Reston Montessori School in Reston | Military Town Advisor

Posted: August 14, 2026

RMS was truly one of the best decisions I ever made for my daughter. From day one, Miss Emily and Miss Rama have been such an important part of her life, and I cannot thank them enough for everything they have done for her.

They have taught her so much, helped her grow, and prepared her so well for kindergarten. But more than anything, they cared for my daughter with so much love, patience, and kindness. As a parent, there is no greater comfort than knowing your child is in the best hands, and that is exactly how they made me feel every single day.

I am forever grateful to Miss Emily, Miss Rama, and everyone at RMS for loving, teaching, and caring for my daughter as if she were their own. They have made such a lasting impact on her life, and I will always appreciate everything they have done for our family.

Thank you, RMS, for giving my daughter such a wonderful foundation and for giving me the peace of mind that she was always safe, loved, and cared for. We will forever be grateful!

Posted: May 15, 2026

RMS has been truly wonderful - we started at the tail-end of pre-primary and are now moving up to primary. All the staff seem to truly care and the environment is very warm and welcoming. Ms. Nadia in particular has been such an amazing teacher and we feel so lucky that our child got to work with her, though I've only heard good things about all of the teachers as well. The school is an AMS member and we plan to be here for many more years and love that they go through middle school.

Posted: April 10, 2026

Weve had a great experience with Reston Montessori School. The teachers are caring and attentive, and the Montessori approach has really helped my son become more independent and confident. The environment is nurturing and encourages curiosity and learning at each childs own pace. Were very happy with the school!

Posted: June 7, 2024

I recently volunteered here for a program and I was dismayed at the way the teachers spoke to the students. There was a lot of shaming and short tempers. I understand that it's the end of the year and a lot of teachers are burnt out, but I don't think it's acceptable to be unkind to children. I was surprised because I've been to other montessori schools that actually embody the philosophy-- regardless, some schools foster an environment where teachers are trained to be respectful, kind, clear and speak to children in ways that foster safety and are developmentally appropriate. Shaming children, yelling at them, or being unkind is really not acceptable. One positive: the kids seemed excited about learning, and the school was beautifully set up and decorated.

Posted: July 24, 2023

We have had our son in RMS since he was 3 years old and absolutely love the teachers and the head of the school, Ms. Eliana. Highly recommend this place.

Posted: May 31, 2023

As a parent, I am happy to see that my son Aneesh experience at Reston Montessori has been a very fulfilling one. His teachers are very supportive and nurturing in their teaching style, and they make a conscious effort to attend to his individual needs. This, in turn, has instilled a strong and positive attitude in him towards learning. He enjoys his time spent, and likes the well-rounded skills he is learning through a blend of academics, music and other extracurricular activities. Thankyou RMS!

Posted: May 31, 2023

Reston Montessori (RMS) has a best school environment, it can be trusted 100% for kids wonderful learning experience. At RMS, Kids feel very nurturing, kind, welcoming, adaptable environment. I couldn't have asked for a better experience. Another important thing I would insist on is, RMS has absolutely outstanding teachers. They put in 110% effort and it shows.
Finally, Reston Montessori (RMS) has exceeded my expectations. Would highly recommend for everyone.

Posted: April 22, 2023

I'd like to start this by saying that I'm more of a reader of reviews than a writer. However, due to my experience with this school I felt like I had to write one. This school is AMAZING. From the ground up it has everything my child needs to thrive. I had to move my son to RMS in the middle of the year after he had some issues with his old school. I applied and was called for an interview by the director, Ms. Eliana. Ms. Eliana is the kindest, most caring and compassionate woman I have ever worked with. She was incredibly understanding of my son's needs and worked with him and I throughout the whole process to ensure it was a smooth and efficient transition. Every question I asked was returned with a comprehensive answer and every need I had was fulfilled. As my son entered the robin room halfway through the year, his teachers worked with him to catch him up to the other students. He has never expressed trouble with the material in class and the teachers are always quick to let me know of any issues. My son has gone to a number of schools in his lifetime, but so far, RMS is his favorite. At his old schools he used to come home worn out and tired, but at RMS he doesn't even want to leave! He loves his peers as well as his teachers and he seems to learn something new every day. Without a doubt, RMS has the best school environment I have ever seen. I'll have to say, I was worried that switching to a this school halfway through the year would be a rough transition but it has been delightful. I couldn't have asked for a better experience.

