2112 Docket Ln
Vienna, VA 22181

Louise Archer has been an amazing school for our family. Following their start at a Montessori school, our kids tested into the AAP program for their third grade. Despite the fact that we live only a few blocks from the school, our base school was Flint Hill. All of them joined Louise Archer as it is a magnet AAP school.When the kids joined the school, we attended the school open house. We were inspired by the Principal's welcome and reading list for parents and we decided we wanted to support their mission. As parents, we got involved with a variety of school activities and programs including as coaches for the Odyssey of the Mind competitions, the Science Olympiad competitions, the Math competitions, chaperones for multiple school field trips and camps and we helped out with the many events at the school such as the field days, the music concerts and the sock hops. As a family we participated in the fun runs and 5ks. Consequently we got to know many of the teachers, administrative staff and Principal as well as other parents. The willingness of the school to encourage our participation not only connected us to the school and the community, it also strengthened the bond between the school and our kids as well as between us and our kids. Our overall impression of Louise Archer is that the school provides an educationally challenging, fostering, caring environment for kids to pursue their varied interests. The school provided support and advice for our kids' challenges. The breadth of the teachers' mastery in their subjects and their interests translated into a cacophony of educational stimuli that have enriched our child's lives. Two of our children went on to TJ and have now just started college, one is pre-med and the other in computer and data science and the third is close behind. Even though the kids have left the school we are in touch with the teachers and our youngest, who is now in high school, decided to become a mentor to kids in Louise Archer. In their spare time, both of our older college kids are now tutoring younger kids in Math and English. We believe that school is what you make of it and you should only expect to get the benefit of something commensurate with what you put in. For us we received so much more than we gave.

My 3 sons graduated from Madison. They are very different students and all had fantastic experiences. Madison is a special school where the teachers really care about their students, the administrators work well beyond their scope, and the community is supportive and highly involved. We chose our home because it was in the Madison pyramid and we are so grateful our boys went there.

As a current 8th grader about to graduate, I have a few thoughts about it, and I'll start with the positives. You can really find some awesome friends and teachers here. A good percentage of teachers do actually care about you and are honestly really chill. The electives, especially performing arts, are fun and you meet a lot of great people that way. There are plenty of after-school clubs, although most aren't very academic (still awesome,) and the teacher who helps manage is great (shoutout Ms. Carter.) A few miscellaneous good things: the school feels really open compared to others with its library (my favorite place), courtyards, outdoor fields, and its fancy chairs (they're 500 dollars each I hear,) and higher than average ceilings. Now for the things that I don't think are really that great. My bus in 7th grade had some racism and just general mean people who I saw nearly every day and nothing every got reported and solved. The environment can be really messy at times and you have to avoid the kind of people who get you in trouble. The school lunches look inedible 90% of days and is probably way overpriced. The school doesn't have an actual auditorium but rather a cafetorium. Overall, I think if you stick with the right people and focus on your schoolwork, Thoreau really isn't a bad school.