Old Mill Estates

We have been struggling for 3 years at this school. My child is doing very well in school but is not challenged and the pace of learning is slow and not engaging. We have never really felt welcome as parents and we don’t feel the administration has ever made an effort to know my child. Some grades give homework and other grades don’t. Teacher communication differs by grade level. But I often don’t know what my child is learning or how they are doing until the report cards come out. The kids are constantly being tested on skills they have not been taught. The testing is a bit excessive. There is a lot of teacher turnover as well as a lot of part time teachers. There is a lot of non academic time including screen time as early as kindergarten. The PTA is very present and constantly fundraising. Every event is for raising money. However instead of focusing on opportunities to benefit the students most of the budget is geared toward teacher perks. They do arrange after school classes but they’re very expensive and probably a fundraiser too. The principal is overly supporting teachers over students. This school has a Japanese immersion program but the parents treat this like a separate private school. The entry is by lottery but it seems the majority of the class is made up of local kids. I believe the school would be stronger without the language immersion program. It seems to segregate kids. We don’t feel any community at this school and it’s sad because it’s a small school that has the potential but communication and family engagement is poor. There are several PTA members that are heavily involved and don’t seem to welcome newcomers.

Worse experience ever with this school . They bring your child down

Colvin Run Elementary is truly one of the best schools in Virginia. The principal, Mr. Ken Junge, along with the dedicated teachers, staff, PTO, and the broader community, create an exceptional environment for students. Mr. Junge’s passion, vision, and relentless attention to detail shine through in everything he does, and he has fostered a culture of care, excellence, and commitment across the school. Parents are very active and engaged, which makes the PTO especially strong, offering excellent after-school programs and year-round activities that enrich the school experience and make it fun!

My son entered as a 7th grader and just finished 8th grade. None of his 8th grade classmates are returning for 9th. I’m so excited his time there is over. In short, the school is a scam. They spend money to advertise that they are a top school. My son came from a classic Christian school - it was very small and he was interested in sports so we transferred him. The academics at FCS were a year behind his other school. It was literally the books from his 5th and 6th grade class that were used in 7th grade. The academics are abysmal.The textbooks used for most of the classes are so poorly written and understood and the teachers only teach from the book. There is NO critical thinking. The students are bored out of their minds which leads to behavioral issues. The administration is by far the worst- no one has real academic experience. The children of the dean didn’t even go there. It’s a facade. Extracurriculars and liberal arts- horrible. Run.

The Academy of Christian Education is a wonderful school. My children went to the school for over a decade from Junior Kindergarten to 8th grade. Every academic year, they grew spiritually, academically, and socially. My son especially had major problems in reading and writing in his earlier years, but today as a high schooler, is constantly praised by his teachers for being a good essay writer and analytical reader. The skills my children learnt at ACE are helping them to this day. They have gone to other school as well after leaving ACE, but they always talk about their pleasant times at ACE and how they were treated like family by the school faculty. The teachers are a joy. They always make sure that their students are emotionally and academically okay. Students who attend ACE in elementary and middle school are well prepared for higher levels of education, including high school, and even college. One of my best decisions to this day regarding my children has been making the decision to send them to ACE.