Sunset Hills Montessori School

11180 Ridge Heights Road

Reston, VA 20191

13 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-3
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on April 14, 2022

Our family is so happy and grateful to be part of the SHMS community. Our child attended both Pre-Primary and Primary programs and the after school "Sunset Club" extended day child care and Summer Camp programs. All the staff are kind, loving and devoted to the children's safety, development and well-being. They embrace Maria Montessori's principles while staying current with developments in the field (thank science!). They nurture and guide to help children become confident and independent. Freedom within boundaries. Everyone remarks about how well our child is behaved and how smart they are. While I'd love to take all the credit, I know it is due in large part to our partnership with SHMS in our child's development.
Submitted by parent on July 16, 2021

This is my daughter's fifth year here and we love it. The teachers work so well with the kids and really work to understand their needs and shape the learning environment around each child. Montessori is child led and has worked really well for my kid who is super independent. She ended kindergarten reading independently - with no additional "instruction" other than nighttime reading. The academic curriculum may feel a little different to those who went through traditional schools, but the results are far in excess of what I was able to do at that age. I'd say the math and the way they teach it, gives the kids a really good concept of numbers. My daughter is just turned 6 and doing simple multiplication on her own. The teachers and all the staff know every kid and always have time to discuss any issue you may have. The school was also amazing throughout covid, with strict protocols and no transmissions that allowed in person instruction all year, which was invaluable. The biggest draw though, may be the Sunset Hills MS community. The families are all so welcoming and together with the staff and teachers, it really feels like a big family that is looking out for your child.
Submitted by parent on July 15, 2021

My son has been attending SHMS for 4 years now and we couldn’t be happier!
Submitted by parent on September 24, 2017

My child has been out of SHMS for a couple of years now and after comparing the education my friends' children got elsewhere, I am sorry to say we would have been better off elsewhere. The academics are poor and the classrooms can have up to 26 kids. My child was exposed to different cultures and acquired a love of learning, though she did not get a lot of academic attention.
Submitted by other on June 07, 2017

Admin only cares about bottom line. Not supportive. Everything seems great on the surface, but like most things, ask better questions to determine how authentic the school truly is. They rely on a nice building to mask weaknesses.
Submitted by parent on June 08, 2016

We had a wonderfu 1stl school year with SHMS. We absolutely love Ms. Jenny and her team in the pre-primary room. She has a special connection with each child and truly love her job. She made this an amazing year for our daughter.
Submitted by parent on April 22, 2016

My daughters love Sunset Hills. We have been very content with this school. The staff is amazing. Highly recommended.
Submitted by parent on March 21, 2014

Great parent involvement, caring teachers, warm environment. Every child is treated uniquely and they can go as fast or as slow as they need to. My son is a pre-schooler and he is already totally immersed in Spanish, geography, math, and natural sciences. I am very happy with the care and attention he is getting.
Submitted by parent on October 28, 2013

Sunset Hills Montessori School is a place for our two children for 5 years now. We love this School for truly Montessori philosophy and approach. With our older child we see amazing results in a ways every parent would love to see in their children love for learning, strong academic foundation, incredible feeling of community from young age. We love our wonderful teachers who daily help our children to define success and to achieve it. We are glad that now the School grew and able to offer whole five years of quality Elementary Education. ThePrincipal is a true educator and a true leader. Every classroom is bright, well-organized and equipped with always updated educational materials. The environment in a classroom is truly warm. Administration of the School does a team work and takes an extra step to help out on a daily schedule. School teachers are highly educated, every child has as much of teachers attention as needed. After-School activities are various and a great help to working parents. SHMS sets a high standard for education of children from the young age and we would recommend SHMS to every family who is considering Montessori education. Mom to 4 and 8 y old kids. M
Submitted by parent on September 03, 2013

Excellent school with caring staff. We highly recommended. My kids were very happy there. Great community with lots of parent involvement.
Submitted by parent on May 01, 2013

After many school visits, both public and private, we found SHMS for both of my boys. They have thrived at the school and after three years I can see the confidence that they exude. They love going to school and after a few days of vacation ask when school is going to start again. With school being not only a place for children to be pushed academically, but also a place to learn social skills and personal responsibility, SHMS does a great job at all. They bring higher level work for the kids that are ready, while working on the areas that they need extra help in, but all done a tthe individual child's pace. My Kindergarten son started bringing home some of his multiplication "works" a few months ago, which I was surprised by. My kids need to feel like they have a say in what they do (within boundaries) and the Montessori environment has definitely given them that.
Submitted by parent on April 28, 2013

Montesorri education does not fit all children. For my daughter, the educational foundation that she gained through the curriculum, teachers and administrators at Sunset Hills is what has made her successful today. She was fortunate to be able to attend Sunselt Hills through Middle school. I often second guessed if she was missing out on clubs, sports, and other activities available at larger schools. As a result of the edcuational foundation gained at SHM, my daughter was well prepared for high school, graduated with honors, received academic scholarships to college and is grateful that we were able to send her to SHM.
Submitted by parent on February 06, 2013

As a mom of four children, who has moved many times, I have experienced many types of preschools over the past 20 years. When it came time to pick a preschool for our youngest daughter we looked at many options in the NOVA area before pick SHMS. Hands down this is the very best preschool any of my children have ever attended. Every staff member I have encountered -- from her teacher to the office to the aftercare staff are kind, concerned, communicative, giving and truly love what they do. The school is the cleanest school I have ever been in. It's large with plenty of window light. A great playground and large space to do activities on rainy days. My three-year-old says on a weekly basis how much she loves school. She is happy there and learns many things (like the types of Virginia Birds) that she would never have gotten at a regular preschool. I have to say it's worth the monthly investment to see her thriving everyday! I also love the fact they have a great summer camp and other PTA sponsored act ivies throughout the year. Tour the school for yourself and sit in a classroom. You will what a hidden gem Sunset Montessori is.