Good Beginnings School

Posted: March 19, 2024

My baby has been enrolled in Good Beginnings School since she was 4 months old and I would highly recommend this daycare! We are sadly leaving only due to location and convenience to our new home. Choosing a daycare for my baby was a big step, but GBS made it easy as the facility felt secure, with controlled access and attentive monitoring.

What truly stood out was the warmth of the staff. They were incredibly friendly and caring, making both me and my baby feel welcome from day one. Ms. Megan, in particular, was wonderful. Her nurturing approach and passion for childcare were evident, and my baby loved her. Additionally, Ms. Khadija and Ms. Maysoon were so loving and attentive, I love all the teachers in the infant/toddler program and Ms. Carmen and Alicia in the front office were super helpful as well.

As a first-time mother, leaving my baby in someone else's care was daunting, but GBS provided peace of mind. The app updates are so helpful in feeling connected to my baby's wellness and activities. We'll miss the friendly faces and the sense of security they provided. I highly recommend them to any parent seeking a safe and welcoming environment for their child.

Posted: March 19, 2024

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Posted: April 12, 2018

Our experience with Good Beginnings in Aldie, VA has been fantastic! The teachers are wonderful, the curriculum and experiences for the kids in the school are the best we have experienced in this area. My son entered Kindergarten equipped with the right skills and they are now setting him up to go into first grade in the same way! Highly recommend this school!

Posted: April 12, 2018

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Posted: May 24, 2017

I wanted to highlight Ms. Pirnat , my daughter's preschool teacher who now teaches from the Aldie location.

My daughter Audrey is now in FFX county public school kindergarten doing extremely well and I feel Ms. Pirnat is part of the reason why. Audrey had come to GBS from a wonderful in home daycare. We only left because we felt she would benefit going to a "school" like setting prior to public school kindergarten... and we were right.

While in Ms. Pirnat's class, Audrey learned so much. So much so that there was a great deal overlapped with her first 3-4 months of kindergarten academics from her pre-school lessons. This made a wonderful transition to public school. Audrey tested in top of her class for reading during the county assessments, and this is where I wanted to give credit to Ms. Pirnat. She put reading on spotlight in her classroom, and had parents come as "mystery readers". She made reading and writing fun.

It takes a special type of person to get through to young children. Ms. Pirnat's mixture of caring, patience and her honest joy to see children learn made the difference with my daughter. If you are reading this; Thank you Ms. Pirnat .

Posted: May 24, 2017

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Posted: January 6, 2017

Mrs. Ragsdale’s kindergarten class is phenomenal. Kids in her class are amazingly productive. Not only kids are academically accelerated in all subjects, and read early chapter books themselves in second half of the year, but also they learn much more than just academy. Every day kids are busy doing many things. They make high quality art projects that fill entire four classroom walls and hall ways. Kids actively participate in learning and are given a lot of chances to talk in front of group to practice their public speaking skills. They also sing songs, dance and rehearse for monthly performances. All the costumes and props in those performances are hand made by kids. Additionally, they go on field trips to play in a farm, take picture with Santa Claus, or make pizza in a Italian restaurant and so on. They celebrate all kinds of holidays, learn different cultures, characters and values. Kids learn to work hard, do their best and take pride in their work. They also learn to be nice to others, to make good choices, self-control, friendship, respect, forgiveness, caring, patience and more. My son learned so much and did so much in this classroom. Most importantly, he is happy to go to school each morning and does not want to leave until the school closes. All the principal, director and staff in this school are friendly and supportive. They care about each child’s development and talk to you like a family. The kindergarten teacher Mrs. Ragsdale is extremely passionate and dedicated and puts a lot of over time into her class. She has that special method/magic to make once lazy and unmotivated kids to want to work hard and behave. I am grateful for my son to have this outstanding kindergarten teacher and school. I could go to public school kindergarten and save a lot of money and driving, but seeing my child’s progress, I feel all the money and driving are worth it and worth multiple times over. I highly recommend this class and this school to anyone. I only wish that I knew it earlier so that my older kid could come to this school that I believe helps to build a great foundation for a child’s lifetime.

Posted: September 8, 2016

Both of my children attended school and camp for several years at GBS and went through the GBS kindergarten. My older daughter used the skills that GBS gave her for the next several years in public school and I expect that this will be the case for my younger daughter as well. Mrs. Ragsdale is a wonderful kindergarten teacher - sure, she is strict and exacting, but she challenges the children to apply themselves and to do their best. The afternoon activities are wonderful as well - my children have taken ballet, hip-hop, music and karate and learned to swim during summer camp.

