Alexandria Country Day School

Posted: September 14, 2020

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Posted: September 14, 2020

$269,100 = cost to send a child to ACDS K-8, plus expected annual donations, plus technology costs, plus activities, etc.

Posted: October 14, 2019

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Posted: October 14, 2019

Great, the best school I have been to in my life.

Posted: January 14, 2019

Our respect for each other via the CPR and Responsive Classroom programs instill a confidence for learning non existent at other local schools. Confidence and security encourages children to take risks and not be afraid to fail. Thrir social exoerience has been nothing but successful.

Posted: January 14, 2019

For a non denominational school, our hallmark is our CPR program in middle school and Responsive classroom in the lower. This respect for others and moral character allows deep learning and confidence to occur in all grades, particularly middle school.

Posted: January 14, 2019

The middle and lower school heads support their faculty, encourage professional development, and are in tune with each classes needs.

Posted: January 14, 2019

Yes, but I think the definition of learning differences in general implies learning challenged. ACDS supports my kids where theybare, helps them identify their learning style and understand how they learn to the betterment of their own understanding and their class. Because we are a smaller school though, the range of differences us quite small. Our school is not lower academically, quite the opposite.

Posted: January 14, 2019

We have loved our experience. Both children have had different but successful academic, social and athletic experiences at ACDS.

Posted: January 14, 2019

ACDS is focused on responsibility and actual learning. Homework assignments reflect that. I dint think having extreme homework in lower and middle school is helpful to kids nor a hallmark of a good program. Homework has been appropriate.

Posted: January 14, 2019

Teachers are focused on progressing each child to successfully accomplish curriculum goals. This is not specialized, but rather individualized. My child knows whatvtype of learner she is which helps her be her most successful academic self.

Posted: November 28, 2018

Because the school has such small class sizes, students who are having trouble with a topic or skill are quickly noticed and can get help from a on-call roving tutor, study hall, and after school study times based on subject area.

Posted: November 28, 2018

The SEL described above does a lot to address bullying, what it is, why its bad and how to work together to make sure everyone feels included and welcomed.

Posted: November 28, 2018

My kids LOVE the school and are excited to go every day of the week.

Posted: November 28, 2018

Homework is different for each grade. It builds up slowly but its never meant to just keep a student busy. The assignments should be completed in a reasonable amount of time, but if its a struggle then you are instructed to stop and get a refresher on the material and then its is no longer difficult.

Posted: November 28, 2018

The teachers are caring and their goal is to create strong life long learners.

Posted: November 28, 2018

Each grade has weekly lessons on SEL (Social & Emotional Learning) that help kids develop strong, positive character.

Posted: November 28, 2018

Scott Baytosh, our Head Master and the heads of the lower and upper school are great leaders and look out for the teachers and students.

Posted: November 18, 2018

There is a terrific balance of homework at ACDS. It is used as a tool to solidify learning, not useless tasks or a large volume. Most projects are completed in class.

Posted: November 18, 2018

The teachers at ACDS go well out of their way to connect with students, encourage students and assist students in finding their way to academic success. They also support students outside the classroom as sports coaches, additional trip leaders (summer travel opportunities) and they encourage and engage students in service learning - Teachers are THERE when the students volunteer outside of the classroom frequently over weekends and that is extraordinary!

Posted: November 18, 2018

The portrait of a graduate that is the framework for the school is both real and the character of the students is focused upon continually while at the school. As a parent, I have been pleased.

Posted: November 18, 2018

There is a well-defined and excellent system in place. All members of the leadership team are competent, capable and deliver on a daily basis.

Posted: November 18, 2018

I believe that all students are met where they are and with what they need to succeed academically.

Posted: November 18, 2018

In my experience any incident of this has been/is dealt with quickly and effectively

Posted: November 18, 2018

As an elementary and middle school ACDS is terrific. My children have benefitted from the strong academics, the classroom environment and the additional experience that ACDS offers. My children thrived at ACDS and were well-prepared for High School. The overall experience for both students and parents was very good.

Posted: March 8, 2018

We have been at ACDS for five years with our oldest child and our younger child has now been there for three years. We have been extremely pleased with the quality of the teaching, the facilities and environment. Our kids are avid learners and are thrilled to attend school every day.

