Montessori Country School

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.

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.

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!

We moved our almost 3 year old to MCS last month. She was having difficulty in her “main stream” daycare facility with teacher turnover and large class size. As a result, she began to have behavioral issues at school; issues we had never encountered with her leading up to that time. The environment was just not working for our daughter so we thought that changing the school variable was the responsible thing to do as parents. It was a leap of faith to say the least but HANDS DOWN one of the best decisions we ever made! Montessori Country School provides a serene and creative environment so that each child is able to grow and express themselves individually and at their own pace. The teachers are WONDERFUL. We immediately understood that every teacher at MCS truly cares for each of the students. They are warm, welcoming, and so very engaged with their classes and the parents. Karen, the director is phenomenal! She has helped tremendously in our transition into the school; answering multiple questions and ensuring our daughter feels comfortable in her new environment. Leading up to this point, we were never “Montessori People” but can now say, without a doubt, this style of learning and MCS in particular has been exactly the answer we were searching for. Our daughter is a happier more fulfilled child that often times is not ready for pickup come 4:30. I would highly recommend this school to anyone in search of a daycare/preschool in the Herndon/Reston area. We cannot say enough good things about this school or its staff and look forward to what the future brings. -Erin and Chris George