Updated Info on Kensington & Bethesda Catholic Schools

[Anonymous]

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think an approach to Woods exists in your price range.

Make sure you are comfortable with Catholic teaching and a fairly heavy emphasis on religion at school.

We are at Holy Cross and it has been a good experience. Great academics. Nice community. Strong school leadership. Very traditional parish priest.

All of this can change over the course of your children’s education as communities change and leadership changes. It is really hard to pick a school for your entire family for that many years without experiencing some significant amount of change.

We have 3 kids who have been to many private schools. The Holy Cross principal was - by a lot - the best of the bunch.

[Anonymous]

Thank you everyone! I truly appreciate all your advice and recs.

[Anonymous]

You might also consider St Raphael School, which is very close to St E’s, but may be hard to get into if you are not a member of the parish.

[Anonymous]

I’d suggest checking the boy/girl ratio. At some of these schools, boys leave for Mater Dei in 1st or middle school, leaving the parish schools with mostly girls.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, they’re all very good. Go with the one that makes the logistics of your life easier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You might also consider St Raphael School, which is very close to St E’s, but may be hard to get into if you are not a member of the parish.

OP - visited there as well! They seemed great too, but unfortunately they have no space already, we’d have to go on the waitlist

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DeChantal is great. Going through a transition year. HR is bigger and well organized. Mercy has strong academics, particularly in math. St. Bart's has poor leadership and constantly in financial crisis. That's allnI have exoerience with. Good luck.

HR is super insular. There are generational families and it can feel exclusive if you aren't one of them.

[Anonymous]

OP which of these do you live closest to? Several of them are similar enough that honestly just choosing proximity will help you decide. I agree with other posters that HR is more insular and would be better suited for a Catholic family living in the immediate vicinity actively participating in the parish.
My kids went to Holy Cross and we found it on the whole to be a good fit (it had its not so great moments, but so do May other schools). We found the principal to be very dedicated to the school and genuine in her desire to have her students succeed. They have a pretty good support system for the kids needing some help with dedicated resource teachers and a clear plan in place to help the students succeed. They have some extra curricular activities, and after care and before care available to make it easier for families with two working parents. My kids left with a very strong academic base and have been thriving at their high schools in various honor programs.
I would say it was money well spent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP which of these do you live closest to? Several of them are similar enough that honestly just choosing proximity will help you decide. I agree with other posters that HR is more insular and would be better suited for a Catholic family living in the immediate vicinity actively participating in the parish.
My kids went to Holy Cross and we found it on the whole to be a good fit (it had its not so great moments, but so do May other schools). We found the principal to be very dedicated to the school and genuine in her desire to have her students succeed. They have a pretty good support system for the kids needing some help with dedicated resource teachers and a clear plan in place to help the students succeed. They have some extra curricular activities, and after care and before care available to make it easier for families with two working parents. My kids left with a very strong academic base and have been thriving at their high schools in various honor programs.
I would say it was money well spent.

I’d say we’re almost equal distance to both HR and Holy Cross, so either could be a good fit. Our work takes us towards DC which is why the other schools are a consideration as well. Thank you for your giving your personal experience on Holy Cross! I have had a couple people tell me that they had great elementary years there but then lots of trouble in middle school which caused them to leave. Can you speak to that at all? I realize nowhere is perfect but I’ve been told that by 2 separate families.

[Anonymous]

My personal experience with HR is that it is very cliquey and exclusionary for those who are either not Catholic or not part of the parish. We felt very uncomfortable around those families because there was such blatant unfriendliness despite repeated attempts to form connections. I think it is likely a group where if you are in, it is great, if you’re out, you are really out.

[Anonymous]

Go to the one in your neighborhood. I only know HR, but I would not recommend going there unless you live in the good part of Kensington.

[Anonymous]

Re HC middle school, it has not been as fabulous as elementary school. I agree with that. It is also very demanding academically and that is not for everyone. At the same time, they do have decent academic supports in place for those who need it.

My kids were well prepared for high school so overall we think it was a good experience. And I believe it was much better than public middle would have been. And it fits our faith/values at an important age when kids are struggling and vulnerable….

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Go to the one in your neighborhood. I only know HR, but I would not recommend going there unless you live in the good part of Kensington.

[Anonymous]

Just a word on Our Lady of Lourdes- principal is nuts. But no phones or social media, and great teachers and parents, which is great.