They like school so much that taking them out early or missing a day due to a family event is frowned upon. They especially enjoy all the benefits of a medium sized school that limits the numbers in a class to insure a small class size.

Their teachers frequently tailor the education program to their specific needs and capabilities.
Our younger child is a math minded boy and as such is doing classwork at an advanced level. The teacher has allowed him to do “a deeper dive” into the subject matter she is teaching each day. This allows her to stay on the core curriculum while still allowing him the additional challenges that he requires.

By contrast my older daughter did not quite grasp all of the math concepts that she was getting early in the fourth grade year. The first few months of the year were challenging and she struggled with some of the algebra. But with the help of the teacher and some attention at home she was able to get through those sections. They have now moved onto fractions and decimals and she is doing exceptionally well. On her last math evaluation she got all but 2 answers correct and the two she missed she got what is called partial credit meaning she was able to do the multiple steps of problem but made an error in an early step which persisted through and made the final answer wrong.

Posted: March 8, 2018

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Our daughter is currently enrolled in the middle school at ACDS and is thriving there. The school is the right fit for her academically and socially, and is also a great fit for our entire family. We've been so pleased with the school itself, the overall education, and the sense of community. Over the years, it's been a pleasure to watch our daughter's academic growth and to see each teacher's investment in her education.

Posted: March 5, 2018

School will just suggest that children who aren't keeping up go to Commonwealth Academy.

Posted: March 5, 2018

Posted: March 5, 2018

The school management seems primarily focused on getting money and tuition in the door, not the children's success. School director and staff won't remember your name as a parent or even as a very involved volunteer. A K-8 school needs to have a primary focus of transitioning their students to schools of their choice. ACDS management appears primarily concerned with pointing fingers at your child's deficiencies when that child does not gain admittance to any of their target schools.

Posted: March 5, 2018

Posted: March 5, 2018

It was very difficult to find out the homework and track whether our child was completing it. Some homework was online in the school system, some was handouts, some was online elsewhere. Generally, we found out that our children were not doing homework at report card time. Seldom were the teachers proactive.

Posted: March 5, 2018

The teachers ran the spectrum of talent levels; about 1 in 10 was truly impressive; whereas 3 in 10 were completely ineffective; the remainder had overblown impressions of their own, limited, abilities.

Posted: March 5, 2018

Both our sons attended this school. Both had conflicts with a teacher in their 8th grade year that left a very bad taste in our mouth. Neither got into any schools of choice, so they had to attend our local high school. In the end this was fine, but sending child to ACDS hoping that it will allow them to have a choice of secondary schools to attend is a fantasy. Might as well send your kids to public schools and save $300,000 for their later life and education.

Posted: September 25, 2017

The homework is balanced. Students in the middle school can attend a free supervised tutorial after school, an opportunity to do homework and ask questions of their teachers who take turns staffing the one hour daily sessions.

Posted: September 25, 2017

Teachers respond to the individual needs of the students and challenge them. They are trained in readers and writers workshop, Singapore math, and responsive learning techniques. The faculty to student ratio allows for a lot of one on one attention.

Posted: September 25, 2017

The school has a great advisory program and devlops these qualities at all levels.

Posted: September 25, 2017

The Head, Middle and Lower School Heads, and other staff members are very dedicated to their craft. Come to an Open House or schedule a visit, so you can meet them and hear them talk about the school.

Posted: September 25, 2017

While the school does not specialize in working with students who have learning differences, they are excellent at differentiating and manage mild learning differences; they also challenge kids who are talented.

Posted: September 25, 2017

With their focus on social and emotional learning, this is a topic that is regularly discussed and dealt with. My own child has not experienced any bullying.

Posted: September 25, 2017

My son has been at ACDS since K and is now in the middle school. He is happy, supported, and academically challenged. I'm impressed with the skill of the faculty and love that he gets to take Spanish, drama, music, art, and gym multiple times a week! It's a wonderful school.

Posted: September 23, 2017

Posted: September 23, 2017

Posted: September 23, 2017

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Posted: September 23, 2017

The K-8 education our child is receiving at ACDS is challenging, personalized and a rare blend of innovative approaches in a traditional setting. We know our child will have an excellent preparation to thrive in any type of high school setting down the road.

