Why should we consider a Catholic school?

[Anonymous]

Yikes, hopefully you won't run into people a dogmatic as 8:33 in parish schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yikes, hopefully you won't run into people a dogmatic as 8:33 in parish schools.

Nope. What I hope you find, as we have, are nice families who are just trying to do what works best for their children and their families. We like that our kids have their faith interwoven in all they do and that they are respected and valued as individuals. We like that fellow families share our values and generally are quite invested in their parish and school. Each school has it's own strengths and weaknesses and mix of personalities. Good luck finding the best fit for you.

[Anonymous]

This is, by far, the most helpful thread on Catholic schools that I've seen on DCUM, so I'll try my question here. We are considering Catholic school for our DD (still too young for most pre-k, but starting to look around). The Archdiocese has some information on DC area Catholic schools, but not much. Whenever I post asking about a specific Catholic elementary school, I usually get super helpful responses questioning my intelligence, morality, dedication to my child's edcuation, etc. Are there any other forums (listservs, websites, parent's groups, forums etc.) that may have more information about area Catholic schools.

[Anonymous]

I am thinking of sending my son to the Woods Academy which is a catholic school. Is it a good school?

[Anonymous]

You would be better off at your parish school than at Woods Academy. No added value for the additional tuition.

[Anonymous]

The "good" Catholic K-8 schools are Blessed Sacrament, Mercy, and Holy Trinity. Also Our Lady of Victory and Little Flower. Ask the schools for high school placement data.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is, by far, the most helpful thread on Catholic schools that I've seen on DCUM, so I'll try my question here. We are considering Catholic school for our DD (still too young for most pre-k, but starting to look around). The Archdiocese has some information on DC area Catholic schools, but not much. Whenever I post asking about a specific Catholic elementary school, I usually get super helpful responses questioning my intelligence, morality, dedication to my child's edcuation, etc. Are there any other forums (listservs, websites, parent's groups, forums etc.) that may have more information about area Catholic schools.

It's hard to find a central comparison place because at the basic level elementary Catholic schools are not designed to be "shopped for." The general idea is that students attend the school of the parish they reside in. Granted that's more fluid here in DC because many parishes do not hold to geographical boundaries quite as much as in the past. But you will find that the vast majority of parochial school kids live in the neighborhoods surrounding their school and those schools give strong preference to their church's parishioners (and some cannot even accommodate all of them)

Absolutely your best info is going to come from visiting the school directly. Each school is different based on the style of the principal, the size of the school, the involvement of the families and the community they draw from. Good luck with your search.

[Anonymous]

Agree with 11:44, but also consider St Bart's if you are near River Rd. It is a welcoming community and a solid school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Consider if:

You like a close minded rigid environment which promotes superiority of a religion and certain ethnicities over others.
You prefer a second rate academic experience that wraps itself in religious teachings and old school academics.
You want an unhealthy emphasis on athletic competition to win at all costs with the pretense that god is involved.
You want an environment where women are second class.
You want an environment that is sponsored by a protector of pedophiles.

While you may not like what this poster says, it would be best if a parent is going to pick a Catholic school to read this and not disregard it as someone "bashing".

I grew up in Catholic schools - in the DC area even - and what this posters says is to some degree true for every school. It just depends on what school and what parish. If you are not mindful of these things, you can easily pick the wrong school environment.

Parish schools - those were almost the entire school population comes from the Parish - tend to be the most closed off and less diverse. You have to get a feel for the parish first - is it very conservative, a little more accepting, etc...this will tell you what the school will tend to be like

Second rate academics are a fact - some teachers will be ok, some classes will be ok, some resources will be ok but many will be sub par.

Girls who do poorly in Science and Math are generally passed and while not explicitly stated the general sentiment is often that they won't need those skills anyway so no need to push or encourage them - just pass them so they can go on to the next grade. Girls will go on to traditional girl roles - sahm, teacher, etc

Some schools reputations are built on sports and they will do anything to maintain that.