Herndon/Reston Parents: Any feedback on Gardner School, Herndon Children's Center or Simon Center?

[Anonymous]

Hi, I am looking for full day preschools for my daughter in/very close to Herndon. I have visited 15 preschools and have one more to look at (Innovative Preschool -Hopkins House).

Unfortunately, I haven't seen a lot of teacher/child interaction at many of the preschools I have visited. I have seen a lot of children in free play with teachers sitting in chairs watching them in silence. I have scheduled all of my tours between 9:30 - 11 am to avoid visiting during down times like lunch and nap time and was surprised that more interaction was not taking place during my visits.

I know that free play/down time/nap time will be part of any program, but it is important to me to see a lot of teacher/child interaction (ie teachers on the floor talking to and helping children, structured and play based learning, and teacher guidance).

I'm narrowing down my list of preschools and am wondering if anyone has current/very recent experiences to share about:
-Herndon Children's Center
-Simon Center
-Gardner School
-Innovative Preschool Hopkins House (haven't seen it yet).

[Anonymous]

I know two families with children at Herndon Children's Center and they are happy. They have low ratios, small class sizes, caring teachers, accredited and good curriculum. They recently had a Director change.

Gardner and Innovative are both new schools that opened in the past year so I don't know much about them. How was your tour at Gardner?

Before you decide, I would ask each of the centers for a family referral that you can call and ask questions.

I don't know any families at Simon but it does get good reviews.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the reply. I saw good reviews about Herndon Children's Center and the Simon Center on a thread here but the comments were pretty old so I thought I'd ask. I liked that Gardner is brand spanking new, and very clean. I also like that they offer both part and full time options. In addition, I like that they have an on site chef and that children eat in a cafeteria rather than the classroom as this might cut down on germs and help the facility maintain its cleanliness. The toys and playground equipment are all new which is so nice to see. I didn't see as much teacher/child interaction as I had expected. I'm not sure if that's due to my tour times or if that's just how it is. In addition, I didn't get a sense of community when I visited and found the general feeling to be sophisticated, yet somewhat sterile (it is a corporation). But at the same time the facility has only been open since August and it takes time to develop that sense. Thanks also for the idea to ask for family referrals. Is it best to do that or just hang out in the parking lot and ask random parents so there is no bias? Also - are the families you know at Herndon Children's Center pleased with the new director? I'm under the impression that she is looking for new curriculum.

[Anonymous]

PP here.

I would recommend talking to a parent or two at pick-up, since everyone is trying to get to work at drop off in the morning. I did stop a parent in the parking lot and asked questions about the school before we made a decision. I was also used as referral for a family. It can't hurt to do both.

When I went on my initial tour a parent who was dropping off their child looked and me and said "this is the best place ever." And the teachers smiled and acknowledged me which didn't happen during my other tours.

With respect to Herndon Children's Center. They are happy with the current Director so far but haven't heard anything about a new curriculum. One family commented that it was hard to get to know the other families because several work for the same govt agency, since it used to be the Federal Children's Center. But, they like the teachers, current curriculum and class sizes.

[Anonymous]

We're at the Simon Center. It's a fabulous place - the teachers are wonderful, caring and educated. The turn-over rate for teachers is extremely low; many of the teachers have been there 10+ years. My son is learning a lot and has made lots of friends.

As an FYI - the center is moving in June. About a mile and a half from where it is now. So it"ll be a brand new facility-very exciting.

Post back if you have more specific questions.

[Anonymous]

PP - Thanks for the reply. Great tips on talking to parents during pick up rather than drop off. Thank you! Out of curiosity, what preschool do your kids attend?

[Anonymous]

Simon Center Poster - Thanks for your note. Do you know where the new center will be located? I heard it will be on Sunrise Valley, but I'm not sure where. Will it be going in an existing business center or will the new facility be a completely new construction? I'm having a hard time trying to picture where it will be. A new location sounds great! Any feedback on classes for 2 year olds? How would you describe child/teacher interaction? Thanks in advance.

[Anonymous]

The new simon center will be on sunrise valley, in the cluster of buildings where the reston association is. It's in the bottom level of an office building - it looks very private and there are lots of trees.
The teacher to student ration exceeds the state requirements. There's not one teacher I dislike. My son has been there since the nursery. As far as the interaction, the teachers are very huggy and comforting. There's really only 1 teacher who's a bit coarse, but it's interesting bc the kids seem really drawn to her as well. You have 2 conferences a year with the teachers and there's an annual back to school night and 2-3 "fiestas" throughout the year. My husband and I've become friends with a lot of the parents.
It's a great place - I highly recommend it!

[Anonymous]

Other PP again.

We're at the YMCA Preschool in Reston. The teachers are very interactive with the kids, frequently reading to them or on the floor playing with them at drop off and pick up even at random times. Swimming twice a week is included for 3s and up. One lesson and the other free swim. You can also sign them up for other activities during the week. We have done gymnastics, soccer and basketball.

They follow a play based curriculum and when they start writing they use Handwriting without Tears. They send out monthly newsletters for each room with the details of what they will be learning during the month. You also receive a daily sheet that tells you what they focused on that day.

They also have conferences twice a year, back to school night, book fair, spring concert, family picnic and art auction each year.

Once you have narrowed it down to your top two or three, I think it's worthwhile to visit each center again in the afternoon (after lunch and nap time) to see if you get a better felling about the teacher interaction. I went on as many tours as you did and my DH only wanted to visit my top three. You have picked some great schools that consistently get good reviews. I think talking to some parents and another visit to the schools will help you finalize your decision and pick the school that's best for your DD.

[Anonymous]

Hi any updates on any of these schools? Esp. Gardner?

[Anonymous]

Hi any updates on any of these schools? Esp. Gardner?

[Anonymous]

The Gardner school recently had an open house. The facility is very impressive. They have a nice playground, an indoor gym, a music room. The classrooms are spacious and clean. The assistant director was a very nice lady. I also met the music/dance teachers and the sport coach. Unfortunately, the classroom teachers weren't there. And teachers matter the most for a school.

The tuition is on the high side for Virginia. But I feel comfortable sending my kid there. I eventually chose another preschool due to its convenient location. But the Gardner School left me with great impression.

[Anonymous]

Bar-T has also recently opened up a location in Reston off of Sunset Hills. Both of my kids attend and we love it!

[Anonymous]

There is also a new Goddard School location in Herndon just off of Sunrise Valley Drive. We love it there! Convenient location and the teachers and management team are wonderful. Great communication and they let us know daily what our daughter is learning and eating. They opened over the Summer and everything is brand new and clean. Our daughter loves the large interactive SMART board and is making lots of new friends. The teachers give plenty of feedback on how our daughter is doing. We feel comfortable leaving our child there. The Goddard School is definitely worth touring and the tuition is a good value for the area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is also a new Goddard School location in Herndon just off of Sunrise Valley Drive. We love it there! Convenient location and the teachers and management team are wonderful. Great communication and they let us know daily what our daughter is learning and eating. They opened over the Summer and everything is brand new and clean. Our daughter loves the large interactive SMART board and is making lots of new friends. The teachers give plenty of feedback on how our daughter is doing. We feel comfortable leaving our child there. The Goddard School is definitely worth touring and the tuition is a good value for the area.

Do you mind sharing what the tuition is? I looked on their website but could not find the info. I didn't want to include it in my search if it ended up being astronomical, but you say it is affordable? Thanks if you care to share.