2126 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.

I feel like I want to stay in Thoreau since this place has a very safe learning environment which most schools don't. Some schools are not very interactive with the students but TMS is the opposite. When a student bullies others, the staff actually takes this seriously. There is a officer in the school which makes the school even more safe. The staff are also very kind.