Blue Ridge Middle School

My son is in his first year at Blue Ridge and we are very happy with his experience. He is flourishing academically and socially. He is in one honor's class, which happens to be his favorite class. Blue Ridge has clubs and other things that students can get involved with (e.g. strings) and these I highly recommend because they expand the mind and promote friendships that otherwise would not have occurred. My son was picked on a little at Emerick Elementary but now has a click of about 10 friends. My son says that the teachers are in the hallways and near the lockers in between classes. This is a must for middle school and Blue Ridge is playing it by the book. The principal is also very visible. I see him almost every day standing outside with the riders. He actually talks with the students and they respect him as is evident in their body language and facial expressions. My wife and I feel like we really hit the jackpot with this school.
--Submitted by a parent

I'm an eighth grader at Blue Ridge. The semester is half done and I dont want to leave! I first came here, the new kid from Fairfax county, in 6th grade. Everyone was so welcoming. The teachers here are awesome; whether it was helping me get some of my work published in a magazine or preparing me for my future, they've been there in so many ways. I can't imagine a better middle school than Blue Ridge.

I have two students who attended this school and I found the academic level of challenge satisfactory. Unfortunately, leadership and positive moral is lacking at this school and the teaching my child received was very uneven. I found most of the teaching staff to be very unprofessional when I needed to address any issues. The principal is doing very little to weed out those teachers who are wasting the precious time of the students they are trained professionally to serve and inspire. My students learned in spite of their environment and not as a result.
--Submitted by a parent

I would hope that before a parent makes a decision about Blue Ridge they look at the dates on the previous reviews and take into consideration that the most negative were written before the current principal was appointed. I am a retired teacher who spent my entire 33 year teaching career at Blue Ridge. I have found the teachers and staff, the incompetent past principal not included, to be some of the most caring individuals I have ever worked with. Their interest in the students and their academic achievement far exceeds that of any other school staff I have dealt with. Both of my children attended LCPS and I never felt that the staff and teachers were anywhere near as great as those ar BRMS. The staff and current administrative team bend over backwards to accommodate individual needs. Please visit the school before making a judgement.
--Submitted by a teacher

One of my daughters graduated from Blue Ridge and one who is currently in sixth grade. Blue Ridge is a solid academic environment with many opportunities for the children to explore various extracurricular activities. We've found the teachers to be very responsive and involved, which is amazing given how many kids are at the school. Obviously overcrowding is an issue and has been our only concern. I suspect the teachers find it difficult to dedicate as much time to individual students as they would like. As a result, it is easy for some kids to get through w/out really being challenged. So a lot of that responsibility falls back on the parent (at a time in the child's life when they are starting to challenge Mom & Dad). Anyway, congrats to staff at Blue Ridge. You do a great job in a tough situation.
--Submitted by a parent

Halls ways are crowded, too many students not enough room.
--Submitted by a student

Ha, I find that Blue Ridge has some goods and some bads. There are some teachers that are good and connect to the students real well, but others may be to strict to be a teacher. The Blue Ridge Staff has some really intelligent teachers and some so not. And also, yes we have received 'The Schools To Watch' but I remember hearing that we should smile to everyone that day so we could receive that award, correct me if that is deceiving the judges.

II could not disagree with you more! As a teacher at Blue Ridge Middle, I really take offence to comments like this. We just won an award from 'Schools to Watch' which only has 11 schools in the entire state of Virginia. Three of which are in Loudoun, Co. Yes, all schools have concerns, but I would not and do not agree with this parent s statement. As a teacher here, I am sorry your child had a bad experience. Hopefully, their school experience has improved in the high school setting. I have taught in many other schools and this is by far.... NOT the worst school. Please update your comments.
--Submitted by a teacher

We have had two children pass through this school. Like most of our friends, we belive this school has serious problems. Student morale is low, there is constant confrontation between students and facilty, inconsistant inforcement of regulations and the staff range from being aloof to almost hostile to parent feedback. This school is without a doubt the worst educational facility any of our children have attended.
--Submitted by a parent