One thing to note is that O’Connell has a no-phone policy in school for the entire school day, including lunch and Knight Time. Of course there are students who find work around, like using laptops to text, but my kids have said it’s great to actually have conversations in classes, not having everyone staring at phones during lunches or between classes, and people actually engaging with one another.

Someone said it feels like what area public high schools were like in the 80s/90s, and I would have to agree.

Though many assignments are done digitally/ submitted through Canvas, my kids (I have had 4 go through DJO) all always had assignments that were also completed by hand, too.

On a side note, we had friends whose son transferred from a highly ranked FCPS private and they mentioned he felt like he could actually learn at O’Connell because the overall environment was less distracting.

Anonymous wrote:Please tell me all about it, both strengths and weaknesses. Of course, we will attend Fall admissions events, but interested in hearing a broader perspective than any school can give. We are mainstream Protestants, not Catholic, but have no particular concerns about DC being exposed to Catholic doctrine. We are more interested in the school’s academics than in its sports, for DC does not play any sport competitively.

We have a son at Bishop O'Connell in his third year. It's been a great school for him.

We are Catholic but my spouse and I attended public schools growing up. O'Connell in many ways reminds me of what public school used to be in the 1980s/1990s, just a bit more upscale and with an explicit message of Christian values. It's a nice school; it's about the same size as the public high school I went to; it offers a wide array of academic challenges (AP, Honors, etc.); it has robust athletic teams and extracurricular activities like drama etc.

Disruptive behavior, violence, disrespect etc. are not tolerated, thus it's never been an issue for my kid there (unlike his experience in local public schools).

My son takes mostly AP and Honors classes and also plays on one of the sports teams. I think he's getting a good, well-rounded high school experience.

We also looked at Bishop Ireton and the vibe was much the same there (maybe they lean less toward athletics and more towards art/drama activities) but O'Connell was more conveniently located for us.

My one complaint about the school is that, as is common in the public schools and some other privates, so much work is done on the computer. Kids take notes on laptops at school; homework (at least a lot of it) gets submitted online, etc. I find the addition of any extra minutes of "screen time" to be annoying.

Good luck in your decision!

There are several no-cut sports. Easy on-ramp sports are cross country, track and crew.
Playing sports will exempt kids from PE, but the time commitment is huge for any sport.

The band, choir & theatre programs are very strong.
The dance team competes in National events.

There is a service requirement and students go on overnight retreats.
There is a lot of "respect life" but it isn't just about unborn babies, it is also about fundraising for medical causes (Superdance), Special Olympics, and Best Buddies. They have an American Sign Language class, so there are actions tied to the prayers. (My kid has a hearing issue and I am happy to see ASL embraced in the school).

Seeing an "AP kid" who likes Shakespeare have a great community and another kid who is a traditional athlete with Bs have a great experience is a sign that they are building a good community.

A criticism I have heard is that they don't push really hard to set kids up for Ivies. Having gone through the process twice, there is a tendency to go for Catholic colleges like Georgetown, Notre Dame, Villanova and more competitive state schools such as W&M, and VT. They are also really proud of kids who go to places like West Point and some kids have gone to competitive schools that focus on art (the kind that you need to have a portfolio review or audition to get in). The teachers are very supportive of that.

It is a faith-centered education. The other parents are awesome.



Check out DJO decisions on Instagram.

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please tell me all about it, both strengths and weaknesses. Of course, we will attend Fall admissions events, but interested in hearing a broader perspective than any school can give. We are mainstream Protestants, not Catholic, but have no particular concerns about DC being exposed to Catholic doctrine. We are more interested in the school’s academics than in its sports, for DC does not play any sport competitively.

Academics LOL no

Dumb comment.

OP, O’Connell’s academics are good but if you really want rigor you need to have a kid who is fairly self-motivated. There is a wide range of academic performance among the students and a student who wants to do the minimum and skate by can, but a student who cares to put in the effort can do so and be challenged and excel, too.

+1. Our perception, at least compared to our local publics is that the academics are better even if only due to smaller class sizes, less reliance on technology. and less disruptive behavior impacting instructional time.

The rigor is there for kids who want it, but even in the basic college prep courses those realities elevate the learning experience.

Having DC in the honors/AP classes but not being in a pressure cooker school was the real selling point for me about O’Connell. That’s a hard balance to find

That makes sense. A lot of the most sought after private/independent schools and some of the local public schools at the higher level classes can be pressure cookers.

I'm not saying the classes aren't intense! Just clarifying. They definitely are and my child has a rigorous, stressful junior year. It's just nice that it's not in the air all the time or so cut throat all the time.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please tell me all about it, both strengths and weaknesses. Of course, we will attend Fall admissions events, but interested in hearing a broader perspective than any school can give. We are mainstream Protestants, not Catholic, but have no particular concerns about DC being exposed to Catholic doctrine. We are more interested in the school’s academics than in its sports, for DC does not play any sport competitively.

Academics LOL no

Dumb comment.

OP, O’Connell’s academics are good but if you really want rigor you need to have a kid who is fairly self-motivated. There is a wide range of academic performance among the students and a student who wants to do the minimum and skate by can, but a student who cares to put in the effort can do so and be challenged and excel, too.

+1. Our perception, at least compared to our local publics is that the academics are better even if only due to smaller class sizes, less reliance on technology. and less disruptive behavior impacting instructional time.

The rigor is there for kids who want it, but even in the basic college prep courses those realities elevate the learning experience.

