Our Mission & Vision

 

Welcome from our Head of School

It is my privilege to welcome you to Lorien Wood, where our mission is to cultivate a community of learners rooted in Christ and equipped to serve His world. As the Head of School, I am blessed to lead our community as we foster academic excellence and spiritual growth for every student, utilizing a rich outdoor experience to ground students in God’s Word and His incredible world.

At Lorien Wood, we believe education is a journey of discovery, engaging the heart, mind, body, and soul. Our unique approach to education emphasizes the integration of faith and learning, ensuring our students grow in knowledge, wisdom, and character. We are passionate about nurturing the God-given potential in each child, guiding them to become courageous, compassionate, and confident leaders who reflect an unwavering Biblical worldview, demonstrating the love of Christ in all they do.

Our school community is truly like no other—a place where every student is known, and every student is given the opportunity to grow into their God-given potential. No one is stuck in a box of the world’s making. We value the strong partnership between home and school, recognizing that parents play an essential role in the educational journey of their children. Together, we create an environment where students are encouraged to explore their gifts, ask deep questions, and engage in experiential learning.

I invite you to explore our website and discover what makes Lorien Wood School a special place. We would love to meet you in person and show you the joy and warmth that fill our halls and our property. May God bless you and guide you as you consider joining our Lorien Wood learning community.

Together In Christ,

Amy Butcher

Head of School

Our Vision & Mission:

To help children explore God's world and discover their place in.

Vision

To establish and maintain a school environment where God is glorified and children have the opportunities and resources to develop a deep love of learning.

 

We fulfill this vision by seeking to come alongside parents as they nurture a child’s intellect, character, faith and curiosity. We strive to be a deeply invested and gracious community of parents, teachers, and students who share a common mission of providing an excellent Christ-centered education.

outdoor teepee classroom

Mission

To help children explore God’s world and discover their place in it, by cultivating their intellect, character, faith and curiosity.

We accomplish our mission by using a rich, integral curriculum in small, mixed-age classes and by equipping our teachers to meet the needs of individual students while fostering a deep sense of community. Our robust academic program emphasizes a teaching methodology that is grounded in classical study and joyful discovery. 

Firepit classroom
 

Our History

A small group of parents and educators founded Lorien Wood with big ideas and a desire to build a private school in Vienna, Virginia where God is the head.

Lorien Wood first opened its doors in the fall of 2004. After two years of rigorous preparation, the school was open with 18 families and 23 students in grades K-2nd Grade at the Church of the Good Shepherd. Since opening its doors, Lorien Wood has been blessed with significant growth and expansion as an additional grade was added each year, faculty grew, and enrollment increased. A long-term lease at the current campus at New Song Church (previously Christian Assembly) was secured, a mature administrative staff was integrated, and an engaged Board of Trustees and parents continued to execute the Founder’s vision for Lorien Wood as the school grew. 

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“True education is a kind of never ending story —  of continual beginnings, of habitual fresh starts, of persistent newness.”

― J.R.R. Tolkien

 

 

 

 

 
 

The Roots of Our Name

The name of our school comes from J.R.R. Tolkien’s trilogy, The Lord of the Rings.

At Lorien Wood, we invite students to expand their imaginations. The power of story in the life of children and adults far reaches our own ability to simply explain the world with facts and figures. We recognize the imagination to be a gift of God and a tool for learning truth and practicing empathy.  When we enter imaginatively into Middle Earth, we come to see the hobbit’s perilous journey bear witness to the reality of the cosmic struggle between Good and Evil and the call to live out a life of faithfulness.  

In Fellowship of the Rings, Lorien Wood is a place of preparation where one becomes increasingly mindful of the beauty of God’s creation, respectful of ancient things, and imaginative, curious creatures. Similarly, at Lorien Wood School we seek to be an environment where children grow in their awe of and concern for all that God has created and are prepared for a lifelong journey serving Christ while extending his kingdom now.

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Statement of Faith

Lorien Wood is a Christ-centered school teaching from a Biblical worldview, and as such, it maintains a statement of faith. We do require all families to sign our statement of faith as a prerequisite for attending the school.

Learn about our distinctives