Montessori Children's Center Falls Church-- What is your experience?

[Anonymous]

Hello,

My 19 month old daughter is about to start at MCC in 2 weeks. Any helpful tips from parents whose child is currently attending? The reviews seem rather positive. Would be interested in more recent feedback however.

[Anonymous]

I don't have a child there, just checked it out. I love their hours 7-6:30! Finally a montesdori for parents working long hours. Is that the case in FC too? What is their rate? I can't tell online. 2.5 year old.

[Anonymous]

Hi! Anyone have any updated reviews on this place? I'm considering sending my little guy there starting in the new year. Their prices are good, location is great for us and they actually have openings which is amazing. We are new to the area (no haven't heard a lot of word of mouth) so I'm curious if I'm missing something!

[Anonymous]

This is a phenomenal school.

The school has recently been taken over by the third generation. He usually does tours himself, and you can feel his enthusiasm and genuine nature. Its so great to see a Director and owner who actually cares about the children and his product. The school has truly been transformed !!

Basically the school facility has been made new. Pretty much all the staff has been kept ( great sign, as most staff have been at center for more than 10 years). There is a youth and energetic vibe which you can feel now. Its an unbelievable transformation. The school always had a good educational product, but now the facility, professional management, and overall feel have been made to match. Get in now, while space and prices are what they are...

[Anonymous]

Third generation is that you?

[Anonymous]

I think management friends and teachers wrote some of these reviews.

[Anonymous]

Visited school recently. Good experience. Different from other schools in area, clean- bright, modern. Traditional Montessori focus in A.m., modern twists in p.m... S.T.E.M., language class...etc. School is pretty small in size

Not really drop-in accessible for tours, had to schedule ahead of time. So if you are trying to visit a couple schools in a day,could be an issue...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think management friends and teachers wrote some of these reviews.

My girl finished this school in 2014. She is 7 now and teachers are recommending to place her in the 3rd grade. Thanks to the center she is an excellent reader, she is able to solve advanced math problems, very independent. My list can go on. I believe their education program is great!

[Anonymous]

We have been in this school for 2 years now. The new management is a problem. The director recently hiked up tuition by $150 per month, forcing some families (like ours) out. Our daughter is very sad. We brought this up with the new director and his response was "this is a business" And he suggested that since our daughter liked it so much we should just pay it. We cannot afford this price increase so we have had to find another school for her. In addition, if you are looking for Montessori, this is not. It's not certified and the 2 year old room does not have any Montessori teachers in it. The only Montessori teacher left is in one of the 3-year old rooms. Everyone else is preschool trained. The new director has elected to spend money on outward appearances rather than staff training. It's really sad what's happened with this lovely school.

[Anonymous]

What is the tuition now and what grade? It looks like they have infants & kindergarten & after care?

[Anonymous]

I recently toured this school- and thought it was very good. I thought the person giving me the tour was knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and upfront about costs. Personally, I appreciated that. Having toured many school in the area, I think the school among the best in 22044/Arlington/FC. Bottom line is, you get what you pay for. The prices- of all the schools of this type- are about the same.

I can definitely understand cost is a consideration, but I don't think you can fault them for running a business. I mean, just because you ( or I) may not think something is affordable for us- does not mean we should be upset with them. I mean, there are plenty of home daycare's, community schools, and other more economical options.

I am still considering a few schools, and have yet to make my final choice. However, I won't be swayed by someone who seems to just have sour grapes...

[Anonymous]

We moved here in April for my husband to start a job with the State Dept. This school came highly recommended from other State folks, but was pricey for us. My 19 month old son had speech delays and I was concerned about putting him in a more structured preschool. My concerns quickly disappeared as soon as he started here. The director communicated with me regularly about his progress, and the teachers worked very closely to make sure he was comfortable. They are very warm and hands on with the kids. I watched through the window one day and saw them comforting a little girl who missed her mommy. They held her until she was smiling again. They are very attentive on the play ground with the children and engage them in play. More than just teaching, they make sure the kids get love and attention too. This is very important at this stage in development. It was a very pricey school for us, but well worth the sacrifices we made financially for him to attend. He's speaking so much more, and runs into school every morning. That's the sign of a happy boy!

[Anonymous]

Another State Dept family here. This school was on our short list for a summer transfer but we had to come back early (in Dec.). They managed to find a space for her since a few of the kids were transferring to the next class. She loves it. She has learned so much and the teachers really are very caring. The Director knows every kid's name and they communicate well with notes home or quick chats with the teacher. I think the school's diversity of students and teachers is a real asset. They also help with potty training, so much so that we started potty training at home because she was getting used to going at school. We are looking forward to sending our next child here when she is so old enough. The price is comparable to most of the other places we looked at that offered full day care (7-6).

[Anonymous]

it's not montessori. its a regular preschool that is undergoing a lot of changes right now. we recently took our kids out. 2 teachers recently quit and several families are leaving because the tuition has been raised suddenly. only one teacher is trained in montessori and that teacher is responsible for training the others. the director has very little experience with children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is the tuition now and what grade? It looks like they have infants & kindergarten & after care?

tution is 1450 for 2 yo and 1400 for 3 and up. $100 for meals, $800/year for "activities" though they never leave, $250 for application fee. way more than nearby montessori schools.