Vernon Square

I went to Riverside for 2 years and it was very nice. All the teachers were amazing and it was a nice environment. We are a bit underfunded and it shows, but there is a lot of good at this school. However, I have heard that this year there has been an increase in behavioral issues. I can only speak from my personal experiences but I did really enjoy this school

My daughter was so excited and proud to be accepted into the full time AAP program and start 3rd grade at Stratford. What we didn't account for with the transfer was an hour long bus ride in each direction, teaching methods that were much more technology heavy than our base school, and a yearlong feeling of disconnect from what she was learning in the classroom. Over the course of the entire school year, my daughter didn't bring home a single spelling test, worksheet, or graded paper or test... one of the key ways parents can monitor progress and ciricculum. We never saw an art project, or any project for that matter. It's wild that in 3rd grade students can be pushed onto computers so heavily that there is no tangle parts of their education that come home. My daughter boards the bus at 8:05 each morning, and get's dropped off at 5pm each evening... for a standard school day. We have participated in most every major school event, I've volunteered in the classroom and chaparoned school trips, but I never felt that my interaction with other parents or staff members was sincere... it was a big let down. The school lacks warmth. We were expecting something spectacular, and were met with mediocre. Needless to say the transfer forms have been filed.

The Principals and Leading Staff are incredibly respectful, sensitive, responsive and focused. Be their example the entire school has established a culture of learning and respect.This school has a unique diversity of income, ethnicity, languages which the school embraces and uses as a strength. The parents and families who can contribute or volunteer often do, and it benefits everyone.The building is in excellent condition on a quiet Mt Vernon street. In 2021-22 the school was completely renovated and expanded thanks to a bond which Fairfax county voters supported.

Teachers too soft on students, some kids who go to special classes basically get to skip the entirety of the normal class. Teachers only focus on the bad kids more then the other kids which makes the bad kids more motivated to be bad, not to mention the excessive bullying of other students, Mr Flynn (The art teacher) is the only teacher who teaches right, and treats all his students equally. Also "recess" is WAAAYYYY too short to be even considered a "recess" they also expect all students to be able to keep up and be on the same page as the teachers. Would NOT recommend ESPECIALLY if your child is younger then 7.

Best school I have ever been to growing up, the teachers there are great, the students there are great, and the playground and the fields are perfect for kids to play on. They even have a tennis court. They also have a baseball field. The school is amazing overall. I would highly recommend it for kids.

This place is a joke. It is basically a childcare facility. My child is doing so much better both emotionally and intellectually at new school..so glad we pulled her out.

Our family had a wonderful experience at Engleside Christian School. We had two children attend, and we truly loved our time there. The school provided a strong academic foundation and set our kids up for long-term success, both academically and personally.The teachers were outstanding—caring, dedicated, and genuinely invested in each child. The staff as a whole was kind, approachable, and made the school feel more like a family than just a place to drop your kids off. There was a real sense of community.We also appreciated the little things that mattered to our kids, like the hot lunch program and the fun, well-organized school trips that made learning exciting and memorable.Engleside offered a nurturing environment with high educational standards, and we are very grateful for the role it played in our children’s early education. We would highly recommend it to any family looking for a supportive, values-based school in the Alexandria area.

Both of my children graduated from this school. Aquinas provided a wonderful learning and social environment for both of them. They always expressed enthusiasm for learning and also learned to advocate for themselves and be respectful and caring to others. They will never forget the special parts of the school--field trips, pool time, performing Shakespeare (which we loved to see as parents) --and they LOVED participating in the annual musical.