Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I actually think that for a Catholic parochial school, the academics are almost as strong as they can be. It has a great academic reputation, with a strong principal/vice principal, counselors, resource teachers, 2 classes per grade (3 classes in Kindergarten to really focus on those reading skills), and it is trying to cap the older classes at 25-26. They publish the MAP scores and start MAP testing in K to get them practicing and to monitor progress over time. They have a reading specialist for K-2 and differentiate math in 3rd. Geometry is a solid option for 8th.
My biggest issue is SOCIALLY the parents, which then trickles down to the kids. About a third of the parents (at least the new ones) are WWCC, which affects your child's ability to socialize. If the WWCC only hangs out with each other, then they aren't inviting your child to their playdate or birthday party. The WWCC is also NOT great about making new friends. If there were a way to filter them out, the school would be absolutely amazing, because there are genuinely incredible families in this school who just get overshadowed by the WWCC families.

This is so interesting. Should we join Westwood so my child has friends? Is this really what the world has come to? 😂😅

I actually agree that the WWCC element is kind of toxic. They have all but taken over with their lack of values and desperate social climbing attempts and it has changed the heart/vibe of the school from when my older children went there. They care nothing about religion and use the school as a cheaper private school option bc they rather pay less for a private education as opposed to a more secular private so they can put their money into their big fat cars and plastic images so they can pretend they are “better” than everyone else. The disappointing part is that the school does nothing to screen families; this has resulted in a shift in culture. This, along with the lack of pastoral leadership is troubling. I bet that only 20-25% of families actually attend weekend mass with their kids (and that’s being generous) . But not everyone sucks; you find your people!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I actually think that for a Catholic parochial school, the academics are almost as strong as they can be. It has a great academic reputation, with a strong principal/vice principal, counselors, resource teachers, 2 classes per grade (3 classes in Kindergarten to really focus on those reading skills), and it is trying to cap the older classes at 25-26. They publish the MAP scores and start MAP testing in K to get them practicing and to monitor progress over time. They have a reading specialist for K-2 and differentiate math in 3rd. Geometry is a solid option for 8th.
My biggest issue is SOCIALLY the parents, which then trickles down to the kids. About a third of the parents (at least the new ones) are WWCC, which affects your child's ability to socialize. If the WWCC only hangs out with each other, then they aren't inviting your child to their playdate or birthday party. The WWCC is also NOT great about making new friends. If there were a way to filter them out, the school would be absolutely amazing, because there are genuinely incredible families in this school who just get overshadowed by the WWCC families.

This is so interesting. Should we join Westwood so my child has friends? Is this really what the world has come to? 😂😅

I actually agree that the WWCC element is kind of toxic. They have all but taken over with their lack of values and desperate social climbing attempts and it has changed the heart/vibe of the school from when my older children went there. They care nothing about religion and use the school as a cheaper private school option bc they rather pay less for a private education as opposed to a more secular private so they can put their money into their big fat cars and plastic images so they can pretend they are “better” than everyone else. The disappointing part is that the school does nothing to screen families; this has resulted in a shift in culture. This, along with the lack of pastoral leadership is troubling. I bet that only 20-25% of families actually attend weekend mass with their kids (and that’s being generous) . But not everyone sucks; you find your people!

Can someone describe desperate social climbing? Where are they trying to climb to? What’s the end game just trying to look cool?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I actually think that for a Catholic parochial school, the academics are almost as strong as they can be. It has a great academic reputation, with a strong principal/vice principal, counselors, resource teachers, 2 classes per grade (3 classes in Kindergarten to really focus on those reading skills), and it is trying to cap the older classes at 25-26. They publish the MAP scores and start MAP testing in K to get them practicing and to monitor progress over time. They have a reading specialist for K-2 and differentiate math in 3rd. Geometry is a solid option for 8th.
My biggest issue is SOCIALLY the parents, which then trickles down to the kids. About a third of the parents (at least the new ones) are WWCC, which affects your child's ability to socialize. If the WWCC only hangs out with each other, then they aren't inviting your child to their playdate or birthday party. The WWCC is also NOT great about making new friends. If there were a way to filter them out, the school would be absolutely amazing, because there are genuinely incredible families in this school who just get overshadowed by the WWCC families.

