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.

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 .

My son started at St. Bart's in second grade. The community is strong, teachers know all the kids…read moreand parents. Mrs. Parker is an award-winning teacher and she inspires my son to be his best. From cursive writing to interstellar explorations and hands-on science experiments the kids are having a blast every day.

Great school with small class sizes. My two daughters love the teachers and feel a part of a big…read morefamily. Won the National Blue Ribbon School award in 2011.

*Part 2 of 2* There are things that happened in elementary…read moreschool that I remember doing and a lot I have forgotten. For example, I remember a stupid game was played by my self and others. We  were to walk from our meeting spot to where we were to be picked up by the yellow school bus. We walked with our eyes closed down the street with several cars passing us by. I had the sense to cheat and keep my eyes open to make sure I did not get hurt.  My sister ended up smashing her head into a will. She did not go to school that day. Another stupid game one of my friends came up with, was to see if girls were wearing underwear.  Yeah, boys being idiotic, but what does it say when one or two girls joined in this game?   I remember one or two girls didn't seem to mind and one of them having a smile on her face.  Nevertheless, how many inversions of privacy did we violate? One was to many. I should have gotten my ass spanked, but getting chewed out by my mom was bad enough with having to apologize to the women I violated.  Not my finest hour. There was even a time I did not wish to take part in other class activities after our nap...(yeah, something I hated then, but back then, the school had nap time)...I slept on and pretend not to wake up. So what happens when you can't wake up a sleeping kid?  You get left alone.  Plan backfired on me when I got carried to the principal's office and sent home. Once again I got into trouble. I recall our school  doing some kind of talent show and we were put into groups. I don't remember what moronic dance we came up wit, but I do remember I was selected to pick the songs we would dance to.  Apparently each class got a sneak peek at a class doing a dance. On the day my group was selected, I forgot to bring the music on a cassette tape...(yes, and old way of listening to music and a way of recording your music or favorite moments)... and had a hard time performing the dance.  It was very embarrassing, but at least I wasn't by myself doing this dance.  I remember the teacher saying something about wasting the classes time since we weren't prepared.   She was right more than she knew. The dance wasn't up to our standards at the time; as well, as not being confidant about dancing without the music. I think a week later, we came back and if I had forgotten the music, someone had a back up copy of the music.  We got our dances done and from what I saw, it made the class we preformed for wondering what they were up against.   Wanna know the funny thing is. I think a year or two later on, something similar happened, but I wasn't one of the kids supposed to dance. I was in the classroom watching and when the kids couldn't preform before us, the teacher's words brought be back to a time it was me. Finally, The cafeteria. Many times I wasn't very impressed with the food given out by the school. Many parents packed their kids own lunches so  they wouldn't have to pay for their meal. Mine at the time was a Smurf Lunch box.   I later ended up getting lunch money for my meal. This might have been close to the time left for The Lab School, but while I was at Wood Acres Elementary School, I had my share of bad lunches.  We even had a couple of food fights. I don't know what started many of them, but I know my friends and i started one of them. My table got in trouble and we had to clean up our area of the food fight later on...it could have been a lot worse. Finally, There was a time an older kid and his friends asked for money and he held out his hands as younger kids and myself gave him some money.  I finally smarted up and let the bully know I wasn't going to give him money. He didn't like that and I became a target for him. Well eventually the day came where I had had enough of him saying annoying things to me and we got into it. Yes, he was bigger than me, but walked away sniffling while he went to the doctors from  bloody gash I opened up on his face. He and I weren't through by a long shot, but I ended up getting transferred to another scho before something else happened between him or I.  I met my share of bullies from elementary school, church, middle school, high school and the adult world. Only the methods have changed, but always stand up to a bully.  The last time was at PF Chang's,  but that is another story. The crazy things we did as a kid. If you think about it, what was one of the dumb things you did as a kid or with friends?

Wonderful educational opportunities, beautiful campus, teachers and faculty and administrators who…read moreknow each student individually!

As a student from Landon I have this opportunity to share my feelings about Landon. Landon is a…read moregreat school that prepares great men. But, it is ridiculously overpriced for its elementary and middle school years you would be better off waiting until high school to save your $240,000(If you start from 3rd grade it's 40k a year). It has great opportunities for all. The schools discipline is vey dumb they act like your breaking the law with their dumb codes they think the kids care about (which they don't). They do a good job with teaching and education is quite good. They also have green slips which makes you feel you did something horrible and it gives you major anxiety to tell your parents( That is middle and high school). After a while you tend to just not care and you learn to lie and not tell on people when encouraged to. Their sports are one of the best things about Landon with all the options. Classmates at the school are mostly nice but as you stay longer you see the divided groups of the "cool" kids or the "weirdos". Bullying happens and some of the kids are real douches. The lunch is probably better than public schools but repeated and not the best. Some of the teachers are the best while some are scummy and you learn simply nothing from them. Also, the small classes are a plus. Overall Landon is a good place and definitely a place people should try after better schools. This review was affected way too much by my time at Landon cause it's kinda been shit but that's all.

