Hollin Meadows Elementary School

A National Award Winning School. The community here has really taken a stake in shaping this school. The principal is one of very few in the area that keeps an open door policy for parents, and welcomes you in to be a part of your child's experience at school. The community has worked together to build outdoor classrooms and gardens and kids love it. Every year this school wins another national award, and it's well deserved. The community has also helped maintain extra science and math resources giving kids extra opportunities to take science classes and learn outdoors. They use the responsive classroom system, and it really helps to manage behavior and help kids take a role in their classroom community. My kids love it here, and I couldn't imagine being anywhere else.
—Submitted by a parent

So glad we moved out of the HM school district!!!! For 3 years of my childs elementary school years we were here.. and it was Heck! My child had the same teacher for 2 years and another for the last year here and every year my child was miserable. Hated going to school, hated everything! Do you know how sad it is to see your child hate school?? They just send children out of the class to "deal with behavior issues", never call to inform you of anything, yet get upset with you for everything. My childs K and 1st grade teacher constantly made nasty comments to my kid, thinking I wouldn't know or be told them... even threaten my child if I was told about it.. Now there is nothing I can do about it now, but if I had known, I'd be in the news! We are at Stratford Landing ES now and my child LOVES LOVES LOVES school.. We can't seem to leave early enough to get there =) and every subject is the best subject in school to learn. So thrilled to have gotten away from HM and the HORRIBLE teachers, principal and staff.. they are horrid to deal with and I hope they reap the karma they all deserve.
—Submitted by a parent

My son attended this school last year in the second grade. The teacher and office were unwilling to understand when we were sick and because we lived in an apartment all of .25 miles away they refused bus transportation! I worked in DC and it was NOT ideal! The teacher was very uncooperative and insulting. Obviously not happy with her job. Some people just shouldn't work with young children. The school did provide an alternative to lunch menu, which worked out great. There was always something to pay for. What happened to free education? I was not impressed with the quality of friends options and neither was my son. So glad we are out of there! Traffic was horrible too.
—Submitted by a parent

Moving here in August of 2011 we were hesitant about sending our kids to HM. Having come from a 10 rated school with a very different racial and socio-economic mix of students we were not sure what to expect. This year has been a wonderful year for my three children! As with all schools, no matter the ranking, a child s experience often depends on their teacher. I LOVE all of kid s teachers. All three are strong, thoughtful, caring, organized teachers who have developed a positive classroom environment, which has helped my children grown academically and socially. Being a Title One school HM has many reading and math specialists who move from classroom to classroom allowing for more attention for each student. I love the diversity my children see every day with both the students and teachers. I volunteer at the school for several hours each week and highly enjoy my time there. Cons: If you have a high achieving student they may not be pushed as hard as you might like, not all parents are involved and classroom volunteers tend to be the same parents over and over, there is only one teacher overseeing the lunch room which makes it noisy and chaotic.
—Submitted by a parent

Fantastic school! Top, caring teachers, strong academics, active PTA, many extracurricular activities. Encourages parents in the schools -- from walking children to classroom door in morning, to volunteering in art class, library, cafeteria, and more. Positive environment for learning, fosters sense of community and responsibility in children. My child loves HM -- his teachers and friends alike. We are looking forward to sending our next child there also.
—Submitted by a parent

The overall tone of this school is harsh and controlling. The amount of yelling on a daily basis is terrible. While there are a couple of reasonable parts, it is an overall depressing place to be. My children aren't learning much except that teachers scream and school is frightening and boring. So sad.
—Submitted by a parent

School just named 2011 Intel School of Distinction in Math. This school is much more than the scoring indicates. I just graduated a 6th Grader who went since K and have third grader. It has an authentic hands-on method of teaching that is getting real results in math and reading scores. It is a special school with involved community, teachers and administration.
—Submitted by a parent

My children and I LOVE Hollin Meadows. We came from Prince Georges School and seen a BIG difference. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK HOLLIN MEADOWS !!!!
—Submitted by a parent

We are military and moved into Hollin Meadows area in the middle of the year. We have since moved again and will be back in the Alexandria area in 2011. Our kids absolutely LOVED the school. The best was the diversity -- there are kids there from all over the world, literally. The multi-cultural fair, the Renaissance fair for 5th graders, the gardens, the science program, the literacy program, arts and music are all integrated so kids in every grade are having similar lessons on their grade level. We can't WAIT to get back to Hollin Meadows.
—Submitted by a parent

