We've sent both our boys to Fiore Montessori for several years now. I can't tell you how fortunate we feel that our children have been able to learn in such an inspiring and engaging environment for both elementary and middle school. For the uninitiated, Montessori allows your child to learn at their pace and teaches them how to use critical thinking rather than memorization and pressure to learn. I encourage you to give your children the gift of Fiore! read more

As a parent, watching my child grow in Fiore's Montessori Adolescent Program has been truly inspiring. The program provides a thoughtful balance of academic learning, practical life skills, and emotional development. I've seen meaningful growth in confidence, communication, and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively. I deeply appreciate the guidance, respect, and support my child receives from the teachers. I feel confident that Fiore Montessori is preparing students not only for academic success, but for life as capable, responsible, and compassionate young adults. read more

I currently have 2 kids at Fiore , 10 year old boy and 13 year old girl. Both kids been at fiore since they were 4 year old. We picked Fiore and stayed there because we believe in the Montessori philosophy. Specifically these are the factors. Academic Approach: The Montessori method helps kids pursue their curiosity and learning in such a way that ensures that reward is internal (i.e. love of learning) and not external (shiny sticker or grade). Kids at Fiore do their work in small groups as opposed to large classrooms that are more lecture based or didactic in nature. Doing it this way allows kids to have more flexibility in pursuing things that they find fascinating. They all still learn everything that is needed but it is done in such a way that the child feels more in control of that journey. In middle school they have seminars where it almost feels like college ,where kids work independently or in small groups to solve various problems. What I found with that approach is that my kids seem to have more of an open mind set and do not limit themselves to learning just what is expected of them. Often they cover material many grade levels above what they would have in a traditional environment. To me this basically boils down to having an environment that creates a strong foundation for kids to pursue what they are genuinely passionate about and also having internal tools to solve whatever problem is in front of them. Community: There is a very strong sense of community in the school and it is a bit of an antidote to our increasingly digital world. Many of these kids spend 2-3 years together in the primary program, 6 years in the elementary school and 2-3 years in the junior high program. Relationships run deep.. School is small which means kids have to learn to resolve conflicts and manage relationship with every member of their class, versus in a bigger school they are more apt to just avoid the people they don't want to deal with. This sense of community extends way past graduation, during birthday parties or other events we routinely see kids who left years past, and the kids immediately reconnect with out missing a beat. Emphasis on play/outdoor/nature and rejection of cell phones/social media: School has large wilderness areas where kids can have unstructured play, push boundaries - climb trees, piss off occasional bees, dig up old bottles and make bases. Every year our elementary school and junior high go on 3-5 day camping trips with kids making all the planning etc. In junior high, kids do hydroponic gardens and cook for each other every Friday. In addition, none of the kids have social media and cell phone use is not allowed. Most parents seem to be on the same wavelength so there is no peer pressure to get an instagram or snapchat account. This helps limit all the toxicity that happens in the digital space that crowds out real relationships and learning. Teachers: In Montessori, teachers are called guides. My experience is that teachers vary in style (our last elementary guide was very into outdoors and the current one is more focused on academics). But regardless they run a very calm nurturing environment, kids are treated as people with respect and the teachers have a good pulse on each kid's needs as far as development goes. The Head of the school is always available, open to feedback and is a great resource for child development questions. read more

We toured a lot of schools both Montessori and non Montessori. Let me tell you, Fiore was a cut above them all. As we became parents we interested in the Montessori method given how it would foster independence, creativity, and a life long love of learning. We have found all of those things and more at Fiore. It is a beautiful community where the children are truly nurtured and cared for. The campus is absolutely beautiful. Each group has its own dedicated outdoor area with age appropriate activities in a natural environment. A highlight I hear about most mornings is how excited my son is to "play sand" (sandbox). The classroom are wonderfully light filled (no dingy basements here) with everything neatly laid out to meet the needs of the child. The children get to really participate in the classroom and even make the community snack each day of bread/muffins, along with fruit and vegetables. My son has developed a love a vegetables and I'm sure a big part of that is community snack at Fiore. The faculty are all AMI (it's the highest/hardest to achieve certification for Montessori) certified which is quite and undertaking by the school but it shows in the quality of the staff. They are incredibly knowledgeable about child development and really take it to heart. But my favorite part is that the faculty feel like an addition to my village, as parenting coaches that are available for questions and discussions. Given that this is our first kid we have no experience with certain things like toilet learning. The team has been available to answer questions and they also have scheduled discussion topics and videos that are available to parents. It's a very valuable resource. Thank you for a beautiful first year for our son. Here is to many more to come. read more

