About Us
🌟 Our Vision
The vision for Great Beginnings Early Learning Center is to be the best and most trusted Nursery & Preschool in the Washington metropolitan area, where children are nurtured, trained, and equipped for the great future ahead of them.
🎯 Our Mission
Our mission is to provide early learners with the tools to develop important values like sharing, compassion, patience, honesty, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. We work closely and collectively with each child in partnership with their parents and guardians to prepare them for entry into Kindergarten.
Every child’s unique talents, skills, and abilities are nurtured in a loving and compassionate environment. Learning is encouraged through art, science, language, math, recreational play, individual & group dynamics, and the active engagement of the mind, motor skills, and creativity. We offer a variety of developmentally appropriate activities designed to foster a love of learning as they play, explore, and grow.
👨🏾👩🏾👧🏾👦🏾 Who We Are
We are a private, family-owned, and operated Christian Nursery & Preschool, licensed by the Virginia Department of Education. We welcome families from all backgrounds to experience our nurturing environment filled with love and care.
Registered with the Commonwealth of Virginia and the City of Alexandria, our center focuses on the integral development of children between the ages of 6 weeks to 5 years old, rooted in the belief that a great foundation leads to a great future. We teach and model core values such as compassion, patience, honesty, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
We primarily use the A Beka Curriculum for our daily lesson plans and supplement with the Creative Curriculum for science and exploratory subjects. Each classroom also includes a daily Bible activity.
👩🏽🏫👨🏻🏫👨🏿🏫 Our Staff
Our team is made up of a diverse, multicultural group of dedicated educators and caregivers who are creative, patient, and passionate about early childhood education. They are committed to the growth and development of every child in our care and work together under the leadership of our experienced Center Director, Ms. Freida Steele.
Our Director is always available to support you, answer questions about your child’s progress, and partner with families in ensuring a nurturing and enriching learning environment. We’re here to help your child reach and exceed key developmental milestones in a place where they feel valued and inspired.
Our Teaching & Care Teams lead engaging activities including reading, math, science, art, music, movement, and more. They communicate with parents daily during pick-up and drop-off and provide updates throughout the day via the Brightwheel App. We also host Parent-Teacher Conferences in the spring and fall to track progress and set goals.
All staff members meet or exceed Virginia’s state requirements and Department of Education standards for working with children. They are trained and certified annually in First Aid, CPR, AED, and Daily Health Observation, and undergo comprehensive pre-hire and ongoing screening—including background checks, fingerprinting, and child safety clearances.
🏫 Our Facilities
Located at 618 N Washington St. in Old Town Alexandria, our center spans over 6,100 sq. ft. and is licensed to care for up to 93 children across our infant through preschool classrooms. The space includes a vibrant children’s library and a private tot lot with professional-grade synthetic turf and resilient surfacing.
We proudly opened our doors on June 1, 2009, and have been serving the educational and developmental needs of families in Alexandria and surrounding communities ever since.
💬 Ready to learn more or schedule a tour?
We invite you to come and experience the GBELC difference—a place where children are loved, valued, and empowered to thrive.
