Recent experiences with Family Academy of Bethesda?

[Anonymous]

I'm looking for feedback on Family Academy of Bethesda, particularly the infant room. Any recent experiences, positive or negative? Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Unfortuantely, my son never went to the infant room but he started at the Family Academy when he was 2 and we have been there for a year. I love the teachers in the 2 year old classroom and the transition form at home to full time care could not have been easier (well except for a long sad first month, but that is to be expected). I am expecting in March and would love to keep both kids there unfortuantely the price might limit us. So we may move our 3 yr old to another school and keep the baby at the family academy

[Anonymous]

When I rank the small miracles that got me through the first two years of my daughter's life, Yasmin in the infant room at FA is at the top of that list. Hands down. (SwaddleMe's, "Wee Sing Silly Songs" and my Phil and Ted's also make the list.)

[Anonymous]

Our DD started in the infant room at 7 weeks - she was taken care of by Ms. Marta and Ms. Tuma. All of the caregivers in the infant room are amazing. They are all loving, caring, patient and always on the floor playing with the babies. The caregivers are also great with the parents, especially 1st timers - always extremely supportive and when asked, can give advice based on their vast experience.

[Anonymous]

The infant care at the Family Academy is fabulous; the best part of the program there. The retention rate of all the teachers there is very long. It is a great place for young children

[Anonymous]

I visited and the placed smelled strongly of dirty diapers, babies were being placed in water for summer water time even though they did not seem to enjoy it at all. The place seemed a bit run down, I decided not to enroll our child there.

[Anonymous]

While this isn't addressing your specific question, we were very close to enrolling our DC at FA about a year ago. While I wasn't thrilled with the facilities as it just felt unsanitary to me, the adults in the infant room seemed very sweet. After doing further research (blogs, parents who had children there at one point), it appears that the infant rooms are fabulous. However, there seems to be a real shift in the program once they leave the infant rooms and there is lots of negative feedback floating around. Knowing that we felt guilty enough about having to put her in daycare, we didn't want to put her some place that we would pull her out of in a year or two. We chose another Bethesda center.

[Anonymous]

I have to clear this.My children started in FA when they were infants.My older one went thru the Montessori Program
and this year went to Public school in DC.The Public school tested him and he is in 1st grade now. He is reading at a grade 2 level.My second one is still at FA.Their Pre-School Montessori is above Average.I know for a fact that 99% of their kids stay on till they are 5 or 6 years old.
Also they are the only school in Bethesda (that I know of in the neighborhood )that is Approved by Maryland Dept of Education, as a school and has a daycare in the same premises.

[Anonymous]

My son was at FA since 9 months old. While the infant class was wonderful as the years progressed i grew less happy with FA. The teachers do not know how to deal with any behavioral issues at all. They do not teach True Montessori. For the tuition i think they should be putting more back into the buildings (there is always soemthing broken and they do not upkeep the playgrounds at all) and more into new and different activities. I was actually relieved when i took my child out and he began to thrive more. The 4 and 5 year olds are taught at a minimal level so only those kids who really are ready to learn will learn anything at all. That is not to say that some teachers are not excellent becuase they do have a handful of good ones but overall not impressed.