Fiore Montessori changed our lives for the better in so many ways. Our daughter was loved and cared for deeply by all of the guides, assistants, staff, and administration. She was given independence and confidence at such a young age and allowed to develop in her own unique way. Her guides supported her individual needs in any given moment so that she could grow and thrive. The community itself felt familial and warm yet large enough to still be fully resourced and ever-expanding. In general, Fiore is unique in its unwavering commitment to delivering on Maria Montessori's philosophy for its children. The leadership team and guides all embody the philosophy and so deeply believe in it. This creates a peaceful environment where it's really all about the children developing in the most natural way - emotionally, physically, and academically. Whether you are passionate about Montessori or new to it - I strongly encourage you to check it out. I think the world would be a better place if every child were given the gift of the Fiore experience. read more

Beautiful school in every way. Can not recommend this place enough to anyone seeking a school for their child or a place to work. read more

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Our son is in his second year in the elementary class at Fiore Montessori. He loves his school, and so do we. Our two older children also attended a Montessori school (primary through 3rd grade) before we moved to this area. We had loved their school and were so happy when we found a similar environment at Fiore Montessori for our youngest - a committed community of Montessori guides, with a focus on the child that inspires learning, confidence, and curiosity, and a campus that is designed for outdoor exploration and nature-based activities. We have seen first-hand in our older children the incredible results of the Montessori elementary curriculum - guiding children toward deeper learning and nurturing their innate desire to explore, and to build their confidence and research capabilities. We are now seeing our youngest on this same path as well at Fiore Montessori. We have had only positive experiences with the teachers, staff and administration, and are excited to see the school grow. I would recommend this school to anyone already familiar with the Montessori approach and looking for a great accredited school, as well as to those who have not had exposure to the Montessori curriculum but are looking for a place where each child is able to work at their highest level, in a supportive classroom community, without spending time on rote busy work. And for those worried about the lack of grades and standardized testing, in my experience, kids that have gone through the Montessori elementary program have done great when they've moved on to other schools in middle or high school - they have built up a confidence and ability to learn and work independently that serves them well wherever they go next. read more

My child is in his third year at Fiori and we remain impressed by the environment and the schoo'l's curriculum. True to Montessori, they cultivate independence, self sufficiency, and positive self esteem which accountability. All the guides my child had had have been patient and kind, which is doubly impressive through covid. The school took a careful but practical approach to the pandemic and it is evident in both the resilience of the children and their adaptability as the situation evolves that this was the best course of action. If you are looking fir a true Montessori school, I highly recommend for your pre K or Kindergartener. read more

Absolutely amazing!!! After putting my 1 year old in daycare where he would always cry at drop off and never seemed happy, I found this Montessori. I had no clue of Montessori education system prior to our tour here. The tour is only for parents and hence my husband went for the introduction. Well it was new for him to know about the philosophy they follow in Montessori's. The ask from Fiore was that they want both the parents to tour the facility. When I went I was so overwhelmed that finally my son would get the care he deserves. We did not even have second thoughts about enrolling my son here. Worked with Kelly for doing all paperwork and it was very smooth. She actually invited us for one of the events prior to my son's start date because it was related to potty training which is important for us since my son has urine re-flux and it is best for him to be trained as early as could. Well the event was very informative and I had many take away from it. Also I was welcomed by every staff member who was present. I felt like a family. My son is enrolled in Iris and his teacher is Miss Hilary who is absolutely an amazing women, teacher with a calm, peaceful persona and she is also very loving and caring. Well not only her but every teacher here is educated and know how to take care of kids and nurture them. Before my son started here, Miss Hilary stopped by our house to get to know more about us and my son. We instantly within a week noticed how my son would smile more, be happy and more importantly he stopped waking up at nights crying. Also he stopped crying at drop off from the fourth day onwards. This tells me how much he loves being in Fiore. He learnt how to always take off shoes after stepping in, how to help in dressing and undressing, how to take a napkin and clean floor/mirror/his eating tray plus he eats almost everything I give him now-a-days. Plus over the weekends if we get him dressed to go out he will get his school bag thinking that we are dropping him to Fiore - he absolutely miss his school and teachers over the weekends. 5 stars!!! read more

