Hollin Meadows Elementary School

Posted: May 22, 2026

The new principal, Principal Crews is the best! She knows every student, their family, and cares deeply about them and the staff. The teachers also really appreciate how she has come in and taken charge, advocating for them and their needs. And the teachers are dedicated and the hardest workers you’ll find. We have had three sets of teachers and they are all truly phenomenal. Finally, the parent involvement is getting stronger each year. This year, they created a new Earth Day celebration and it was a resounding success, raising funds for the school and building community. I hope to see this school continue to skyrocket!!

Posted: May 22, 2026

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Posted: August 22, 2021

We have had a great experience at HMES, and would highly recommend parents giving it a chance This is a hidden treasure among the FFX county schools.

Posted: August 22, 2021

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Posted: April 27, 2020

This is a terrible school. It's not that they don't care or that anyone is mean. It's just that the teaching is poor but the leadership is even poorer. I think the principal, Mr. Gates is the upmost problem. Don't take me wrong, he's a nice guy, but that's it. This school needs a leader and I think until then this school will keep going down. There are no challenges placed on the kids. Honestly, it looks more like a daycare. They don't want to enforce homework... fine by me, however, the homework must be done in class otherwise how is the child going to assimilate a lesson? The only thing this school puts its energy into is their Level IV (AAP) program. There, the kids will get the best teachers, get challenging work and support. How fair, right? Like someone has said before, don't be fooled by the nice area where the school is located, this school is not worth your time.

Posted: January 10, 2019

Posted: January 10, 2019

Posted: January 10, 2019

Posted: January 10, 2019

Posted: January 10, 2019

I rate my experience as very positive. The teachers and school leadership are very passionate about their work and the students they serve. Parents are given many opportunities to get involved and support their kids, and it appears that parent participation is high. The community in which the school is located is very supportive and committed to the success of the school and its students. The environment that the school provides is extremely conducive to learning as the school building is spacious, clean, receives plenty of natural light, and connects with beautiful outdoor courtyards that provide teachers with an outdoor space in which they can easily build lessons about science and the natural world. The other thing that makes this school special is its Outdoor Education Program. Students are given opportunities to grow and harvest their own produce and learn about the natural world at large.

Posted: January 10, 2019

Posted: January 10, 2019

Posted: December 17, 2018

Posted: December 17, 2018

Posted: December 17, 2018

Posted: December 17, 2018

I have one child that attended HM K-6, is now at Carl Sandburg and received straight A's in all honors classes during the 1st quarter. I have another child currently at HM, thriving in the AAP classroom. This school, its teachers, the administrators and leadership are amazing. The school has all an incredibly diverse population, which is very important in learning how to operate in today's global climate. Hollin Meadows has been a great place for my kids to learn how to learn. They are growing into young people that are curious and seek out answers, vs. expecting a sage to "impart" them with knowledge. This school is a hidden gem and I urge you not to judge any school only by it's "scores." Visit the school, meet the people, meet the parents, go to a PTA meeting. I doubt you'll find another school in Fairfax County as diverse and welcoming as this.

Posted: December 17, 2018

Posted: December 17, 2018

Posted: December 17, 2018

Posted: December 22, 2016

My child has been at HMES for 3 years now and has an exceptional experience so far. The teacher's and staff most all know her by name, she has been individually pushed academically, and been introduced to many new experiences from after school clubs, to foods shared in the classroom by her peers. The school is a thriving and diverse Title 1 school who embraces it's diversity from encouraging parents to visit their child's class and explain their culture to the Multicultural Fair the host each year. The PTA works hard to promote and incorporate all parents, their fundraising efforts promote healthy lifestyles vs selling silly products, and their Care and Share committee works very hard with the community to support those families and students in need. Parents are encouraged to be a part of their child's school day in many ways-joining them for lunch, volunteering in the classroom, or chaperoning field trip. The STEM and gardening programs are fantastic, and the school is currently trying to get it's own level 4 AAP program in place. Currently under a 2-3 year renovation, I feel this school will be the true hidden gem of the West Po pyramid when all is said and done. Between the community support for the school and it's programs, the unique educational and extracurricular activities and the teachers and staff, HMES is a great school. People who comment on the school having kids with behavioral problems and/or bad teachers are looking for something that doesn't exist-perfection. Understand this is a title 1 school and what that involves. Every school has it's share of bad teachers and problematic kids. But looking at the whole picture, we are feel fortunate to have our child at HMES versus any other area school.

Posted: December 22, 2016

Again this is an area I am not as familiar with because I am not in the school, nor have we dealt with it first hand, but they do a lot of education around the topic of bullying and work on the areas of respect and appropriateness with the student, so I would hope these translate into effectively dealing with bullying.

Posted: December 22, 2016

There are many resource teachers in the school. Being a Title 1 school, many kids do not have English as their first language, nor do they enter kindergarten with a strong academic start. Teachers and support staff work very hard to get these children up to speed with their peers. The school is also considering adding an in house Level 4 AAP program to the school beginning next year.

Posted: December 22, 2016

The principals have a presence and I have seen a few times where they have had to deal with behavioral problems, but I am not as familiar with this topic as I am others.

