Reply to Tell me about Catholic School Over Fairfax County

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=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.  [b]You need a 93 average to get an A, which is higher than Fairfax--Fairfax lowered this to a 90 a few years back.[/b]  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.

[b]We know all the families in our grades[/b] 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.
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Ummm.. there are no "A's" or "B's" in FCPS elementary schools.  1, 2, 3, and 4 -- it's been that way for several years.

As for knowing all the families -- that can be a plus that becomes a minus by the time you all have been together for 4+ years.  My friends at Blessed Sacrament (one class per grade) were very tired of the same old same old social circles by 4th grade.  They are sticking it out and going public for HS.  I think for better or for worse, your child will be known in a smaller school.  In a larger public school, there is a chance to re-set each year b/c teachers don't know you when the year starts.

There is definitely a different set of behavior standards -- not that public school is bad, but Catholic school wins on that factor (personal discipline -- "good morning, Mrs. Jones!" being reverent at church, studying the 10 commandments, etc.).  Diversity and interacting with people of different backgrounds -- public school wins.

Advanced math starts in 3rd grade at public school and the AAP program (full time adv. all subjects) is 3rd grade.  My Catholic school friends have to "earn" their way into adv. math in 5th or 6th grade.  Definitely more rigid grading in Catholic school -- not necessarily bad.  Not sure about field trips and special events.  I never hear about those.  Public school kids have been to Va. Science Center (3rd grade), Kennedy Center, Jamestown, Luray Caverns, they have Colonial Day, Medieval Day, as well as local nature centers, smithsonian museums, monuments, historic park programs, etc., etc.  Public has strings and band in grade school.  I believe Catholic only had band.  Basketball is a second religion at Catholic school.  It's not part of public school, although some kids play in a local rec league.

Bottom line -- do you want the Catholic teachings as part of your child's education?  Are you a family that gets along well with a small group of people for many years?  If you get tired of people after a few years, you may not like the fishbowl community in a Catholic school.  Others might find it very comforting.

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