I was IN LOVE with this school. Their teaching style was conceptually on point with our educational philosophy. The administrators were kind and the school was quiet, calm and serene. We were moving to the Northern VA area from another country and our daughter had gone to a Montessori school previously so we thought this would be a good transition for her. We made it through the entire admission process and waited to hear when she could start. We got an email from the school's director and were told that our child would not be admitted because she was lacking something in some way (the email was very vague) and that the school found that, "at this age it is very difficult for children to recover the time that has been lost." UH, did I mention that my daughter is 3 years old? Any school that doesn't think a 3 year old can catch up on the things they have missed is NOT a school I want my child to go to! When I asked (very politely, I might add) what the issue was, I got no response from the school. Bad bad business in my book. Normally I am not the type to write a bad review but I fear that this school is so picky about the children it takes because they push their kids too hard to succeed. That is the only reason I can imagine that they would have said something like that. read more

What a truly incredible school all around! The outdoor environment, the teachers, the administration, and most importantly, the care and concern for the children. We were very much looking forward to our son attending Fiore through age 6, but my husband lost his job and we are relocating out of the area. The Fiore administration and teachers could not have been more attentive to my son's needs during this time of transition for him (starting a new school - his very first one - AND moving and all of the changes that come with it). They guided us in making the right decisions for my son and created a very positive experience for him. He ended the Summer session on a high note - and so did we. He truly blossomed while attending Fiore and we hope we can find a Montessori school just as nice after relocating, although the bar is set very high! read more

When your child is away from you, you want to make sure your child is safe and happy; which in turn gives you peace of mind. And that is what I have found at Fiore Montessori. My daughter who joined Fiore at 18months of age, is not only safe and happy in this nurturing environment but thriving. She spends her time there constructively under the guidance of her teachers and enjoys with her peers. She has learnt skills beyond our expectations which make her independent and helps us as well. Through my interaction with the teachers I have learnt also how to bridge the gap between her school and home environment. I am glad that they are not just focused on making sure the child learns their Abc's and 123... but encourages them to be in tune with their natural curiosity of this world around them, to explore it, how to engage with it and be a wholesome part of it! read more

Please read this if considering Fiore. We had a horrible experience with Fiore. I spent a long time researching school options for our son. We went with Fiore for a couple reasons: we liked the reviews (after extensive research, we found the most negative thing we could find were parents coming down on them for the following 1) too strict on insisting healthy food options (which we thought was a good thing), 2) student dropoff was inefficient (having the teachers come to pick up the kids is common practice for montessori schools and something that didn't bother us much; it's more effort on the school and we saw it as something good for the child), and 3) last the administration was horrific (we figured as parents we alone would be interfacing with them so if the teachers and those that would be interfacing with our son were good..that's all we cared about). Now on to what we initially liked about the school 1) the facilities are some of the best around 2) the teachers seemed genuine in their intent 3) the curriculum was based on a respected discipline and we liked the 1-2 events we had seen in the year (walk at meadowlark, picnic on school grounds) So what happened. Our child came back from school with horrible injuries. One time they called us to let us know, several times we only found out when removing his clothes to give him a bath. These alone should have been a flag (we found other parents with similar stories who had pulled their children out). Kids will be kids and run around and get hurt - but these were really bad (I can't show a photo through this site - but one on the back took 6 months to fully heal). When kids are coming home with other kids clothing on at least 2 times/week - you wonder if they really have their act together. teaching assistance have just as much impact if not more so than the teachers - and many don't have bachelors degrees or speak english with strong fluency. We asked about a PTA - they scoffed at us saying they didn't want the parents to get together(!?!). Communications were horrible (eating, sleeping, pooping on a small piece of paper is pretty much all you can expect on a regular basis; parent/teacher 1-on-1's aren't productive at all - they just reassure you your child is doing well) We were told that our son would be bumped to the next grade in a couple weeks. They told us it was rolling, merit based and he was ready. The class filled up, and they held him back and his best friend was pushed forward. Then at 2.5 they told us he was ready and then when they found out that he wasn't renewing the next year - told us they weren't going to move him up (again) this time because the transition would have been too much for him - there was still half the school year left. Not only that, they told us in the last hour that they weren't able to enroll him in the summer program because it had been filled up with students intending to enroll the next year. we aren't tiger parents thinking our kid is gifted or trying to push him up before he is ready (with the exception of nap time he was potty trained in 16 months...); we felt he was ready and they told us he was - they planned a timeline for his transition and then held him back because it didn't suit their needs. We didn't realize that admin matters (a little bit at least). Once we had plans to go out of town for a long weekend and asked if we could pick up our son a little early. They told us either you don't bring him to school or wait until the end of the day anything else would disturb the entire class - clearly something could have been worked out. I really believe that they actively work to keep reviews positive and get others removed. We've heard from a lot of disgruntled parents that have pulled their children out. So here are my advice to perspective parents: 1) judge their communications for yourself: ask them how parents get involved in the school, how children get evaluated and how that gets communicated to the parents (if a child is exceptional in an area or behind what specifically they do to tailor their curriculum - they talk a big game about this but i found them to be sub-par) 2) ask them about their attrition rate. see how many students they have in each grade and note the differences. 3) they have a disciplined approached - but really explore if it's actually repressive (no clothes with disney characters on it that's okay i guess; but restricting verbal communications of students during class when not a disturbance - that's a little too much). explore other schools (langley, basis, jolly, and see how they widen the lens of exposure at a young age) read more

