Incompetent staff, and director recommended we "some college boy" to shadow our son helping him in…read moretransitions. Turns out some Boy is her son and she, the director is the owner. We were paying 3x the tuition in this "boy" who was incompetent to help our son which resulted in Mrs Green the wow that caking me daily to get him at noon-3.5 hours early. All my son needed was to move down to prek since he was the youngest of all the K and clearly not ready for K. Instead they had us hire her son. Didn't tell us it was her son. Nepotism. We had to hear it from someone else. Never again.

Our family loves Greentree Christian Preschool! Before moving to the area we were asking others…read morefor preschool recommendations and Greentree was described as the "only and best place to go." We checked it out in-person and immediately felt at home. The first year our 4 yr old went 2 days a week. Her letter and number recognition grew by leaps and bounds. Her faith deepened and she learned to pray from her heart. The second year our now 5 yr old went 3 days a week and our two yr old went 2 days a week. I am still amazed how much my 2 yr old learned (letters, colors, counting etc.). Best of all, the teachers truly care about their students and the parents. They are easy to talk with and treat your children as their own. It's beautiful to see the great bond that forms between your children and their teachers. That's when you know you've found the perfect place! We have had such a positive experience that anytime we get asked about preschool we are quick to rave about Greentree. We look forward to a few more years as our 3rd and 4th children attend!

The middle school failed my child this school year. There's a notorious group of students that…read moresystematically bully new kids or someone outside their circle and the worst part, these students are favored among teachers. Multiple complains to the principal resulted in NOTHING! Only a check mark talk with the offenders and the vicious cycle goes on. It's a disgrace that teachers only promote their favorites to win competitions like Science fair. The middle school drastically lacked any fun or engaging events, fundraisers or activities that encouraged team work and inclusion of parents. There was only one field trip throughout the year and no promised end of year concert that even public schools have. The end of year award ceremony was unfairly selective. Throughout the year we got Zero photos from any teacher showing a school day, so it feels like this year just fell out equation with no memories to look back to. There's no graduation ceremony for 5th graders either, which they truly deserve. Since the new owner took over, the school environment (especially in upped grades) is rapidly deteriorating. And it's not surprising, the owner lives outside the country and rarely shows up. My gut feeling was right when I checked the school website before we enrolled and it was generic. And that's how this year felt, generic! A generic website with no teacher names, stock photos of students, there's nothing there that shows actual student life or curriculum or shows any photos of the teachers. This place is about squeezing every dollar they can from paying parents, while failing on delivering the fair support and equal opportunities every student deserves.

This year has been a joke for my daughter. She said she's had the worst year since she started…read moreschool. She complained about daily bullying, degrading or disrespectful comments from some kids in upper grades, because apparently, teachers combined 5th, 6th and 7th grades in the same classroom. School administration is not properly addressing the bullying issue either and I heard the new owner is missing in action, never present and it shows. We as parents were never invited to any classroom event, where we could engage with students, teachers and other parents. There's also no student counselor on site, which upper grades really need. This school needs to step up with its upper grades policies, so every student feels appreciated and having the support the need.

Taking my baby to a daycare had been one of the hardest decisions I've made as a mom because you…read morenever know who's going to be there taking care of her how she will be treated I'm so grateful for the new Director Zaraider she's a amazing leader she cares about the happiness and safety of our children's she's very professional and caring person My child is under care of a amazing teacher Ms Kamala who's very lovely and kind

Not for me. My first impression was waiting in the wait area and listening to the teacher yell at…read morethe toddlers in the toddler room. It didn't occur to her that perhaps parents are in the lobby waiting for a tour. It turned me off. I wasn't impressed. It didn't seem organized or well run. The staff didn't seem trained or equipped to adequately deal with children. I had already made up my mind before the end of the tour.