Posted: August 27, 2021

We've been part of the RMS community for the past 8 years, and both my children have absolutely thrived at the school (one is in kindergarten there now, and the other was there through third grade). The teachers are dedicated and caring, the schoolwork is interesting and challenging, and the specials offered are excellent (French, art, music, etc). The school truly feels like one big family, and it's a really nurturing environment for kids of all ages and backgrounds. I especially like the cultural diversity of the school, and the fact that the teachers and staff do such a good job honoring and teaching about a wide variety of holidays and cultural practices.

In reading some of the other reviews, I have to clarify that the school *has* had quite an effective COVID mitigation strategy in place. What the previous poster neglected to say is that the teacher/student COVID cases mentioned in that post were literally the only two COVID cases in the school all year. The school *did* indeed communicate those cases to the entire school via email. RMS went to great lengths, in fact, to minimize class size and create new teaching pods in favor of smaller groups when COVID first started. They also have hand sanitizer everywhere, kids wash their hands often, and all staff and students wear masks indoors.

Overall, we truly love the school and feel that it's been a great, supportive environment that's helped both our kids become the best version of themselves from an academic, social and emotional perspective.

Posted: March 20, 2021

The teaching staff at Reston Montessori is excellent and provides very high quality instruction. We have, however, had problems with the implementation of RMS's COVID mitigation strategy. Unfortunately, one of the instructors in our child's classroom chose not to receive the COVID vaccine, contracted COVID, and transmitted the disease to a student. Despite RMS's written policy that they will immediately notify parents of any suspected cases, they did not do this for either the sick teacher or the sick student, making the whole situation significantly more stressful.

Up until now, Reston Montessori has performed admirably in their attempts to mitigate COVID. It is unfortunate that their record is marred by a teacher choosing not to get vaccinated and the administration choosing not to notify parents in a timely manner.

Posted: January 28, 2021

My children have been at Reston Montessori (RMS) since they were only a few months old. After touring many schools in the area, from the moment we walked into RMS it was nurturing, kind, welcoming, adaptable, and have gone above and beyond for our children. The RMS teachers and staff are not only excellent and nurturing teachers but the curriculum and structure is far and above others. We have also experiencing some issues with the owner, but my children are not learning from the owner, they are learning and with teachers and their peers everyday. I would also add in the five years we have been at RMS my children have not experienced any turnover in teachers or aides in the classroom.

Posted: April 1, 2020

RMS has absolutely outstanding teachers. They put in 110% effort and it shows. RMS management and ownership is lacking, however. Communication is poor, questions go unanswered, and policies and procedures change frequently and without warning. The school's PTA has no communication with the school's management and is unable to effect change.

Posted: January 30, 2020

I love Reston Montessori School. The teachers have fostered a love of learning in both of my children. We have found it to be academically challenging and nurturing at the same time.

Posted: December 16, 2019

This school fosters high anxiety from the head of school and trickling down. They are open to and cater toward cultures from around the world, but struggle with catering to american culture, and are indirect opposition to american liberal culture which one would expect a montessori school. They foster a strong ableism toward social and emotional differences and instead of "following the child" like the montessori philosophy dictates, they pressure the children into academic achievement based on fear of disappointment. While that is a philosophy embraced by many, it is directly opposite to the montessori philosophy.

Posted: January 31, 2019

Has exceeded my expectations. Would highly recommend.

Posted: January 31, 2019

Posted: March 2, 2018

Posted: February 14, 2018

Our daughters have been attending Reston Montessori since September.Coming from a traditional education environment to Montessori learning transitioned them into a thoughtful learner. They questions processes and asks why, instead of adapting to doing the same thing over and over again the same way. Their kind teachers and adorable Director let you trust and believe that everything they are teaching will be carried with them in their future . I would recommend Reston Montessori to any parent who wants to provide their child the opportunity to grow outside the boundaries of traditional education and allow the child to find their hidden strengths and build on them.

