We joined the AUCP community in 2017 when our daughter was 1 and we're going on our 7th year now…read morewith our second child. The focus on each child's needs and interests, along with low teacher:student ratios have really supported our kids developmentally. The nature exposure (daily in the classroom and in the garden, as well as bi-weekly in the woods) is another big plus for us. Community is by far the best part for the whole family though. Co-oping in class helps parents get to know the other kids and their families, in addition to experiencing what the kids are doing in class. There are also lots of social opportunities informally (the playground after pick-up) and formally (Bike and Book Fest for one) throughout the year. I highly recommend the school to everyone, but especially those new to the area and those wanting to be involved in their child's preschool experience.

Our family will forever be grateful to have had our children attend AUCP. With only a couple of…read moremonths to prep our family of five to move across the country I looked to Yelp to help me find a good preschool within a 10 mile radius of our Falls Church home. It was late April when I reached out and connected with the Membership team and while they had one last spot for my 4 year old daughter, we were on the waitlist for my 1.5 year old son. (It all ended up working out to where my daughter attended 5 days a week and my son was 2 days a week.) From the very first contact, everyone was wonderful. My kids teachers welcomed not only them, but our whole family with open arms and helped us create a sense of community when we didn't know a single soul. The teachers are amazing and the play based opportunities afforded to the children are unparalleled. Some of our favorite things about AUCP are the bi-weekly outdoor program at Long Branch, their commitment to getting the kids outside every day (I wish all schools had this philosophy), the community building events, the garden, ride on toys etc. I can't recommend this school enough. It's been a gem in so many ways.

Great elementary school. The Principal, Barb Messinger, is dedicated and very involved in all…read moreaspects of school operations. The faculty is top notch, with many experienced teachers who know the latest and greatest motivational and educational methods. The use of technology in the classroom is impressive.

I can't say enough good things about this school!The principal is a dynamic and strong and teachers…read moreare awesome!! We moved here because of schools and totally happy with Canterbury Woods elementary School! Thanks a lot for your hard work! you are the BEST

Plain and simple -We love Good Shepherd. It's a school that feels like home. The Director,…read moreTeachers, Assistants, Helpers, Volunteers, everyone makes the children and faith their priority. Two of our three kids have gone through Good Shepherd and we couldn't have been more pleased with all that they learned to prepare them for elementary school. The teaching staff have a passion for Christ centered teaching and truly find loving and creative ways to share this passion with the children.

My husband said it best..."I wish Good Shepherd Preschool went through high school."…read more The facility is immaculate. The director has an open door, a big smile and a full heart for all her students, each of whom she knows by name. The teachers are seasoned, creative, deeply kind and attentive to the needs of each child. I have watched both my sons blossom and learn under their thoughtful instruction. My older son is now thriving at a local kindergarten. But just the other day, he confided in me, "Mommy, you know, Good Shepherd was more fun."

We love Epiphany Preschool and are about to enroll our third child. I highly recommend Epiphany…read morefor all kids because of the expertise and passion of the teachers. I love nature based education for my kids and our family. I love the way my son's imagination and capabilities skyrocket from his time at epiphany. When the giant snow storm came and the kids in the neighborhood all went inside, my son played for hours. Epiphany had taught him to put on the right gear and how to stay warm. But I recommend it to anyone, because I am so impressed by the staff. Jason and Amanda have built a community that really cares about the children, families, and staff. They go above and beyond other schools in the area ensuring safety inside and outside for this community. They are creating a space most higher level schools and even employers haven't mastered to help our natural environment help give us tools to be more resilient and adaptive and even find more joy in life. They have created a team with incredible credentials and experience paired with passionate energetic newer teachers. I realized a few month after sending my two oldest, that every teacher knew who my kids were. The whole campus really cares about each other and helps each other's passions grow. I thought our son found the perfect teachers for him as a Sparrow with Ms Araz and Ms Nancy matching his energy and enthusiasm. And then he became a Cardinal and Ms Melanie and Ms Shannon have matched him perfectly where he is developmentally and now he is making up songs every day. Our daughter became more confident in her own strengths in the Hawks class with Ms Wendy's support and Ms Heathers ability to match each child's individual entry points and the best method to take the next steps. Due to moving from Atlanta, this is our third preschool experience and Epiphany has the spark of magic I want for my kids. The community events help me reflect on the changes in nature and the joy of friendship. The staff have this ability to remember all that each young child holds most precious, while also having the patience to get them dressed in the right gear for all the different weather. (The gear is important, but they give great lists to help parents be prepared and we've been able to get almost everything on Buy Nothing from our Neighborhood group so it hasn't added extra cost.) My kids are both more practical and more imaginative from the time at Epiphany. I am grateful for the space for kids to really get to be who they are and fully seen. I have loved getting to know other families and finding support as we all figure this out together.

Epiphany Preschool has been an integral part of our family's early education journey, with our…read morefirst child graduating as a hawk last year and our second currently attending as a sparrow, while our third eagerly awaits enrollment as a chickadee next year. The environment sets the tone when first walking in - with its lush green spaces you are immediately transported to a child's dream come true. Surrounded by a forest with trails where everyone gathers and plays music, a garden where my kids have grown fruits and vegetables in the summers, an awesome mud kitchen where my child's inner chef comes to life, and a very special climbing tree that my oldest particularly loves. The space has a way of naturally encouraging creativity and exploration. The staff feel like a family -- and they have a knack for nurturing social skills, problem-solving, and have a contagious deep appreciation for nature. Watching our children thrive at Epiphany has been a joyous experience, affirming our wholehearted recommendation to others. Epiphany Preschool is truly a gem.

