Most teachers at the school are public school teachers in Germany that come here to teach form a few years. This doesn't mean that they're bad teachers, but not what you expect from a private school. They will only do what is required and nothing more. During Covid my daughter's teachers would sometimes not show up to zoom classes. The cafeteria food is bad. One example is a baked potato with sour cream, that's it! Upon questioning the menu myself the reply was we'll look into it but never heard back. The air conditioner is always full blast having my kids wear a jacket in class during the warm months. When asked about it they said it's the way it is. The computers are old and outdated. Administration seemed helpful and friendly until you need help with a serious situation. Some children had a hard time with online classes and weren't doing as well as they were prior to covid, some teachers did not care and graded them as they always had even though the principal assured the parents that they wouldn't. When questioning the teachers they told us they weren't told or others said they were, but clearly not. The seniors (2021) had a problem with the travel agency with the money a teacher paid ahead of time before Covid for a trip to San Francisco. Instead of helping them get the money back they were told to let the money go. Even when parents got involved! They did end up going on a trip to West Virginia for 2 nights on a bus and paid almost the same amount that the 5 days in San Francisco would have costs!!!This is including airfare. The kids worked hard to save money for the trip and were shamelessly robbed by the agency. Several staff members literally told the parents to let the money go and one staff member was even rude and yelled when asked for support in the matter. I cloud go on and on but the idea of the non-supporting staff is clear. I do want to mention that one teacher did go above and beyond his responsibilities, Herr Tack. Sadly he left to Germany this Summer. My daughter and the other children will surely miss him. Had we had more choices than just this school we would have sent out kids elsewhere.

outside could use work, but it has students of many different backgrounds and has great teachers…read more all in all an underrated school. totally reccomend it!

I think the school is really supportive of a variety of learning styles. My child's teachers in…read morethe upper school (5th-8th) have been caring, nurturing and have offered her lots of scaffolding to grow her into an independent learner. There has been, overall, good communication about her challenges and action taken to help her with challenges. I know they want to prepare her for high-school. From other parents, I've heard their Norwood graduates were more than prepared for 9th grade--even at some of the more rigorous independent schools in DC. My child entered Norwood in 4th grade, so cannot speak to the lower school experience (and 4th was during Covid), but the upper school experience has been solid. My child loves and appreciates all her teachers--which is a testament to their kindness and real desire to educate young people.

Norwood is an amazing school with lots of opportunities for students. The academics are very well…read moredone and the sports and arts are great as well. Overall, the community is spectacular and students are able to thrive and form lasting relationships with one another. I would not hesitate to send my student there.

Holton-Arms runs a summer camp called, "Creative Summer "at their spacious private school. They…read morehave excellent counselors and a phenomenal variety of activities. They offer hip hop dancing, science activities, yoga, knitting, and ceramics. That is just a few choices. They have a spacious campus and are very well organized. This year, I attended the dance recital and it was really entertaining. The kids love the camp. Drop off and pick up are well organized as well. They have a lower camp for younger students and upper camp, for older students. If you are looking for a great summer camp, I highly recommend it.

The school is nice with really encouraging teachers and fun filled school days. The sports team is…read morealso amazing and the after school clubs have a big selection .

I wanted to add a review of the Cavalier Battalion Airsoft Camp that the school offers in their…read moresummer programs for anyone thinking about enrolling their children. This was a wonderful way to learn leadership, discipline and safety for both boys. They made so many friends and each day came home to tell us how much fun they had. Both boys had to pass an extensive Airsoft Safety course and they had the chance to learn many different games. The staff of the camp did a great job of communicating daily with their dad about many different issues and were such a pleasure to work with. I can not speak highly enough of the structure and discipline provided while making this past week what was described as " the best week" of their summer. Thanks to the whole program and I would definitely recommend it to anyone thinking of a way to build strong values and character for their kids in a fun way over the summer.

While sitting at my desk, stressed about a work assignment, I looked out my window and saw my…read moredaughter happily prancing around our cherry blossom tree--full of light and carefree. At that moment, I realized I wanted to keep that spark in her as long as possible. So when it came time to choose a kindergarten, I knew I wanted more than our local neighborhood school and standardized testing. Enter Green Acres School, a hidden gem that focuses on outdoor play and creative learning - a school that would build a solid foundation for these early years. The atmosphere at Green Acres is warm and supportive from the moment the kids hop out of the car at drop-off. The staff respectfully engages with the children, giving them a voice to grow into independent thinkers who advocate for themselves. When the school recognized that my daughter was excelling academically, they adapted to her needs while keeping learning fun and engaging (and have done so with my son, too). She's eager to go to school every day and, to her father's and my irritation, even cried during a Disney World vacation because she missed it! That love for school isn't typical, and I attribute it to the outstanding teachers at Green Acres. I also want to highlight the fantastic work of the new head of the school. Under her leadership, the school is making great strides while staying true to its values. The balance between strong academics and a low-stress environment is something our family deeply appreciates--it's a place where kids are challenged without feeling overwhelmed. Overall, I couldn't be happier with our experience at Green Acres. If you want a place where your child isn't just fine but is great, Green Acres is the one.

I was a student at the Diener school whom rented from green acres. They treated us like we didn't…read moreexist, and showed as no respect. They walked into the areas we rented like they still owned the place. Never smiled never waved, never even spoke to us.

absolutely horrible school. the teachers are not qualified, not able to properly deliver…read moreinformation. they keep complaining the parents about children's low results trying to shift their own responsibility. constantly begging for donations in add to tuition fee increases every year. strict dress code, the girls are not allowed to wear tights in winter but teachers can wear pijamas. shame to this school

Absolutely horrible experience. Waste of money. For this…read morehuge amount of money children are not even taught handwriting or good behaving but they are educated how to sue their own parents. Poor girls are not allowed to wear warm tights in winter, instead they have to go with bare legs when it's freezing cold. Is that normal? Teachers wear pijamas, that's ok, but little girls can't wear tights? Why the child isn't allowed to bring even warm tea for lunch? Ice water is ok but warm tea is not, in winter? The teachers have very poor level of behaving and education (mostly online). Constantly collecting money in something else. Don't send your child there!