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.

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.

Ignore the old posts from 6 years ago, because it's a totally different school. Probably more like…read more4.5, but always room for improvement! I have two children attending, one in preschool and the other has been there a few years and started in Kindergarten (no preschool when we started). The school has been changing, for example, the addition of the preschool program and a new principal after the other one left to get married. The current principal seems alright and is older, so more likely to stay. She is also better at communication than the old principal. I like that the school has more diversity that St. James, which also seems to be more conservative in its parent population. Tuition is reasonable, with discounts for multiple children and aftercare. The teachers love the students and there are some really involved parents that make the school year fun for the kids. It's like a family. I also like that the classes tend to be small (15-20 kids on avg). They have Spanish, art, music, and music classes as specials. CYO sports, band/orchestra, choir, are some after school activities to name a few. I don't like vendor run lunch program that costs more than I spend on lunch, so we mostly pack lunch. It would be nice to have two classes per grade, so there were more kids. I would also love if they switched over to a Spanish-immersion program for the diocese. Several of the teachers are bilingual along with the students. Some may have heard rumors about the proximity to Bailey's Crossroads. To date we have had no issues and the school has modern security, like controlled access to the school (i.e., badge or buzz in).

We currently have a 2nd Grader and a Junior Kindergartener attending St. Anthony. They both love…read morethe school and the environment it provides, and we as parents could not be happier. Each student receives plenty of attention, and teachers have a good understanding of students' personalities and needs in this small-classroom setting. Our kids think the world of their teachers, and the learning and advancement continues to exceed our expectations. I was particularly impressed with how the administration handled the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020 and 2021. In-person classes were in session throughout the entire school year with the option for virtual learning. Measures were taken to ensure students stayed healthy and in-person learning persisted. Any reported cases were quickly addressed with proper quarantine and sanitation protocols. I had full confidence my child would be safe when dropping her off at school each day. This was a stark contrast to the local public schools whose doors remained closed during this school year. If you are looking for a small, nurturing, tight-knit community for your child's education, I highly recommend making a visit to St. Anthony.

Choosing a preschool for our child was very hard, especially coming from overseas. Today we are…read morevery happy with our choice of Full Circle Montessori School. The teachers and staff have consistently exceeded our expectations in making our child adjust to the new environment and making learning fun and engaging. Adjustment time was needed (very sensitive child)to fit into a new environment. But with a welcoming and comforting environment, our child adjusted to school very well. Also, with the thoughtfully designed curriculum that promotes both academic readiness and essential social-emotional skills, our child is very excited about going to school every day now. Communication with parents is superb; the scheduled updates and photos make us feel connected and informed about her activities. The facility itself is bright, clean, and safe, offering a wonderful space for the children to explore and play. We highly recommend Full Circle Montessori School for families seeking a positive, enriching, and high-quality early childhood education experience.

We started our son in public school for kindergarten, but halfway through the year, we became…read moreunhappy with the experience and began looking into other options. The lack of communication, heavy screen time, and the way our son was feeling about himself made it clear that we needed a change. He would often come home saying he was a "bad kid" because he kept getting in trouble at school, which was hard to hear as a parent. Switching to Full Circle Montessori has been one of the best decisions we've made for our family. The difference in our son was noticeable within a few weeks. He's much more regulated coming home from school, and we've seen a noticeable boost in his self-confidence. One of the first things he told us after starting at Full Circle was how nice the teachers are he said they actually talk to him instead of yelling. That shift alone was huge for him, and for us. Academically, he was at the top of his class in public school, but that often led to boredom. Since he wasn't being challenged, he would try to socialize, which would get him in trouble. At Full Circle, he learns at his own pace with a hands-on approach that keeps him curious and engaged. If you have a child who isn't thriving in a traditional school setting or struggles with the sit-still-all-day model, we can't recommend Full Circle Montessori enough. It's been a truly positive and empowering experience for our son and for us as parents.

Saint Ann is a very nice school and they have church mass on Sundays. We attended their Christmas…read moretree contest and it was beautiful to see the different theme of tree decorations. The school kids were very creative in decorating the trees.

Having spent a career as a public school teacher, I was leery of Catholic schools (would they be…read morerigorous enough, are the teachers trained well, will they have a good science program, are they tech-savvy...) until my son was so unhappy in his highly-ranked, but larger, public elementary school that I was fearful for his well-being. This school heard my concerns as a parent, welcomed him with open arms, lent us uniforms when we needed them, and gave him access to the amazing science curriculum. The teachers are amazing, warm, intelligent, and thorough. The students there are just so kind. They use state of the art tech, post assignments online, communicate well and LOVE the kids. The smaller setting is amazing. He loves going to mass during school. He is at peace. The other parents went out of their way to invite us over, make sure we were in the loop about school events, emailed us...Like a welcome wagon. One child was out when my kid started school on a family vacation and brought him home a "welcome to school" souvenir. My child is learning a lot, but more importantly, he loves school again. This principal is a great leader. Don't hesitate. Wish I had enrolled my child sooner.

The Schools lunch is so bad I like the 6 grade teachers there so nice and the PE teacher is the…read morebest teacher thank u for being in my life for the past 2 years mr Jackson so famous with mr Hamilton

Best school for elementary students. Staff are nice kids are nice and not as spoiled.read more

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.

Great school, the building could use some work, overall nice faculty. Mr Hall is the best assistant…read moreprincipal.

This place is actually alright if the assistant principal didn't put his hand on people when they…read morearen't supposed to. and be nice to some people and be mean to the other ones who weren't doing anything, and if one of the lunch attendants didn't get up in kids' faces. And if the lunch attendant didn't yell at people who didn't do anything. Other than that, this place is ok.

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!

Came here for Base Camp for work. It's a nice size school compared to the middle schools I have…read morebeen in. The staff from APS were really great, informative and supportive in the learning of their educators!

Teachers are good and cool people. The teachers have a ton of experience they are really nice and…read morekind but the students are what they ruin the vibe some students are not so interested in school so they are always trying to be like gangster and speak like that. At least they get what they deserve. Students who don't behave well get lunch detention and school suspension. The teachers do their best job.