The Journey School

Posted: July 24, 2025

The Journey School is the most magical little school I have ever been to, and I do not say that lightly. As both a parent and an early childhood educator with a master’s degree in Early Childhood Special Education, I approached the search for a school with high expectations and a very critical lens. From the moment I stepped into The Journey School I knew it was something special. The love and care that the staff gives to the children is exceptional and everything about the school and program is developmentally appropriate. Staff treats each child with love and respect and encourage them to grow on their own individual path. I have been in and observed the early childhood, the infant, and the toddler classrooms and the level of independence and self-regulation among the children is impressive. This tells me that the classrooms are calm, nurturing, have clear expectations for students, and a shared sense of community. Grace and courtesy lessons are even part of the Montessori curriculum - my almost 2 year-old even says "excuse me" to our dog!

My first child attended TJS from ages 3-6 (Prek 3-Kinder, although the school was Nurturing Nest during her first year), and my second child is a current student in the toddler program. Both children are thriving at this school. We saw our older daughter finish kindergarten reading, doing multiplication and division and, more importantly, she having a love of learning and an intrinsic motivation and curiosity that will last her a lifetime. Our younger daughter is now getting the same level of care, social-emotional guidance, and cognitive development. It has been a joy to watch both of them flourish in this community.

Overall, this school is truly a cut above the rest. I toured almost all of the Montessori and child care centers in Columbia and none of them came even close to what I have seen at TJS. They have all of the markers for a high quality early childhood program, aligned with best practices (reference NAEYC's Early Childhood Program Standards and the CLASS Early Childhood Program Assessments). I honestly have nothing negative to say about our experience at this school. The staff and community have been amazing - I even say to everyone that I genuinely feel so lucky that we found this magical little school and our girls had the opportunity to develop here.

One last note - one of my FAVORITE things about this school is that for the infants up through kindergarten there are ZERO screens or technology.

Posted: July 24, 2025

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Posted: July 22, 2025

The Journey School was a lifeline for my family in the fall of 2020 when another Montessori school that my son was going to go to closed down suddenly. From our first school visit till today, this school has been home. The teachers truly care about their students and will gladly guide them if they need more help or are ready to move forward. My son developed excellent time management skills and we particularly loved the incorporation of nature and the outdoors into lessons. Kindness is the rule here and discipline is modelled from the top down. The children are treated very well and curiosity is highly encouraged. we have been a part of the school for 5 years and it has been a joy. There is great emphasis on respect, social justice and accountability. Our son had a rigorous program but he was never overwhelmed. As parents, it was wonderful to see him grow with confidence and consideration. We love The Journey School!

Posted: July 22, 2025

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Posted: July 21, 2025

Our son blossomed at this school from elementary all the way to middle school. I cannot recommend this school enough. All the teachers there give 100%. Most of all I like the Montessori method. The school embodies Montessori! My kid, through the years, became a leader. He not only is mentally prepared for high school but most importantly he is socially prepared. He engages with his peers, elders and is supportive to the kids/babies in elementary school.

Posted: July 21, 2025

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Posted: November 26, 2024

While the teachers and assistants at The Journey School are excellent—a legacy they inherited from Nurturing Nest, which unfortunately closed in 2023—the administration and board have proven to be dysfunctional and unprofessional. Our experience with one of the administrators was particularly frustrating; she refused to investigate our concerns and instead deflected responsibility, placing all the blame on us. When we tried to discuss the matter further, we were redirected to their so-called 'independent' board— with two out of three administrators having husbands on the board... Needless to say, the 'independent' board was completely useless in resolving anything.
The board’s response completely disregarded the actual issue at hand, opting instead to lecture us on unrelated policies. It makes me wonder how hard they even tried to understand. We even provided an entire document with screenshots from communications and the chain of events. This dismissive approach made it clear that both the administration and board lacked basic customer service skills, business acumen, and were more interested in maintaining control than resolving problems. When one parent mentioned that parents are customers, they were met with a defensive attitude. They like to think of themselves as childcare gods, an illusion which could not be farther from the truth.
Since moving to a new provider, our experience has been a night-and-day difference. It’s refreshing to work in a truly collaborative environment where staff members prioritize partnership with parents. Unfortunately, The Journey School's administration and board come across as arrogant, dismissive, and authoritarian—triggering memories of the worst kind of bureaucratic indifference. We’re relieved to have left this toxic environment behind.
After just 1 year of operating the preschool, the Journey School lost most families who chose to move on elsewhere, including ourselves. Only 6 families stayed behind in the 3-5 age group, and even then - some just didn't want to bounce their kids elsewhere for one more year of preschool. I hope this will help you evaluate your choices.
The last straw for us was their new policy on drop off and pick up. If you are not there with your child by 8:30 am, you cannot drop off until after lunch, which is 12:30. Think about how much stress this will add to your morning.
All in all, our experience there was a sad one and I cannot recommend them to anyone, despite the quality of teachers

Posted: November 26, 2024

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Posted: May 23, 2024

I am a parent of an elementary schooler and recognize that the DC area offers a significant number of private schools but few are affordable- this one is! The upper elementary and middle school teachers are exceptional and seem to have good relationships with the kids and provide engaging learning activities. The lower elementary school teacher is challenging for parents and students to get along with, however, the students are learning in a safe and constructive manner. The community is still forming after a move to a new building and communication isn't always clear but they are receptive to clarification and questions. As a Montessori school there are flexibilities with the learning environment that are just not available to public school kids, such as kids learning at their own pace, more 1:1 and independent learning activities, greater autonomy, and choosing topics of interest to investigate.

Posted: May 23, 2024

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Posted: May 19, 2022

please let menm go there I want to go to journey school with the chicks I want the chicken stripes.

Posted: May 19, 2022

Posted: August 22, 2018

Students have control over how much homework they have to complete. If work doesn’t get done in school, it will need to be completed at home.

Posted: August 22, 2018

Teachers have close relationships with all of the students. The small environment allows them to get to know each student, their learning style and their needs. The students feel understood and respected which allows for more effective teaching to occur. The teachers are wonderful!

Posted: August 22, 2018

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Posted: August 22, 2018

My son needs to learn at his own pace and in his own way. Hands on learning and interaction keeps him engaged and interested.

Posted: August 22, 2018

The small group setting of this school means that the students spend many hours together. They are encouraged to voice and work out complaints as well as express “greatfuls” to each other. This builds a strong bond among the students.

Posted: August 22, 2018

The Journey School was a wonderful experience for my son. He was excited to go to school and learn because he knew he was in an environment that encouraged students and helped them to overcome their struggles. Not only do they learn, but they have fun doing it!

Posted: July 31, 2018

My daughter's experience has been wonderful at The Journey School! I can't say enough positive things about her growth- academically, emotionally, and socially!

Posted: July 31, 2018

They only assign homework if they don't finish their school work. This quickly taught my daughter how to manage her time!

Posted: July 31, 2018

Teachers are passionate about their subjects, warm to the kids, and think outside of the box to let the students learn in their own way.

Posted: July 31, 2018

Middle school is characterized by change and individuation. At the Journey School, the high bar set for character and group development is fulfilled through positive peer pressure and example.

Posted: July 31, 2018

It is clear that this was the founder, Christina's dream. Her dedication to the mission, school, and it's students is shown in all the decisions she makes.

Posted: July 31, 2018

Each student is encouraged to learn at his/her own pace and style. That's why they all learn to love and value learning and what each person has to offer.

Posted: July 31, 2018

This school creates a sense of community and each person's value and responsibility within the community. Bullying or disagreements are handled within this framework.