Oneness-Family School

Our child is a current student and LOVES the school. Our child has been in elementary school in two classrooms (grades 1-3 and 4-5, following the Montessori model there are mixed grade classrooms) and has had excellent experience with all the teachers. All of them are competent, supportive and kind. Our child loves going to school, loves learning and the academics, built amazing social skills and confidence, and we feel the school truly supported our child''s development in every way. Language programs are intense and very strong but fun and tailored to individual kids'' levels. PE is taken seriously and engaging. The extracurricular activities such as the annual musical (e.g. "Newsies" or "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory") are also outstanding. The musical rehearsals are throughout the year and offer even younger children (starting in 2nd grade) opportunities to participate in challenging, fun activities that prepare them well for public speaking or debate.

Our child has attended the lower school for the past two years and thrived. It is a wonderful school for this age group. They have learned so much in English, arts, math, world languages, and have also become very curious about science and nature. The teachers are amazing and pay close attention to each student. The school really encourages individual students to pursue their own interests. Each student keeps a folder of their own progress. There are plenty of opportunities for students to learn advanced subjects beyond the required curriculum but also for students to seek additional help in weaker subjects. In particular, our child enjoyed the trip to Echo Hill and the numerous field trip. There are many opportunities for public speaking and performances in community meetings and festivals. The music theater program is a gem, and the kids put on wonderful theater pieces such as "Newsies" and "Willy Wonka Jr." The school also encourages executive functions and kindness. Our child made many friends and loves to go to school every day.

We just joined Oneness last year for kindergarten and planning on staying all the way to 8th grade. We commute and find it completely worth it for our family! Everyone knows us by name, our little one is accepted for his serious moments and for his silly moments equally. He feels loved, accepted, respected and worthy of everyone''s time there. The teachers have been with the school for soo many years which to us shows dedication and happiness in the environment. If the teachers are happy then the students are happy! When my little one speaks, they look at him in the eyes and wait till he shares his story and is finished. If he is thriving in one area more than another, they don''t pressure instead they try again introducing the basics at a later time. There is a vast of information coming in every day. The students learn on the spot and explore through experiences instead of following a book, learning about everyday activities and nature from a young age. We love it and we love the special events they have for students and families around the year. You can truly feel the love and effort from both students and teachers and it just makes it that much more special!!

We love oneness! We have been Oneness parents for 7 years now. Our son attended Oneness from 3rd grade to 8th grade, and our daughter joined since kindergarten (currently at 6th grade). For our kids, it has been a transformational experience. They grew academically as well as socially, developing cognitive and non-cognitive skills simultaneously. They learned math, sciences, foreign languages, but also how to organize their days, how to advocate for themselves, how to speak in public, and no less importantly, how to be courageous and conscientious citizens of the world. The teachers and whole staff are welcoming, friendly, but also knowledgeable. Coming from a different country and culture, Oneness has been more than a good school; it is really a second home.

As a Oneness Family School Alumni (1st-5th grade) I have remained close to the school and it's mission even during my years at public school and beyond. I feel that the school helped lay a solid and invaluable framework of social and emotional intelligence/compassion as well as a solid fundamental academic skills baseline.I did not realize how different and positive my education experience was until transitioning into the public school system but I can say with confidence I do not think I would be the person that I am today without my formative learning years at Oneness.The community is tight knit and looks after each other, the teachers work hands on with every child developing healthy relationships which makes students comfortable and happy to learn.I am proud to be alumni and will stay involved with the school even after so many years because I believe in the mission!

As a member of the Board for Oneness Family School, I am so impressed and grateful for the experience the administration, the staff, the teachers are providing for the students, and their parents. The parents - such a supportive, friendly, and resourceful group of people! I've been involved in Montessori for over fifty-five years, and I know a truly outstanding school when I see one, and this one is exceptional. Certainly, the educational opportunities are noteworthy, and since the OFS welcomes a wide range of people of varying backgrounds, the entire community learns about and shares in the diversity of the world. To me that makes Oneness Family School an especially ideal place to be.

