calvary is a good school overall and Mr Lewis and his wife are amazing people here are my problems…read morewarnings all they do is not give kids ice cream but any kid with a warning can just go to the store and buy some and the teachers are focused towards girls and it is extremely unfair another complaint the bathroom door on one of the doors dosent lock people are extremely uncomfortable in there knowing any kid can open the door on them but the some of the teachers are amazing like Mr Mayer and dr elk too and Mrs Peffer and Mrs Lewis does his best because most pf this things are caused by kids but they still need to be fixed

We just completed our first school year at Calvary (1 son in kindergarten, 1 daughter in preschool…read more3). My son is excelling and I am very pleased with the school and the staff. My youngest daughter will join her older siblings in the fall.

We are so LUCKY to have stumbled upon this gem of a preschool!! Finding affordable day care with…read morehours that allow for commutes and full-time jobs is tough on its own. Finding that in an engaging, education-minded center with staff who truly partner with parents and love the children is kinda like a unicorn ride to the leprechaun's gold under a double rainbow. Grow and Blossom has been a life-saver for our family, offering us the flexibility we desperately needed during a tough childcare transition, with the added peace of mind of a Center our 2-year old simply LOVES. The Director and the Owner are both kind, welcoming, intelligent, and professional educators and care providers. We love the Montessori-esque curriculum, the warm and stimulating environment, and the deliberate attention paid to diversity and multi-cultural exposure and appreciation. Go check it out for yourself!!

From the owner: All children will grow and blossom in our center. Grow and…read moreBlossom Preschool center serves children from 2 years to 12 years of age in developmentally appropriate spaces in classrooms as well as offering plentiful outdoor play areas. Our daily interactions and activities are based on age-appropriate developmental expectations and individual goals established for each child in conjunction with the family. We also offer before and after care for school aged kids. Discounts are available. Please contact us for more info!

This is a great school for PK. The teachers really care about the children development they do a…read morelot of hands-on work with the children and I definitely see a difference in my child since going to the school. They are very organized they do daily reports down to what the kid ate and the activities they did with lesson they learned and daily videos. my review is based upon other schools that I have experience that don't have the resources or don't even give you a daily report . The Catholic school for pre-K especially for beginners was not a good choice for us. I am so happy we picked this school over any Catholic schools.

One star and that's being generous. The new management has been a disaster, but the final straw was…read morewhen I witnessed the new director's completely unacceptable behavior towards the kids. He yelled at them like they were adults and even grabbed one child's arm roughly. I saw it with my own eyes on a face time call when he almost put his hands on my kid. Unbelievable. The lack of concern or apology afterwards was appalling. We're outta there ASAP. If you value your child's well-being, stay far, far away.

I sent my two youngest kids to Montesshare several years ago and they still have positive memories…read morefrom their time there. The Wilder family really invested in my family through years of extra patience during the morning and pickup rush, invites to play at the park, and dad's/mom's nights out. I still attend these manly get togethers well after the kids stopped attending. I dare you to try their school and not love it!

The staff here are very professional, responsive, and courteous. They are very passionate about…read morewhat they do and it is a very comfortable, homey environment. I definitely recommend this montessori school.

We love Bright Minds Preschool. Our daughter likes all her teachers. They're very patient and…read morereceptive. We enjoy the field trips and family events they host throughout the year.

We love Bright Minds Preschool! Our 3 year old daughter started attending in July this year and…read morewe've been so impressed by how much she's already learned in just a few months. The teachers made sure it was a welcoming environment where she was able to make new friends quickly. There are art projects and activities every day in addition to open playtime. In the summer there were pool sessions and in the fall they often visit local parks and libraries! There's also an app that keeps every parent up to date on daily routines with photos and descriptions of what the kids had for lunch! It's my new favorite app! Truly a perfect environment for toddlers and we could not be happier we chose this school. Thank you BMPS team!

Appreciate the caring, attentive staff in Infant Room A…read more The center director and assistant director were always extremely responsive and helpful during our time there. Our son loved his teachers, and it was so sweet to see him smile at them at drop off every day. They were good about giving updates at the end of the day and sharing pictures. Somehow they got him to sleep in his crib during the day too, which he will not do at home.