Posted: July 27, 2016

As I graduate from high school I look back at the wonderful memories and the great start I had in my first school, Good Beginnings School. Whether we were reading, coloring, conducting "science experiments", or doing other unique and creative activities, my preschool and kindergarten years were full of fun!

I cannot thank the entire Good Beginnings Staff enough for giving my learning and education such a positive start. Without such a wonderful foundation and the loving group of staff who constantly motivated me, I could not have gotten to where I am today. Good Beginnings School created such a fun environment, where I learnt so much, that I truly enjoyed going to school and learning.

As I head off to UVA this fall to study Biomedical Engineering, I credit them for instilling in me the passion to learn new things and to be curious. 

Shirali Nigam
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology Class of 2016

Posted: July 27, 2016

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Posted: May 17, 2015

I am an elementary school teacher in the FCPS system. My child will be completing Kindergarten in the FCPS system in approximately one month. He has had a fabulous first year and is near the top of his class academically. A lot of his success can be attributed d to the foundation that was put into place for two years at Good Beginnings School. He enjoyed both his pre-school and pre-K years at Good Beginnings. We had great relationships with the teachers and were well informed of his progress over the years. The administrators were very supportive and willing to help or accommodate if any sort of situation arose. My child enjoyed participating in the extracurricular activities that Good Beginnings offers such as monthly field trips, soccer, International Fair and swim lessons. We made great friends at Good Beginnings that we continues to stay in touch with. We firmly believe that the decision we made years ago to send our child to Good Beginnings after looking at other preschools is one of the main reasons that our child is now flourishing so well in school and socially. I highly recommend Good Beginnings for your child and your family.

Posted: August 17, 2014

Another great summer at GBS summer camp. The activities are fun for the kids and educational. The staff are cheerful and caring. Can't beat the pool and the basketball court. Overall my son and I were very pleased with his 3rd summer at GBS summer camp.

Posted: August 9, 2014

The administrators at this school could use basic training in common courtesy and to put it simply telling the truth. I complained about the unlocked gate that goes onto the playground and she said the landscape people forgot to lock it, and she will make sure it is taken care of. Well, a month later I walked up to the front door and some children playing near the gate had managed to push it open. The owner was asleep on a chair. When I confronted one of the teachers she commented that there is a never a lock there. That teacher herself said she has talked to management about the dangerous lawn equipment near the gate that is also accessible to children on the playground. My husband says we should report this safety issue. Thankfully, my child is not attending the remainder of summer camp.

Posted: July 28, 2014

We moved our daughter to GBS 2.5 years ago and are so glad we did. We originally enrolled her because of the happy and organized environment but then we learned about the 10 other activities that GBS helps facilitate for your child to participate in. Yes, you pay for the extra activities but they are ALL worth every penny and more. No driving your child to soccer, then piano then swim lessons. GBS coordinates all of them at their school. The academic programs in all their classrooms are above and beyond. There is a good balance of discipline and fun. I have seen the non-favorable reviews and for GBS; there will always be an unhappy parent at any school and I would question whether the poor reviews have more to do with the parent's inability to discipline and prepare their children for a social environment than fault with GBS. As for the "gossip" review.....well, gossip is gossip and it doesn t seem like that person bothered to substantiate or understand what he/she thought they heard. Our daughter has been at GBS for 2 1/2 years and she is a bright and happy kid AND she LOVES going to GBS every day since her first day there!

Posted: July 20, 2014

Our son loves Good Beginnings and we re sending him again next year. We were looking for a school to help build our son s confidence, teach him values and help him grow into a good student. We ve been continuously impressed with their curriculum and activities. The teachers and staff really care about the children and work very hard to provide an enriching environment. At age 4 our son could count to 50, read simple sentences and write the alphabet and several words. We feel really good about how he s progressing academically. I also liked receiving the daily reports so I knew how his day went they even wrote down what he did and didn t eat. In addition to learning, he s also having fun. We signed him up for karate and hip hop he loved it and it gave him a chance to expend some energy. The monthly field trips are really good experiences for them. Our son is in their summer camp now and is taking swim lessons and enjoys open swim which comes with two lifeguards and several teachers at all times. Good Beginnings has been an enriching and wonderful experience. Since day one he s been running to the front door and he still does that today.

Posted: July 14, 2014

My son attended Good Beginnings for 6 months and he was miserable there. He was 3 and he was required to sit still for an hour (circle time, table time, lunch) every morning. Also, a 2-hour nap is a daily requirement -- and there's no alternative for non-nappers. The manual says there's the option of reading a book quietly. In practice, the teacher said that doesn't work well, so instead they require all of the children to be still on their cots for the 2 hours. So when my 3-year-old son didn't want to nap, an administrator would take my son aside and talk to him about being quiet. My son would tell me he was a bad boy, because he couldn't sit still. I kept saying to the staff, 'He's 3. He's not supposed to sit still for hours.' But no one at the school agreed. Then things got worse. I don't know what led to this, but for the last 2 months he was at the school, my son would SCREAM when we would drop him off in the room where the children gathered in the mornings. My husband and I adjusted our work schedules to avoid that early drop off teacher/room. We have had him at another school for 7 months and he LOVES it. He runs to go in and asks to stay longer when I pick him up.