Posted: January 14, 2017

I have been sending my toddler here and we absolutely love it! She's thriving and learning so much. She had met every developmental milestone months early. The teachers are so caring, nurturing, and loving to all of the children. I can't say enough good things about RMS.

Posted: May 9, 2016

My daughter is thriving beautifully at RMS - I couldn't be more happy with her progress and we've only just begun. The teachers are kind, patient and incredibly supportive of her growth. I'm provided direct, specific and constructive feedback so I can echo the Montessori Method at home and help my baby girl continue to achieve the tasks she SO wants to master. The administrative staff is very helpful and they communicate consistently which is a nice change of pace from our last school. I know my daughter is learning and growing every day -- she's safe, happy, challenged and supported. So thrilled I made the move to RMS!!

Posted: March 7, 2016

I have been sending my two children here for the past three years and have nothing but wonderful things to say about the teachers and community. Now with the change in director who is also a teacher at the school, I already see improvements at the school and practices. My children have received such personal attention for their individual needs that I know would not happen at other schools. They continue to thrive with the help of their wonderful teachers.

I recommend this school to every friend who is looking to sent their child to Montessori.

Posted: December 28, 2015

My son attended Reston Montessori for the Spring semester in 2015 to determine it was a good fit for him. We determined it was not. I question the integrity and experience of the staff - especially the upper school teachers and the academic therapist. My son has a low threshold for frustration and we understand that he can be a handful when he is stressed. It is something we work on with him and have a counselor to help him mange his emotions. However, I was shocked that by mid semester his teachers were so fed up that they stop encouraging him academically, and we learned he had not completed any works for nearly 5 weeks. Again, I know he is a handful when he is stressed this includes learning new things and making new friends, but what I was more shocked by the lack of communication from the school about this issue. It shouldn't take 5 weeks to reported an issue. It seemed that his teachers had given up because they had no clue what to do. Moreover, I started getting emails from his teachers encouraging that we switch counselors to their recommended practice which I found inappropriate especially since they knew he was established at another practice.

In short, we found that the school's staff to be very young, very inexperienced and are really struggling with communication. I can forgive a lot but for the price of this school, I expect better.

I imagine other families can be successful here if their child is self-motivated academically and does not have special needs, but for the families whose child needs extra love I wouldn't recommend this school.

Also the shoes mentioned in a few reviews were the "Montessori Movers" for $37 and will be mandatory inside shoes for the 2016 school year along with other new uniform rules per the PTA email sent out while we were there.

Posted: November 24, 2015

In this day and age of little or no ethics, it seems all is fair in politics and school reviews.

Words are very powerful tools; they can hurt, damage and misguide people.

I would like to clarify a few of the remarks on this site. In particular the statements regarding shoes, the shoes are NOT mandatory and they do NOT cost $40. As to the drama I did not see any, save for the person writing about the shoes.

As a rational and happy RMS parent, I would like to say that my children have thrived in the incredible environment of Reston Montessori School.

A rational and happy parent.

Posted: November 24, 2015

Posted: September 14, 2015

Posted: September 7, 2015

There is very poor communication at the school. New policies were implemented last minute that deviated from the parent handbook several times while we were there including new special $40 Montessori shoes what were made mandatory the weekend before school started.

Some of the teachers are dedicated to their students but we found the pre-primary teachers arrogant and difficult. After the second Director change we left, didnt need the drama.

Posted: June 9, 2015

This school has a great program for grades 1-6 (Elementary). The classes are small with great teachers that really care about the kids. It's taught by a small group of teachers that are experienced and have been with the school for years. My experience in the lower program (Kindergarten) was not so great. A great deal of emphasis is placed on only the kids that are advanced and the ones that are not so advanced are labeled and disregarded. Kindergarten is also very unorganized and has weak teachers. Luckily, I stuck with it and now my children are getting all they need through the great Elementary program.

Posted: June 5, 2015

The upper school experience was terrible these past couple years. Primary was terrific. This school is very bipolar. You never know what you are going to get. Take your chances but beware.

