The Vine Preschool at St James in Alexandria, VA

My daughter has been going to the Vine for almost a year, and she loves it. Not only is the staff very friendly, they are also held to a high standard by the owner. They are required to complete well above the Virgina state minimum for teaching courses, which is evident based on how well they teach, play, guide, and interact with the children. The facility has a welcoming atmosphere and is cleaned daily. The staff sends multiple photos and videos everyday, which ensures you are aware of how your child's day is going. The Vine also has several optional classes and programs you can choose to sign your child up for. This gives them the flexibility to try out different activities while also continuing to build friendships with their fellow Vine classmates. The staff is very responsive, and they typically respond to a parents message very quickly and thoughtfully. All the other families that go there are very nice too, and overall the Vine does a great job of creating a welcoming community that your child can learn and thrive in.

We switched our daughter to The Vine at 15 months after having her enrolled at a separate day care center in Old Town, and from the start the transition was amazing! The staff guided not just her, but also us parents through the transition. 10 months later and we could not be happier with our choice to switch to The Vine. We look forward to enrolling our next child in the infant class. You can’t beat this neighborhood daycare!

My daughter has been going to The Vine Preschool, St. James location, since she was 12 weeks old. We toured several places and were impressed with how happy all the children of all ages were that day. After a few weeks of her attendance, my guilt of having to go back to work was gone. My daughter was clearly enjoying “going to school” and getting to experience new things and developmental activities while making friends. There has been a steady stream of art work, photos and videos sent over the years as well as sharing of exciting milestones. There is a nice balance of fun and structure in each day and the staff clearly love children. The staff and director, Kim, have been instrumental in my daughter’s development into the happy, caring, respectful, very smart, 2 year old she is today. Kim has been wonderful in offering advice and sharing stories from not only an educator’s point of view, but also as parent herself. We feel very lucky to have found The Vine Preschool!

We were with The Vine for almost two years and we absolutely loved it. My daughter is starting Kindergarten this year and I have no doubt that she is ready! The curriculum is amazing and my daughter has learned so much. My son was in the center from the time he was 9 months old until now at 2.5, and the staff cared for him as if he were their own. I never doubted that my children were in the absolute best hands. I highly HIGHLY recommend The Vine if you are looking for caring teachers in a robust learning environment!

We have been a part of The Vine Preschool family for over 5 years and it's truly been a wonderful experience. As new parents we were so anxious about finding just the right caregivers for our newborn son. We did a lot of research, interviewed nannies, visited centers and numerous home day cares. We initially chose a center but I wasn't confident that it was the place so I continued to look. Somehow I'd missed The Vine Preschool in my initial search. Thankfully, Kim's website gave me the information I needed to know about who she was and what her background was. Her background helped me know that she would be more than a babysitter, she would educate my child. Kim opened her doors for me to visit one afternoon and I knew right away that this was where my little guy should be. The environment was welcoming and it clear that the children loved Kim and her assistant and that the feeling was mutual. It wasn't easy leaving my son that first day but Kim put me at ease. She reminded me that she has an open door policy so I could visit any time; which I did many times at the beginning. My son flourished at The Vine Preschool. Both his emotional and educational needs were met in age appropriate and positive ways. He went off to junior kindergarten ready to listen, learn and play. He continues to love Ms. Kim and excitedly shares details about his life as a kindergartner when he sees her. 3 years into our time with Kim, there was no doubt that our little girl would attend The Vine Preschool. She's now 2.5 and loves her teachers, friends and school. She requires speech therapy and Kim is more than happy to support her by welcoming the therapist twice a month. She's great about communicating our daughter's successes and areas for improvement. We're so happy to have found The Vine Preschool! Its role in our lives has made being a dual working family so much easier. We routinely talk to others about what a great experience it's been and will most certainly shed tears when it's time for our daughter to move on to the next stage in her young life.