St. Mary's Preschool 5222 Sideburn Road, Fairfax, VA 22032

"We have gone here for four years now. My older daughter was a Polar Bear the first year we lived here, and my youngest went up in the ranks from Care Bear to Panda to Koala. It’s a small community that feels like family. Most of the teachers at one point had a child in the program, and they were compelled to come back. I’m sad as I write this review that we’re in or last year there, the time flew by. I don’t even live in the immediate vicinity, but drive from Springfield each day. When we moved to the area, I wanted a part time Catholic program for my kids. Most of them are full time around here, but I felt going from 2 short days in Colorado to five long days here would have been overwhelming for my kids. As a stay-at-home mom, I couldn’t justify sending them all day long, either. St Mary’a offers several classes that can fit most people’s schedule. They also offer lunch bunch, which is extended care, at a very reasonable rate of not more than $20 for up to 2.5 hours per day, and offer a free day if you prepay. It’s a play-based program with movement, music, and religious elements. They also do all the extra early intervention programs like hearing and sight screenings, as well. While attached to a Catholic Church, I don’t think you necessarily have to be Catholic to appreciate the values that they teach. There are certain things that are fairly Catholic-centric, such as learning about Mary and the rosary, attending First Friday mass, etc, but the vast majority of the curriculum is general preschool development like early literacy, careers, fire safety, manners, etc. The director, Ms Michele, is the sweetest, and tries hard to finetune the program. She has made safety a priority and security in and out of the school is very good. Doors lock after drop off time after which time everybody has to buzz the office and they personally escort you in after using security cameras to ensure the visitor is known to the preschool. The large playground is likewise secure with locked doors and a privacy fence surrounding it. While the area where the school/church are located is very nice and safe, sadly these are things that need to be taken into consideration regarding schools these days, and better to be preemptive rather than reactionary. Another thing I love about this school is the pick up line. You don’t have to drag your other kids out of the van, it’s a drive-thru system. Might sound odd but it’s awesome, especially when you have littler ones. One year we had a ton of snow delays or cancellations. Ms Michelle offered an extra hour of preschool for a week to help make up for it, as a gesture of good faith. She didn’t have to do that, and it wasn’t her fault that schools were cancelled or delayed, she just wants to make things seem right. I’ll miss St Mary’s as a community! Send your little ones there, you won’t regret it!"