Children's International School

Both my children attended CIS in Alexandria and we have been very happy with our experience! They do a great job with preparing the kids for kindergarten in a fun learning environment. They fun activities, caring teachers, and a great way of teaching everything the kids need to know to be ready for school. We definitely recommend!

Our son started at CIS in August 2024 after our VERY beloved in-home daycare closed. He was 3 at the time and we knew the adjustment would be tricky. We visited several full-time preschools in the area, with location/convenience of drop-off/pick-up being a top priority for us. CIS was the only one we visited without a personal reference, and we were referred to it through friends who checked it out but didn't ultimately attend CIS because they moved out of the country. On our initial visit, we were immediately impressed with the diversity and warmth the school provided. Many of the teachers (great ones!) have been there for decades. The materials also referenced a "conscious discipline" approach to managing behavior, which my husband and I wholly support. We also loved the way the rooms were arranged, with photos to show where everything belongs. And although there isn't much green space, CIS has on-site two small playgrounds. The preschool also coordinates with a local organization to provide spring and fall soccer lessons once a week, at an additional cost. For music, CIS arranges for a talented, local musician to come on-site once a week to get the kids singing and dancing. Once we made our choice, our son had a bit of a rough transition, which is to be expected at 3 years old. One of the veteran teachers, with a perfect balance of compassion and no-nonsense, spent at least three weeks personally helping our son say goodbye in the morning with as few tears as possible. After that initial transition period, our son has really loved CIS, and has thrived there. He loves his teachers, has made some great friends, and generally enjoys going each day. The school communicates coursework and activities, and shares the lunch/snack menus monthly. Although it's not a fancy school, CIS is warm and the staff clearly care about the kids. They take medicine administration seriously and the space is clean and welcoming. There has been some turnover in directors during our time there, but the current director seems great so far! Our son will head to kindergarten this fall and we will genuinely miss our connection to CIS (for now). We highly recommend CIS as an affordable, full-time preschool option in Alexandria.

I am extremely happy our daughter attends this school. She loves being around her friends/classmates, and most importantly, the staff here are all amazing individuals.

Amazing daycare. We absolutely love it! Kind, caring teachers. They have many activities for kids inside and outside such as art, music, handcrafts, etc. They send you a monthly schedule of kids food, snacks. They send you a newsletter with so many cute pictures of your kids. Without any doubts one of the best in Alexandria area!

This is an absolutely wonderful school. The teachers are top-knotch and they have a very good curriculum. It is a warm and caring place and my daughter has spent three wonderful years at CIS. She has made some great friends and has been well-prepared for Kindergarten. We are sorry to have to leave!