Oneness provides a very unique learning environment for kids! It embraces the principles of Montessori and places them in the context of today's world. I attended Oneness as an elementary school student back in the 90s and it was very positively formative. That time taught me many core values that I live through today: empathy, respect for self and others, curiosity, and more. I'm still connected to this community today and have great respect for the mission of the school, which has stayed strong and consistent all these years. Highly recommend!

The middle school ("Ambassadors") level at Oneness is what I have the most experience with as a parent, and I am really impressed by it. Oneness does not have a fancy facility, but you don't need a fancy facility if you have great teachers, which it does. Due to its size, Oneness can't have sports teams or other activities that require scale, but in my opinion, this is more than made up for by the advantages of its small size. A great activity they have done is musicals, which my child has had a great time being part of.

Oneness is truly a special school. The community is incredibly warm and welcoming, filled with families from all over the world who create a rich international culture. The teachers are kind and dedicated, facilitating classroom environments that are creative, engaging, and academically challenging. Most importantly, the school ethos ensures that each child is valued and celebrated for their unique personality and gifts. My daughter has really thrived at Oneness--we're so glad we ended up there!

Oneness is an excellent school. The adminstration and faculty are caring and they care about their students and their parents. They take their allergy protocol seriously. They regularly provide updates, photos, and individual feedback to parents. I highly recommend this school.

We are so grateful that we found Oneness-Family School for our son! We had never considered an independent school and had moved to this area specifically for the public schools, but when MCPS was unable to meet his needs, we were so happy to learn about OFS. Our son has been thriving at OFS, and he is genuinely thrilled to go to school every day. The teachers are phenomenal. They are so good at connecting with each child and tailoring the learning to fit that learner's needs. We moved primarily for academic reasons and to allow our son to go more at his own pace, but one of the biggest blessings has been social-emotional learning. He has made some great friends there and loves the caring community. I can't imagine a better environment for learning- I highly recommend it!

I can't say enough good things about Oneness. It's been an amazing place for my kids and for our whole family. We've been there 7 years and my kids are so much better for the experience. Not only are they getting fabulous hands on education, but they are making lifelong friends from all over the world. My favorite thing about Oneness is that it truly is a family and I cherish the people we have met through the years.

I thought it would be insightful to see how this school has reacted to our very changed world because of coronavirus. I just want to say how incredibly lucky I feel to be a part of the Oneness-Family Montessori School community. Yesterday, our founder, Andrew Kutt led our normally weekly community meeting over Zoom with a fantastic sing along of his great songs that all the kids love. He gave shout outs to tons of the kids watching and it was truly an amazing example of our wonderful community at OFS. In addition, our teachers have spent the week working incredibly hard and leading awesome online classes for the kids. My kids have been on Zoom with their classmates from 9 to 3 each day to help maintain some kind of normalcy. The teachers are adapting with what appears to be ease, and we are all taking this great learning curve one step at a time. https://www.onenessfamily.org

Our daughter joined OFS this Fall as a 9th grader and the experience has exceeded all her desires and ours as parents. An incredible sense of community welcomed us. The energetic and engaging learning environment that exists at the upper school is truly inspiring. It is unlike anything I could have ever imagined from my traditional prep school upbringing or the overcrowded public experience our daughter sought refuge from. She is thriving in a school that challenges her in such engaging ways not available in public education. In a learning environment committed to the Montessori traditions, students are being prepared to excel both in the classroom and as young citizens able to navigate their own blossoming lives. We are fortunate to join a small but growing upper school on the rise. It has a force of nature in a founder whose 30+ years of success in Montessori education has assembled an upper school team of educators committed to nourishing all aspects of student life.

My daughter has thrived at this school, which she has attended grades 1-3. Academically, she excels (geometry in third grade! And reading at a level far above her grade level), yet what impresses me most are the social skills she has learned - she is confident, articulate, empathetic, and loves learning. The teachers are dedicated, kind, intelligent, and encourage communication between themselves and the parents. My 4 year old started this year and, even after a few short months, I can see the same love of learning and creativity building in her. My advice- schedule a tour, observe the happy kids who are actively and happily engaged in their learning and the teachers who guide them with love and kindness. And, then, enroll your kids! It truly is a special school which brings out the best in every child