9211 Beachway Ln
Springfield, VA 22153

hey I'm a fellow student at Washington Irving middle. I'm a 8th grader that agrees with literally everyone that has reviewed. Like bro the school system is not safe like if you think of bringing your child here well good luck because their going to get bullied by some wannabees. and let me talk about the after school specialist. like holy she is strict. I just ask here a question and she looks at me like I insulted her whole blood line like she be side eyeing me from across the hall acting like i'm doing illegal stuff or something. And holy are assistant principle for 8th grade just flat out rude The 7th grade assistant principle is way better than her. Like the 8th grade principle talks to use like we are in jail. Like I just be looking into her office with some new kids parents and shes acting all imperialist. So I beg to anyone if you are trying to bring an young 7th grader or a 8th grader to this school like me. They are not going to like it. But the history teachers and science teachers are chill so don't hate them.

We lived in VA for 5 years as a retired military turned federal government family. Therefore, we have spent time in many school districts so have several with which to compare it. OH and FCPS in general are highly rated but by far our least favorite, for several reasons. FCPS is an agenda-pushing pressure-cooker in a community where everyone thinks they and their child are special. Of course your kid is special. But they don't have to be able to say they're in AAP or go to TJ to make it so.My middle child was in the German immersion program, which, after the retirement of the founder of the program, seems to have gone downhill, and fast. I'm underwhelmed by the program and while I'm a big proponent of foreign language learning in general, feel like the curriculum set my daughter back a couple of years. Add COVD on top of that and it was a disaster. She had more than 30 kids in her kindergarten class. Her reading suffered as a result. They push word problems in 2nd grade at OH so if you're having a hard time reading, it has a domino effect that touches on literally all of the kid's coursework. But anytime I would mention it, I was brushed aside, because she wasn't *that* bad. She wasn't "bad" enough to warrant any extra help but trust me, it was an issue. One that quickly got addressed when we inevitably moved again to another district.The school itself seems to have a Heisman-trophy-style approach to parents. You aren't welcome in the building, ever. My older daughter for some reason didn't want to use the bathroom inside the school the first week of school in kindergarten. So, she wet herself several times. I would bring in clean dry clothes and was getting to know the nurse a little since it was happening (too) often. The front office staff was blunt and rude and you couldn't spend 2 minutes in the school without getting the heave-ho. I understand safety is a concern, but I work in a school elsewhere now and it can be done without driving your parents away.The playground may as well be a prison yard house with kids making license plates or breaking rocks with a hammer. It's too small and there is a rule for every rule. No tag. No chasing. No laughter. Ok, I kid, but the no tag is legit. When I drive up to my children's new school, with its before-school recess on a wide field with multiple play areas, the principal waving at the parents and hugging all of the students, I think, now this is what a school community should be. OH lacks all of that.

Excellent school for education and athletics. My daughter was in the JROTC program and is now currently at Virginia Military Institute! The AP classes were integral in her education and it made a difference when applying to military academies.