I regret enrolling my daughter here. Despite committing early (touring in Feb 2024, paying a…read moredeposit, and submitting all forms), the school's lack of communication, disorganization, and disregard for basic safety and hygiene created a deeply frustrating and emotionally exhausting year. From misplaced incident reports and unaddressed injuries, to administrative errors and tone-deaf leadership, this school consistently failed to provide a safe, transparent, and developmentally supportive environment. My daughter came home with swollen lips, unexplained bruises, missing shoes, and stories of peer mistreatment -- with no formal documentation provided, despite repeated requests. These were not isolated events; I have video/photo documentation, and other parents voiced similar concerns in meetings. The director's conduct was both inappropriate and hypocritical -- once sending me a photo of my 3-year-old with paper in her mouth and demanding I "talk to her about telling the truth" over a harmless joke (gum from dad), while gaslighting parents about emails that were never sent. We were made to feel like the problem, when in reality the school's tech systems, operations, and staffing plans were simply broken. Staffing was unstable -- the lead teacher left for maternity leave with no real succession plan. Parents were informed of changes through hallway gossip before any official notice. Other red flags included: * Poor nap hygiene (child's skin broke out); * No proper underwear/clean clothes sent home; * Unsafe food handling policies; * Lost orthopedic shoes due to mishandling after an accident -- only replaced after escalation; * Inconsistent behavioral reporting, with my child being singled out for normal 3-year-old behavior, while aggressive peer behavior went unaddressed all year. The school showed a lack of respect for working parents, sending critical updates (like school closures) late at night and offering no accessible options for required events (no childcare, no virtual options, last-minute notices). They ran meetings on free Zoom accounts that cut off mid-call, used free Gmail accounts, and misunderstood basic tools like unlisted YouTube links. My concerns were dismissed, incident reports were never filed, and when I reported this to the county, I was told it was "too late." Given how long and hard I tried to resolve these issues internally -- and my documentation of events -- this only added to the heartbreak. In hindsight, I should have trusted my gut and pulled my child out much earlier. If you're a parent considering this school, please ask hard questions about staff turnover, behavior policies, safety reporting, and operational transparency. And if something feels off -- trust yourself.

Will only state the facts that lead to this review…read more.. In preparation for our move to VA this year, my family and I have been searching for a suitable Montessori school within this area. After speaking with Cardinal several times via the phone we felt that this might be a great option. A few weeks ago, my wife had scheduled a school tour and staff meet with Cardinal's senior coordinator (not official title) to allow us to see a routine day at the school and view its operation. We scheduled the tour for a Friday, which we were told was not "normal" but would be allowed given the fact that my family had to drive 5+ hours to get there. The tour was locked on that Monday with a 0930 start time on Friday. We had no other communication from the school throughout the week and on Thursday afternoon, we hit the road after I had gotten off work and arrived in VA just after midnight. We were up the following Friday morning and arrived at Cardinal at 0910 to an empty parking lot, locked building, lights off, and no one on site... We sat, waited, and attempted to call anyone with no luck and no response. It was about 0930 when finally a car pulled up and a women was dropped off. She didn't engage us at all and simply walked into the school. My wife proceeded to knock on the door and was met by said women who appeared to be cleaning. My wife explained our situation to the women who simply laughed, nodded, and said that the school was closed due to a maintenance emergency. A few minutes later, another women arrived who identified herself as a teacher. We calmly explained how we were scheduled to meet with a Ms. Igera for our tour but had not been able to reach her or anyone else. The teacher looked surprised and quickly reiterated that the school had been closed for the last few days. She then pulled out her phone and said she would call the "school owner" who was already on her way to Cardinal. At approx. 0945 the school co-owner arrived and welcomed us inside. We explained, again, who we were and why we were there. She quickly apologized and then explained how the school closed on Wednesday and Thursday due to plumbing issues. They had sent all the students and staff home and were now back (Friday morning) in order to clean for the reopening on Monday. She didn't ask any further about the botched tour appointment, but rather tried to go right into her pitch for the school. At the end of the walk-through, we were on our way out the door when we asked for Ms. Igera to call us about the clear failure in communication. The Co-owner said she would, glorified her staff, and said she hoped we would consider them when we moved... Fast forward 2+ weeks later....we got that call.... And it was to schedule yet another tour at the school. Nothing more. The level of complete disregard, disrespect, and sheer unprofessionalism that went into this waste of time is truly astounding. For better perspective, here is a better overview of all my family and I sacrificed in order to simply VISIT the school and observe its operation. - late night drive 5+ hours after work. - pulled my 4yo daughter out of current school in order to see the Cardinal school and meet the teachers. - my wife is 7 months pregnant at the time of all this. And she had to make all these movements. - I scheduled a full day away from work to make this trip happen. - spent hundreds on gas to make the round trip. Along with paying for a hotel in order to stay overnight... The Cardinal school may do just fine in some things, but I find it hard to imagine what. The coordination, communication, and lack of accountability is frightening. To make a commitment to an outside family who is willing to spend thousands on the betterment of their children's care and education and then not even have the courtesy to communicate a simple appointment change is unacceptable. I would HIGHLY encourage any family seeking a Montessori program to move on and explore other options (military families or otherwise). I have nothing negative to post about the teachers who work here, simply the lack of efficient and effective administrative overview of the school itself. This was not a sophisticated encounter, but rather a simple and what I would image routine engagement with an interested party. If this is how they treat an unaffiliated party, how do they respond under higher stress situations? Who actually maintains the schools appointments? Who is charge of registrations? Etc... Bottom line, keep searching. There are other great options within this region of VA, as my family and I learned. So disappointed to leave a review of this manner on a Montessori related establishment, but title alone does not guarantee quality. I truly hope this review can bring about a greater awareness of the low standard practices at Cardinal.