Posted: December 22, 2016

These are concepts discussed at their morning meetings, encouraged through the Principal's Pride award, and when the social worker visits each classroom, she works on various topics such as these.

Posted: December 22, 2016

We have yet to encounter a teacher who has not worked hard to challenge all students in their class to work at or above their grade level. They have kids with academic, behavioral and personal needs that all greatly vary. But thus far, they have met each child's need, and where appropriate, pushed them beyond to succeed.

Posted: December 22, 2016

It is age/grade appropriate. Reading is heavily emphasized and encouraged, and students are also encouraged to go beyond the assigned homework and find ways to engage and challenge themselves often.

Posted: August 31, 2016

Very unprofessional , disrespectful and rude office administration. I am new to the area, and have found the lack of professionalism at handling my students transfer is appalling. My disabled child has been treated like dirt.

Posted: August 31, 2016

Posted: August 31, 2016

Posted: August 31, 2016

Posted: February 29, 2016

The school conducts weekly community meetings where the school meets as a large group and teaches values and involvement in making school a better place.

Posted: February 29, 2016

Hidden gem of the Fort Hunt area. Teachers and leadership are involved and it shows. The community involvement is amazing! So glad we ended up here!!!

Posted: May 15, 2015

One of the best things about Hollin Meadows is its emphasis on Math and Science--the STEM teachers are fantastic. The school organizes a Science Fair every year and the children are very excited to participate. The office staff is very nice; the teachers are caring and friendly and most of them have worked for the school many years and know the students' families very well. The PTA organizes fun family events, such as Bingo night and the Wii Dance Party, among other programs.

Posted: May 6, 2015

Dont be impressed by the surrounding million dollar houses. Its the leadership /Principal bringing the school down. Do the rating comparison of the other public schools in the neighborhood to see what i am talking about.

Posted: May 6, 2015

Our family spent 14 years at Hollin Meadows, we were able to be involved in th creation of the Outdoor Education program, thanks to Peggy Bowers, Shawn Akard and so many other people, especially Jon Gates our Principal who was enthusiastically supportive of this very ambitious project which has now been at the school for 10 years. HM is a very special place in our Neighborhood community and our family was fortunate to be a part of it for so many years.

Posted: May 5, 2015

HM is not a fit everyone but my children have so far done well there. It is a diverse school in every imaginable way, which is not something to be feared! Every school has less than stellar teachers but my children have been fortunate to get the occasional average teacher to the most amazing and inspiring teachers over our years there. I am blown away by the topics of conversation at our dinner table and what my children have learned and more importantly the process of learning they have been taught. My kids love going to school. There is a very engaged and welcoming community at HM. (And the PTA does not beg for money for the garden - when FCPS cut off funds for our outdoor education and science/math teachers, the parents created a separate non-profit to raise money to keep those resources - that partnership fundraisers so yes they ask for money.) Please give appropriate weight to reviewers who are not actually involved in the school, haven't set foot in our school in 15+ years, or have ever taken the time to understand the unique aspects of our school.

Posted: May 3, 2015

I am getting ready to end my career at this unique community school. I have a Sophomore in HS and a 6th grader. Both went all the way through and one had the opportunity to attend the local AAP Center but chose to stay at HM. HM is a cross-representation of our society---economically, racially & ethnically. My kids benefitted from this experience In more ways than I can say. Academically, my daughter in high school excels in honors and AP (college level) classes. Make sure you consider more than test scores.

Posted: May 3, 2015

Our oldest is in fifth grade and our youngest will be at Hollin Meadows shortly. We have loved our experience at Hollin Meadows - top-notch teachers, individual reading help, STEM lab and outdoor learning program, and a true community feel. The administrators and teachers know all 652 students by name - it's that kind of place. And yes, we love that Hollin Meadows is diverse and that our oldest has learned at a very young age that not everyone has the same upbringing. Come by for a visit, spend some time in the lobby in the morning, take a tour, and see for yourself what Hollin Meadows is all about and how we're preparing students for academic success and life in the real world.

Posted: May 3, 2015

We've been at HM for three years and had a good experience; FCPS in general is grappling with lots of issues and we see the ripple effect in classroom size and programming, but our oldest son has had an excellent experience here. Our youngest struggled at first with the transition from a play based preschool but we are expecting a great year next year. I went on a field trip to the National Gallery of Art recently and the docents were blown away by how well our students performed in the art discussions. Really proud of our teachers and students!

Posted: March 18, 2015

Incompetent Math teachers, very evasive school principal (he could be a good lawyer/ politician). Lack of discipline in students.

Posted: February 18, 2015

The school has a serious discipline problem. The leadership will not handle students who are disruptive and abusive. Everything gets pushed under the rug. Having had children in this school for a few years I honestly feel that this is not a safe place for kids. There are violent kids on campus and they are mainstreamed into the classrooms. All they do is constantly BEG for money. The PTA is more concerned with raising money for an outdoor education program that is over rated--which is not the job of a school PTA. Do your research--this is NOT a science and math focus school. They do not even teach science and math on a regular basis. Go to the FCPS website and look at the test scores for this school--the scores have consistently gone down every year.