We searched high and low for the perfect school to send our three children. These are the things about this school that we thought surpassed our expectations: the teachers are passionate about creating a challenging, yet safe and fun learning environment, the outdoor environment is incredible (you have to see it to believe it), both indoor and outdoor environments are spacious! The teachers at this school are warm, loving, but also come with a solid background in Montessori education. They provide a true Montessori experience, even if your child is in the extended day, or summer/holiday program. They are 100% Montessori based. They are absolutely plugged into us as parents and really care about providing us with very specific information about their daily activities. I love seeing my children so happy to go to school! read more

My daughter started school there since the summer and she had extreme seperation anxiety and would cry while being dropped to school, but in Fiore it vanished in just a few days and now she wants to go to school at nights and on the weekends. She loves it. She has gained much more independence and has started to communicate a lot. I look forward to read their daily updates everyday at the end of the day. She loves it when I talk to her and can relate to what she did at school because I get to read on what they did in the class everyday. We live in Herndon and it is a bit of a commute to drop her there but it is well worth it. read more

We visited Fiore the other day, and WOW, it was like nothing I have seen before. The philosophy, the environment, the people: mind blowing. Loved the spacious and neat rooms, the nontraditional "toys", the uncovered windows to let in the sunlight, the big garden to explore nature, the genuine kindness of Ms. Karyn and Ms. Sailini. After seeing a few other preschools, I am confident that this is the best available school in the area. Probably that is the reason why they are fully booked. But they are awaiting approval to expand, so hopefully, we'll get a chance to enroll. The only thing that I see as a personal disadvantage is that they are not open before 8am. Otherwise: WONDERFUL!!! read more

I can't say enough good things about this school. Our daughter was enrolled two years ago, and loves going to school more and more every day. She comes home with such pride in her work, and you can tell she has put a lot of mental energy into the school day as well. We have had great experiences with the teachers in both the toddler and primary communities. In fact, we haven't met a teacher that hasn't impressed us with their dedication and love for teaching with the montessori principles. You can tell that the family who own and run the school are fully committed to teaching and nurturing the children. The 3+ acre back yard is an added bonus, with a lot of outdoor activities throughout the year, and all of the kids love it. Our son just started school there, and it's another identical story to our daughter - he is challenged each day, he learns a lot, he receives lessons that reinforce our parenting - sharing, being patient, helping others, having the choice to pick his activities each day, and having fun! Our kids love going to school every day, and it's a testament to the quality of the school!! read more

Fiore is a fabulous school. Both the teachers and the staff are kind, patient, and attentive to the kids and their families. The teachers are passionate about Montessori principles, and truly individualize their attention to each child's needs. The campus is lovely, too: they have beautiful, spacious, clean and organized indoor work spaces; a custom-designed outdoor area with room for natural observation, gardening, games and play; and they are located across the street from Meadlowlark Gardens, a large botanical garden that provides the children extra opportunities to connect with the outdoors. Our family and our daughter have loved it at Fiore -- we highly recommend this school, with no caveats! read more

Fiore provided such a wonderful foundation for our daughter, who attended for a year, before we relocated out of state. Our daughter is now an independent, kind, wicked smart, loving, respectful and calm child most in part due to her time spent at Fiore. We learned ways to communicate with our toddler that didn't result in meltdowns and resistance. Her curiosity is wonderful and her ability to adapt to changes is just some of the things I can thank Fiore for. We visited many, many Montessori schools and I can honestly say neither of them stacks up to Fiore...by far. I admire how this school stays true to the montessori philosophy and provided opportunities for parents to learn, for instance, how to adapt the technique at home. I miss it dearly and we are forever grateful for the experiences our daughter had there. Fiore did so much to help our daughter grow, and I have to say we are much more aware and educated parents now too. Keep up the great work! read more