This is the second year our child has attended Saint Christopher's preschool. The staff really care…read moreabout the kids, and the small environment makes for a wonderful, nurturing, personalized experience. Our child first attended 2 days/week as a 2.5YO and his vocabulary exploded thanks to his time with the teachers, staff, and classmates. Each class enjoys daily outdoor time, science class, music class, and special activities like a traveling petting zoo, puppet shows, etc. We receive updates & pictures every day via an app. The tuition is reasonable (honestly I think they should raise it, as it is lower than other schools we toured). Highly recommend this school. You won't be disappointed.

This is the third year of my daughter in this wonderful preschool. I feel I am lucky to know this…read morepreschool for my daughter. It is a small preschool, hidden as a nest. The school has a lot of activities for kids, and I love they have music and science classes every week. My daughter loves all teachers here; from her 1st year class - Ms.Megan, to her 2nd year in the Duck class - Mrs.Nistchke, and Mrs.Avarez and then Mrs.Mc Gilley and Ms.Conor in her 3rd year at Ponnies's class. My daughter also loves Mrs.Waddington - the Music and science teacher. She came home yesterday, and talked to us about the moon and the sun, how they move and solar eclipse! The teachers are knowledgeable and very caring. We always felt welcome, the Director - Mrs.Huff and Mrs.Branch welcome families on every morning. The school has created a memorial journey to my daughter. I can't say thank you enough!

this place is horrible my son was there for a week and got HFMD now they're treatment if him is…read moreinhumane seems like they don't want my child to be there even with doctors notes and still he's not being accepted back