Posted: March 4, 2015

My son has been at this school since he was 3 months old. I was so confident in the infant program I never once worried while at work. The transition to preprimary has been great and my son is absolutely thriving. His vocabulary is far above others his age in other schools, he loves the French offerings, the art projects, his classroom fish, and of course his teachers.

Posted: August 25, 2014

I made a chart showing all the discrepancies between my son's report card and the teacher's recommendations. The director's response said they will not discuss the recommendation and to communicate with their attorney. So, please, learn from my experience - this is not a school that has your child's or family's interest at heart. They are not nice people. If they were, they'd take the time to talk to us and give us an explanation. In my opinion, I think the teacher was upset about us leaving the school. Her attitude change to us was not as friendly when she found out we weren't returning. We think that her negative recommendation was influenced to us not returning since she lost many students and she told me she only has 9 kids in her class for fall. Also - the premises don't seem very clean, especially the bathrooms.

Posted: July 20, 2014

Great school, spectacular elementary program with a strong curriculum and teachers. Sad to see the previous tirade from one angry parent (and I stress ONE). At least 2 of the Elementary teachers have been with the school for 20 years. That speaks volumes. Great program.

Posted: April 8, 2014

Wow! I am shocked by this parents negative comment! I am not sure exactly what they have seen or witnessed! Absolute nonsense to make such a comment! The program, teachers, and the academic curriculum is outstanding! They claim It is not a very safe environment for young children?!! That is a bogus claim! This school provides the safest and most friendliest environment for children. Everyone there is family.....This particular parent should just leave.....

Posted: April 8, 2014

I am completely disgusted by the previous comment. Clearly that is an angry person holding a grudge with RMS teachers and administrators. My experience with the Elementary program and teachers has been nothing but favourable and of the highest of quality. Suffice to say: we have options in where to place our children in school. Clearly the parent in question should use their options and leave, rather than post viscous and cruel remarks online. A grudge is a grudge no matter what colour you paint it. Shame to the parent that did this.

Posted: April 7, 2014

A couple years back, I rated this school 5 stars and have raved about it with other parents who are interested in giving their child a montessori education. However, within the past year there has been a couple incidents involving temper issues/physical altercations and too much aggression among a couple Upper Elementary students towards a Lower Elementary student(s) that have not been handled properly by the teacher (or the administration). This is the second time the same issue has been addressed and nothing has been done to remedy it. When these issues are addressed and a permanent fix takes place, then I am more then willing to change my rating for this school. Until then, I will have to give it a 2 star rating. As a side note, If you do not want your 6 year old to play outside with 10-12 year olds who are twice their size. DO NOT send your child to RMS. The Elementary school has mixed aged groups ranging from ages 6-12 in ONE classroom (45 kids) and they play outside together as well. This is not a very safe environment for your young child and this is not how montessori schools are suppose to be designed.

Posted: November 19, 2013

RMS is a warm welcoming environment. The teachers are dedicated to their work and work with children according to their ability. The parents are very involved in the school life. Socials and fun fundraisers help staff, parents and children form a warm relationship with each other. The academics are high standard and there is also a good variety of extra-curricular activity and many field trips. Highly recommended!

Posted: November 19, 2013

Great academics, French, PE, music, art and lots of field trips. Make learning fun and interesting. My kids love coming to school everyday!

Posted: April 9, 2013

Elementary Program is awful. Teachers are not qualified and not certified. Pre-school was fine. My daughter is now in the AP program in Fairfax County and RMS doesn't even compare.

Posted: April 5, 2013

My son attended this school from kindergarten to first grade. Now he is in middle school. The 2 years he spent in this school is the most traumatic of his life. He is been labeled as ADD/ADHD and treated unfairly even for small mistakes. We get call 2 to 3 times a week. We were hoping this school would bring kid good discipline and learning experience. We were wrong. We took him out in the middle of school year and management and teachers were very rude and insensitive and we were told "Good luck" with your son elsewhere (sarcastic). It took him 3 years to get out of trauma and he is still having nightmares from this school. Parents beware... PS: My son is in seventh grade now...attending Stone hill middle, Ashburn, Honor student and is a starting defensive end and offensive tackle in AYFL Football league.

