Edlin School

My daughter started out in this school in K4 and I took her out for a year and put her in the Fairfax County Public school AAP program (no comparison at all!). I love Edlin, here are the reasons why:
1. Student to teacher ratio is 12:1
2. They teach a language plus latin
3. The teachers are warm, caring and professional
4. Uniforms!!!
5. The students are taught that they are lucky to be in the position to attend a private school and should help those who are not lucky-​this runs counter to Nysmith, I found when I went on the school tour that the director felt the students were «special and elite» and she actually felt the need to tell me that «these are the children of lawyers and doctors» (Dear Nysmith, I am neither a Doctor or a lawyer-​are your kids really smart or can they just afford your high tuition?)
6. The students are taught respect for themselves and other people. When the director comes in the room, the kids stand up and address her. In addition, diversity is CELEBRATED, there is no pretence that we are all the same like in Public School. The kids celebrate holidays like Dewali and (thank God!) dress up for Halloween if they choose to. They learn about other cultures which I think is extremely important in our increasingly global society.
7. The lessons arent dumbed down, kids are expected to do well and given the tools to succeed.
8. If a concern of yours, the student body is pretty diverse, though not as diverse as the Reston public schools, but I think this is one of the most racially diverse private schools in Fairfax county.
9. Children are challenged! I found in the AAP program that my daughter was handed a math book but not really taught what to do. She was always told to do her best but not really expected to learn anything, which brings me to number 10…
10. NO TOTAL CONCENTRATION ALL YEAR ROUND ON THE SOLs!!!
I have always been very pleased with Edlin. This year my daughter is returning after her hiatus.

Very pleased with the education from this little school. The curriculum is challenging and stimulating. Warm teachers and administration, absolutely outstanding for the gifted student. Edlin School is willing to level up your child if he or she would benefit from more challenge, public school GT/​AAP programs pale in comparison.

This is the little «K4 through 8» school with big results. I’m a HUGE fan.
My children have gone to Edlin the past four years and the results are impressive. They entered as average students, but are currently performing at one to two full grade levels ahead and are very happy.
We’d considered several other schools before we sent them to Edlin, and this has clearly been a great choice for us.
Things I like most about Edlin:
* Small Class Sizes — my children’s classes average 10 to 12 students. They get personal attention. They learn!
* Gifted Studies — children are allowed to study at their highest level while remaining with their peers. This means, for example, a 7-​year-​old second grader can learn fourth-​grade material, but remain in children his or her age, in a second grade class.
While my children are supposedly only a grade or two ahead, they are frequently studying concepts that I didn’t get until I was in high school.
* School Spirit — Edlin, being a smaller school, has a tight-​knit, community feeling to it. Our kids, and their friends, take great pride in going to Edlin. The teachers are always accessible and responsive, and take the time to get to know the students and parents in a way that builds strong relationships.
Edlin also does a great job with extra-​curricular activities — tons of field trips, school plays, field day, etc.
The school is also affordable relative to most of its peers. And for that, it generally outperforms them in terms of acceptance rates into top high schools like Thomas Jefferson. For my family, it’s a big tuition check but for us it’s worth every penny.
We owe a big thanks to Linda Scheibstein and her husband, Bert, whose vision for this school has enriched many lives.