Posted: March 17, 2014

I am absolutely delighted with Good Beginnings because: * All the teachers are so competent, loving, and enthusiastic * There is always something fun happening in addition to regular school time -- at least one well-planned school trip a month * There are great after school lessons -- piano, ballet, etc. which really helps with not having to drop-off my four year-old somewhere on weekends * The diversity in cultures among the children is great * Emphasis on values and ethics isn't just talk but emphasized every day * The camaraderie and energy in the school is evident * Most importantly, it is truly incredible what my little girl has learned since September -- it is a rather rigorous curriculum but she loves learning thanks to Ms. Pegues and Ms. Shazia both of whom have Master degrees in early childhood learning. Two Master-level teachers in one classroom is beyond what I expected. And don't get me started on how incredibly creative, loving, and exacting Mrs. Ragsdale is in her Kindergarten classroom. The leaning and activities is simply off-scale outstanding. Truly, though, all of the teachers and administrators are great.

Posted: November 22, 2013

Here is an example of where the teacher's experience does not equate with a nurturing loving environment where children have a positive sense of self-esteem. The kindergarten teacher has over 20 years of experience, but is extremely rigid and focused on how many worksheets the children finish in a day. There are many fun activities, but compliance to rules is overwhelming for children and parents. The administration should strongly reconsider how they market this program and what actually takes place. In talking with the director a few weeks ago, she did not seem knowledgeable in current child development practices.

Posted: August 19, 2013

We have sent two children to Good Beginnings for both school and camp and have been very pleased with the outcomes. Our youngest is currently enrolled in the summer camp and is having a wonderful time. In fact, this year I have witnessed the best counselors yet! They're energetic, engaged and organized. When it's time for me to pick up my son he's rarely ready to leave. We are sad to leave GBS this fall but look forward to next summer already.

Posted: August 4, 2013

Good Beginnings does not disappoint! My oldest daughter began attending Good Beginnings 7 years ago in a preschool classroom. She continued to attend Good Beginnings through Junior Kindergarten and returns each summer for camp. We love the continuity that the school offers for older children in the summer. My oldest and her old preschool friends enjoy returning their each summer and is currently a rising 5th grader at a nearby public school. Given that we had such a good experience with the teachers and management at the school, we enrolled our twins in a preschool classroom there 4 years ago and continued to be enrolled through junior Kindergarten. Our twins loved it, and also return for camp each summer. With our 3 children attending the school for multiple school and camp years, I know we had a comprehensive sampling of the teachers Good Beginnings has to offer. We've been very impressed with the balance between academics and fun and between nurturing and discipline. My girls have learned how to swim at Good Beginnings in ground pool, and have taken multiple enrichment programs, including dance and guitar. I wish you luck in deciding on a program for your child.

Posted: August 2, 2013

Our son attended GB for 3 years including 3 summers of camp. He started in Ms. Beech's class and she is just one of those wonderful teachers that you would always want for your little 3 year old. She is adored by the kids and the most loving and kind woman. Since then we have been very happy with all his classes and definitely love having him be able to swim every day in the summer. They basically picked up the slack potty training him at the beginning, and he also got over the swimming hump last year at camp. We would recommend GB to any new parents.

Posted: July 25, 2013

My son has attended Good Beginnings from June 2011 until now. As a family, we are passionate in our appreciation and loyalty to GBS. My son has learned so much and so joyfully from GBS' dedicated teachers. As parents, we are impressed to hear new songs, see all the artwork and witness our child flourish as a result of his attendance there. Summer camp has been a treasure, in that my son swims twice a day, once for recreation and once for instruction. The twice monthly field trips, art projects and academic activities are tempered with some downtime, an occasional movie and story time. Every child's experience will vary, of course, but I had to share our universally positive experience @ GBS and their staff and teachers will remain in our hearts and happy memories forever,

Posted: January 10, 2013

The Kindergarten program is the best. Mrs. Ragsdale is passionate about teaching. She keeps challenging the kids. It is lots of work. But my son has learnt a lot!