This is so interesting. Should we join Westwood so my child has friends? Is this really what the world has come to? 😂😅

I actually agree that the WWCC element is kind of toxic. They have all but taken over with their lack of values and desperate social climbing attempts and it has changed the heart/vibe of the school from when my older children went there. They care nothing about religion and use the school as a cheaper private school option bc they rather pay less for a private education as opposed to a more secular private so they can put their money into their big fat cars and plastic images so they can pretend they are “better” than everyone else. The disappointing part is that the school does nothing to screen families; this has resulted in a shift in culture. This, along with the lack of pastoral leadership is troubling. I bet that only 20-25% of families actually attend weekend mass with their kids (and that’s being generous) . But not everyone sucks; you find your people!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I actually think that for a Catholic parochial school, the academics are almost as strong as they can be. It has a great academic reputation, with a strong principal/vice principal, counselors, resource teachers, 2 classes per grade (3 classes in Kindergarten to really focus on those reading skills), and it is trying to cap the older classes at 25-26. They publish the MAP scores and start MAP testing in K to get them practicing and to monitor progress over time. They have a reading specialist for K-2 and differentiate math in 3rd. Geometry is a solid option for 8th.
My biggest issue is SOCIALLY the parents, which then trickles down to the kids. About a third of the parents (at least the new ones) are WWCC, which affects your child's ability to socialize. If the WWCC only hangs out with each other, then they aren't inviting your child to their playdate or birthday party. The WWCC is also NOT great about making new friends. If there were a way to filter them out, the school would be absolutely amazing, because there are genuinely incredible families in this school who just get overshadowed by the WWCC families.

This is so interesting. Should we join Westwood so my child has friends? Is this really what the world has come to? 😂😅

Anonymous wrote:I actually think that for a Catholic parochial school, the academics are almost as strong as they can be. It has a great academic reputation, with a strong principal/vice principal, counselors, resource teachers, 2 classes per grade (3 classes in Kindergarten to really focus on those reading skills), and it is trying to cap the older classes at 25-26. They publish the MAP scores and start MAP testing in K to get them practicing and to monitor progress over time. They have a reading specialist for K-2 and differentiate math in 3rd. Geometry is a solid option for 8th.
My biggest issue is SOCIALLY the parents, which then trickles down to the kids. About a third of the parents (at least the new ones) are WWCC, which affects your child's ability to socialize. If the WWCC only hangs out with each other, then they aren't inviting your child to their playdate or birthday party. The WWCC is also NOT great about making new friends. If there were a way to filter them out, the school would be absolutely amazing, because there are genuinely incredible families in this school who just get overshadowed by the WWCC families.

Anonymous wrote:I am the opposite of the "WWCC type" and have never felt like I, nor my children, did not fit in. Maybe we got lucky? Get involved with school volunteer opportunities. Make connections in ways that have nothing to do with country clubs.

My child happens to be in the largest grade (27 kids per class) but my others are in regular-sized grades: 24 per class and 22 per class so previous posters may have outdated information. Each classroom through 3rd grade, I believe, has a full time assistant for each classroom. Fourth grade definitely has a shared full-time assistant. Fifth grade and above do not have assistants.

My child reports the same students getting sent to the office for getting in trouble (being disrespectful, making stupid decisions) so I would have to agree with above that some kids do get "too many chances" and not severe enough consequences at school. However, I doubt this has to do with who is a country club member and who is not. Probably more likely that parents are not following-up with consequences at home.

