The palisades center was a perfect option for me I was looking forward to enroll my daughter there,…read moreits very sad that the director of the center obviously is looking to take in certain kind of people as she dismissed my request and instead on ignoring my calls! And this is very awful and irresponsible or respectful at all. I hate this experience really and I wouldn't want anyone to feel that way when they are looking for a place to take care of their child

From the owner: Montessori preschool education for children ages 2-5 years old.read more

The River School is an incredible place that has been life-changing for our family. After our…read moreyoungest son was diagnosed with hearing loss at 2.5 years, we found The River School. That diagnosis lead to an incredible path of support, communication, therapy, learning, and tutoring through The River School for the past 6 years. The River School is an inclusive, diverse, welcoming, empathetic and loving environment for our sons. Our older son joined the school the next year and stayed through 5th grade. We were impressed with how he embraced a love for learning, developed confidence across all subjects, and benefited from the incredible social-emotional support that is embedded throughout the school's culture. Every teaching team has provided unique insights into our sons' learning styles and supported their very different personalities and learning styles. Outplacement after 5th was great. We highly recommend The River School and are so grateful for all the teachers, staff, doctors and administrators that make The River School possible and work each day to make sure all the students are thriving.

Can't say enough positive things about this school. We've seen our son Jackson blossom into a…read moreconfident, intelligent, articulate, and eager to learn young boy. He started as a "turtle" at 18 months and just finished the "alligator" class at age 4. He loves going to school every day and we continue to be impressed by how much he learns. What this school offers for not only kids with hearing loss but typically hearing peers is very unique and we've had a difficult time finding a school like this anywhere else in the country. We located from Colorado for this school when our son was born profoundly deaf and received cochlear implants at age 1. Our son has constant access to sound with the support from The River School. He gets listening checks daily and with audiology on site if we ever have a problem it gets addressed right away. There is a master's level speech language pathologist in each class. You would never know my son was born with a profound hearing loss because his speech and hearing are better than most kids his age. Thanks to the support of the River School, I never have to worry about my son's hearing loss limiting him in life.

I have been coming here to read (as a DC librarian) since 2019. The teachers and director are truly…read morededicated to the children. They create a warm and welcoming environment for all. Highly recommend!

Our daughter is in her second year at Palisades Preschool and we couldn't be happier. The teachers…read moreare excellent, responsive and totally invested. The parents are engaged and show up. The community has been wonderful for us as parents as much as for the children. The cost is comparable to other preschools in the area and worth every dime. Our son will enroll in 2020 and we look forward to a couple more years with the Preschool!

We've had two children attend Children's House. One began in the preschool program at age four (now…read morein first grade), and the other started in the toddler program for a summer before transitioning into preschool just before turning three. Despite their very different personalities, both of my daughters have had wonderful, nurturing, and growth-filled experiences at CHMS. From an administrative standpoint, I've appreciated the clear communication and guidance provided to families around scheduling, including drop-off and pick-up procedures, school events, birthdays, and conferences. As someone who tends to worry about logistics, this structure has been incredibly reassuring. We also appreciate their early (but wide) drop-off window and their EP (after school) program. Our schedule as a family is different every day, so we've enjoyed a lot of flexibility with pick-up and drop-off times. Also would love to shout out that they worked hard to open up the school during the aftermath of the ice storm this year DAYS before APS was even open. I've also felt supported and encouraged through conversations with administrators about my children, including times when they've struggled at school or at home. Mr. Jad, Ms. Denise, and all of the guides are approachable and responsive, and it truly feels as though their door is always open. CHMS has felt like our village. This sense of community was especially meaningful during the post-COVID period, when my older daughter had limited opportunities for social interaction outside of school. From an environment perspective, the guides at CHMS have shown genuine care for my children and created a safe, joyful setting in which they can thrive. I've been continually impressed by the skills they've developed, many of which I previously associated with kindergarten or first grade. My younger daughter walks into school each day excited to see her friends and teachers, and she comes home eager to share what she learned, what she hopes to work on next, and stories about celebrating her classmates' accomplishments. My older daughter, now in first grade, is frequently praised for her love of learning and ability to focus, both of which are skills she developed during her time at CHMS. I attribute so much of my older daughter's independence, empathy, and confidence to her time at CHMS, and it has been special to see those same qualities taking root in her younger sister. We've also met friends through CHMS who feel like family, and I'm forever grateful for the school's focus on community and the events that bring families together.

