Reviewing the Nest Academy on Mt Vernon: It's scary having to find a new daycare but I had one video call with the principle and immediately knew this was the place :) The principle is literally your favorite Filipino auntie and her energy is infectious. She works incredibly hard at her job and it shows. And you can tell the whole place is filled with her joy. The staff love working with children and are always happy to welcome you and your child at the beginning of the day and wish you well at the end. There's a strong sense of community here - really fitting within the Del Ray neighborhood. There's even a Fb group for parents to connect and we've used it to announce birthday parties, exchange items and tips, coordinate thank you gestures for the teachers, and dare I say sometimes gently complain! Of course every daycare will have some annoying logistics but at the end of the day, my child is loved and cared for and that's what's important. Also, logistically - they qualify for child care aware for my military families and they have the best hours in the area (7am-6pm). Most other places are 730-530 and that extra 30min on both sides are crucial for my family and our work situation. read more

I wanted to express my thanks and appreciation to Mr. Adada and Nest Academy for their tremendous support of the Del Ray community. While I have several neighbors and friends that currently or have had in the past, their children enrolled at Nest Academy and speak extremely highly of their time at Nest Academy, I do not have children enrolled. But I can speak on behalf of Mr. Adada's continual and generous support of the community, including numerous children's events. He has either sponsored or allowed us to use his parking lot during our Halloween Parade and "Best Decorated Stroller" event, during Art on the Avenue with attendance at over 50,000 and numerous other events often supporting non-profits such as Friends of Duncan Library and Senior Services. Thank you for your great work in shaping little lives and for all you do for the community. read more

I am writing to express how much my wife and I enjoyed the time that our daughter was at the Nest Academy on Cameron Street. We recently moved out of the area for work, but can absolutely say that we would have kept her there as long as possible if we had not moved. The Nest provides the children fun and engaging activities, such as arts and crafts and play time. However, what set them apart (when we compare her experience to those we've heard about from other parents) is how much the staff care about the children. They truly enjoyed the development and progress the kids made, whether it be learning to say first words and walk, to the kids interacting with each other and the teachers. Additionally, they would take great photos of the kids during the day (which was more to help the parents make it through the day, I think). I wholeheartedly would recommend the Nest to family and friends (and have done so). It is a place where children can grow and parents can trust that their loved ones are well cared for. read more

I read the review from Moe and I have no idea why they dislike The Nest so much. First off, I send my kids there and I love my kids very much. I wouldn't trust my children to be in an environment that was unsanitary or that had mean teachers. Speaking of Ms. Rana, she is one of the best teachers around. She is always involved and has taught my daughter how to count to 100, how to begin reading books by herself, how to write letters and numbers with excellent penmanship, and countless other lessons. My daughter tells me often that she likes Ms. Rana and her other teachers. So, in short, if you love your child and want them to grow up to be smart, confident, and independent, then I highly recommend The Nest! read more