Posted: December 31, 2014

Non responsive Principal,incompetent teachers are OK. i m not impressed with the quality of education. There is no emphasis on advanced academics. PTA is boring, not enough extra curriculum activity. There are not enough involvement from the families, they just focus on fundraising. It is not the only math and science focus school, pretty much every school in the area has science stem lab, and smart-boards. Terrible location, streets are narrow, morning drop-off is especially a struggle. The dull person in kiss n ride still have to ask me my kids name, or she might be a discriminating person. HORRIBLE experience, cant wait for the school year to be over.

Posted: June 20, 2014

Hollin Meadows Elementary works for some, not for others. Many behavior issues that are not addressed. Teachers care and try hard, by not impressed with leadership.

Posted: May 3, 2014

This school has an ED center located on site. The center serves highly emotionally disabled children. The center is located in a separate building which also contains all 6th grade classes and art classrooms. Your children will be exposed on a daily basis to emotionally unstable children who can become dangerous. The ED children are mainstreamed into regular classrooms. My children were exposed to inappropriate language, violent outbursts, threats, and emotionally disturbing behavior on a daily basis. If you do not want your children exposed to this type of behavior than HM is not the school for you.

Posted: March 19, 2013

A National Award Winning School. The community here has really taken a stake in shaping this school. The principal is one of very few in the area that keeps an open door policy for parents, and welcomes you in to be a part of your child's experience at school. The community has worked together to build outdoor classrooms and gardens and kids love it. Every year this school wins another national award, and it's well deserved. The community has also helped maintain extra science and math resources giving kids extra opportunities to take science classes and learn outdoors. They use the responsive classroom system, and it really helps to manage behavior and help kids take a role in their classroom community. My kids love it here, and I couldn't imagine being anywhere else.

Posted: February 26, 2013

So glad we moved out of the HM school district!!!! For 3 years of my childs elementary school years we were here.. and it was Heck! My child had the same teacher for 2 years and another for the last year here and every year my child was miserable. Hated going to school, hated everything! Do you know how sad it is to see your child hate school?? They just send children out of the class to "deal with behavior issues", never call to inform you of anything, yet get upset with you for everything. My childs K and 1st grade teacher constantly made nasty comments to my kid, thinking I wouldn't know or be told them... even threaten my child if I was told about it.. Now there is nothing I can do about it now, but if I had known, I'd be in the news! We are at Stratford Landing ES now and my child LOVES LOVES LOVES school.. We can't seem to leave early enough to get there =) and every subject is the best subject in school to learn. So thrilled to have gotten away from HM and the HORRIBLE teachers, principal and staff.. they are horrid to deal with and I hope they reap the karma they all deserve.

Posted: October 28, 2012

My son attended this school last year in the second grade. The teacher and office were unwilling to understand when we were sick and because we lived in an apartment all of .25 miles away they refused bus transportation! I worked in DC and it was NOT ideal! The teacher was very uncooperative and insulting. Obviously not happy with her job. Some people just shouldn't work with young children. The school did provide an alternative to lunch menu, which worked out great. There was always something to pay for. What happened to free education? I was not impressed with the quality of friends options and neither was my son. So glad we are out of there! Traffic was horrible too.

Posted: April 18, 2012

Moving here in August of 2011 we were hesitant about sending our kids to HM. Having come from a 10 rated school with a very different racial and socio-economic mix of students we were not sure what to expect. This year has been a wonderful year for my three children! As with all schools, no matter the ranking, a child s experience often depends on their teacher. I LOVE all of kid s teachers. All three are strong, thoughtful, caring, organized teachers who have developed a positive classroom environment, which has helped my children grown academically and socially. Being a Title One school HM has many reading and math specialists who move from classroom to classroom allowing for more attention for each student. I love the diversity my children see every day with both the students and teachers. I volunteer at the school for several hours each week and highly enjoy my time there. Cons: If you have a high achieving student they may not be pushed as hard as you might like, not all parents are involved and classroom volunteers tend to be the same parents over and over, there is only one teacher overseeing the lunch room which makes it noisy and chaotic.

Posted: February 15, 2012

The overall tone of this school is harsh and controlling. The amount of yelling on a daily basis is terrible. While there are a couple of reasonable parts, it is an overall depressing place to be. My children aren't learning much except that teachers scream and school is frightening and boring. So sad.

Posted: December 9, 2010

My children and I LOVE Hollin Meadows. We came from Prince Georges School and seen a BIG difference. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK HOLLIN MEADOWS !!!!

Posted: November 29, 2010

We are military and moved into Hollin Meadows area in the middle of the year. We have since moved again and will be back in the Alexandria area in 2011. Our kids absolutely LOVED the school. The best was the diversity -- there are kids there from all over the world, literally. The multi-cultural fair, the Renaissance fair for 5th graders, the gardens, the science program, the literacy program, arts and music are all integrated so kids in every grade are having similar lessons on their grade level. We can't WAIT to get back to Hollin Meadows.