This school markets itself as nurturing and child-centered, yet somehow thought it was okay for my…read more2-year-old to sit in poop long enough to come home in soiled clothing. Not once. Multiple times. Accidents at this age are NORMAL. Ignoring them is not. When I raised concerns, I didn't get accountability--I got philosophy. I was told this was about "independence" and "body awareness." Let me be clear: a 2-year-old in poop is not Montessori, it's neglect. Between the constant dirt, lack of supervision, and disturbingly casual attitude toward hygiene for toddlers, this place felt chaotic and unsafe. If you're okay with your child being uncomfortable, unclean, and your concerns being brushed off with buzzwords, this may work for you. I wasn't--and neither was my kid.

It's a safe environment for your kids. Foxhall is a lovely family friendly neighborhood. I love the…read moreconstant pictures and videos we get throughout the day from the school. Also, I love that the children have a great outdoor field/nature space to explore. Indoors- the science, math, and reading are top notch. I love how my daughter's confidence has soared here.

I love MSOW! The owner and staff take great care of the little ones and the academia is top-tier! I…read morehighly recommend this school in a heart beat!

I am writing this as a very concerned mother. My 2-year-old daughter was mistreated by a teacher at…read moreVinci School in Arlington, VA. My daughter started telling me she was being hit at school and became visibly fearful of her teacher. When I reported this to the administration, they reviewed the cameras. The owner herself showed us the footage where the teacher threw my daughter down and left her crying. This aggressive behavior of the teacher only confirms what my daughter is saying is accurate. Based on what the owner, Dr. Dan, said, there is a blind spot in the classroom. What disturbed me even more was the school's response. Instead of removing the teacher, the owner told us she would simply go through "more training." I cannot understand how someone who physically mistreated a toddler is allowed to continue working with children. This has been an incredibly painful experience for my family, and I would never want another parent or child to go through the same thing. Please be cautious if you are considering this school. Children deserve to be cared for, protected, and safe -- not fearful of the people who are supposed to nurture them.

This is for the merrifield location which is new. We went to open house and met Dr. Dan and really…read moreliked the school. We decided to go with this daycare and was told to come in for orientation with our daughter. Dr. Dan asked if I wanted to have my daughter assessed as she is close to 4 and they wanted to see if she should be in the 3-5 yr old class of 4-5 year old class. The regular person who did the assessment wasn't there that day so we agreed the teacher would do it. She was coming into a new environment and the class of kids were staring at her. They split us up for the assessment. My fiancé and I were downstairs with the director of admissions and Dr. Dan getting things signed and getting our package of information together. Dr. Dan asked us if she had any medical conditions and I told her about her genetic disorder which doesn't develop symptoms until she hits puberty and I was explaining the disease as she had never heard of it before and that she goes through yearly assessments which all have come back that she was fine and developing normally. Dr. Dan's eyes got big and she left the room and brought back my daughter and asks to talk to one of us privately. I met with her one on one and she said the teacher couldn't do the assessment because my daughter wasn't cooperating and she did her own assessment (keeping in mine she was gone only a few minutes) and she felt that my daughter was developmentally delayed and should belong in the 2-3 year old class which she wouldn't put her in because that would mess with her confidence and that we were not a good fit for their school. Keeping in mind as we were having this conversation the director of admissions was getting my husband set up for the app to get keys to the door!! I was floored that my daughter was discriminated in this way. There was no conversation about the assessment being the final say as to whether or not we were accepted and after sending the director of admissions a long email describing what happened he even admitted that these assessments were not meant to reject a child but mine was!! We just had an assessment with Fairfax county teacher who visits my daughter weekly as she has a speech delay (which I disclosed to Dr. Dan during the open house and orientation and was assured was fine). We also just had an assessment with a neurologist who said she was developing normally. Everything was fine until we disclosed her genetic disorder so it was a clear sign of discrimination. Do yourself, your family and your child a favor -- stay far far away. Any institution that would judge a 3 year old based on a bogus 15 min assessment and who would discriminate against a child isn't a school that should be in business or would be accepting to different types of children. They talk a good talk but they don't stand behind any of it!

