Depending which end of the K-8 spectrum you’re closer to, the curriculum and staff may not matter. Not to be all “kids these days!” but … maybe not the little kids yet, but middle schoolish and older really are - as a group - very independent thinkers. You aren’t going to get very far trying to indoctrinate them (whichever way you’re trying to, doesn’t matter). Good luck in your school search.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not really about the political views of the families. The entire curriculum in the Arlington Diocese skews strict, conservative and old-fashioned.

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Our experience (we have voted for Biden and Hillary, just as background) is that the curriculum is similar to what public school used to do when I was a kid. There is a focus on arithmetic in the lower grades, grammar, spelling, learning how to take notes, developing good study habits. There is a fair amount of homework. The kids had to memorize their multiplication tables and learn cursive. On the religion side, it mostly focuses on how to be a good person, with a big emphasis on virtues. Every now and then there is something that makes me shake my head. But I just tell my kids my viewpoint and what I believe.

^ exactly. We have a K student at a Nova parochial school and she's learned more in 3 weeks than she's learned in a whole year at a highly respected preschool.

Anonymous wrote:It’s not really about the political views of the families. The entire curriculum in the Arlington Diocese skews strict, conservative and old-fashioned.

.

Our experience (we have voted for Biden and Hillary, just as background) is that the curriculum is similar to what public school used to do when I was a kid. There is a focus on arithmetic in the lower grades, grammar, spelling, learning how to take notes, developing good study habits. There is a fair amount of homework. The kids had to memorize their multiplication tables and learn cursive. On the religion side, it mostly focuses on how to be a good person, with a big emphasis on virtues. Every now and then there is something that makes me shake my head. But I just tell my kids my viewpoint and what I believe.

Anonymous wrote:

The entire curriculum in the Arlington Diocese skews strict, conservative and old-fashioned.

This is both a blessing and a curse.

We’ve found it to be just a blessing.

Anonymous wrote:St Agnes is the most conservative in Arlington.

No

The entire curriculum in the Arlington Diocese skews strict, conservative and old-fashioned.

This is both a blessing and a curse.

St. James and St. Veronica have in the past been more conservative than the rest of the schools in the NOVA area. I am not sure if that is true at this time. My information is 10 years old.

St Agnes is the most conservative in Arlington.

^ as a parent with three kids who went through a very well known parochial school in Vienna K-8, I disagree with this statement

Go to the open houses, talk to the religion teachers and parents. They will tell you. Our kids are respectful of other religions and have learned more about our Catholic Faith we identify with

It’s not really about the political views of the families. The entire curriculum in the Arlington Diocese skews strict, conservative and old-fashioned.

My kids' k-8 in Fairfax, I really have no idea. There are a fair number of cars with pro-life stickers (Project Rachel) but there's also a lot of people who seem pretty casual and never go to Sunday Mass and have only 2 kids. Everyone is friendly and no one is rigid.

I toured many of the schools and talked to parents to figure out where to send my DS. St John’s in Mclean has a wonderful community and skews very conservative! Many large families, they also have a slightly different curriculum than the traditional parish schools. Kids are memorizing poems in K
St Luke in Mclean and OLGC in Tysons/Vienna tends to run more liberal but there are some conservative families in these parishes. We loved all the traditions at OLGC especially the fish fry every Friday during Lent.
St James probably in the middle of the road with equally conservative and liberal families
All great schools and recommend going to the open houses and talking to parents. Also go to a mass on the weekends, you’ll get a feel. There are also differences between a one track school and two track school. One track smaller, everyone know eachother. Two track , mixing of students every year between the classes and more clubs and activities

St Veronica’s in Chantilly skews very conservative. My sense is that OLGC in Vienna is less conservative. Not sure about others.

It ranges, but we know who the ultra catholics are and i would say most in my kids school are conservative to a little bit of everything. I have never discussed politics with parents or teachers.

Don't go to St. James if you don't want conservative.