Children's International School

I've had both of my girls at CIS since they first turned 2 and we stayed with CIS until the time my oldest went off to kindergarten. We will always remember CIS with fond positive memories. Every single teacher is kind and loving and treated my girls as they were their own. Each have many years of experience in early Childhood education. Ms. Maria and all of the teachers were always so accommodating and made me feel comfortable and safe with one of my daughter's severe food allergies. We would highly recommend CIS to any family looking for quality education in a loving and safe environment.
Oct 9th, 2022

My son has been at CIS since he turned 2 and is now almost 5 and moving to kindergarten in 2 months. I've always appreciated that the teachers at CIS are long-tenured (I met a neighbor at the park whose 14 year old had the same teacher as my then 3-year-old!). They did a good job of managing through COVID and have kept the kids healthy/engaged. I've never had any safety concerns and have always felt good about their program and curriculum. Their price is low for the area. Most importantly, my son likes it there.Cons include the driveways for pickup/drop off (you sometimes have to circle the block to get a spot), communication (they do fine but it could be much better - it's certainly low-tech and no bells or whistles), and the building/facility is old and isn't especially nice.To address some older reviews - I know about a kid who left CIS due to some sort of ongoing behavior/issues, so I believe the other poster who said they were asked to leave over nap issues. I also agree that the school is diverse but also think it's not as diverse as you'd expect from the name/philosophy.
May 31st, 2022

TLDR: I don't recommend CIS for high energy kids and parents who value communication, peace of mind, and reliable child care that is attuned to a child's individual needs and won't kick your child out with little notice.My kid was at this school for 9 months until we were asked to leave the school and 'find other options', quite abruptly, because our child was not napping during naptime. CIS is a private school so it is within their rights to expel students but the situation was handled very badly. First, even though they had been dealing with this for several months, it was never communicated to us as a problem until we were asked to leave. The director didn't propose any solutions (besides telling me to keep reminding my kid to nap at naptime), blamed me, implied that my kid had behavioral or mental issues that needed medical attention and was unwilling to work with me to figure out ways we could make it work. When I asked how they dealt with non-nappers in the past, she said they were also asked to leave. They weren't willing to adapt, try different things or explore creative ways to help my child nap. The onus was on my 2.5 year old child to change their behavior.The teachers mean well but they seem stretched beyond capacity. This school seems under-resourced and under-staffed. The teachers who took my child in at 730am were the same ones who were there at pickup as late as 6pm. That's a very long, draining work day. They are ill-equipped to deal with unexpected issues. Every child is different. Shouldn't child care professionals know how to handle a variety of situations or at least have potential solutions for when they arise? If they can't deal with nap strikes, that doesn't inspire much confidence. Certain things the director said made me think she doesn't have much experience with children--like when she said that if you talk to any child sharply enough they will obey. Other negatives: Due to covid protocols and bad communication, we never saw the inside of the school and had no idea what was going on on a daily or even weekly basis. It was like dropping my child into a black hole every day.  We didn't have much communication with the teachers. Also, when we were troubleshooting why my kid was still wired at naptime I found out that the kids only got about 20 minutes of outside time a day.Positives: My child didn't get covid and wasn't constantly ill while enrolled there. 7am-6 pm operating hours are very convenient for working parents. Tuition is comparatively affordable and meals are provided.I cannot recommend this school. As a parent, I felt that the professionals who I had entrusted with my child's care did not support me in finding the best solutions for my child. Being abandoned and left to scramble for alternative options with little notice in November, when most schools are already full, was also very stressful.Worst of all, my usually very happy kid who the director described as 'a positive, fun, and intelligent child' started crying and resisting school in the final month. I'm not sure what changed. All I know is that my kid started saying things like 'you're not listening !' and 'no no no no!' so I imagine that the interactions between my kid and the teachers turned quite negative and my kid was made to feel bad for the crime of not napping. I'm writing this review after 5 months at a different, well-staffed and well-resourced school where teachers seem happy and are attuned to children's individual needs, creative, and firm but caring. My kid is supported, thriving and actually naps! In hindsight, CIS wasn't a good fit and the fact that there aren't any recent positive reviews is a red flag.
Apr 19th, 2022

My 2 kids attended CIS, and even though it was some time back, about 3 years ago when the oldest "graduated" from there, CIS still holds a big place in our hearts and our family history. It made such a big and positive impact on them, to the point that whenever we drive by they do say "my little school". Their teacher and administrators are very caring, well qualified and patient. No words are enough to express my gratitude toward the school and its staff.
Jan 30th, 2018

Our daughter attended CIS - Arlington Blvd, starting in the two's class and graduating from the four's class.  Bottom line - we love it and commend it for your consideration.Pros:  Extraordinarily loving staff (kids that want them get hugs hello and goodbye everyday!); dedicated director; great lesson plans and enriching curriculum (including a music class and yoga); they foster family interaction with special events (parent dessert receptions, etc.); they coordinate special activities (holiday program, field trips); diverse class and staff (they teach some limited Spanish); great hours; affordable; tuition includes a lunch plan; convenient location; outdoor space; MS. GLORIA IS AMAZING WITH POTTY TRAINING!! (Props to Ms. Carolina and Ms. Tina for their top notch work as well!)Cons:  The parking situation for pick up/drop off isn't ideal and I've never really loved how busy the street in front gets; the facilities could use an update (that said, if you look past the cracks, you will see nothing but love oozing from the dated walls!); little to no electronic communications (lesson plans, school updates, etc. are shared via paper/posting signs in the school; they do use email for individual communications and school closing updates . . . I just think it could be used a bit more).As you can see, my cons are minor compared to all of the value and peace of mind you can get from the actual service.  It's hard to find good help for working families these days; but we hit the jackpot with CIS - Arlington Blvd.
Dec 3rd, 2018