Sydenstricker School

7001 Sydenstricker Road

Springfield, VA 22152

14 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-K
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on November 22, 2013

My son attended Sydenstricker School during 2011-2012 school year. The school definitely experienced some turmoil. The previous director who was also our 4yr old class preschool made a decision to leave the school before Thanksgiving. Mrs. Bridgewaters became the new director and faced many challenges. Although tasked with challenges of teacher turnovers and many other duties somehow Mrs. Bridgewaters took time out from her busy schedule and prepared my son for Kindergarten by helping him learn to read. He was one of the best readers in Kindergarten! My daughter now attends preschool at Sydenstricker School. She loves her teacher. Mrs. Bridgewaters is doing a wonderful job leading the school.
Submitted by parent on August 19, 2013

My daughter had a wonderful experience at this school. She just finished up summer camp and also attended Kindergarten and the 4s class. The teachers were all excellent and because the school was so small, my daughter knew all of the staff well. The Director is dedicated to her job and the success of the school and students. The teachers and Director were very good with parent communication. I highly recommend this school.
Submitted by parent on January 25, 2013

Our 3 year old has been enrolled in the full day program since Sep 2012. We've had such a positive experience with all teachers and the director at Sydenstricker. Quality of teachers/academics far surpasses our son's 2 prior daycare centers. This is a true school vs a "daycare." They don't do potty training or provide lunch, but DO provide degreed teachers & solid fundamentals of reading, writing, math, etc. in addition to music, PE and unstructured fun time. We value the *daily* behavioral feedback, including a detailed note from his teacher in the event of any misconduct. The teacher also sends home a note every Friday detailing what the kids have been learning and anything noteworthy about the past week. Teachers and director are excellent with communication. Regarding previous comment about the director being scattered, this hasn't been our experience at all. We've found her to be professional, hard-working, dedicated to Sydenstricker, kind & accessible. Simply put, this school is a gem. My only criticism is that I wish the playground more challenging equipment for our highly active son, but this is a small trade-off for quality education!
Submitted by parent on January 09, 2013

Our 3 year old has been in the half day program at Sydenstricker School for almost 5 months now, and we are very happy with the program. It is well balanced with equal time for academics and play. They do storytime and playtimes together with a large class of 3 year olds (18 students, 3 teachers) and academics/crafts in smaller groups (six students per activity). We like that this gives our daughter the attention of a small class while exposing her to the social setting of a larger group. Everyday they do 3 activities in the smaller groups one from the A Beka curriculum (a program focused on the 3 Rs - reading, writing, and arithmetic, lots of worksheets on letter tracing, phonics, etc.), one from a thematic unit like learning about the seasons, families, etc, and one craft. Large group activities also include either music or PE, depending on the day of the week. The teachers make an effort to check in with us as we arrive and depart, and keep us updated on everything going on in the class. The director is a bit scatterbrained, but clearly has her heart in the right place. The only complaint I have is the lack of extracurricular activities.
Submitted by parent on August 13, 2012

Last year was our first at the school, and there was a lot of drama over the departure of the Director only 2 months into the school year. Obviously alliances were formed and parents were concerned about how all of the changes would affect their children. I had my doubts, but I am pleased to see that the new administration and teachers have finally gotten past those challenges and have made great strides in planning for this upcoming school year. As with any leadership change, there is a period of adjustment. After the dust settled, the staff in place exceeds my expectations in their level of commitment, creativity-which truly resonates with the children. I'm excited for 2 of my kids, who will be attending this school year!
Submitted by parent on March 20, 2012

Unfortunately, this year, Sydenstricker experienced a series of unexpected events that caused some turnover. I have nothing to substantiate my opinion, but I believe that the teachers involved in those events made things much more difficult than necessary. Good riddance. The new director has worked very diligently to rectify a sour situation and to place great teachers in the classroom. Her efforts and the efforts of the remaining teachers are really showing. We have seen an increase in communication from the administration, the school is offering summer camp for the first time and a first grade class will be offered. My child has not seen or felt the effects of the transition to the new administration. While unfortunate that some teachers decided to leave this year midstream, I would recommend the school. The staff if great, the parent involvement is high and the education the children receive is sound.
Submitted by parent on February 08, 2012