This is one of the highest rated schools in the state and it is truly wonderful! As a play based…read moreand nature based school, they truly embody this philosophy. The teachers are dedicated and engaging and the administrators are friendly and welcoming. I would never send my children anywhere else!

Send your child elsewhere. The school and principal are only interested in those who donate…read moresignificantly. Children leave the school ill-prepared for kindergarten-in fact many need to repeat the year. Several teachers have been known to go to court and testify against parents. There are many other lovely schools nearby that will nurture your children and ensure that they learn in a safe and happy environment.

"Mama, why do they have stay at home days?", my son, a kindergartner at the WWS asked me. In his…read moreopinion, eliminating stay at home days is the only improvement his school needs. I could not agree more, but I'd still have stay at home days for my own selfish reasons. Here is a sample conversation at the end of a typical day: Me: What did you do today? My son: Played, played, and played. Me: What did you learn today? My son: Nothing. But I love my teacher so much. Me: Why do you love your teacher so? My son: She rakes with me. For you folks who are unfamiliar with Waldorf schools, ask to check out books on Waldorf pedagogy at the school library, turn off the TV, and buy your kid a leaf rake next time he asks for a new toy. For my savvy readers, WWS is a fantastic community of likeminded individuals who will make your kid's childhood and adolescent years an epic experience of play, work, love and passion. Stay at home days are overrated anyway: school days are so much cooler! Cheers!

Our daughter has thrived at the Washington Waldorf School since joining the first grade in the Fall…read moreof 2020. The educational experience offered by WWS has nurtured all aspects of our daughter's life and personality. The emphasis that WWS places on skills beyond basic reading, writing and arithmetic has been critical to her growth as a person and increased confidence in herself and abilities (both mental and physical). The basic curriculum is certainly taught - and taught well - but the use of movement, arts and crafts, music, and outdoor activities to teach and enrich has made all the difference. WWS's guiding principle is the education of the whole person; as our daughter experiences the highs and lows of life, we feel this will serve her well. We are excited to watch our daughter's progress as she continues her education at WWS.

Terrible. Always talking about preventing bullying and yet bullying is always happening. Be ready…read moreto burn a hole in your wallet with the costs for therapy!

I haven't figured out anything I don't like about this school. I wish I went here! I know my…read moredaughter is receiving a phenomenal education. Glad to sacrifice my life for my children.

BNS is a half-day, up-to-5-day-a-week cooperative preschool. We are now on our second of two pretty…read moreactive boys attending, so we have experience with all three grade levels. My family has been very happy with the school and teachers. All three seem very warm and comfortable with the students, and the addition of so many parent volunteers means that the ratio of adults to students is kept very low (e.g. 3-5 to 1). It also has allowed some really interesting enrichment in the afterschool programs, like foreign language and sports, which have been a lot of fun for the kids. The program is mostly play-based, and the kids do a lot of hands-on art and music activities. The kids get a solid foundation in basic social skills, attention, larger civic engagement (community help and volunteering) and school-skills like raising hands and taking turns. I have seen daily oral reading with the students in all classes and the beginnings of child reading and writing in the 4-year-old Mighty Oaks class. Math seems to be mainly games-based; using shape-tiles to promote spatial skills and counting by 1s, 5s, and 10s up to 100. Science has been a real bright spot in the curriculum. The kids in both 3s and 4s classes regularly do experiments, collect and categorize things in nature, etc. A few weeks back the 4s class used their apples for snack to break apart the various parts of the apple and discuss how those parts related to the life cycle of the plant. I've often had both my 4 year old and 2 year old talking about things they've learned in school and I've seen my youngest really develop from toddler talk to much more complex sentences with a lot of concepts he's learning in class. I'm confident my oldest will be well prepared for kindergarten next year, which is impressive considering it is only a half-day program. Co-oping is more challenging as a school structure than your basic drop-off daycare, but it gives a great opportunity to see your child learn in ways a parent-teacher conference would not provide.

We absolutely LOVE BNS!!! Everything about the school from the staff to the fun and creative…read moreprogramming and wonderful facilities make it a truly fabulous community. Our kids love it and we can't recommend it highly enough!