Pinecrest School

Academic Vision: Pinecrest School strives to foster curiosity and confidence in our students. We provide a solid foundation in core academic subjects, while also endeavoring to cultivate in our students a sense of caring for the world around them and an evolving understanding of how they can make positive contributions in our community and beyond. Pinecrest School is a safe place. By design, learning at Pinecrest is active and hands-on, holistic and nurturing, flexible and creative, meaningful and engaging, differentiated yet collaborative, and equally focused on academic growth and social/emotional growth. Students at Pinecrest School develop strong academic skills and a strong sense of self. They problem solve, think critically, and communicate clearly. They take pride in their work and are developing integrity. They are respectful, responsible, and mindful. They can work effectively independently and with others. Pinecrest School students are emerging as leaders and lifelong learners. Mindfulness: A key element of the school's prioritization of social/emotional growth is its focus on mindfulness. Mindfulness is incorporated into all classes through a mindfulness time block in the classroom schedule. Additionally, Pinecrest students participate in a yoga class once a week. Mindfulness is also engrained in the social-emotional learning curriculum and has been a regular part of the school culture for several years. All of our teachers have participated in mindfulness professional training. Diverse Community: Pinecrest School is committed to creating and supporting an inclusive and equitable community that values the diverse identities of our students, families, and faculty. The school strives to reinforce basic values such as honesty, integrity, respect for others and an appreciation for diversity. We prioritize community and pride ourselves on our diverse and inclusive community. Pinecrest School admits students of any sex, race, color, religion, sexual orientation, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students in the school. Public Recognition: The school has received numerous awards and recognition over the years including Best Preschool, Northern Virginia Magazine, 2021; Best STEM Program, Washington Family Magazine, 2021; Best Private Elementary School, Washington Family Magazine, 2019; and Best Summer Camp, Northern Virginia Magazine, 2017-2022, and more. Pinecrest School has been featured in Northern Virginia Magazine in print and online, in The Washington Post Kids Post in print and online, by Kiwanis International in print and video, on the Washington Technology blog, on the Annandale Today website, and more.Accreditation: Pinecrest School is fully accredited by Cognia/AdvancED (formerly the Southern Association of Colleges & Schools Council on School Improvement - SACS CASI). At the time of the last re-accreditation assessment, AdvancED provided the Index of Education Quality (IEQ) score as a holistic measure of overall performance based on a comprehensive set of standards and review criteria. A formative tool for improvement, it identified areas of success as well as areas in need of focus. The IEQ was comprised of the Standards Diagnostic ratings from the three domains: Leadership Capacity, Learning Capacity, and Resource Capacity. On the last re-accreditation assessment of Pinecrest School (2018-19 school year), the school achieved an IEQ score of 349.00! At the time, the average score of schools evaluated for Cognia/AdvancED accreditation in the last five years was 278.34 - 283.33, and Cognia/AdvancED accredited 36,000 public and private schools across the United States and 70 countries. Comments from the visiting team's Review Narrative include: "Pinecrest School presented as an exceptional continuous improvement learning school" / "There were consistent observations and evidenceto confirm the security, visibility, supervision, and management of a strong learning environment." / "It was evident through a variety of evidence and observations that the school provides intentional opportunities for student-centered supportive learning experiences where all students were considered special individuals with unique gifts all their own." / "Through observations, children and adults interacted with mutual respect and a sense of community that permeated the school environment. Cooperation and peer collaborative interactions were fostered and prized as students progressed through their day." / "Examples of academic rigor were part of several [classroom] observations. Other classroom observations indicated students were consistently challenged with higher order thinking tasks and required to explain their thinking and work." The school engages in the re-accreditation process every five years. COVID Response: The school swiftly and effectively moved to online learning in April 2020 when, by order of the Virginia Governor, all schools closed for in-person learning in March 2020. Pinecrest School re-opened for in-person learning 5 days/week in August 2020 for the 2020-21 school year (when the majority of schools around the country were learning virtually) and has remained open in person 5 days/week to date. Pinecrest School successfully navigated uncertain and unprecedented times with confidence, ease, and most notably a consistent focus on the health and safety of its students, staff, and overall school community. Pinecrest School created multiple iterations of COVID-19 policies in line with updates issued from the local health department and CDC guidelines. From August 2020 until contract tracing was stopped by the health department in February 2022, the school experienced only 2 student/staff COVID-19 cases with no transmission in either case.