Sydenstricker experienced an unfortuante series of events when the Director abruptly decided to leave, followed by several teachers resigning as well. This period was extremely frustrating and disappointing. But I will also say the new Director appears to be sincere and passionate about moving the school in the right direction. I believe the remaining teachers are awesome and the environment has improved significantly since late fall. If you are looking for a school with a strong and proven academic reputation, I would strongly consider it. While they have had some administrative issues, the learning environment has not changed.
Submitted by parent on February 05, 2012

I have no idea as to whether a class is on their fourth lead teacher as referenced in the January 2012 review; but I do know that good teachers are leaving Sydenstricker and inexperienced ones are being hired in their place. It's been a very disappointing school year and I would choose a different school for my child if I could do it over. I would not recommend Sydenstricker.
Submitted by parent on January 19, 2012

The January 2012 review is untrue. Disliking the school is fine, but lying isn't helpful. No class is on their 4th or even 3rd teacher for the year. Yes, there has been an administrative shake-up, but it seems to be for the better. You can certainly pick a side to a divisive issue, but lying doesn't strengthen your case.
Submitted by parent on January 02, 2012

The school is a disaster. My child's class is on their FOURTH lead teacher in 5 months. The Director and many of the other longest tenured teachers left in the middle of the term. The administration is destroying the school. Do NOT send your child to Sydenstricker.
Submitted by parent on September 05, 2011

Personally, I had a great experience with my daughter, but a very, very poor experience with my son. My daughter was always very mature for her age, independant, and adapted easily to all situations. She was bright and learned quickly. She attended from the 3's class to kindergarten. Unfortunately, with the change of school administration, things were not so good when my son started. He was the youngest in his class. The teachers were impatient and complained to me constantly about his behavior, and that he was not interested in activities such as story time. They constantly insisted that i should withdraw him from scool because they did not have time to deal with immature children, as they had many kids to deal with. In the 4's class, my son would come home and tell me that he was not smart, but everyone else was. He was very unhappy, and would cry in the evenings. He told me the kids were not nice with him. I ignored it until one day when I dropped him off in the morning, I saw a child insisting that my son not sit in the last seat around the table. Teacher moved my child to another place, did not tell other child anything. He excelled academically and socially in a nearby school
Submitted by parent on August 10, 2011

This is a wonderful preschool. They have options for part-time, full-time (9-3) and full-time with before and after care, which is nice for working parents. The teachers are excellent. My daughter started here when she was 3 and just finished the 4-year-old class and is more than ready for Kindergarten. She can read already and knows all her numbers. (My older daughter went to a Montissori preschool and was not able to read when she started Kindergarten). Although the school has an academic focus, they also have plenty of play time and the kids have fun. They also focus on social skills and teaching the kids how to be respectful to each other and their teachers (an important skill in this day and age). They do not let the kids get rowdy or out of control. My only critique is they don't have a lot of creative art activities, which my daughter does at home. Overall, my daughter and I were very happy with this school. Although my daughter did not have discipline issues, my neighbor's son started last year and they have worked with him (with multiple issues) and his behavior has improved a lot. He is going to stay at Sydenstricker for their Kindergarten program as well.
Submitted by parent on January 21, 2011

This is an academic focused school. The facility is very small (a small rambler home houses about 70 kids plus teachers) and the playground is almost too lacking. There's no enrichment offered - many worksheets. For the cost of tuition, other schools provide more diverse education. Teachers are okay but not great. The teachers/staffs are not as friendly compared to other preschool/school. Kids are dismissed from the playground and the teachers/staffs are often congregated in the middle of the playground. How about a friendly, "Hellos and good byes to their students and parents?" Maybe they will change after this review. :)
Submitted by parent on June 15, 2010

My 5 year old daughter is now finishing up her second year at Sydenstricker and I could not be more pleased. The school is located in a great setting and the teachers are unbelievable. My daughter is reading at an advanced level and is a very confident girl. I've personally been in the classroom and seen the teachers encourage all of the students- even those who are learning at a different pace. I would gladly recommend this school to anyone thinking about it.