My daughter graduated from MCS back in 2003 and she absolutely thrived in this learning environment. Her teachers were amazing and challenged her to her full potential within the classroom. As a former parent of a student who attended MCS, I would highly recommend this school to families as the learning environment is exceptional!

10/1/2017 (On Facebook)

This is a wonderful school. The curriculum is well aligned with the Montessori style. The teachers are warm and welcoming. By the end of the year you'll feel that you have gained new family members. That is how great those teachers are. The classrooms are bright and open. Kids are happy. The whole school staff pays serious attention to kids safety. One of my kids has food allergies and I have asked teachers to feed him just what he brings in his lunch bag. I even get calls from the teacher, with enough time for me to prepare, to let me know when there are going to be birthdays celebrations in the class, in case I want to send a special treat for my son so that he does not feel left-out when they hand out any special snack. I'm very happy with the school.

October 2017 (On Google)

My daughter has been in the pre-primary and young primary classes at MCS and absolutely loves it. We are extremely happy to have found this parent-run, non-profit school. Its a warm, nurturing environment and the kids are loved. The Montessori teachers are excellent. The music and French classes are awesome. The after-care program is great. The director is experienced and very communicative and runs a great school. Highly recommend it!

December 2017 (On Google)

I  am very glad that we found Montessori Country School (MCS). Our daughter loves to go to school, has quickly made friends, and seems to be learning something new every day.  
MCS follows the Montessori method, to me that means that my daughter selects the activities that interest her and she receives guidance as needed to progress. The kids are introduced to new activities by the teachers and co-mingled with other children in a three-year range to learn from each other. 
Finally, MCS feels like an extended family.  It is very noticeable that the teachers and staff enjoy their role and cherish the kids.  As a parent, I could not ask for a better start to my daughter's education.

10/17/2017 (On Yelp)

My husband and I are beyond delighted by MCS for the following reasons:

1) the new director of MCS is passionate about ensuring the quality of the education received by students.

2) the teachers are well trained, competent, warm, and nurturing.

3) the classrooms are bright, clean, and filled with interesting educational material.

4) the grounds of the school are lovely, well maintained, and located in a nice, safe neighborhood.

5) the tuition is reasonable.

On a personal level, my 3 year old daughter is beyond excited every morning to go to school, and her excitement is undimmed when I pick her up three hours later (I mention my daughter's happiness with her MCS experience because I think every parent wants his or her child to love learning). My favorite part about pick up is seeing my daughter's joyful face and then hearing mini updates about her day directly from her wonderful teacher, Mrs. Akkawi.  Mrs. Akkawi seems to genuinely marvel and delight over my daughter's little accomplishments. You can see that she has a mother's heart for her students.  

Before selecting MCS, my husband and I researched a number of the Montessori schools in this area. We passed on two of them because the facility and materials did not look well maintained.  We were initially interested in two other schools because they had lovely classrooms and outdoor spaces. However, upon closer inspection, they were missing that certain intangible that we were seeking -- I.e. a warm, loving, familial environment. (Both schools seemed more intent on being perceived as elite preparatory schools steeped in child rearing theories).

In sum, we are so glad we selected MCS. Our daughter is getting an excellent Montessori education in an environment that feels like a second home. At MCS you get the impression that the teachers are genuinely delighted to get to know your child and watch him or her grow into confident, well adjusted global citizens.

9/2/2017

My daughter has loved MCS from day 1! I can constantly see how much she is learning, even without realizing it! The staff and teachers are so friendly and are like having an extended family in a school environment. She has gained even more independence, conflict resolution, and responsibilities in the last couple of years. Did I mention she also speaks French now?!? I highly recommend enrolling your children so they can get the full 3-year experience at MCS.

04/25/2017 (On Facebook)

My 4-year-old son has been going to MCS since September, 2015. He absolutely loves it. He has learned so much and matured in his interactions with his peers and those younger and older than him. The teachers are fantastic, and true to Montessori fashion, they let the children drive what activities they'd like to do or are ready for. He is learning French, has started to really enjoy music and singing songs (which he never did take a liking to before school), and responds well to the structure of school every weekday morning. He is proud to be a "junior kindergartner" and tells me all the time how much he looks forward to being "5!" He will be more than prepared for the senior kindergarten class, and I am looking forward to continuing watching him thrive. It's a great school with warm and welcoming administration and teachers. This was the first school my son has ever been to, and it has been a perfect fit from day one.

