Hunt Valley Elementary School

7107 Sydenstricker Road

School District

Fairfax County Public Schools
Grade

PK, K-6
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:13
Type

public

School Map for Fairfax County Public Schools

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by parent on November 16, 2024

Great staff and teachers. My child has grown and the community is really supportive.
Submitted by parent on October 11, 2024

The school is very supportive to students needs. Teachers care about students progress and provide adequate support based on individual needs.
Submitted by parent on December 09, 2023

We moved into this school this year and have a 2nd and kindergartener. So far, I haven’t been impressed. First, the school is huge, over 750 students, so this is not a neighborhood community-feel elementary school. My youngest son had a concert at the school for Thanksgiving and as we were leaving he said goodbye to the music teacher. She responded, “bye.” I could tell that she had no idea what my son’s name was, and that does not make me feel good as a parent. Secondly, the speech teacher, special ed teacher and a few others tried to bully me into putting my son on a speech IEP. I have nothing against IEPs, when necessary. But they brought up a speech concern and immediately told me the only option was to put him on an IEP. It was very clear to me that they wanted their government funding for number of IEPs in the school. That was all they cared about. I stood strong and wouldn’t sign off on it, but what a shame that everything is about money even at an elementary school. Third, the principal— who even is this lady? I barely see her, and the one time I did see her, it was about 30 minutes before dismissal and she was standing in the hall by the front door with her purse in her hand like she was getting ready to leave. Before the students were even dismissed! The school communication is awful, we never really know what’s going on, and some teachers relay a lot more information than others. It’s disorganized. Finally, the school does not seem like a welcoming place. The kids are not allowed to bring in anything for their birthdays— no treats, no little goody bags… so to make my child feel special I have to throw a large, expensive birthday party. Whenever we have a meeting at the school (just a few times) we ring the doorbell and the office staff asks who we are and what we want. When we respond with “we have a conference with so-and-so” we get questioned again — “well what time is your meeting/conference?” It’s like they don’t really want parents there. Same goes for field trips or class parties, they allow 2-3 parents to sign up and then don’t allow anyone else to come. Because I didn’t sign up to volunteer for my son’s holiday party in the first 5 minutes of it being released, I am not allowed to be there. Difficult to explain to my 5-year-old. I will say that my each of my son’s teachers seem pretty good, but overall, the school and community has been a huge disappointment. I would not recommend to others.
Submitted by parent on February 09, 2023

i do not know where to start. the school was absolutely amazing pre pandemic.. staff, admin, teachers and all.. upon returning back to school from the pandemic closure, things went down hill. new admin is very disorganized and is not on the same page as her teachers and team. teacher are being hired here without experience and knowledge. major disappointment overall..
Submitted by parent on June 08, 2021

My twins have attended the school for 3 years. I absolutely love it. They love going there everyday. Even during the pandemic the teachers were beyond helpful and so engaged. I’ve never seen teachers work so hard in my life- kudos to them all! The Principal and all of the office staff are very caring and truly know every student. I highly recommend this school.
Submitted by parent on February 27, 2020

There are more days than not that I wish my kids had different experiences. It would be nice if the new Positivity Project went away because other than assembilies & classroom lessons on the subject I don't see any impact. In my opinion every kid is held to a different standard to keep the peace. In general, very disappointed.
Submitted by parent on March 12, 2019

Overall, we are happy with Hunt Valley. Our children are challenged in school and are progressing well in their education. However, the front office and school principal could improve on their engagement with parents. They're not friendly and interaction is limited. One thing to note is the school community has a large military presence so children move in and out of the school frequently. The turnover in students is incredible and my children have seen many friends come and go as their military parents are relocated.
Submitted by parent on March 03, 2019

We LOVE Hunt Valley!!! Our children are excited to go to school, the teachers are professionals, very caring and go above and beyond to assist with any issues. We are a family family and moved to this school zoning as many friends before us who loved have told us about this school. Our son had a very difficult time adjusting from moving back from overseas but his teacher were understanding and assisted in the process. The principal is very personal and approachable. Hunt Valley gives a closed community feel and the teachers, staff, principal are truly caring for the well being of their students.
Submitted by parent on May 17, 2018

The school itself is good, my child loves their teacher and extra curricular teachers. The teachers have been the best part of the school for me. The school itself doesn't seem as organized or welcoming as our previous school district. The one thing that leaves a sour taste in my mouth is the front desk staff. They are very rude no matter what your reason for coming in is. As a parent, most of my school interactions involve talking to the front desk staff and I dread going to the school because of it. Car rider pickup after school is a disorganized mess (though they pride themselves on how organized it is, they should really check out what other districts are doing). Despite all of this, the academics are good here and that is why we will stay here.
Submitted by parent on May 16, 2018

We love Hunt Valley! The school encompasses the neighborhood feel. Lots of wonderful families, a nice conservative area for those who need to work in DC but want a community to raise their families in. The staff at Hunt Valley are kind and friendly. Lots of PTA support and family friendly activities! Academic support provides varied differentiation for all learners. Positive atmosphere for learning!
Submitted by parent on May 01, 2018

We love this Hunt Valley. The teachers are thoughtful and attentive to your student's learning needs. You get lots of updates on your child's progress. The student body is very diverse. We couldn't be happier with this school.
Submitted by parent on April 25, 2015

Orange Hunt is WONDERFUL! My children are academically challenged and enriched daily (we are not in the German program) by EXCELLENT educators who are top in their field. In addition, the office staff is delightful and helpful. My children love going to school every day and my oldest was very prepared for the AAP Center in 3rd Grade. We have no complaints about the quality of instruction, and school environment, at Orange Hunt. What a great place for kids!
Submitted by parent on July 01, 2014

My fifth grader complains about many bullying incidents that took place in the kids interaction. Every week we have a new story to deal with. The school and staff are great. I just think more diversity events and differences acceptance activities should be planned for and let kids participate in. Religious and appearance differences should be dealt with intensively as each kid come from a different home and background and should learn how to respect others.
Submitted by parent on June 24, 2014

This school is one of the best around. The staff, the administration, the community, the PTA, nothing tops it. In regards to the bullying comment, I personally have never seen anything as such tolerated by this school. Kids will say mean things at any school, and if an adult or administration were brought in to a situation, they would handle it as any good school would. My kids feel loved here, the neighborhood is great, the parent involvement is top notch, it's just a great school, with a lot of great history!!
Submitted by parent on February 26, 2012

We moved to our neighborhood in Springfield specifically to be at Hunt Valley. Quite simply, one of the best schools in the state - with great teachers, great kids, an active PTA program, etc. My daughter's K-class had to waitlist some room parents because there were too many applicants! I grew up in a teacher's household and am simply thrilled with Hunt Valley.
Submitted by parent on February 01, 2011

Yes, the class sizes are large. Both my kids have 28 students. Kindergarten classes do have an assistant teacher. Despite the class sizes, I am amazed at how at how much each child is taken care of academically. My 3rd grader has a tailored spelling list each week, as do all his peers. I don't know how his teacher does it. In both of my kids classes, they are broken up into smaller groups according to ability for some of the subjects. Each child either gets the help they need or is challenged accordingly. I have no doubt that my kids are getting an exceptional education at this school. As for the staff, they are wonderful. From the day we were just "school hunting", there was just a warm, caring, and loving feel in the air from the staff. I was impressed to see teachers standing in the front of the school lobby greeting the children. Also, parent support is huge, great PTA and lots of parent support in the class room. This must be how the kids get the individual attention they need in class.