Wow - I read Mark's and Moe's reviews, and I agree to disagree. Our daughter has been there since 3/2017, and we love it. Below is our detailed opinion: 1. The Building: It's Del Ray. Most of the buildings (houses, public schools, restaurants) are older. The owners have done great things with the building to include a re-paved parking lot, modern playground, updated exterior lighting system, and enhanced technology to secure the entry. We chose a school without cameras because I want the teachers to focus on our kids, not on the fact that they are being watched. PS Moe, the hand sanitizer is next to the kids' homework folders and the fingerprint scanners at the entry. Clearly you were not looking. 2. The Food: The menu is provided by a public company (Jeffrey's Catering) that serves public schools and many other facilities. They also provide an allergen menu, so those kids with food sensitivities are fed proper nutrition. They used to serve Fruit Loops, but the parents asked them to serve something less sugary SO THEY DID. What great response from the administrators! 3. The Teachers: To a toddler, they are mean. To a parent, they are a blessing. They provide discipline, love, and structure. Talking back and rude behavior is not tolerated and the kids learn right from wrong. My daughter doesn't like getting in trouble for her backtalk, but it's the last time she does it! Ms. Rana, Ms. Gwyn, Ms. Sherri, and Ms. Laura all provide consistency that a toddler needs to grow and develop. Our daughter often tells us that one of her teachers said "not to do that" so she doesn't, eg suck her thumb (!) or throw things. Best of all, they potty trained our daughter. 4. The curriculum: Our 3yo gets homework. Does she do it? Not always. When she does, she gets a sticker from Ms. Rana, so she does it often because who doesn't want a sticker?!? They are learning how to write their names, have learned French, Spanish, and Sign Language, and this month learned about Rosa Parks and other black history icons. 5. The owners & administration: They have over 100 parents to deal with, that means over 100 opinions - and we all know that parents are harder to deal with than the kids. They listen, do what they can, and respond to our concerns immediately. Our family has never had a billing issue as Moe had. 6. The students: These are my kid's best friends. They are growing together and learning from each other. When one gets sick, they all get sick. Think of your coworkers who come to work sick. Do you quit your job because someone there is sick? Lice is in all schools, Moe. I hate to break it to you. The kids' parents have become our village, and we all look out for each other. The parents have a facebook group, and we text each other often because our kids *need* to see each other on school holidays and weekends. 7. The Fees: Yes, its pricey. Yes its worth it. We get what we pay for. It's not elitist, its quality education. There is only one class for each age group (compared to other chain schools). I can walk in anytime and talk to the teachers or administration. The staff is available by phone and email ALL the time. I always hear from them as to how my kid behaved that day. Because its a small community school, we have become a family. So when we need support from other parents, we get it. About us: two parents, one kid, one dog. Government Employees. Not fancy people. Just regular Del Ray folks who love a good community. read more

We love the Nest Academy! Our three year old son has been there since he was 4 months old, as well as our 11 month old daughter who also started when she was four months old. The teachers have so much compassion and care for the children. They clearly want the best for the kids. Our son right now has some new physical challenges and Ms. Rana, Ms. Gwyn, and the director, Ms. Elaine, have gone above and beyond with keeping us updated on how he is doing, helping him, and making him feel the same as all of his other friends. Our son has learned so much. We are always blown away with what he comes home from school singing and saying. Our kids are always happy being dropped off and love seeing their friends in and out of school. Picking a day care is not an easy choice, but we are very happy that we went with The Nest. read more

I find it extremely interesting that for over 3 years there were no reviews of this business that were generally positive. The last one was in April of 2017. And then a negative review is posted in January of 2020. Then somehow in less than a month there are several positive reviews, I believe 5 or 6. That seems like an amazing coincidence. I mean we all know its possible to manipulate the Yelp system or encourage parents to post reviews that are positive. And I don't know who Nita L is or if she is even real, but I disagree to agree with you. The claims you make are ridiculous. And it almost seems as though you just did a cut and paste job off of some script. I would STRONGLY ADVISE no parent send their child to any of the Nest Academy Learning Preschools. If you are really thinking about, go about and read all the reviews on Yelp but more so check the reviews on Google. Those are the most reliable and tell the true tale of the unscrupulous and disgusting behavior of the owners of this place of business, their immense level of greed, and their contempt for creating a clean and safe environment for children. Contempt may be too strong of a word because it may be too positive of a word, probably indifference is more accurate. Just do yourself and your kid a favor and send them somewhere else, there are plenty of other preschools and daycares and if you have to get a nanny or quit your job and stay home with your kid, that is probably the best option. Whatever you have to do, just stay away from this place if you have any genuine interest in your child's well-being and development. Zero to five are the most important years in determining your child's life trajectory. So why give them a terrible stat. read more

I never write reviews on yelp unless a business is really great or really awful but I feel inclined to write a review for Nest Academy of Cameron. We put my daughter in this daycare for a few months originally thinking we would switch to another daycare that was closer to our home (and taking into account I am also pregnant with my second baby and it would be much easier to walk). We hesitated to move her when her spot opened up at the other daycare because we knew she felt so good at the Nest. Still, we thought of convenience and as soon as we put her in the closer daycare we saw my daughter's usually sunny disposition fade and she cried to go every day. Naturally after two weeks, we put her back in the Nest of Cameron (where she was always happy to go and sad to leave everyday). I have never felt so strongly about a decision. My little girl has blossomed at this new location with caring and kind teachers and the owner regularly comes to my car to help me get her and her things out (since I am so pregnant right now). I can say with full certainty, having been an elementary school teacher myself, that this daycare really prioritizes each child's individual growth and development and that they really work hard to make sure the kids are happy and healthy. Sometimes all the bells and whistles of the other daycares are more like smoke and mirrors. Nest Academy is local, authentic, honest and truly invested in each child's growth. I can rest assured that she is well taken care of when I drop her off each day. Thank you Nest of Cameron read more