1/23/2016

We sent both our children there. Our son attended MCS for 2 years - preschool and kindergarten - and graduated with a stellar foundation for his elementary education, putting him well ahead of his peers in first grade. Our daughter attended MCS for 3 years and is now poised to meet and exceed the challenges of first grade.

We cannot praise MCS enough for what it brings to its students' lives every day and for the incomparable social and educational foundation it has given our children. The convenient aftercare and summer programs are a huge benefit as well.

With a 43 year history in the Herndon/Reston area, Montessori Country School is deeply rooted in the fabric of the local community. The caring staff and teachers of this Montessori school and the welcoming environment of the school building and grounds are what bring families back year after year.

6/30/2015

Placing our son at MCS Herndon was the best thing we could have ever done. The environment, the kids, and especially the teachers have had an amazing influence on his development. He comes home and wants to continue the activities he began at school. His attention span has improved dramatically, and he has acquired an enthusiasm for learning.

The year that we've been with the school has been a true eye-opener. A lot more goes into a Montessori program than what we found in the more traditional daycare centers in the area. In fact, my wife now refers to these as a "coat-check" for kids - you drop them off, pick them up, and don't dare ask what happened in between. With MSC we know what happens - the kids don't just learn - they learn to love learning. It's an incredible experience to come in during the day and observe as our son moves flawlessly from activity to activity, choosing his tasks on his own, and exploring new ways of doing them. The teachers, all with literally decades of experience (we found the incredibly low turnover of teaching staff to be a great draw when searching for a school), provide just the right mix of instruction and observation, while giving the children space to develop their own interests and ways of approaching a task.

A number of tweaks to the school calendar has also brought days off in line with the county school calendar, and added summer camp that essentially extends the school year all the way through so there's no summer gap. And because the school is a non-profit and parent-owned, the tuition differs little from other child care options in the area, which is a feat in itself considering how much more we are getting.

Our only regret is that we had not signed our son up earlier. The school accepts children as young as 2 1/2, and we waited until he was 3 1/2 before enrolling him at Montessori. We definitely won't make that mistake with our second - she'll start the day she's old enough to enroll!

2/10/2015

Love it! My older daughter started going last year and now her younger sister has joined her in the young preschool program. Both are also in aftercare since my wife and I work full time. When the school is closed for things like teacher training or parent-teacher conferences the aftercare is still running.  They love going to school and they are learning so much and becoming very independent.

It is a parent-owned non-profit school so tuition is reasonable and the school is very responsive to parent needs/wants. They recently updated the schedule to match very closely with Fairfax County Public Schools. There is a music class and a French class, each twice a week, and frequent extra activities the kids can sign up for like soccer and cooking classes where they bring in outside instructors after the school day is over (when my kids would otherwise be in aftercare). There are a lot of activities during the year outside of the school for the kids and parents to get together.

They run a true Montessori program with amazing long-time Montessori teachers. The other kids and parents at the school are great, my children have made many good friends. We are very happy there.

10/1/2014

We have been at MCS for 4 years now, my oldest son will be graduating this year from Kindergarten and my youngest son is finishing up his first year at the school.  I am so grateful to have found this school 4 years ago and so thankful to all the wonderful teachers for helping my boys truly love learning.  I just can't say enough great things about all the teachers at the school and how they really understand the needs, personality, and style of each student.

Biggest thing that attracted us as parent's to this school 4 years ago was the low turnover of teachers, most of the teachers have been at the school for 10+ years.  Also it has a parent run board, so a lot of the parents are involved as well, which also helps keep the tuition cost down.  The other thing that I really like about MCS is they offer constant enrichment activities; music, French, field trips outside of the school, cooking classes, etc..

I am blessed to have found the school when I did. I am grateful that it has provided the roots for my children's love of learning and has helped cultivate that love and let it flourish. I highly recommend MCS to any family looking for a nurturing, learning house for their children to grow in.

5/5/2014

Our three year old son attends this school and we LOVE it! A lot of the familes are very involved, because it is a non profit parent-owned school. The teachers and administration staff are wonderful. They have an open door policy, so you can watch your child at any time through a two way mirror, without interrupting the class. Go do a tour! They are very friendly!

2/26/2010