Montessori Country School

"I am very glad that we found Montessori Country School (MCS). Our daughter loves to go to school, has quickly made friends, and seems to be learning something new every day. MCS follows the Montessori method, to me that means that my daughter selects the activities that interest her and she receives guidance as needed to progress. The kids are introduced to new activities by the teachers and co-mingled with other children in a three-year range to learn from each other. Finally, MCS feels like an extended family. It is very noticeable that the teachers and staff enjoy their role and cherish the kids. As a parent, I could not ask for a better start to my daughter's education. I have been so impressed by the school that I have volunteered to be a member of their non-paid board of directors."

"My daughter has been in the pre-primary and young primary classes at MCS and absolutely loves it. We are extremely happy to have found this parent-run, non-profit school. Its a warm, nurturing environment and the kids are loved. The Montessori teachers are excellent. The music and French classes are awesome. The after-care program is great. The director is experienced and very communicative and runs a great school. Highly recommend it!"

"This is a wonderful school. The curriculum is well aligned with the Montessori style. The teachers are warm and welcoming. By the end of the year you'll feel that you have gained new family members. That is how great those teachers are. The classrooms are bright and open. Kids are happy. The whole school staff pays serious attention to kids safety. One of my kids has food allergies and I have asked teachers to feed him just what he brings in his lunch bag. I even get calls from the teacher, with enough time for me to prepare, to let me know when there are going to be birthdays celebrations in the class, in case I want to send a special treat for my son so that he does not feel left-out when they hand out any special snack. I'm very happy with the school."

"Placing our son at MCS Herndon was the best thing we could have ever done. The environment, the kids, and especially the teachers have had an amazing influence on his development. He comes home and wants to continue the activities he began at school. His attention span has improved dramatically, and he has acquired an enthusiasm for learning. The year that we've been with the school has been a true eye-opener. A lot more goes into a Montessori program than what we found in the more traditional daycare centers in the area. In fact, my wife now refers to these as a "coat-check" for kids - you drop them off, pick them up, and don't dare ask what happened in between. With MSC we know what happens - the kids not just learn - they learn to love learning. It's an incredible experience to come in during the day and observe as our son moves flawlessly from activity to activity, choosing his tasks on his own, and exploring new ways of doing them. The teachers, all with literally decades of experience (we found the incredibly low turnover of teaching staff to be a great draw when searching for a school), provide just the right mix of instruction and observation, while giving the children space to develop their own interests and ways of approaching a task. A number of tweaks to the school calendar has also brought days off in line with the county school calendar, and added summer camp that essentially extends the school year all the way through so there's no summer gap. And because the school is a non-profit and parent-owned, the tuition differs little from other child care options in the area, which is a feat in itself considering how much more we are getting. Our only regret is that we had not signed our son up earlier. The school accepts children as young as 2 ½, and we waited until he was 3 ½ before enrolling him at Montessori. We definitely won’t make that mistake with our second – she’ll start the day she’s old enough to enroll!"

"Love it! My older daughter started going last year and now her younger sister has joined her in the young preschool program. Both are also in aftercare since my wife and I work full time. They love going to school and they are learning so much and becoming very independent. It is a parent-owned non-profit school so tuition is reasonable and the school is very responsive to parent needs/wants. They recently updated the schedule to match very closely with Fairfax County Public Schools. There is a music class and a French class, each twice a week, and frequent extra activities the kids can sign up for like soccer and cooking classes where they bring in outside instructors after the school day is over (when my kids would otherwise be in aftercare). There are a lot of activities during the year outside of the school for the kids and parents to get together. They run a true Montessori program with amazing long-time Montessori teachers who get official training every year. I read another review that said there was no training, but the school is closed on those training days so I know it is happening! By the way when the school is closed for things like that or parent-teacher conferences the aftercare is still running."