Mission
To educate the whole child in a developmentally appropriate manner with brain-based methods through an integrated curriculum.Curriculum
The Golden Pond Way combines experienced teachers and proven research-driven teaching techniques with a joyful, child-centered environment that produces magical results in terms of early readers, higher level thinkers and exceptional VA PALs scores.Accredited
As a leader in early childhood education, GPS proudly earned and maintains accreditation from Cognia, Cognia STEM, Middle States Association Early Childhood Program of Distinction (MSA CESS) and the Virginia Council for Private Education (VCPE).
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Discover the Golden Pond School Difference
The Parent Group hosted a fun Playground Play Date for families to connect with others in their child’s class and at GPS. Plus, it was a warm welcome for our new Director, Mr. Pequeno, who attended with his wife and daughter (a GPS student!).
🦒 The Giraffe classroom spent their first week at school getting to know their new friends, the letters in their names and learning all about their room mascot.
🍎🐥 Happy first day of school! Post your pics below 👇
💙💛 The hallways are humming with back-to-school visits and teacher planning. We can`t wait until the school year begins!
GPS has a unique way of introducing families to their child’s teacher - home visits! Every Preschool and Kindergarten student has the opportunity to meet their teacher individually in their home (or at school!) about a week before school starts.
🏡 Home visits allow children and teachers to get to know each other and start building their personal relationship in a comfortable environment. We want children to feel welcome and happy in the classroom from day #1. Home visits get the school year off on the right foot, enabling children to settle into classroom routines so they can quickly dive into the exciting curriculum immediately.
Thank you to our Golden Pond families for opening your homes to our teachers. It is just the beginning of the great adventures ahead!
🍧 Happy last day of Summer Camp! Thank you for the memories!
🧪 Presto Chango campers are investigating chemical and physical changes through science experiments and discovery. (and enjoying some splishing and splashing on Water Wednesday!)
📖 Reading activities reinforce the Golden Pond Way curriculum as it uniquely engages children and gives them the confidence and skills they need for future academic success. And, we make it fun!
🐤 Lots of summer fun going on at the pond. 💦 Water Wednesday - a favorite day of the week! 🎨 Creative Minds campers are creating constructions and masterpieces through building challenges and art, from the planning stage to the finished result. + 📚Reading Camp is in full swing!
Rising 1st - 4th grade campers wrote and illustrated their own books that they read to our younger campers!
🇺🇸 Happy Fourth of July! We hope your day is filled with red, white & blue snacks and magical memories!
😎 Summer Camp smiles have entered the building!
📖 Our Once Upon a Time story-based camp theme integrates learning activities, including dramatic play and art.
💦 + the Beetles classroom enjoyed the first Water Wednesday of the summer and a banana pop project.
🌟 Congratulations to Our Teacher of the Year, Melissa Ficarra! 🌟
At Golden Pond School, we are proud to recognize Melissa Ficarra as our 2025-2026 Teacher of the Year!
Melissa exemplifies everything that makes The Golden Pond Way so special. Her classroom is a place where children feel safe, valued, challenged, and inspired to learn. Through her dedication, creativity, and unwavering commitment to each child, she creates meaningful learning experiences that nurture both academic growth and social-emotional development.
Melissa consistently goes above and beyond in her role. She approaches each day with professionalism, positivity, and a genuine passion for early childhood education. Her strong relationships with children, families, and colleagues reflect her belief that learning flourishes when built on trust, respect, and connection.
What truly sets Melissa apart is her commitment to continuous growth. She embraces feedback, seeks opportunities to refine her practice, and serves as a model of lifelong learning for both her students and fellow educators. Her leadership, collaboration, and willingness to support others have made a lasting impact throughout our school community.
Melissa’s work embodies our mission of fostering curiosity, confidence, and a love of learning in every child. We are incredibly grateful for the care, expertise, and heart she brings to Golden Pond each day.
Please join us in congratulating Melissa Ficarra on this well-deserved honor! 🎉💙💛
It is pure joy to see alumni milestone moments. These two Broad Run High School graduates have been buddies since their preschool days. Gage is off to VA Tech to study engineering and Emmett is heading to UVA to study statistics and data science. We are so proud! Congratulations boys! 👏
The last day of school is better with popsicles! 😎
When learning about the five senses, our 🐝 classroom had a special GLOW DAY, where they mixed paint on the light table and drew a picture that was transferred to paper. They also used their feet to create a gigantic bee to decorate for their fly-up celebration!
The 🐸 Fours classroom loved their recent 🦋 unit of study! Engaging activities supporting math, science and reading culminated with a butterfly release!