Posted: February 20, 2013

My son has been attending RMS since he was 6 months old (infant room) and now he is 2+ (toddler room). We had a wonderful experience while attending the infant program. The infant room caregivers were attentive and loving and seemed to genuinely want to be there. The space is big with a segregating sleeping area critical for infant development. My son loved the crawling room with soft climbers as he was developing. Now that we are in the toddler room, I can't say that the experience has been the same. There has been quite a lot of teacher turnover and they are quick to jump to conclusions about the energy of a boy which leads to "labeling" him hyper. Personally, this age group develops and learns best under consistent arrangements (ie: no turnover). I worry that my son won't be permitted to express his feelings very freely and therefore not thrive. I strongly believe that a child's learning is shaped through consistentency in the delivery method and in a nuturing, non-judgemental environment. Teacher turnover only ensures that the child is re-setting EVERY time that they have to work through the introduction and methods of a new teacher. We are looking for a new school.

Posted: January 9, 2013

After seeing a few of these posts, I had to give my two cents as well. The elementary program at RMS is the worst! The teachers are boring, uneducated (one of them constantly misspells), and can be very rude. Elementary has an okay reading, writing, and math program, but yes, there's no history or decent science program whatsoever. They really need to get rid of the elementary teachers and hire teachers that actually like to teach and care about education. The director too is also rude as well!

Posted: December 6, 2012

My child attended this school for a few years. There is large staff turnover and the front office personnel can be quite rude. The quality of teachers is also quite varied. Research a lot if you decide to send your child here. There are plenty of other schools in the area that are run with the children first and not so obviously worried about the bottom dollar.

Posted: October 8, 2012

RMS has one of the nicest, most involved communities that I have ever been a part of! Everytime I walk down the halls I see happy children, engaging in their environment and asking lots of questions. The teachers really know their students well and offer very helpful feedback. I also appreciate how active the PTA is - there are lots of wonderful family events throughout the school year!

Posted: September 30, 2012

I had two kids go through RMS. They each spent 7 years there, from preschool to 3rd grade. This school prepared them academically and allowed them to excell and be in the advanced academic program offered by FCPS. It helped them acheive independant thinking and made them very confident students. The school offers a lot of enrichment subjects in their curriculum, music, french, art, PE, etc.. The elmentary classroom is a wonderful environment, and the updated look is very Montessori.. All in all a very good school, where teachers take their job very seriously and bring out the best in the kids. Iove RMS!

Posted: September 14, 2012

We have been a part of the RMS community for years. All three of our children have been involved at various levels in the school and we have loved all aspects of our experience here. I can't recommend this school highly enough. This is a school that truly cares about the development of the whole child and will help guide you towards what is best for your own children. We love the teachers and staff. Truly a quality school.

Posted: May 10, 2012

My daughter has been in the preprimary class for the last 2 years and we have been very pleased. The teachers seem well-trained and are very responsive to our questions, needs, concerns. My daughter has learned a lot and has had lots of time for play. They rotate the "work" so that it doesn't get boring and the children learn something new after mastering the work. The "after-care" has been very well done - snack, outdoor play, and a different activity planned for every day - reading, crafts, music, etc. I agree that the administration is not very personable but we have not had any specific problems. They recently implemented more email communications about days off and upcoming events that have made things better.

Posted: February 13, 2012

We love love this school. This has been our fourth Montessori (we moved a lot in the last few years) and we have visited over the 15 montessori over the years and this one is by far one of the best. First the environment is bright and clean and the children have a lot of space to work and play. The curriculum is fantastic: outside the traditional math. writing, science, they offer music class, the teacher performs on a regular basis at the kennedy center, Yoga, art, french, cooking. My daughter last week came back wanted to learn more about the french impressionists !!!. they really nourish the curiosity of the kids. the kids are very happy and the teacher ration is fantastic. they do a lot of visit to museum etc (part of the tuition) to support what they learn in class. my daughter is 5 years old and she knows how to read, write, do addition, subtraction, multiplication and started division. She speaks some french and know more about art that I do teachers are extremely dedicated and always available to the children and to the parents. Children are running in the morning to their class, very happy and bright environment. This is a great great school,

Posted: August 10, 2011

I think this school has gone downhill in the last few years since the original founder/director retired. Her daughter took over but she was living in NYC and commuting. She then had some health issues and a classroom teacher took over the administration while teaching a class full time. Now the teacher is going to be full time administrator and teaching part time. There is no real oversight of the classes and no evaluation of the teachers. School is somewhat being run like a "rental property" by the owner. It's a bit irresponsible and the quality of the school has declined.

