Fairfax Academy Of Early Learning

Our son is currently 5 and has been going to the Fairfax Academy since he was 2. He has loved going to this very traditional school. It's been a great start for him. I am a teacher for Arlington County Schools and I can honestly say that the Fairfax Academy has prepared our son for Elementary School. They make it fun and inviting! My son is always happy when I pick him up from school. We can tell that he has been learning a lot and has made a lot of friends along the way. We also love that the school population is so diverse. The staff is warm and the price is right compared to over priced schools in the area.

My family and I love Fairfax Academy in Arlington! I have recommended Fairfax Academy to several people. The staff is helpful, attentive and caring. You can tell every single one of them, whether a teacher or administrator truly care about children. It is a wonderful learning environment for children to blossom, grow and most importantly develop their social skills prior to entering elementary school. We love the school so much we are going to continue to send our oldest daughter there for kindergarten even though she would be able to attend the elementary school for kindergarten. We were extremely fortunate to find Fairfax Academy. Almost a year ago my husband and I began our search of a preschool that offered a safe learning environment where our girls could attend. We needed to add to that equation a preschool that was affordable and offered extended hours due to our budget constraints and working hours. We contacted and toured many places. The majority of them did not offer the hours we were looking or were simply out of our budget. A friend of mine recommended Fairfax Academy. It was were her daughter attended and both she and her daughter loved it there. I contacted the admissions office and scheduled an appointment. We toured the school with our girls and were very pleased with our first impression. The teachers were attentive and courteous. The classrooms clean, safe and stressed the value of recycling. Great playgrounds. I noticed each classroom posted their daily schedule - these kids would be busy learning the entire time they were there and having fun doing it. Yummy and nutritious lunches - every meal includes a veggie, fruit and milk. After our tour we sat down with the Admissions Director to discuss payment and attendance policies. The Admissions Director explained the payment policy, the discount we would receive and the free breakfasts our girls would receive because we would be enrolling 2 children. She clearly explained their attendance policy - they follow the Federal Government schedule for the academic year and for their summer camp. Once again we were very pleased! No scrambling to find child care the week between Christmas and New Years or for the summer. My husband and I made our decision on the spot and signed all of the forms that clearly stated payment and attendance policies. Our girls began attending June 2012. We noticed some behavioral changes in the girls initially as they adjusted to their new schedule and new school. After all they are 4 and 3 and who likes change? Slowly but surely we noticed that behavior going away. Within a month they were writing their names and would preferred to draw and do art projects during the hour and half they are allowed to watch TV. Both my girls are naturally shy and are beginning to exhibit signs of "coming out of their shells" and displaying independence. They both love their teachers and going to school. They actually get upset if they have to stay home if they are sick. In my opinion if your child is begging you to go to school, the school is definitely getting it right!

If I could give it zero stars I would. Every time I came to pick up my son, he was wet. Extra clothes were provided to staff for a reason. I don't see why my child has to sit in wet clothes and why nobody is paying enough attention to him to notice that he has had an accident. I did not appreciate the way my grandma was disregarded when asked if the staff could also ask my son every so often if he needed to potty. The sheet that was provided for me at the end of the day never made sense and it was never filled out correctly. His last filled out potty break was always at 11am, but we would not be picked up after 3pm. It always said that he took a two-hour nap, but he would come home so exhausted he would nap them. Whoever the women are that he was with at the end of the day are not professional. The way the walk to the children is very inappropriate. There is not reason why they should be raising their voices at toddlers. They also need to WAKE UP and pay attention to what is going on around them and with the children. My husband called one day to ask if my son was okay because he was crying when his dad left and immediately got the answer, "he is fine, he's not crying". I did not appreciate that the time was not taken to call the classroom and check on him, that is very unprofessional. This is not a safe space for any child. His water shoes were never returned to me along with his sunscreen but they were being requested AGAIN in the sheet that was sent home. This facility is nothing like it is made out to be. Needless to say he is no longer attending. They could not even get back to me in a timely manner about the withdrawal.

My daughter recently switched from another academy and her experience at Fairfax academy has been wonderful. My daughter loves her new school and teachers. The staff is so welcoming and friendly.

Our family loves Fairfax Academy. We were so fortunate to have found it 6 years ago when our daughter was ready to leave daycare and start learning. The staff was welcoming and always informed us of issues on the playground, in the classroom and in the specialty classes. We are always welcome in the classroom and love reading to the class as often as we can. We actually regret the decision to have our oldest daughter attend kindergarten in our neighborhood school, because the way the lessons and classroom is structured here for our younger daughter is completely different than our Fairfax County school – small class size, two teachers for the class of less than 20, reading curriculum that incorporates writing, spelling, sounds and discovery, Spanish and dance during the school day. We can see the difference and are looking forward to our son attending next year. We wish they still operated an elementary school. The staff has always been attentive. I cannot believe that so many of them could remember who I was and who I was picking up within days of starting. Our children have established strong connections to their caring, attentive teachers. One of the reasons we started at Fairfax was because of the consistency in classroom staff. We were surprised when talking to some parents that they had some of the same teachers as their children, but this is the kind of place it is – you want to come back. We have even had some issues with the curriculum and classroom behavior, but our family and the staff discussed the situation in a caring, courteous manner to make sure our child’s interests were moved forward, not the school’s. Everyone was always respectful of our wishes and each other. We also enjoy the diversity of the families and staff. With the diversity of cultures, our children have learned so much. They can speak some Spanish and tell us about different holidays, so we now celebrate Three Kings Day and Cinco de Mayo. We also cannot believe the art work that comes home. It is just beautiful and seems to be beyond what I would expect for a 4 year old. The classrooms are more than tables, books and safe zones, they are alive with discussions, play and learning.