Frytown

My child has been here since Kindergarten and is now heading into his final year. We’ve had a couple rocky years the first (Kindergarten) was absolutely on me as an older parent of a young child, I expected school to be like it was when I was in it in the early 1980’s. They rose to the occasion and proved my preconceived notions wrong. Another year a teacher and I just didn’t see eye to eye - but I I think she’s a great teacher and wonderful human being. Sometimes people just have a hard time working together. All of the support staff and others in the school have always been wonderful. My son has some special needs and they have always been there to help and support those needs. I love that they have tried various alternative methods to determine what works best for him and his learning experience. He has greatly improved since we’ve found that sweet spot so to speak. I cannot be more happy with ALL of the front office staff, the janitors, the cafeteria staff, the school nurse, the school resource officer, the Principal Mrs Banks and the counselors and his of course the many teachers. Last year in fourth grade his teachers were by far some of the best communicators. They told me about both good and bad behavior as such I was able to do what needed to be done at home to either hold him to account or praise good choices and good grades. This is his last year and we will be very sad to move on from such a wonderful team. I highly recommend this school and the more you can be involved (if possible with time and ability) the better. I’m not a person that can be places to volunteer every week but I do when I can. As such I’ve gotten to know many people here and now consider many of them personal friends! I’ve found that when people are unhappy, it’s usually because THEY aren’t keeping an open mind -or- they are not wanting to hold their kids to account! If they’d read their own reviews over again they may just see it themselves!

While there are some great teachers, they are few. We have experienced teachers who refuse to follow 504 plans with no accountability. The school administrators prioritize SOL test scores over everything else because “this is where they get their funding.” Parents concerns are ignored by both teachers and administrators.

My daughter has loved Brumfield and we have really had a wonderful experience there. The last 3 years have been great and we will miss it very much!

My daughter started at Boxwood in mid-February 2016 and it has been amazing to watch her growth in a few short months. It is refreshing that they reinforce our core values of leadership, independent thinking, helpfulness, teamwork and pride that we try to instill at home. She has also learned to help around the house and yard with confidence. We were also impressed when she came home with a prayer to bless our meals. She LOVES the staff at Boxwood! To be fair, I was nervous about the reviews I had read prior to my visit, however I can confirm that the 94+ year old retired directoress is very hands-off since retiring in the fall of 2015. She does greet the children if the pass in the hall, but does not interact with the children or parents further. I did approach her and had a long (and pleasant) conversation with her and she was lovely to me and I can see that she cares about the level of education and behaviors she wants to see instilled in the children who attend the school as it is a reflection of her life's work and she is proud of the results she and her family have yielded over the years. That said, you will likely interact most with the new Directress, Ms. Paula, who has been there for decades and is wonderful, loves the children and wants the best for them too.

St Johns has been such a great experience for our family from our toddlers all the way through 8th grade. They possess great academics including honors classes, robust athletics, band, chorus, theater, tons of family-centered activities, extended care, prime location in downtown Warrenton, affordable, and priceless people that genuinely love these kids and the community. Connected to the church, three full time priests are actively involved in the school and youth group, making St. John’s community thrive. We have even navigated health issues requiring extensive nurse involvement and the staff at St Johns has been wonderful. We wouldn’t want to go anywhere else.

As the parent of a graduate, I can say that my 5* rating of Highland School only improved when my son went to college. He not only was accepted at a very competitive and highly ranked private university, he THRIVED. He was so much better prepared for all the challenges of college than his peers - most of whom also graduated in the top percentiles of their classes from highly-ranked secondary schools. The academics at Highland are superior, but just as important are the leadership values, service mindset, and executive skills development Highland provides - starting way down in the preschool grades. Students are respected, trusted, challenged and supported in developmentally-appropriate ways throughout their journey. Independent school education is a significant investment, even with financial aid, and I can't imagine a better return on any investment than the adult my son became thanks to his education at Highland School.

I would 1000% recommend this school to any family looking for Preschool (age 2) through 5th grade. This school is an amazing community of families who genuinely care about their students' well-being and educational needs. Saint James' Episcopal School provides exceptional learning environments which other schools are unable to provide. For example, students hatch and raise chickens through their lifespan and utilize the chicken eggs to provide for school lunches. In return, the school cafe utilizes their scraps for chicken feed and compost for the school garden. Students hatch and raise trout in the school's aquarium, which assigns certain tasks to certain grades to ensure optimum living conditions and encourages responsibility. These children then get to collectively release the trout into designated streams to encourage the cycle of life. School is not just about the material at Saint James, but about environment, interaction, and enrichment. We have been with Saint James' Episcopal School for 3 years and it has been the best decision we've made. We've grown in this community and have formed wonderful friendships (for both parents and students).. I can't say enough positive things about this school. It is a 5, hands down!