Having DC in the honors/AP classes but not being in a pressure cooker school was the real selling point for me about O’Connell. That’s a hard balance to find

That makes sense. A lot of the most sought after private/independent schools and some of the local public schools at the higher level classes can be pressure cookers.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please tell me all about it, both strengths and weaknesses. Of course, we will attend Fall admissions events, but interested in hearing a broader perspective than any school can give. We are mainstream Protestants, not Catholic, but have no particular concerns about DC being exposed to Catholic doctrine. We are more interested in the school’s academics than in its sports, for DC does not play any sport competitively.

Academics LOL no

Dumb comment.

OP, O’Connell’s academics are good but if you really want rigor you need to have a kid who is fairly self-motivated. There is a wide range of academic performance among the students and a student who wants to do the minimum and skate by can, but a student who cares to put in the effort can do so and be challenged and excel, too.

+1. Our perception, at least compared to our local publics is that the academics are better even if only due to smaller class sizes, less reliance on technology. and less disruptive behavior impacting instructional time.

The rigor is there for kids who want it, but even in the basic college prep courses those realities elevate the learning experience.

Having DC in the honors/AP classes but not being in a pressure cooker school was the real selling point for me about O’Connell. That’s a hard balance to find

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please tell me all about it, both strengths and weaknesses. Of course, we will attend Fall admissions events, but interested in hearing a broader perspective than any school can give. We are mainstream Protestants, not Catholic, but have no particular concerns about DC being exposed to Catholic doctrine. We are more interested in the school’s academics than in its sports, for DC does not play any sport competitively.

Academics LOL no

Dumb comment.

OP, O’Connell’s academics are good but if you really want rigor you need to have a kid who is fairly self-motivated. There is a wide range of academic performance among the students and a student who wants to do the minimum and skate by can, but a student who cares to put in the effort can do so and be challenged and excel, too.

+1. Our perception, at least compared to our local publics is that the academics are better even if only due to smaller class sizes, less reliance on technology. and less disruptive behavior impacting instructional time.

The rigor is there for kids who want it, but even in the basic college prep courses those realities elevate the learning experience.

Anonymous wrote:Friends went to visit and told us that Jesus was dying on every single classroom wall. They did not apply.

Crucifixes in a Catholic school!?! I’m shocked!

Anonymous wrote:Friends went to visit and told us that Jesus was dying on every single classroom wall. They did not apply.

Hm. Crucifixes in Catholic classrooms. They shouldn’t be surprised, sounds like it wasn’t a good fit if this bothered them.

I should add we love St. Anselms Abbey School, and for us, the commute is worth it.

Anonymous wrote:Does St Anselm’s Abbey School has transportation ?

How would a family living in Arlington and working in Tysons (not in Washington DC) get DC to/from school ?

We are an Arlington-based family whose son is at St. Anselms Abbey School, and there is a shuttle that runs in the morning from Arlington and Alexandria to the school, and many kids metro back home in the afternoon. Our son carpools with other Arlington boys to a metro stop on the red line, so they have a quick shot up to Fort Totten. There are school shuttles that run regularly between Fort Totten metro and the school in the morning and also in the afternoon, so most students from farther away than Capitol Hill or Cheverly, MD commonly use public transport and/or school shuttles, so groups of them ride together also. It works out.

Anonymous wrote:Friends went to visit and told us that Jesus was dying on every single classroom wall. They did not apply.

Don’t the public /state schools in some countries like Austria or in Quebec also have the crucifixes in every classroom? It’s not just a parochial school thing.

O'Connell is in the very conservative Arlington Diocese however, so there’s a limit to how much the school can evolve with broader societal changes.

Friends went to visit and told us that Jesus was dying on every single classroom wall. They did not apply.

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Anonymous wrote:I know many students who have attend Bishop O'Connell, and they represent a range of academic achievement. Students who are capable and desire to reach high levels of academic achievement will be supported and challenged to reach those goals at O'Connell. The school has a range of Honors and AP courses available, a STEM program, a Global Studies program, an Exchange Program, a Study Abroad program, and a Dual Enrollment program with Marymount University.

This is what my DS is getting out of O'Connell. He's in the most rigorous schedule and in the advanced math and language tracks. Will have 9 APs when he graduates along with two dual enrollment classes. He plays a sport seriously and will have coach's support with recruiting. Counselors are very helpful and willing to tout candidates to college admissions offices. We left a too-progressive K-12 in search of a non-DEI environment where DS doesn't deal with white guilt, pro-LGBTQ propaganda and skin color-based affinity groups.

Doesn’t sound like O’Connell would be a good fit then, what with the groups for Black students, Asian students, Hispanic students, and heaven forfend!, the Diversity, Equity, and Unity student group.

Having a naturally diverse student body vs. having fascist DEI propaganda forced onto students and families are completely different things.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know many students who have attend Bishop O'Connell, and they represent a range of academic achievement. Students who are capable and desire to reach high levels of academic achievement will be supported and challenged to reach those goals at O'Connell. The school has a range of Honors and AP courses available, a STEM program, a Global Studies program, an Exchange Program, a Study Abroad program, and a Dual Enrollment program with Marymount University.

This is what my DS is getting out of O'Connell. He's in the most rigorous schedule and in the advanced math and language tracks. Will have 9 APs when he graduates along with two dual enrollment classes. He plays a sport seriously and will have coach's support with recruiting. Counselors are very helpful and willing to tout candidates to college admissions offices. We left a too-progressive K-12 in search of a non-DEI environment where DS doesn't deal with white guilt, pro-LGBTQ propaganda and skin color-based affinity groups.

Sounds great if you're a racist, homophobic family!