Hollin Meadows is an exceptional school offering top-notch, dedicated teachers and a professional, involved administration. We have the means to send our two elmentary-aged children to private schools but opted to send them to HM and have NEVER been disappointed we made this decision. They have a beautiful garden--which Mrs. Obama saw when she visited the school in November 2009!--and an excellent math and science curriculm. My children are thriving and learning things that I'm pretty confident will help them throughout their lives. A+
—Submitted by a parent

Hollin Meadows is an Excellent school. Very professional and caring teachers, very active PTA. Peaceful enviroment. I love it
—Submitted by a parent

Hollin Meadows is a wonderful school. My two children love all of the their teachers and the activities they are involved in at school. The sense of community at Hollin Meadows is wonderful and every day at school we make new friends both children and parents. We are very proud of our library and all of it's resources, our outdoor garden which is also used in combination with science activities and our clubs, like running club, chess club, and drama. It is a joy to be a part of Hollin Meadows and the teachers, staff, PTA, kids and families are what makes it such a neat place to be a part of!
—Submitted by a parent

If you drive by Hollin Meadows you may think it's not the most attractive building. Go inside and you will find lots of love for the school and its students. On school days parents and children walk in and they are greeted by name with a very warm welcome. Walk around outdoors and see the children's work in the beautiful gardens they helped grow and cultivate. Hollin Meadows takes pride in its programs and campus. The faculty and staff is wonderful and caring. The PTA is dedicated to ensure our school continues to thrive.
—Submitted by a parent

Hollin Meadows is a mini United Nations located in the Hollin Hill neighborhood. With 30 countries represented and 17 languages spoken, many Military families, and families from the surrounding neighborhood all blend together. Diversity is one of HM's strengths and challenges.We have a fantastic ,creative, innovative pta who works hard to build a strong sense of community. The need for parent involvement is essential, when we work together I think that creates an opportunity to meet the variety of challenges all schools face. Hollin Meadows has been a special place for our family for many years. sue bernstein
—Submitted by a parent

The teachers and instructional assistants at Hollin Meadows make the school. They truly seem to put their heart and soul into my children's education. However, I will say that discipline issues seem to be a problem at Hollin Meadows. There will always be disruptions in the classroom. However, it seems that since my children have been in Kindergarden at Hollin Meadows there are many behavioral issues and they are not properly addressed by the administration. I belive this puts a strain on the students and the teachers in the classrooms.
—Submitted by a parent

My child has been here for one year and she could not been happier. Wonderful, dedicated teachers. Very active PTA. I love it......
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter has been at Hollin Meadows for 2 years, and we have never exoerienced a better, more well thought out and organized education. The school itself has a great deal of special interest education, and an icredible outdoor garden that the children are activley involved in year round. The music, Art, science, and literacy programs are top notch. Parental involvement is high, and the multicultural aspect of this school is spectacular! I don't know anyone who has a bad thing to say about this school. This is a really excellent example of the kind of school all children should attend. It is truly embraced by it's surrounding community and the faculty and staff are truly loved and appreciated by the families here.
—Submitted by a parent

When you drive by Hollin Meadows to scope it out(like I did a few years ago), you may not get a great feeling. The school is a bit older and needs some updates. But if you walk into school with your child on the first day(like I did a few years ago) you will know at that moment that you made the best choice. Hollin Meadows is a community. No other school I know greets people outside(even on cold days)as they walk in. That's not to mention the smiling faces that greet you in the main lobby. The staff know all the students and say hello to them as they walk by. It is a perfectly diverse group of students as well---racially, culturally, and economically. Extra-curricular activites galore, an award-winning PTA, a lush garden, beautiful mural behind the school. It's remarkable. Hollin Meadows is the place to be!!!
—Submitted by a parent

This is a great school. The staff is warm and loving, and the parental involvement is unbelievable. This is a diamond in the rough.
—Submitted by a parent

I am a parent of a Hollin Meadows student. I adopted my child through Social Services and interviewed Stratford Landing, Riverside and Bucknell Elementary School. I found Hollin Meadows had the best care for my child s special needs. He has been a student for 4 years and currently has a High school reading level and is in the Gifted and Talented Program. He has excelled in all aspects of his education and more. This is all due to the care, kindness, diligence and true perseverance of the well educated staff. He was in a behavioral class for 1 year and mainstreamed his 2nd year and his last 2 years has surpassed all expectations in his 6th grade level of education. He plays the piano, chess and reads 700+ books twice a week. This would not have been possible without the fabulous Teachers, Vice Principal, Principal (Mr. John Gates) and nurturing staff found only at Hollin Meadows. I would recommend this school even if you do not have any issues with your child as they will be well prepared for their future. Sincerely
—Submitted by a parent