My two kids attend here, one on the preschool side (3s classroom) and the other in the infant room…read more My oldest has been attending since 6 months old, so we've been at KinderCare now for several years. First, let me say that Miss Tee and Miss Carita in the infant room (who cared for my oldest when she was a baby, and now look after my youngest) are incredible. Absolutely incredible. They have years of experience in childcare, not to mention their personal experience as mothers, and are so skilled at caring for little ones, adjusting their approach and methods to accommodate each child's needs. They have many practical tips to offer parents (e.g. your baby seems to be having a hard time sucking on her bottle, have you tried switching to a bigger nipple size?) and put our children so at ease, that I have zero worries leaving my children in their very capable hands. I trust them implicitly. They are usually the first to pick up on changes in our little one's behavior (a suspected ear infection, teething, tummy issues, etc.) and are quick to communicate any concerns. They are completely transparent, but more importantly, I know that they truly care about my kids. My husband and I love dropping our kids off in the morning and chatting with both of them, and we deeply value the relationships we've built. Miss Sasha in the 2s room is perennially positive, greets parents with a smile, has a great sense of humor, and treats all the kids in her care with kindness. Miss Kassidy is skilled with teaching the Phonics program, and I've seen noticeable progress in my oldest since she took over recently. Miss Kristen, the center director, has an open door policy and is an empathetic listener. She genuinely cares about all the children in her care and works to provide a loving environment for them. Miss Sharon, the assistant director, has a natural "grandmother" warmth and all the kids are drawn to her as a result. I'm getting to know many of the newer teachers in the 2s and 4s rooms, as well as the new kitchen staff, and so far think they're all great as well. I'm sure I'm missing some, but wanted to be sure I gave a public shout-out to the many wonderful women at KinderCare who help care for my most precious possessions. The reason I gave four vs. five stars is that the center is a bit run down, and I think could benefit from some professional cleaning from time to time. This can be a turnoff for new families. (I do understand this could equate to slightly higher fees, but I'd be more than willing to pay extra for this.) There's also a fair amount of turnover, as well as teachers from time to time (no longer at the school) who didn't seem the best suited for caring for children (lacked patience, were yellers, or lacked common sense, in my opinion). I'd also love to see a bit more academic curriculum built into the school's programming. The phonics program, for instance, that my oldest participates in is something you have to add on (for an additional fee). Here's the impression I'm left with, though. And it's straight from the horse's mouth. I asked my oldest last night who her favorite teachers at school were, and she rattled off the following list: Miss Danielle, Miss Sasha, Miss Adrianna, Miss Megan, Miss Tee, Miss Nancy, Miss Kassidy and Miss Carita. To which I said, but who's your VERY favorite? She replied, "All of them, Mommy!" Enough said.

Lake Ridge Kindercare has been our FIRST daycare experience as FIRST-TIME parents, and I am so…read moregrateful we found such a quality experience for our son ("B") only a few minutes from home. We enrolled him in the infant room at 8 months, and I had the common new-mom tears and fears. The Kindercare team immediately put any concerns at ease, from the center directors Patricia and Janelle who so kindly encouraged me through the first morning drop-off, to the team who was so attentive to rocking, feeding, and playing with my son (and even getting him to nap in a new place!) We love the pictures and updates we get on the Kindercare app of what B is up to during the day. B is now in the the toddler classroom and has celebrated milestones like walking, an expanding vocabulary, social skills, and at 18 months is already identifying letters and numbers. But the best review is the giant smile B has when he sees his teachers at drop-off! We unfortunately are moving out of the area soon so we'll have to say good-bye to this wonderful team, but that means there's an open position for anyone looking for a daycare center where their baby will thrive. :) We love you Ms. Dana, Ms. Norma, Ms. Devi, Ms. Kavania, Ms. Marisol, Ms. Julia, Ms. Indrani, and Ms. Karima!

I absolutely love this center! Ms. Patricia and Ms. Brandy are such amazing and hard working women…read more I feel so comfortable having my daughter attend daily. They answer all of my questions and are so patient with me as a first time mom. I couldn't ask for a better center and team working with and caring for my daughter. Every teacher is so friendly and professional! I am so thankful for all that they do!

So, we toured this place for our daughter and would recommend it. We did end up going with a…read moredifferent daycare because it was closer to our place and just as amazing as this one. The infant room is very clean and the adult to child ratio is what we would have wanted for our baby which was 4 to 1 adult.... The staff were very nice and it's a very clean facility. If we end up moving closer, we will definitely enroll our child!

My only regret is we didn't start sooner! My son attended camp at the Nest prior to starting…read morekindergarten. Though it was only a few months, he learned more than he ever did at two other preschool centers in Lorton. He not only learned skills like sight reading and sign language, but he learned so much about the structures that would be in place in kindergarten. The transition from the Nest to kindergarten has been great- I truly believe it is because of the care they gave him and the boundaries they held. We planned on sending my daughter as well, but a late change to her IEP modified our plans. Despite unenrolling her from the Nest with very notice, the management took the time to understand our situation and did not penalize us for the late withdraw. They truly care about children and do everything they can do support. We are forever grateful!