We enjoyed our experience and highly recommend St. Paul Preschool. Both of our kids went to St…read more Paul and they both have great memories of the teachers, staff, and friends. It is a good sign when your kids are excited about going to school and are happy to be dropped off in the mornings and give hugs to the teachers at pick up in the evenings. Sometimes my children would ask me why I picked them up so early because they wanted to stay at school longer! They had a lot of fun with the different lessons, crafts, performances, nature walks, and even surprise petting zoo visits. Our kids came home with backpacks full of their art or science projects and they were so excited to tell us about them. They also talk about wanting to go back and visit and how they miss being at St. Paul. From my experience, the teachers and staff are amazing. They took great care of our children, gave them individual attention, but also helped them become more independent. I enjoyed the family events such as the Halloween Parade, Christmas Performance, and Summer Break/Graduation Event. It gave us an opportunity to see first hand how much the teachers and staff care for the children and help them grow. Because it is a small community, we also got to know some of the other families and still keep in touch for play dates. It can be difficult finding a preschool where you feel comfortable leaving your children. We are very glad that we found St. Paul! Our kids were happy and ready for kindergarten! Thank you to the St. Paul family!

St. Paul's is like a family! It provided not only a safe educational environment, but an…read moreenvironment that nurtured our children emotionally and helped them feel confident in themselves. The teachers care and are highly approachable and responsive. There are daily enriching activities and also special adventures on and off school grounds that are carefully planned for the children. Both of our children loved their time at St. Paul's and I cannot speak highly enough of the school, staff and teachers!

We joined midway through the school year in the 2's class (which meets two mornings a week), and…read moreour daughter immediately felt right at home. It's such a wonderful school and a truly special community. As a cooperative preschool, parents help out in the classroom 1-2 times a month--and that's one of the things that makes it so unique and rewarding. Everyone gets to know each other's kids so well, and there's such a genuine sense of connection and support among the families. The teachers are absolutely fantastic--so kind, warm, and engaged--and the outdoor space is incredible. There are so many areas for the kids to explore, climb, dig, and play. It's the kind of place where childhood really feels like childhood. We love the balance of unstructured play and thoughtful, low-pressure structured activities. Our daughter looked forward to every single school day, and we always felt confident she was safe, happy, and learning through play. We can't recommend Ft. Hunt Preschool enough!

The 2s class at this school was my child's first school/care experience outside of our home, and I…read morecouldn't imagine a better place for her to go. You can tell that the staff here truly care for your child. This school really prioritizes nature, and there is a natural, wooded playground (not just a bunch of cement and plastic like so many playgrounds), rain barrels so the kids can play with water, a huge sand pit with a canopy, tree stumps and rocks, an outdoor kitchen. It creates an environment that is reminiscent of generations past, when children would run outside into nature and play freely. The parents and relationships you have the opportunity to form here are also wonderful. What could have been just a preschool has turned into a community for us.

This school is a perfect fit for us. Montessori calm, Montessori materials and teachers, wonderful…read moreshady playground, challenging and fun every day, flexible and laid back while still buttoned up. We love it and recommend it whenever anyone is looking for a school in this area.

This school is like family. We have only been there a year and so far I am super impressed. My…read moredaughter was having some developmental delays that became more noticable as the school year went on. We worked with Loudoun Co and the special ed system to get her some outside help. The teachers and director at CKCP have been so supportive through this entire process. The teachers have gone above and beyond offering suggestions to help at home, and have even gone out of their way to introduce me to other parents with a similar situation. The director sometimes posts articles on the private website about parent tools and links to parenting blogs that I always enjoy. They have helped me learn to be a better parent. The teachers also post daily pictures and I loooooove seing what my sweet daughter is doing at school. It totally makes my day. My daughter loves going to school so much and even asks for her teachers on the weekends when we go to playgrounds. The price is exceptionally afforable for the 1st rate education she is receiving. The parent group, known as PACK are very involved and host a variety of fundraisers throughout the year including a fall fest with games and a Dr. Seuss themed birthday party for the entire school. I cant wait for another year there. We really have been blessed to find this place.

I can not recommend this school. The teachers are great....or I should say they "were" great but…read morethe director laid off these amazing people! I am heart-broken that they let such wonderful people go and I want the teachers to know that you all touched the hearts of your students and they will always remember you! It was a pleasure to watch my kid make friends and come home excited about the day. The school was recommended to me by other moms because of the great teachers and my child was so excited to go to school here. Now so many wonderful instructors, the heart and soul of the school, are gone. The director is taking the school in a "new direction" as per her email. Many incidents my child had at school during the extended day program called "Afternoon Adventures" were down-played or not mentioned at all because of a fear that they would lose money. Instead, when I asked about my child handling the extended day expressing my fears about missing naptime, I was told to teach my child self-regulation (a pamphlet was later sent home to all parents) and a friendly suggestion to move up the bedtime an hour instead of confirming my suspicions that all my child was needing was the usual afternoon nap. The teachers can not openly share with parents their concerns out of fear of this director/lost revenue. Not discussing concerns with parents was a sign that the teacher could properly handle and manage stress, turning the tables on the teachers, when the real problem was that many children still needed a rest period. Note to yourself that when your kids go to school here or anywhere else that caregivers are thinking this way. Sharing concerns about your child might result in loss of an important revenue stream. Situations are downplayed or left out of the conversation and at the end of the day all you are given is a "smile" and "have a nice day". Its up to you to "sense your way" through all of the real going-ons in your child's day yet with kids this age how can they communicate all of this. Leadership plays an important role in how much the organization is "allowed" to fufill their mission, in this case let the teachers teach without fear they are going to be axed. Do yourself a favor and choose another preschool in the area like Galilee or the local Community Centers are much better.