Commonwealth Academy

As parents of a bright child whom learns differently, Commonwealth Academy has been a wonderful discovery. Our child is a happy and socially active teenager; however, she needed a supportive environment which would nurture her creativity. C/A continuously encourages her creativity while keeping her focused through its curriculum. Our child enthusiastically looks forward to school and is excelling. C/A has inspired our child, emphasizing that people don't learn one way but multiple ways. Laying this as a foundation that there are multiple ways to arrive at a goal or ending. This approach has made learning fun for her, and she uses this approach in other areas in her life. We enthusiastically endorse Commonwealth Academy for any parents who are searching for that school.

Our daughter had an excellent experience as a high schooler at C/A. The teachers were attentive and engaging. The small class-size encouraged participation. She gained confidence in her writing and math skills. She received strong support from Mr. Clarke and Ms. Litvak in preparing college applications and an art portfolio. Lots of school spirit visible at sporting events and award ceremonies. Faculty and staff worked very hard to make graduation week meaningful and memorable despite the challenges posed by COVID.

Our son attended Commonwealth Academy for four years (5th to 8th grade) after really struggling in another private school in fourth grade. He has some executive function and general organizational issues and is a slower than average processor. Commonwealth gave him the confidence and skills to really succeed academically. He is a super-responsible worker now, always getting his homework done and generally doing quite well. In fact, he succeeded so well that he has asked to move to another school for high school, a school with out the singular focus on helping kids with learning differences. He will start that school this fall and we are confident that C/A gave him the skills, habits, and confidence that he will need to succeed there. We highly recommend C/A for kids who may be struggling in a more traditional school setting.

Commonwealth has been a game-changer for my third grader. She's in class with teachers who understand ADHD and anxiety - they have a giant toolbox full of ways to engage her and keep her interest. I don't have to play quarterback to figure out what accommodations she needs or try to explain ADHD or anxiety to the teachers. My daughter's self-confidence in her ability to learn, which had flagged in second grade, has been restored. She doesn't get singled out and criticized for trouble paying attention - she gets praised for her successes and encouraged where she needs help. For example, after one very rocky day in early fall, the next day my kiddo was thrilled to show me the cougar's paw (Commonwealth Cougars!) she earned for her attention to a particular task. I didn't even realize how much my daughter would benefit from working on social interactions. Support for social skills is huge at Commonwealth - my daughter constantly complained about one classmate at the beginning of the year. By Christmas, she considered this girl her very best friend at school. My daughter absolutely lives for the "quiet lunch" she can attend twice a week that's led by C/A's occupational therapist. Maybe the most meaningful thing Commonwealth did for us this year was to plan for the pandemic and at-home learning. My daughter is now online for core classes, with her teachers and her classmates, in real time from 7:45 a.m. to noon. The video class meetings and the schoolwork primarily use the same platform - a platform the kids were already familiar with at school! There's also a daily activity requirement for P.E. and an elective most afternoons, though timing for those is more flexible. She's at home, but my daughter still has the kind of structure that has been critical to her success at school. And they're still working to build community - classmates and teachers create online bulletin boards full of compliments for kids' birthdays since they can't do their usual birthday compliment chain in person. There are also spirit days and various challenges that have been fun to do. We can't say enough about how much this place has meant to us. If you have a kiddo with the challenges C/A specializes in, it is worth a visit.

Great school for preparing students to succeed in college. Worth every bit of the investment for the best trained and dedicated teachers, comprehensive instruction and careful attention and support for each and every student's success. Best kept secret among all the private school choices in the northern Virginia and DC metro area.