Posted: November 12, 2011

My daughter seems to like the art and music activities in the KG class at GBS. As a parent, I am disappointed with the lack of individual instruction. I asked several other parents and their children get the same worksheets. If I am always getting weekly notes to work on certain concepts at home and paying for private school, I am wondering why my child is not getting additional enrichment at school as well. As best as a five year old can, she explains that the teachers rarely help her and tell her to do things herself.

Posted: October 12, 2011

My 5-year-old started Good Beginning this fall. I am very impressed with their excellent academic programs in addition to awesome teachers, the extracurricular activities, friendly and involved staff and owners and their commitment to individual development of each child. Recently, the kindergarten teachers organized a kindertown for the kids to learn about community while having parents involved. The amount of details and work that the teachers put into this program to make sure that the kids are learning about banks, grocery stores, bakeries, barber s, doctor s offices, libraries and hardware stores etc in a real life sense. They were given money (fake) and they did their own purchases. My son brings homework and projects indicating some academic depth. For the first time ever, he goes to bed before 8pm so that he can get up early to go to school early. We have never pushed him academically. It s a big relief to see his eagerness to learn and progress. Awesome school. Awesome teachers.

Posted: September 26, 2011

My son started the kindergarten class at Good Beginning School(Reston,VA).It was recommended to me by another mom. Like every parent who wants the best for their children, I was determined to give my son the most enriching learning experience. GBS has exceeded my expectation in the areas important to me:1) The facility is clean and pretty.2) The staff and owners are very personable and caring.3) The on-site extra curricular activities(not to mention Chinese class), karate, dance, & music are time-saving for parents and enriching for kids.4) The teachers are awesome. Having taught at a Chinese university for 5 years,I can tell within seconds if the teachers care or they are just being nice.I felt the passion they have for what they do & they care about their students.It's those 5% of the teachers with a passion who can change lives & leave a legacy.My son can learn academic knowledge & skills anywhere. But it takes a person on a mission who is passionate about what they do to teach another person how to excel in life with a passion.It's not much what they teach that impresses me,but who they are.That's the kind of enriching education I want my son to have.Thank you, GBS. You rock!!!

Posted: June 18, 2011

I agree with another review about enrollment. The administration does not seem to be concerned about what is best for individual child. First they say your child is not ready to move on to next class. But later say, he is ready. Later I find out it they need to fill seats in next level. In my mind, this kind of trick is underhanded.

Posted: February 23, 2011

What a great school. Our son has been attending for 3 years and loves it. Academics are solid and teachers are very supportave. It is a very good learning experience. We would recommend it to anyone.

Posted: May 10, 2010

I read the review below mine and have a completely different take on the subject. This is our 3rd year with GBS. We like their programs so much that going to GBS Kindergarten has been in our plan all along. My son is eligible for Kindergarten this coming Fall, but would be the youngest in class. Although GBS has some openings in Kindergarten, the teacher thinks my son would benefit more if he goes to Pre-K next year because of his age and maturity level. The recommendation is based on each kid's situation instead of enrollment openings. My son was accepted by another Kindergarten program but we respect the GBS primary teacher's decision, as she cares about the child's readiness instead of filling the class.

Posted: May 9, 2010

I have to say that our son had a truly enriching and memorable experience in his years at GBS. He joined when he was 4 and stayed through the program until he was no longer old enough to attend. (He even helped one year as a summer camp aide when he turned 13!) The teachers are well educated, nurturing and have always displayed a good balance in their discipline - and believe me, there were times when our son could be a handful - yet the teachers remained fair, patient and always communicated with us. Honestly, if I had more children I'd send them here in a heart beat!

Posted: April 27, 2010

Our son went to this school. Have some words of caution for parents should know this. Untill the withdrawal deadline, we were told our son was doing well academically and would need additonal challenge the next year. Once the deadline was past, the school changed its tone and told us he needed to repeat the KG because he was too young and his hand was not strong. Now our son is second grade and he has been selected in the GT program. That year the school did KG program did not fill up and they attempted to hold our child back a year.

Posted: April 13, 2010

The school truly exceeded my expectations! Our daughter was quiet and shy when she came first but her teachers there made sure she got the attention and the extra care as she transitioned from home and different language environment to daycare. Her teachers were loving and nurturing at the same time teaching them lots of things while making the day fun for the kids with different activities all day. My daughter has developed incredibly in this school. Our family is bilingual and it was important for us that our daughter learned to be confident when interacting with English speaking kids. She started the school at 3 with minimal English and after 9 months she is writing and reading letters, she is fluent in English and is progressing with her second language that we speak at home. The school became part of our daughter s family.

Posted: April 5, 2010

I'm currently sending my third child through this school. Fabulous, caring teachers. Great community of parents. And the kindergarten program is highly creative, innovative, and well-rounded in giving the children a fun learning environment with excellent academic preparation. Love it!