My wife and I love the Nest. We've had a son there for several years now and have loved everything about it. The staff are professional and courteous, the services they provide for kids are very good, and our son has made a lot of friends there. A special shout-out to his favorite instructors Ms. Rannah and Ms. Gwen. They are the best. They always take the time to personally greet each kid each morning, and Ms. Rannah and our son have formed a special bond. They call each other "my friend"! Ms. Rannah really takes the time to work with and get to know him, and we're deeply appreciative of how much she does for our son and the other kids. And Ms. Gwen, too, who has a heart of gold and also gives the kids a lot of personal attention. read more

The Nest Academy is a wonderful facility and I can't say enough about its staff and how much they love and care for the children. Our son started when he was two and is now in 1st grade and based on the curriculum at The Nest Academy he was well prepared academically for elementary school. Our daughter attends now and is four and is learning to write and read. The love and affection they have for the children is paramount and I could not imagine sending my children anywhere else. We will be very sad to leave once our daughter goes to Kindergarten in a few years. The Director of the school is very easy to talk to and will address any concerns you have. The teachers we have in the Butterfly program are extensions of our family. Thank you Nest for being such a great place for our family! read more

At first I was going to stay silent about this school. However, seeing how the owner responded to Moe I felt compelled to speak my opinion. We all have different opinions because we all have different experiences. Some good and some bad. Not all experiences will be the same. We all are entitled to that and you don't have to agree or like what my opinion is, but the last time I checked we all are entitled to the first amendment, which is freedom of speech. My experience with Nest Academy in Alexandria it wasn't all bad but it wasn't all good either. Also, we did take Mr. Ben to court and he did end up sending a check. That is just a fact. The Building- It's Del Ray, so I guess what can you expect? Old and a bit outdated. There is only one bathroom for all the toddlers to share. There was a constant dirty diaper smell as you walk in the front door. The cots that the children slept on during nap times did not have liners on them. During the time my child attended this school I received two separate emails about a child having lice. No Maam/Sir lice is not in every school! I have two other children, never experienced that with them at any of their schools. But then again, that's just my experience. The Teachers- Ms. Elaine was an excellent teacher and she did help our child to feel more comfortable. Ms. Gwen was always nice and helped our child feel comfortable. Ms. Rana, some days she seemed ok and some days she seemed like she was overwhelmed and not really in tuned to the kids individual learning needs. Not every child learns the same or is at the level of other kids. Teachers need to be a bit more sensitive to that. Also, we would get and individual report about everything our child had learned. The report was exaggerated and false, the class had learned those things, our child had not. Our child had started in late spring and "graduated" to the next level group within a month and a half and was expected to already know how to do everything the new group did. Those kids had a year to learn, my child had a month and a half. During the time my child attended the teacher child ratio seemed off because I would often see the teacher aides going back and forth rotating between the different classes. The curriculum- There is a book fee, however my child never received books. The teacher would make copies for the children out of a master book copy and that is what our child would get. During orientation you get to see the display of books that are used. During that time the director explained that the books had different religious aspects and displays in the books but to just ignore it and anything religious would be marked out when the teacher made copies for the children. Billing- There were some mistakes with billing that was corrected eventually. The billing system really needs to be updated so parents aren't always writing checks. I don't know about you but I rarely use checks because most bills can be paid online, cash/check free. Conclusion- Nest Academy was not a good fit for my child. What works for one person may not work for others. These are my own opinions based off of my own experience. Yelp is a public forum where people can exercise their first amendment right without censorship and intimidation due to an unwanted critique or opinion. May God bless America in this difficult time and may we all keep on loving our children! read more

I checked a few schools in my neighborhood and choose The Nest Academy. I liked the big room with windows in the preschool-age group. The stuff is pleasant and the kids smile and play happily. And the most important thing for me - the owner offered me a flexible part-time schedule for my boy. That's something I could not find anywhere else. The preschools are either full-time or part-time with only mornings few times per week. My boy also loves it. He improved a lot in his writing and playing with other kids. He loves to pretend at home that he is a teacher at school and his stuffed toys are the students))))) read more

