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.

Our daughter loves The Vine and all the amazing teachers and director. We were nervous parents sending her to daycare but The Vine has been such a great fit for our family.

This PreSchool is awesome! They have an amazing group of providers. The admin staff is knowledgeable, patient & bilingual. There is a great multicultural vibe amongst the staff & children. The fee is comparable to the other schools in the neighborhood. However, this location operates 0600-1800. So that was the extra bonus for my family & work schedule.

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!

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".