Tell me about Catholic School Over Fairfax County

[Anonymous]

If you choose Catholic School over a good Fairfax County public school, please tell me your reasons and experience.
Torn between smaller class sizes and better trained teachers in fairfax county vs. an education that includes faith and discipline.
DH and I grey up Catholic and went to Catholic school in the midwest. We both had a good experience but are conflicted with the decision because we think Fairfax County may be better academically, the public school has about 22 students per grade while catholic has 30, and while we would like DD to learn the Catholic faith, we don't 100% agree with all of the Catholic Churches teachings on things like birth control and gay/lesbian.

Appreciate any experiences you would like to share.

[Anonymous]

Academically, no Catholic School (K-8) in this region is better than FF Public schools....

Go to local public school and attend CCD classes at night

[Anonymous]

My son attends Catholic School in the Vienna area. Hands down it is about the community. There is no possible way to articulate how supportive and caring the community at our Catholic School is for my son and family. It is exactly the type of environment that I want my child growing up and learning within and already it has served him so well. For my husband and I, it is a top priority.

I also have a daughter who is much older and years ago she attended a very good Fairfax public school. Her school was known for its community. Looking back the community there that everyone raved about does not in any way compare to the sense of family at my son's school. There simply is no comparison and now I wish I sent my daughter to my son's school.

[Anonymous]

Ffx Co schools have latge classes. In fact, the Board just voted to cap class size to 27.

As practicing Catholics, we were debating whether to go Catholic school or public especially since we are in a really good school pyramid. We liked the resources the County offered - language immersion, IEPs for things like speech (which Dd needed), convenience/logistics, and no tuition. The things we are put off by are how much mainstreaming is done. DD has some really disruptive kids in her class who are so distracting there are "assistant teachers" to work with the 4 or 5 autistic/add (?) kids. It is still distracting though, and as a volunteer in the class, I witness how much time is wasted on reprimand and discipline and repeating the lesson, etc.
My kids aren't old enough yet for the health and sex ed lessons yet, but will most likely opt out. Obviously, that wouldn't be an issue if we were in Cath. school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ffx Co schools have latge classes. In fact, the Board just voted to cap class size to 27.

As practicing Catholics, we were debating whether to go Catholic school or public especially since we are in a really good school pyramid. We liked the resources the County offered - language immersion, IEPs for things like speech (which Dd needed), convenience/logistics, and no tuition. The things we are put off by are how much mainstreaming is done. DD has some really disruptive kids in her class who are so distracting there are "assistant teachers" to work with the 4 or 5 autistic/add (?) kids. It is still distracting though, and as a volunteer in the class, I witness how much time is wasted on reprimand and discipline and repeating the lesson, etc.
My kids aren't old enough yet for the health and sex ed lessons yet, but will most likely opt out. Obviously, that wouldn't be an issue if we were in Cath. school.

WHAT? You don't think Catholic schools teach sex ed? I had sex ed over and over and over in Catholic grade and high schools back in the 80's. If you don't teach it, aren't you missing a good chunk of biology/health? That's a curriculum failure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ffx Co schools have latge classes. In fact, the Board just voted to cap class size to 27.

As practicing Catholics, we were debating whether to go Catholic school or public especially since we are in a really good school pyramid. We liked the resources the County offered - language immersion, IEPs for things like speech (which Dd needed), convenience/logistics, and no tuition. The things we are put off by are how much mainstreaming is done. DD has some really disruptive kids in her class who are so distracting there are "assistant teachers" to work with the 4 or 5 autistic/add (?) kids. It is still distracting though, and as a volunteer in the class, I witness how much time is wasted on reprimand and discipline and repeating the lesson, etc.
My kids aren't old enough yet for the health and sex ed lessons yet, but will most likely opt out. Obviously, that wouldn't be an issue if we were in Cath. school.

WHAT? You don't think Catholic schools teach sex ed? I had sex ed over and over and over in Catholic grade and high schools back in the 80's. If you don't teach it, aren't you missing a good chunk of biology/health? That's a curriculum failure.

