The Brooksfield school provides a welcoming environment for children in a small and personable…read moreatmosphere. We have looked at other comparable schools in the area and were impressed with Brooksfield due to its smaller size and friendly staff. The school is well run and our child loves going there.

Our son has benefited greatly from his years at Brooksfield School. The educators are exceptional…read more- personable and caring, encouraging each child to learn and grow. My son was consistently exposed to a myriad of topics that were not on the curriculum at his associated public school. His education was differentiated based on his strengths and opportunity areas. The curriculum is so well rounded! Art, art history, movement, meditation, gardening, music and rhythm, reading, spelling, mathematics, manipulatives, etc. He learned independence, social skills and practical skills along with strong academics. All this within a welcoming school and parent community.

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.

My 2 children have been attending this school since they were 2.5 y/o. They are now 4.5 y/o. MSHR…read moreis absolutely wonderful. Ms. Ling, the administrator, is the ultimate professional and the school is very well run. I love the ease-of-access to direct communication with the administrators and teachers. I don't have to leave endless voice messages that go unanswered and every response is super timely. My kids were in Lavender and Ocean. They are the same age and I was nervous to separate them, but Ms. Christy (head of school) encouraged me that this was the right decision. Ms. Jharna and Ms. Michelle have fostered the growth of each child in a loving and attentive way. EVERY ONE of the staff there seem to genuinely care for the children. Academically, I believe the Montessori was worked best for my kids. I highly recommend this school to any parent.

We love MSHR! We brought our son there when he was three because his current school wasn't paying…read moreattention to some bullying and weren't proactive about some speech delays. We fell in love with Ms. Sara who was our sons teacher for two years. We put him in public school for kindergarten and he was not challenged/ was bored and not getting enough exercise/outdoor time. He asked if he could go back to MSHR for first grade and just finished up a stellar year there. Our three year old spent three months crying everyday at drop off before she was finally old enough to head to MSHR. Stopped crying on day two. She loves Ms. Sara and the rest of the teachers. It's hard to leave your little ones in someone else's hands but MSHR makes it easy. Plus they have a giant playground and aren't afraid to use it!

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!

Dolley Madison Preschool was THE BEST first-time school experience for both my boys ages 5 and 2…read more They absolutely loved their teachers, enjoyed playing with their friends, brought home cute crafts, and their vocabulary and confidence skyrocketed. Both my boys looked forward to going to school every single day. It's the genuine, welcoming feeling you get from the nurturing teachers and friendly community that makes Dolley Madison Preschool EXTRAordinary. We love DMPS!

This school is the best kept secret in McLean. My oldest went to Country Day and then I tried DMPS…read morefor my youngest because we had some neighbor friends that she'd be in the same class with. The teachers I have met thus far are incredible. Smart. Compassionate. Energetic. The facility is darling and the most important piece - my daughter LOVES school. I highly recommend you look into this school.

ACCA is an acronym for Annandale Christian Community for Action…read more ACCA is a church-supported voluntary organization providing rental assistance, day care, emergency food delivery, Meals on Wheels, basic furniture delivery, housing repair, transportation to medial appointments, family emergency financial assistance, student scholarships and other services to needy families in the area. They have a child development center and a food pantry on-site & all ACCA services, except the Child Development Center, are provided by volunteers at no cost to those who need them. They were founded over 50 years go by Fred & Emily Ruffing, a local family from Alexandria, VA, who were going through hardships themselves. They organized a meeting with representatives from eight local churches to set up a day care center to provide assistance to the working poor. They marshaled support from the county and from local donors & succeeded in meeting the needs! Annandale Christian Community for Action branched out into other activities, all under the banner of "doing what Jesus would do". The organization started with eight churches and currently has a membership of 26. I have been doing food delivery for them for years and I also bring clothing & household donations from my school & my home. The beautiful thing about donating is it is all put out on table for folks to simply take what they need - no cost! So it to literally goes directly to the community. They accept food donations, clothing, toys, household, school supplies, you name it, and you can also donate financially. To request assistance from ACCA, please contact the Fairfax County Coordinated Services Planning office at 703-222-0880. I can't say enough good things about this community non-profit organization other than PLEASE SUPPORT!

I'm thoroughly impressed with the environment and the program they offer. The center is designed…read morewith children's growth in mind, featuring bright, engaging spaces that stimulate learning and creativity. The teachers are exceptionally qualified and dedicated. They create a warm and welcoming atmosphere, making it easy for children to feel comfortable and secure. The educators are not only knowledgeable but also genuinely passionate about child development. They provide individualized attention, ensuring that each child's unique needs are met. Overall, ACCA CDC stands out as a wonderful and enriching early learning program for young children. It's a place where they can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. I would highly recommend it to any parent seeking quality early childhood education in Northern Virginia. Also, see their reviews in Google and Facebook. They reflect the real status of ACCA CDC.