We love this Kindercare location! My daughter started her care here when she was 10 weeks old and…read morewe are approaching our two year anniversary of being with Kingstowne Kindercare. We love the ease of communication with the director, assistant director, and teachers whether it be through email, written form or on the phone. The Infant A class is where my daughter first started at 10 weeks old. Ms Theresa and Ms. Afrosa and Ms. Elizabeth were the teachers who cared for my daughter. They all took great care of my daughter and even took the time to listen to my concerns when it came to having a breastfed baby. I did not receive as great of support from other centers when it came to being a breastfeeding mother so this was a plus. When my daughter was moved to Infant B classroom the teachers did everything they could to make sure it was a smooth transition. When I wanted to bring in food from home they worked with me to make sure this was something I could do for my daughter and still follow their required USDA guidelines. I was and am still pleased with the curriculum and guidance my daughter receives at Kindercare. I am given written notice and email notice about what she will be learning in the classroom and how I can implement those skills at home. I can see my daughter thriving because of the consistancy of curriculum she is receiving at both home and at daycare. Ms Maribel and Ms Yasmin have been the teachers caring for my daughter in the toddler room. I too experienced open communication on how my daughters day went and if there were any concerns. It is clear to me that the teachers here at the center really do care about my child and her growth as a person. This past summer my daughter was able to participate in their summer program. Before the summer began I was given written notice of the program and what activities my daughter would get to participate in. She really enjoyed the puppet shows and the water play days. The older children would go on field trips to local water parks while the toddlers and preschoolers had water play at the Kingstowne Kindercare location. When my daughter turned two she started her transition to the Discovery Preschool classroom. The teachers, again with the great communication, took the time to go over the changes my child would be experiencing in this classroom. They start potty training and shared with me their tips and techniques so I could implement them at home. This does not mean they are open to what I am doing at home and implementing at daycare. Other benefits to this daycare center is they are reliable. I have noticed the past two winters we have been enrolled with Kingstowne Kindercare they have remained open when other surrounding centers and schools have decided to close. Their reliability is important to me as a working parent who is not able to take time away from my office when surrounding schools close. They also have a great website and phone number system that you can call to see which centers are open, closed or delayed. They also have picture days in the spring and fall. They also have book fairs and with a child who loves to read I appreciate this.

As someone who has worked in early childhood education for over 20 years, I walked into my…read morechildren's preschool with a very different lens than most parents. I knew what to look for, and honestly, I knew what could go wrong. That made choosing a program harder. I was not easy to impress. When we found LaPetite Academy of Alexandria, we found peace of mind. My daughter's teachers are, without question, two of the best pre-K educators I have encountered in two decades in this field. That is not a compliment I give lightly. The quality of their practice, relationships with children, and the intentionality behind every interaction is the kind of thing you cannot fake and cannot train quickly. What sealed it for me is the staff longevity. In this industry, turnover tells you everything. For my daughter, I was looking for the quality of education and the richness of the environment. For my two-year-old son, my priority shifted to something more fundamental: Would he feel safe? Would his basic needs be met with consistency and warmth by people he could learn to trust? Staff longevity answers both questions. Children that age need familiar faces, and the stability of this team gave me confidence. The fact that this team has stayed, and clearly chosen to stay, speaks to leadership, culture, and a genuine commitment to the children in their care. That stability matters for young children, and it matters even more when you have two kids building trust with the same people over time. I am not a nervous parent by nature, but I am an informed one. This is the program I would recommend to anyone, knowing everything I know about what great early childhood education actually looks like from the inside.

We moved to La Petite Academy after fleeing another local daycare with major issues in summer…read more2004. We were concerned after changing daycares so quickly, but my only regret is not moving sooner. The staff at La Petite is professional, kind, and good with the kids. If you're looking to prepare your kids for school, you can't do better than Ms. Nikki and Mr. Brandon in the Pre-K room. Ms. Dee and Ms. Jackie, the school directors, are easy to work with. Moving to La Petite was the best decision we made. The staff, the app, the cameras, everything-- I can't sing La Petite's praises enough.

I really wanted to like this place! But after 3 weeks, I know it's not a place I'd trust with the…read moreoverall well-being of my child. My enthusiasm enrolling my child at a "good" daycare based on reviews and recommendations died essentially the first day my child was officially there. The first and biggest disappointment is the fact the teachers there appear to be disengaged and uninterested. When I noticed there were 6 new babies out of a class of 12 starting the same day and many of them crying essentially every time I made a stop at the center throughout the first week, I was particularly interested in how they would comfort the children. They didn't! That was pretty disappointing as I consider the emotional well-being of my child as important, if not more important than being fed and having clean diapers. My child absolutely hated that place-pulling me away from the door when we got there, having restless nights full of nightmares, losing skills he previously had etc on top of crying the most he's ever had basically all the time at LAP starting from drop off. That made me decide to spend more time there to observe what's causing him to be that uncomfortable. I spent an hour observing everything they were doing. I also paid attention to all the other kids. There wasn't a single child who finished even 25% of the lunch presented that day but they would just push the milk to them and lunch is done. Then I received an email later that day my child who barely had a bite of a taco "ate most/everything". I could see the teachers laughing at me and shaking heads I was there to watch. As far as I'm concerned, I'm paying to get the service and entitled to watch what my helpless child has to go through. I obviously didn't care about how they felt about me exercising my rights. Besides, when folks are professional and confident of their work, they would want to show it off. But clearly the LAP team would rather get away with their mediocre childcare away from the parents. I'm watching all this through a tinted window btw. Then they turn off the light from the inside knowing that the hallway Iight was still on and that my child would see me (and cry). If you need more lows than that, keep reading. I've also witnessed (2 consecutive days) that they let the kids watch songs on an iPad. When I brought it up to the owner, it was explained to me it was "just one song in the morning". I mean I'm not there to monitor the entire day so I'm supposed to believe they're telling the truth. Also, ahead of enrollment, they asked me to fill out many pages of questions. Apparently, the teachers never received the forms. Here I was thinking they asked those questions because they wanted to understand the child as an individual but the reality is they didn't even communicate to the teacher my child's food allergies. Seriously! When I dropped my child even after 3 weeks, there was not a single teacher my child gravitated towards the slightest bit. When I ask them the toys he plays with during the day, none of the teachers would know-not pay attention to the kids obviously. The reason I had decided daycare would be better than home was for the social interaction. However, I quickly figured they lacked attentiveness to meet that. For example, there was one time my child had the water cup out of reach. He pointed to it multiple times but the teacher who sat next to him was dazed and didn't pass the cup. Children develop skills based on the response they get around them. If they are consistently dismissed, they will grow up to be robotic and disengaged who don't get common sense. If you want a place, any place to leave your child, this place might do it. However, if you are trying to raise a well rounded human being whose emotional and psychological needs are met, I don't think LAP team has the skills or knowledge to offer that. Although my child would never sleep more than an hour (as opposed to 3 hours at home), eat almost nothing, to me the emotional negligence is the ultimate factor I've pulled my child out of this worrisome place.