Posted: July 14, 2017

We have had a few instances of a situation with pushing or hitting and it was dealt with immediately in a positive way. The students were sent to a counselor to learn how to deal with aggression and ACDS made it positive so they didn't even realize why they were meeting with the counselor other than to play games. Great way to deal with this issue and the issue stopped immediately.

Posted: July 14, 2017

I find the homework expectations reasonable. My son was in kindergarten last year and they do not require homework in that grade (not until 1st grade). I think that is great given their age. It is too much for them as they are learning so much throughout the day and quite frankly are exhausted at night given how much outdoor/play time they have.

Posted: July 14, 2017

Our experience has been great with the teachers. They are well qualified and creative in the types of exercises they engage with students in.

Posted: July 14, 2017

ACDS promotes a high quality education, but also builds a strong moral foundation through community service.

Posted: July 14, 2017

The school leadership does a fantastic job. They listen to parents and make adjustments as needed, but honestly we haven't had any complaints we have needed to take to them given how proactive they are.

Posted: July 14, 2017

The programs are customized for each student. The class sizes are very small allowing for this to happen.

Posted: July 14, 2017

We are so pleased we chose ACDS. I am looking forward to enrolling my daughter in several years in kindergarten.

Posted: January 11, 2017

When something arises between students, the school is responsive in a number of ways: they respond quickly to the parents or child, depending on who is reporting, they address the issue in a manner that is suitable to the situation. I have never felt ignored or my concerns blown off.

Posted: January 11, 2017

My son has a learning difference, and we have been pleased with the accommodations and attention that the small classes and individualized learning allow.

Posted: January 11, 2017

This principal is engaged with parents and readily communicates when something happens that affects students or the school at large (staff changes, etc). He has built a strong team and the teachers seem to like him.

Posted: January 11, 2017

The school has an active focus on Social and Emotional Learning with regular classroom visits from the school counselor to talk about handling conflict, etc. Community Service is built into the curriculum, woven in throughout the year. Just walking the hallway evokes a vibe of positivity.

Posted: January 11, 2017

The teachers are engaged and communicative. The parent-teacher conferences, back to school night and frequent communications are refreshing and give a great deal of confidence in the school.

Posted: January 11, 2017

Homework is relevant and not burdensome. It focuses on practicing what the kids learned in school.

Posted: January 11, 2017

I have two children at ACDS, both of whom love going to school. The atmosphere is warm, positive and nurturing, my kids are challenged academically (with individualized attention), and the classes are small. I've noticed this year how the students' creativity is actively fostered. The school has made some great investments over the past few years, and we couldn't be happier with our choice. I had wondered if private school was worth the money, but our experience has shown that at ACDS, it is definitely worth it (I should note that we had experiences at another school prior).

Posted: January 7, 2017

Lacks a firm commitment to curriculum other than community service.

Posted: July 24, 2016

Endless exposure to state of the art resources! Communications training and tools some of the best I've ever seen. The faculty is dynamic and caring about you children. The sense of community and level of preparation constantly reinforces our decision to be here.

Posted: September 23, 2014

To the July 16, 2014 Poster: There seems to be no way to get in touch with you. I'd suggest you either make your concerns more explicit or remove your review. It's not fair to either the school or parents reading these reviews to make a half-accusation without following it up. I've toured the school and everything I saw was very positive, so I do not appreciate a warning to "be careful" that is completely unsupported by facts. As the rating system would not let me post without selecting stars, I've defaulted to 5 stars.

Posted: July 26, 2014

We have three children attending ACDS and feel fortunate to have them there. The environment is challenging and creative academically, and supportive and warm socially. The teachers are devoted and caring to the students, and in equal measure responsive to parents. In the last couple of years, there has been change in leadership that has invigorated the curriculum, (including a new math program in the lower school and language arts program in the middle school), and instilled an atmosphere of energy and excitement. Parents are very involved with the school community, and encourage participation (however much time a parent can contribute - great or small). ACDS prepares students for high school, just look at the variety of schools the student chose to attend: public, private, boarding, large, small, specialized, and all competitive. The size of the school initially appealed the most to us, the academics and environment have kept us there.

Posted: July 15, 2014

I don't think the environment is appropriate for any children. If you have your kids there or if you are currently considering enrollment, be very careful. Please feel free to contact me and I will be happy to share our experience.