Guidepost Montessori at Aldie

It was challenging for us to find a school when we moved, so I decided to write this review. I hope it will be helpful to someone else. Overall takeaway: Guidepost Montessori at Aldie has been an excellent school and is worth touring. Detailed review: Guidepost Montessori at Aldie is an excellent school that allows students to truly understand academic concepts and develop a love of learning. As other Montessori families know, finding a Montessori school in many U.S. locations is a challenge. The second challenge is finding one that's actually accredited. Third is finding one that goes up to age 12. Fourth is finding one with a competent head of school, admin team, and guides. We are happy to say that over this past year, Guidepost at Aldie has checked all of those boxes, and then some. We appreciate this and do not take it for granted. (We have moved throughout the U.S. and have found that checking all 4 boxes is very difficult, regardless of the state or tuition price.)We are still relatively new to the area and can say that this past 2023-2024 year was a great experience for our elementary-aged child. The school gained a new head of school last fall who is competent, forward-thinking, organized, and professional. Their admin team is excellent. Their elementary guides have been phenomenal. The lead elementary guide, who we have known for two years, immediately connected with our child and has been an incredible mentor, educator, and role model. The assistant guide, who joined last year, has similarly been an awesome addition to the team. The school itself has many grassy outdoor spaces and the building and classrooms are kept clean, clutter-free, and organized. It has a happy, positive vibe. Academically, their Montessori works are quite advanced and are superior to the way students are taught at conventional schools. Also, there are other important factors that are focused on here, such as the importance of being kind, being a good human, taking responsibility, respecting oneself, and respecting others. They also enable students to be leaders, good public speakers, problem solvers, collaborators, and self-starters. Lastly: If you are brand new to Montessori, I recommend watching the short video called "Montessori Madness, A Parent-to-Parent Argument for Montessori Education by Trevor Eisller". (This can be found on YouTube via a Google search.) If you watch that before touring, you will really appreciate what they have to offer.