Posted: July 7, 2011

Very poor elementary program. Curriculum is not well developed and is especially lacking in science. The only science covered is geography! - no real science. All the teachers have been around a long time and have an over inflated opinion of themselves. In benchmarking this program against others in the area (including the Fairfax County Public Schools) , it is sub-par.

Posted: June 28, 2011

Beware. This is a for-profit school and is run as such. The teachers do not receive any professional education and some are very poorly trained. The school is not accredited by any educational body and some of the teachers would not be hired by the public schools. There are other private schools in the area which are much more professional, run as non-profits with a mission of educating children, not making money and keep current of the latest trends in education. I would not recommend this school to other parents.

Posted: May 31, 2011

three years in rms, i don't have a single complain about any teachers nor any staff members. i am so proud of my daughter, what she has learned by her age and credit goes to rms.

#	Name	Type	City	State	Distance
1	Fox Mill Estates	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Herndon	VA	3.7 mi
2	Fox Farm	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Great Falls	VA	5 mi
3	Franklin Glen	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Fairfax	VA	5.6 mi
4	Stonehurst	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Fairfax	VA	6.6 mi
5	Barkley	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Fairfax	VA	6.7 mi
6	Shreevewood	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Falls Church	VA	7.6 mi
7	Lewis Park	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Fairfax	VA	9.4 mi
8	Kings Park West	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Fairfax	VA	9.4 mi
9	Falls Church City	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Falls Church	VA	9.6 mi
10	Willow Woods	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Annandale	VA	9.6 mi
11	Broyhill Crest	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Annandale	VA	9.7 mi
12	Middleridge	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Fairfax	VA	10.1 mi
13	Long Branch	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Annandale	VA	10.2 mi
14	The Elms	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Burke	VA	10.2 mi
15	Little Rocky Run	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Clifton	VA	10.2 mi
16	Leeway Overlee - N Arlington	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Arlington	VA	10.9 mi
17	South Riding	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Chantilly	VA	11 mi

#	Name	City	State	Distance
1	Vienna	Vienna	VA	4.6 mi
2	Chantilly	Chantilly	VA	6.8 mi
3	West Falls Church	Falls Church	VA	7.5 mi
4	Falls Church	Falls Church	VA	8.1 mi
5	Annandale	Annandale	VA	10.7 mi
6	Ashburn	Ashburn	VA	10.9 mi
7	Burke Centre	Burke	VA	11.2 mi
8	Burke	Burke	VA	11.3 mi

Base	Distance
NRO Chantilly	8.2 mi.
Defense Health Headquarters Falls Church	8.4 mi.
Walter Reed Medical Center	12.9 mi.
Mark Center Alexandria	13.9 mi.
Fort Myer	14 mi.
Henderson Hall	14.6 mi.
Pentagon	15.5 mi.
Fort McNair	17.4 mi.
Coast Guard Headquarters DC	17.8 mi.
Bolling AFB Joint Base Anacostia	18.2 mi.
Washington Navy Yard	18.3 mi.
Marine Barracks Washington	18.4 mi.
Fort Belvoir	19.1 mi.
Andrews AFB	25.5 mi.
Indian Head Naval Base	26.2 mi.
Quantico Marine Base	29.3 mi.
Fort Meade NSA	33.1 mi.
Fort Detrick	34.2 mi.
Coast Guard Curtis Bay	44 mi.
Dahlgren NSWC	44.8 mi.
US Naval Academy	45.1 mi.
Annapolis Naval Station	46 mi.
Shepherd Field	47.3 mi.

Reston Montessori School

Reston, VA 20190

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