I see people write this frequently where I wish I can give no stars. We are no longer at this…read morelocation but I would delete my previous review when was nearly 4 years ago. They were amazing then and now with a new head for a year all students have left for harassment issues, poor care of children, and confrontation with parents. Most of the guides have left too.

This is such a wonderful Montessori school! We highly recommend it…read more Our daughter previously attended a large Montessori school in bustling NYC for two years. Being used to the eclectic and energetic vibes of city life, we had inhibitions in how she would take to attending such a small and quiet school. Along with her previous classmates and guides, she was used to walking the streets of Brooklyn, taking the ferry to Manhattan, and walking to various public parks. When we arrived to see Guidepost Montessori at Fairfax, we were struck by its quaintness. The children have their own play area in the back of the schoolhouse, surrounded by a picket fence. It is intimate, yet spacious enough for all of the children to enjoy. The school is very clean and organized. The classrooms are set up in typical Montessori fashion, with the added charm of displayed artwork made by the pupils. The faculty takes the time to decorate for the seasons and holidays. The most charming and wonderful aspect of this school is the faculty. From the Head of School, the Administrative Director, to the Lead Guides, Assistant Guides and After School guides, everyone is kind, caring, patient and gentle, and respectful. They immediately treated our family as one of their own. They are the reason our daughter loves going to school each day. She has flourished under their care and guidance and we cannot thank them enough.

What I most like about the Montessori School of Cedar Lane is that it administers tests in…read moreselecting its students. The tests comprise psychological, social, linguistic and spatial reasoning to ensure that the students are good match for the school. The head master and instructors run an excellent program and know what they are doing. This is a good school for getting one's kid into the presence of other children who are good at taking "merit" based tests.

Maria Montessori would be rolling over in her grave if she knew the manner in which this school was…read moreimplementing her program and vision. Avoid this establishment at all costs. It has taken me quite a while to write this review, mostly because I've been avoiding reliving the horrible events that led up to it. My daughter was just over 2.5 years old when she was enrolled here in April 2022. As a pandemic kid, she had never been in any sort of daycare setting and did not have many opportunities to be in social or group settings until her first day at Cedar Lane. Nonetheless, she was (and remains) a highly sociable, sweet dispositioned and inquisitive little explorer who soaks up knowledge like a sponge. As first time parents, we were so excited to widen her world with a Montessori education, but Ceder Lane sullied the whole experience for us. Within the first two hours of drop-off, we got a call from an exasperated Ms. Pamela saying that our child was refusing to sit and listen, just wanted to play with toys, and was requiring more attention than the other kids. None of these things sounded developmentally abnormal to me, as it was her FIRST DAY away from home, and yet Ms. Pamela had the gall during that FIRST conversation to suggest we consider an Early Intervention Program for her. I immediately called our pediatrician who was flabbergasted by this suggestion. The Pediatrician said they recommend at least 3 weeks for a child to adjust to a new routine and environment and for any sort of recommendation to b made within 2 hours was completely out of pocket. We asked Cedar Lane to work with us by allowing her to come in for 1-2 hours a day for the first couple of weeks to get acclimated. We did this for a few days and noticed that our child's face was completely red and puffy each time we picked her up from crying. A few days later, we were called in for a meeting with Ms. Tabitha, the Director, who said our child can't self-regulate. I was taken aback by this assessment given the fact that no 2.5 year old can self-regulate, and teaching them to do so is the whole point of preschool programs at that age. Our child did not hit, bite, push or disrespect others personal space. The only thing she was doing "wrong" was wanting to explore the classroom during circle time and she was labeled as having a "problem" because of that! Mind you, this was still within the FIRST WEEK of her being in a new environment. Isn't discovery and independent exploration a main tenet of the Montessori method? During our meeting, we asked that they work with our daughter and develop a performance improvement plan, and at least give her the recommended amount of time from the Pediatrician of 3 weeks to adjust. Ms. Tabitha refused, and tried to hand us informational paperwork for a developmental psychiatrist. She kept reiterating that they can't make medical diagnosis but were at the same time diagnosing our child as needing a developmental psychiatrist. Our pediatrician thought this recommendation was ridiculous, after having closely evaluated her and never seen even a single marker or indication of any sort of developmental issue. We pulled our daughter out of Cedar Lane after a mere week of her being there for 1-2 hours a day only. We re-enrolled her somewhere else, where she has been for the last 2 years. Lo and behold, her new school has never once indicated that she has had any issue at all. Our parent-teacher conferences always include glowing assessments of her as an extraordinarily intelligent child, a leader in the classroom, academically advanced, sweet, funny, and a pleasure to be around. Can you imagine if we had taken Cedar-Lanes half-baked assessment to heart? In retrospect, I believe they labeled her as a problem because they are severely understaffed and under trained. They have the among the highest student-teacher ratios in the area. They probably just didn't have the resources to properly educate the children in their charge, and so culled the herd by axing out the least docile of the group. This is an institution that will shift blame from their own shortcomings onto CHILDREN who bear no responsibility for the schools own failures. I'd give zero stars if I could!