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.

I love this school! We came here because we quickly needed daycare when we first arrived in the area. I am so thankful that we were blessed to find this location. The director, Ms. Kim is so extremely responsive and the staff treats each child as if they were their own. Every teacher knows each kids name even if they are not in their class and they always give a warm greeting. Ms. Kim ensures her staff is held to the highest standards in the way the staff treats and teaches the children as well as the state of the facility itself. It is kid friendly, welcoming, and above all very clean. They offer power tots during the day once a week which has been such a wonderful opportunity for my child. They love it and it has helped with development as well. We also appreciate the meals offered. It makes our lives so much easier. The academic activities are also great for child development. Finally, the app for getting updates throughout provides such peace of mind especially for infants. We initially were waitlisted for another school and when we were finally offered a spot, we knew there was no way we were changing. We have been here over two years and most certainly would recommend sending your child here for any age.

The Vine staff consistently go above and beyond when taking care of our children! They update us regularly with pictures, texts, and stories of what has taken place during the day. They have taught our children how to be kind, caring, and thoughtful and have more than prepared our son for kindergarten. Our daughter has to say goodbye to everyone—adult and child—before she leaves each day. I cannot imagine a better place for children to be if they can’t be at home. Kim and the rest of The Vine Preschool staff are hands-down the best!

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.

I am the proud mommy of an alumni "Kim's Kid". I love, love, love The Vine Preschool. My youngest son attended from 6 months old until he turned 4. This school was the best of all worlds, Noah was loved and nurtured as well as given a great education. I really appreciate the care and attention to detail that Kim and her staff take. Knowing how challenging traffic and commuting can be in the Metro DC area, I commuted from Woodbridge, VA to The Vine Preschool in Alexandria, VA to work in Maryland and back daily. I would do it again in heartbeat!!! There is is no short cut in my day that could measure up to the peace of mind I had knowing that my child was receiving the best care daily. Being an educator myself, I at times wonder if I have unrealistic expectations of what school and childcare should look like for my kids. But our experience at The Vine Preschool proved to me that excellence in care and education should be the expectation, not the exception. From an infant, Kim provided my family with developmental reports on how Noah was growing and learning. She also provided invaluable information on how we could use our time at home to create a learning continuum. I am a believer and advocate for small home learning environments, especially when children are young. It was a rare and awesome experience to find Kim and The Vine Preschool. Even to this day, I have a sense of "family" with the special group of people that we have been afforded the opportunity to share this very important time in our lives with. When people comment on how articulate and smart Noah is, I smile and remind myself it's because he was one of "Kim's Kids".