I had to do a very difficult thing today... I had to withdraw my sons from this amazing school…read more They will be spending the summer with their dad. Our family has deeply appreciated the love and care the staff has provided. They kept our sons safe, COVID free, and educated in person through a pandemic. Incredible. Our words fall short to capture our gratitude. Thanks so much for everything!!! If you're looking for a Christian based curriculum and a loving family to care for your children while you earn a living??? This is the place.

I selected Friends in Jesus learning center because I wanted a faith-based environment with…read morehonesty, integrity, and caregivers who considered my son's well-being to be a priority. Unfortunately, this is not the place.  My son suffered a bruised leg and busted lip at this school and no one knew what happened. His teacher (Ms. Rose) was extremely dismissive and unconcerned about the situation. When I told her my son stated he informed her of his injuries, she responded, "He'll tell you whatever he thinks you want to hear." I was disgusted and appalled at her blatant disregard and unprofessionalism. She has always been unresponsive and dismissive towards me. I would send notes to school for her and never received a response. After this last incident, I was no longer comfortable with my son being in Ms. Rose's care. I contacted her leadership and requested a meeting. I asked that my son be swapped/moved to the other preschool class or moved to the 4 -year old room since he'll be four in two weeks. My request for a meeting was completely ignored and a move from her class was denied. The next day, I received an email from the directors (Amy/ Susanne) stating because of my concerns, they will not be pulling any more payments for my son's care... I was basically told to leave.  These people have a horrible work ethic, lack integrity, and moral character. There is nothing Christian about this school. It is just a business to them. I would never recommend this place to anyone for childcare/education.

This school has been awesome forever. It is truly a "Leave it to Beaver" school, for those of an…read moreage to remember that sitcom. I was PTA President for 2 years in the late 80's/early 90's time period. And it was one of the most special times of my life. Becky Harvey was Principal. Ed Timlin, who later was the long time Principal at Arrowhead Elementary, was Assistant Principal. They were an awesome team. The staff & teachers were top notch. One couldn't have asked for better. Parental involvement, teacher & staff care, safety, nurturing, a location steeped in the history that was the beginning of the English colonies, and classmates who are eager to excel & learn.... This and more is what you will find at Thoroughgood Elementary.

I have been holding off on this review because I wanted to provide a balanced approach to this…read moreVirginia Beach Lower School. It is my opinion that this is one of the premier city schools, but am I being subjective in a 5 star rating of where my children attend. I do think that I am being fair and I will provide some details about the school, it's history so as to back up my rating. I will also provide stats on performance which is what ultimately determines a schools success. The school is named after Adam Thoroughgood the city's founding colonist who was an indentured servant that rose to becoming one of Virginia's earliest burgesses and later, a member of the Governor's Council. In 1635, he was granted 5,360 acres in return for the transportation of himself, his wife and 105 persons. One of his "head rights" Augustine Warner, is of particular significance. He became the great-great-grand father of President George Washington. The land that the present day school and Thoroughgood neighborhood sets on is part of that original land grant by the King of England which makes this area so special. The current Principal at TES is Dr. Cheryl Zigrang in her 14th year at this position. She is the backbone to this place of learning for children K-5. Her caring attitude and compassionate attitude is contagious throughout the caring staff that she manages. Her high standards of academics and consistent utilization of the kids remembering a number of rules and manners has elevated this school of 700 students into the "Best of Virginia Beach". Dr. Z has been offered promotions to administration and turned them down as her calling is at the school she one day hopes to retire in. The building itself is one of the cities oldest, constructed in the mid 1950's. Even though old it is very well maintained by long time janitor Mr. Harold Lawrence. It is over due for a new build out and the School Board recently approved a time table of 2016-2018 for a new TES. It will be put in the present day ball field while keeping the current facility in operation through construction. How about the performance of Thoroughgood. Well let's start out with saying it is a fully accredited school in the state of Virginia. It also has received the 2012 Governor's Award for Education Excellence numerous times and is without a doubt one of the cities top schools. Of course the benchmark the state of Virginia uses is Standard of Learning, or SOL. Consistently TES is not only one of the top schools in our city, but the state of Virginia. A snap shot of one piece of data, the 5th grade writing exam. Going back to 2005 and every year to 2012 Thoroughgood has exceeded district and state standards, thus one of the reasons for the Governors Award on a annual basis. When I say this this school is awesome, it's not just lip service. We had one of our children at a pricy private school in the area and discovered this is a great value, offers just as much challenge and is safe from of the schenanigan's that other schools are plagued with. Anyone reading this review and unsure about how to go about obtaining more info it is easy. Call the school and arrange a tour that will be conducted most likely by Dr. Z herself. We love our TES Flying Seagulls.

I can't say enough good things about this school. The program, as well as the people involved in…read morethe day to day of this program make it one in a million. The staff truely care about each and every child in the program they care about their education as well as their emotional well-being.

We have been apart of this school community for 3 years now and with three kids, have participated…read morein the children's house, lower and upper elementary programs. As an educator myself, I could not be more pleased with the educational foundation my children are receiving. During the Covid crisis, the teacher and administration support have been astounding - in addition all of the class meetings, instructional calls, and materials provided, we a offered 1-1 consultations as often as needed. The teachers and administration have given above and beyond to provided support and meet the educational needs of the times. I cannot recommend this school highly enough!

This school is AMAZING! Their techniques are immaculate for helping children grow not only in…read morefaith, but in academics. My son was falling behind, but he has came up to speed very quickly. They have many extr-cirrular options and they also have before and after care. They are VERY AFFORDABLE for this area. I definitely recommend OVCA.

My family loves OVCA! The teachers and administration are awesome. They truly love the children…read moreand their families. This is our 1st year at OVCA. The class sizes are small, so the students get alot of 1:1 contact with their teachers. The love of Jesus is in this school. It is such a blessing to be able to be a part of the OVCA family.

The grounds at this school are beautiful they have done an amazing job incorporating the school…read moreinto the natural area surrounding it They have an outdoor classroom and several bridges connecting the areas They have quite a few playgrounds for the kids including an obstacle course The art patio has a beautiful statue and a few art installations The school itself has high recommendations and I know several students that have graduated from here it is one of the top schools in the area and has all grades on the same campus

This is one of the best schools in Hampton Roads. They have superb academics and sports. The…read moreteachers are all great with the children and they are very active with the community.