An absolute gem in the heart of Georgetown. The teachers are incredible and balance being nuturing…read morewhile encouraging independence. My daughter attended for three years and was not only incredibly competent but very self-assured starting Kindergarten. My son currently attends and has grown by leaps and bounds year over year, he loves going to school every morning--the most important indicator of an amazing establishment! The teachers are tenured and the parent group is inclusive and fun! We consider ourselves very fortunate to be a part of the GMS community!

Amazing school with dedicated, experienced teachers who create an ideal place for preschoolers to…read morelearn and develop life skills

My oldest son has now attended Overlee for a little over 1 year, and we could not be more happy…read morewith the school. We truly feel like we've all joined a big family. The two teachers are wonderful, and the set up of the school is well-done. The preschool rents space in a church on Military Dr in N. Arlington, though it's not associated with the church. It's split into 3 classes by age (Bluebirds 2-3 yr olds, Bluebirds 3-4 yr olds, and Redbirds 4-5 yr olds). It's a cooperative school, which means that parents take turns being the "helper" in the class along with the teacher. You end up volunteering once every one or two weeks. This is a great chance to see your little one interacting with their friends, which is really sweet at this age. Each parent also has a "job", like being on the membership committee, or fundraising, etc. Even though it may seem that this would require one of the parents to work from home, about half of the families seem to have nannies/au pairs who pick up and drop off (though the parent is required to do the co-op part). We've been really happy with the experience we've had so far. The teachers really know what they're doing and have been teaching for a really long time. I really like the philosophy there, which is that learning happens through play predominately at their ages. They do enrichment activities every so often, such as yoga and taekwondo. The play ground there is amazing, and I know my little one is getting tons of exercise each day. If you're looking for a school, I would definitely check out Overlee. We feel very lucky to have joined such a great group!

My twins have been going to Overlee since they were two, and are going to join the 4 year old…read moreclass, the Redbirds class. They love their teachers and friends. Overlee is a community, a family. In the summers, my girls are constantly asking me when they can go back to school.

Our family has loved being part of ERCDC and its family. The teachers and administrators truly care…read moreabout teaching our son and helping him grow.

Lots of parents always brag that their daycare is the best, but most parents wouldn't know what a…read moregreat daycare is unless they enrolled their child at this daycare. The attention given by the teachers to the babies/toddlers/children is over the top. Everyday I check the app to see what they do, and no joke - it seems like they had professional photographers take photos of my kids. Everyday the kids do a new and interesting activity that blows my mind. Even better they potty trained my son, helped him give up his pacifier, and turned him into an articulate curious child. The icing on the cake are the strict covid protocols. This place is cleaner than than a hospital, and all the parents take the protocols very seriously as well.

On the campus of a private elementary school connected to the Washington National Cathedral is one…read moreof the city's best playgrounds. If you're a parent of a child between the ages of 2-8, this is the place to be...when it's open to the public. Here are all the details: 1) Hours: It's open when school is not in session. That means on weekends and during school breaks. (Check their website for their break schedule. For example, Winter Break 2021 ran from December 18th through January 2nd.) A few neighbors report it's open during the week in the evening. 2) Space: It's one large, tiered open area completely fenced in. There's a large turf area perfect for running around or soccer. There are different levels with plenty of areas to sit for parents. 3) Equipment: The most popular items are the zip line, a two-level fast slide and a rope tunnel course. They also have swings, lots of climbing equipment, a wooden bear, gargoyles art, a bear cave, two sand pits and so much more. My four-year-old daughter spends hours here without ever getting bored. 4) Parking: There's a small parking lot at the school. If it's full, easy street parking nearby can be found. One thing I didn't see while there are bathrooms. If you really need to go, walk north along nearby Wisconsin Avenue to local restaurants.

This elementary school is the best, there are so many activities for kids to do and they will have…read moreso much fun at beauvoir!!!