The Nest Academy has always been a place that we have entrusted our grandchildren to learn, excel, be safe, and be ready to venture into their school experience. Our family has had a six year history with The Nest. Our grandson, who we dropped off and picked up regularly, was ready for kindergarten and was starting to read by the time he entered school which is thanks to the Butterfly teachers. Our granddaughter, who is now in the Butterfly class and has Ms. Rana, is always greeted with smiles, never minds being dropped off, and is on her way of learning to read and write. We have never walked into The Nest feeling it was unsanitary, dirty, or anything close to making us think our grandchild was in a poor environment. We have picked up our grandchild at a variety of times and have not noticed any bad odors or think the staff has been negligent. The director and staff are supportive and contact you immediately is there is a concern. They are very careful about food that is brought in by the children for snacks or party celebrations to ensure children are not exposed to peanuts which someone maybe allergic. We highly recommend The Nest Academy, the loving staff, and the director. read more

I would love to share my experience with parents who have to send or planning to send their child to Nest Academy (Mount vernon). My daughter has been there from past 1 & 1/2 years and she simply loves going. The staff is very loving and caring and always showing concern for the children. My daughter was initially under the care of Ms Elaine and then under care of Ms Rana. The love and care they both give to my daughter as well as to the other children, is awesome, so much that my daughter simply loves them and cant stop talking about them when at home. I would like to speak here especially about ms Rana who takes very good care of all her children and is very polite, energetic, helpful, considerate and loving. Thanks to you Ms RANA. read more

Well, this might have been a good option. But unfortunately they will not give a rate over the phone. You have to come by and talk to the staff first. Every other place we've called has been completely transparent and open with their information, traits we are looking for in child care. Treating how much you charge like it's a State Secret doesn't make for a good first impression. Almost smacked a little of 'if you have to ask, you can't afford us." There are 100's of options around town. I'm not sure if 'elitist' is the best ad campaign, but maybe it attracts some folks. Good luck and good hunting! read more

We have known the Nest Academy since out son was 2 years old (he is now 9) and walked into the the Nest Academy back in 2008. He graduated from pre-K and moved. Later it was our our daughter's time to Join the Nest Academy and she graduated from pre-K back in June 2015. What is left for her is 2 more weeks of summer time. Great things that make the Nest Academy stand out include: 1- Excellent curriculum where kids learn and grow - no doubt they will be Kindergarten-ready in every aspect - knowing their numbers (the concept of not just counting but also subtracting, the relationship of groups of objects to numbers). Already in pre-K they have a small but important homework that reinforces what they learn in school and help them grow into the habit of doing homework (both our children loved it) 2. Management and staff - They give parent due attention to any concerns/questions they may have. Needless to say we didn't have any complaints to bring to the management attention. If we had no doubt it would be addressed. They have always been there to answer any of our questions and help our kids in their needs. They have a divers staff with experience and we would like to state that Ms. Dianna and Ms. Leah did a great job helping our child get ready for kindergarten. Ms. Dianna is a veteran teacher for pre-K who also taught our son some 5 years back. 3. Other good points to highlight include: cleanliness, variety of activities, and convenience (it is open 6.30 am to 6.30 pm), the classrooms are bright and large, very diverse student community. As a final note, we have referred many parents and friends, and all have so far given as a positive feedback and we still have to hear one compliant! If you would like to visit before deciding, the management/staff would explain their program and also provide a walk through of their facility. read more

The Nest Academy is the perfect choice for our child. Our child began there at two-years-old and quickly began learning what many children do not learn until they are 3 and 4-years old. The personal attention given to my family was exceptional and the staff was phenomenal with explaining in great detail the programs offered at their school. The fees were intricate due to federal and state programs the school accepts funds from; therefore, it is best to discuss in person to see if you qualify. This also affords an opportunity for questions and answers. I really appreciate the loving and educational environment at the Nest Academy. It allows my daughter unlimited growth to vigorously flourish and develop. Sincerely, A HAPPY PARENT read more

Our kids have been here since they were 12 weeks old. We love our teachers and know that they love our kids. Kids are two now and get angry when we can't get it the door fast enough to get to the Nest in the mornings. read more