Marcia D. Smith School

Since 1991, Bright Eyes Early Learning Center has been part of Bright Eyes Inc., a family-run company led by President Diane Holzberger and Vice President Pete Holzberger, with locations across Montgomery, Frederick, and Washington Counties in Maryland. The Gaithersburg center is at 7305 Hadley Farms Dr. It offers full-time and part-time care for infants and toddlers, twos, preschool and pre-K, and school-age children, plus a school-age summer program. The center welcomes children of all abilities and supports each child's primary language through songs, activities, and learning key words and phrases used with the child and family. Curricula are approved by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). Infants and toddlers use the Teaching Strategies Creative Curriculum. Weekly lesson plans are built around each child's abilities and teacher observation, and they cover art, sensory play, circle time, sign language, music, and fine and gross motor development. Preschool and pre-K classrooms run the InvestiGators Club curriculum, one of five MSDE-approved curricula and one of two to earn a 5-star MSDE rating. Children move through 7 themed units across the year. Instruction is individualized for different kinds of learners, and teachers use observation checklists at the end of each unit. Preschool and pre-K rooms are organized into 13 learning centers, including dedicated Calming and Sensory areas alongside math, science, language arts, writing, dramatic play, technology, and blocks. Daily small-group work pairs a teacher with groups of 3 to 4 children for math, science, or language arts, and children age 2 and up take part in a weekly physical education enrichment activity. Teachers are trained in first aid and CPR and continue professional training. Families meet with teachers twice a year to review progress, and the centers serve healthy snacks and lunches following MSDE guidelines. Bright Eyes accepts all state and local child care vouchers and offers flexible scheduling. Local readers' polls have included Best of Gaithersburg 2019, for Best Child Care Center and Preschool, and the Frederick News-Post Best of the Best Child Care Center award. Families can tour the Gaithersburg center before enrolling.

Our Gaithersburg school provides year-round special education, therapeutic support and daily living instruction for students ages 12–21. We serve learners with autism, intellectual disability, multiple disabilities, other health impairments and specific learning disabilities. Our team includes licensed teachers, behavioral specialists, a vocational specialist, occupational and speech therapists, and trained assistants. A structured daily routine and individualized instruction guide academic and practical learning. Students work toward educational goals and preparation for life beyond the classroom, with support coordinated around their needs.

Since 2000, Sunrise Early Learning Center has cared for children at 8306 Shady Spring Dr in Gaithersburg, Maryland, under Executive Director Mrs. Semera Fahnbulleh. The center has four age groups: infants and toddlers (6 weeks to 24 months), 2 year olds, 3 year olds, and a Pre-K program for 4 to 5 year olds. The curriculum is Maryland State approved and developmentally appropriate. Breakfast and lunch are provided daily, and special diets and snacks are included in tuition. Each age group has its own fenced playground. The day includes STEM work in science, technology, engineering, and math, plus literacy, Spanish, art, music, and hands-on Montessori-style activities. Pre-K uses a theme-based curriculum aimed at school readiness: numbers, letters, colors, shapes, writing, spelling, math, science, counting, language development, phonics, reading, and computer use. Children in that group are observed, tested, and assessed at the end of each month, and the results are kept for parent conferences. Children who need extra support can join the Accelerated Learning Program (ALP), small-group instruction for students with early learning difficulties. Sunrise also offers before-school and after-school enrichment for the Rosemont, Washington Grove, Sequoyah, and Forest Oak areas, plus a summer camp. Summer field trips carry an additional charge. Registration is a non-refundable $100 per child or $175 per family. Ages 3 to 5 have a yearly supply and educational fee of $100 per child, and 2 year olds have a fee of $75. Payment is accepted by check, money order, or credit card. Sunrise accepts vouchers and offers sibling discounts. Openings are filled first-come, first-served, and enrollment starts with a tour and a meeting with the child's teacher.