I think what the poster was trying to say is that Sex Ed in the public school advocates birth control, gay/lesbian lifestyles, etc, but in a Catholic school these issues would not be pushed or made to be acceptable. That's the difference and that is why the above poster is opting out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son attends Catholic School in the Vienna area. Hands down it is about the community. There is no possible way to articulate how supportive and caring the community at our Catholic School is for my son and family. It is exactly the type of environment that I want my child growing up and learning within and already it has served him so well. For my husband and I, it is a top priority.

I also have a daughter who is much older and years ago she attended a very good Fairfax public school. Her school was known for its community. Looking back the community there that everyone raved about does not in any way compare to the sense of family at my son's school. There simply is no comparison and now I wish I sent my daughter to my son's school.

This. We live in Fairfax County, but DS goes to a Catholic school in the City of Alexandria. I certainly don't think he is getting a better education, looking solely at academics, but he is getting a good education (haven't seen anything kids of friends in Fairfax County schools are doing that is beyond what he is doing) plus a faith-based education, the community, etc. He's only in second grade so I suppose that could change in terms of academics. So far class size has not been an issue for us , 22 or 23 in K, 25 in 1st, 26 in second, always with a teacher and full time aide. I realize for others those numbers might be too big. Our local school does not qualify as one of the few schools deemed good by DCUM standards, but that isn't why we went with Catholoc school.

[Anonymous]

This whole Catholic Schools don't have well qualified teachers and strong academics is just not true. We are in Fairfax in a very good school district and our daughter attends Catholic School. Her teacher last year was getting her masters to be a reading specialist and all of the teachers at her school are more than qualified and have been at the school for many years.

Our school has strong academics. You need a 93 average to get an A, which is higher than Fairfax--Fairfax lowered this to a 90 a few years back. There is foreign language, new computers and tablets being added every year. Recess every day in all grades.

We decided against our local public school because the entire school was just too big. 5 classes per grade was not going to work for us.

We know all the families in our grades and feel that the school, the teachers and admin staff knows our daughter well.

School time start worked better for working families too.

We do not regret for one second sending our child to Catholic school over our very good Fairfax County school.

[Anonymous]

OP here, thanks for all the replies. Does anyone mind sharing what school you attend? We are looking at St. Bernadette's and Nativity in Springfield/Burke. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Our Lady of Good Counsel in Vienna. A wonderful school.

[Anonymous]

I took my boys out of FCPS and put them in St. Bernadette. Never regretted for a second. I think the academics are WAY better actually. And, the community is awesome.

[Anonymous]

St Louis is Alexandria (Fairfax County) is awesome.

[Anonymous]

I have friends in OLGC in Vienna and they love it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I think what the poster was trying to say is that Sex Ed in the public school advocates birth control, gay/lesbian lifestyles, etc, but in a Catholic school these issues would not be pushed or made to be acceptable. That's the difference and that is why the above poster is opting out.

It's Virginia. The public schools teach abstinence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ffx Co schools have latge classes. In fact, the Board just voted to cap class size to 27.

As practicing Catholics, we were debating whether to go Catholic school or public especially since we are in a really good school pyramid. We liked the resources the County offered - language immersion, IEPs for things like speech (which Dd needed), convenience/logistics, and no tuition. The things we are put off by are how much mainstreaming is done. DD has some really disruptive kids in her class who are so distracting there are "assistant teachers" to work with the 4 or 5 autistic/add (?) kids. It is still distracting though, and as a volunteer in the class, I witness how much time is wasted on reprimand and discipline and repeating the lesson, etc.
My kids aren't old enough yet for the health and sex ed lessons yet, but will most likely opt out. Obviously, that wouldn't be an issue if we were in Cath. school.

That is a very interesting point, but makes me wonder what the Catholic school does about children who are distracting due to autistic/add/etc since they don't have the county provided extra teachers to help them in class? Do the Catholic Schools refer out those who need assitance and are disruptive to class?