I have to knock off a star. Our first year here we had an amazing teacher. And then we moved into a…read moreclass where teachers and assistants were clearly over it and disengaged. They left at the end of the year. The teacher in our new classroom was great but also left. And now we're in one that's just okay. There are some really amazing people that work here and the programming is beyond excellent. But a few teachers in our experience seem burned out irritated and overwhelmed. The daily napslips that are supposed to provide updates on nap time and food eaten are clearly on auto send and innacurrate. If my kid were younger, less verbal and more dependent on emotional engagement they wouldn't go here but they are a bit older and independent now. They can tell me what they ate and how they napped themselves. And they are just in love with a few of the assistants. The shows and education are also top notch.

We had a truly mixed experience at Frog Pond and I want to share both the wonderful and…read moredisappointing aspects of this school so other parents can make an informed decision. The Positives: The heart of this school lies in its nature-based curriculum, and it really shines here. Our children spend their days outdoors, exploring, learning through play, and connecting with the natural world--something that's becoming increasingly rare in early education. It's a breath of fresh air (literally and figuratively), and we love the values it instills in our kids. The teachers--especially the long-standing ones--are the true gems of this school. They are warm, nurturing, and clearly passionate about early childhood education. You can tell they love what they do and care deeply about the children they work with. It's reassuring to drop your child off with people who feel like extended family. Another charming element is the presence of animals on the premises, which adds so much joy to the kids' days and is a great learning opportunity. The Negatives: Unfortunately, the administration tells a very different story. In our experience, the administrative staff are consistently rude, dismissive, and condescending to parents. Feedback is rarely taken seriously, and there is little to no accountability from leadership when problems arise. There is also a troubling pattern of high staff turnover, including the sudden and unexplained termination of beloved, long-term staff--some with 20+ years at the school. This has created instability and a sense of unease among both staff and parents. Visually, the campus is showing its age. While the philosophy emphasizes rustic, natural elements, there's a difference between intentional simplicity and neglect. Basic upkeep and repairs are often lacking, which doesn't match the high tuition price point. And lastly, one of the more frustrating elements is the expectation that parents "volunteer" large amounts of time and labor--not optional, and often physical work--despite already paying premium tuition. It feels like a bait-and-switch, and it places undue pressure on working families. In Summary: If you're looking for a beautiful, nature-forward education for your child and are lucky enough to land in a classroom with one of the veteran teachers, this school may be a great fit. But be prepared to deal with a difficult administration, unclear policies, and questionable treatment of staff. We truly wish the leadership reflected the same values the teachers and children bring to life every day.

Frog Pond was an amazing school years ago but the current administration repeatedly lies and spins…read moresituations, putting kids at risk. In one year our son had 3 lead teachers and 8 support teachers. Communication rarely happened with us not knowing the qualifications of teachers or even introductions to teachers. They stopped signing teachers' names on daily messages, so we didn't know who was with our child or when teachers left. My child was much happier after leaving Frog Pond as the constant turnover, lack of qualified teachers, and inappropriate behavior of some teachers was stressful and created a toxic environment. The idea of Frog Pond is great, the implementation is awful with the owner and director refusing to address issues and take accountability.

Best daycare ever. Truly a family. Gorgeous facility with the most amazing teachers. I would…read morerecommend Lily Pad to anyone looking for affordable yet high quality childcare.

Raised another child thru Lily Pad and I can't say enough wonderful things about this school and…read moretheir loving team. My daughter blossomed at Lily Pad from day one. They love your kids as their own. We are so incredibly grateful for the team of teachers that care for our children. They've taught my child to be smarty pants and Spanish bilingual. They raised both of our children. Good luck getting a spot...and if you do, you'll see what a gem this place is. You don't have to worry about incident reports etc. because they actually watch your kids. They invest in their teachers and retention rate is low. My daughter had the same teachers as my son from several years ago...this place is a magical fairytale where your children can thrive and flourish.