Anonymous wrote:There are positive things, nice people, and good teachers at OLGC. On the whole, the child I enrolled there graduated with a satisfactory education (above average in writing and grammar) and had a decent experience. But I am glad to be leaving, as our enjoyment of the school and parish community has notably decreased over the past several years. Once your kid starts here - or at any school - you as a parent know that it's just difficult to move them absent something really significant. For the reasons below, I don't think I would start/stick with OLGC if I had it to do over again, because I don't really feel it was worth the cost, as compared to public school or even another Catholic school.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO:

- OLGC is a Salesian parish and school, and the school is attended by a good number of non-Catholics, so it's on the liberal end of the spectrum for Catholic schools in NoVA. Not that this is a bad thing -- just something to be aware of if it matters to you. The (Catholic) religious curriculum (especially in middle school) is pretty strong.
- Expect MANY random half-days and days on which their version of after-care is cancelled or ends early. Generally, this school's scheduling and setup for parent participation are not conducive to households with two working parents or single-parent households where that parent works full-time.
- Beginning 2026-27, there's a new policy on tuition: If you change your mind about sending your kid to OLGC on or after the June 1 immediately preceding the school year for which you enrolled your child (for any reason - an unexpected move, a family emergency, etc.), they've pledged to come after you for the FULL TUITION for the following school year (during which your child will not be attending OLGC) - even though they also say they have a waitlist for most grades, so it would seem likely "your spot" would be filled anyway.
- Tuition will increase every year. Fees will increase every year.
- Class sizes are too large. The minimum we saw was 25 (with a continued push to meet the diocese cap of 30) students per classroom - those numbers are excessive for a public school, much less a private one charging $12K+ per year.
- Elementary classrooms have an aide half-time if lucky; no aides in MS. They have said they're trying to improve this; however, I am not optimistic because.....
- ....there is a high rate of teacher turnover here. We've seen 2 or more teachers leave each year; and in most years, at least one quits mid-school year. Attrition is natural, and teaching careers look different now compared to 20 years ago. But for an established private school that offers some of the most competitive salaries in the diocese and only has 2 teachers per grade level to lose several teachers every year -- including teachers willing to break their contracts midyear -- is significant. That speaks to problems with recruitment and hiring, problems with retention, and problems supporting educators who are struggling.
- Promises of differentiated learning are disingenuous at best. Aside from varied-level math instruction (beginning in upper elementary), these promises simply cannot be fulfilled. None of the staff (with the exception of the one MS math teacher, who is great) have the time, resources, expertise, or experience to differentiate their curriculum or instruction, yet admin continues to promise to meet current and incoming students "where they are at." Because that is impossible, each classroom has a bunch of kids, on both ends of the spectrum, whose needs are not being met. This results in behavioral issues that are not adequately addressed (most teachers do not have classroom control skills) and detract from the education of the class as a whole.
- Students with significant behavioral issues are frequently allowed to run roughshod over teachers and peers and to hold hostage the learning of their entire class with misdeeds, meltdowns, and arguments. The administration will not turn away problematic students (e.g. kids who they know have been asked to leave another Catholic school in the diocese) or children with learning differences, despite the fact that this school is not properly equipped to handle kids who need the kind of push-in and pull-out behavioral or educational services they'd receive in public school.
- Disciplinary measures are selectively enforced. Favorites of the principal and children from wealthy families are given special treatment; others bear the brunt.
- Family culture is increasingly cliquish. The previous head priest was solely focused on increasing revenue, and because of this, wealthy families are given preferential treatment w/r/t teacher selection, school and parish programs (including CYO sports), discipline, admin responsiveness, etc. That socioeconomic class-focused attitude does trickle down to the kids. The Westwood Country Club set is on the ascent here - families who know their dollar won't go real far at Flint Hill, Potomac, Langley, or Congressional (where everyone is wealthy) - but they have gotten word that they can pretty much pay to play at OLGC, and they dig it. They vocally resent the "free-riding" they feel is being done by families that don't or can't contribute generously to the "Wildcat Fund" - which they view as taking advantage of the donations and assets provided by country-clubber largess. I get that this is how the world works - it is just depressing to see that dynamic played out so obviously in an elementary/middle school setting.
- Twice now, the parish's finance council has attempted to roll out a new tuition policy that withholds the in-parish discount from families that didn't donate, during the previous year, a certain amount in a certain way to the church. This does not take into account tuition/school expenses, cash contributions made without labeled envelopes, or historic (> 1-year-old) donations to the church. Both times, the effort has failed spectacularly, requiring the previous head priest to issue a formal retraction. Whatever the justification may be for the policy itself, I would note here that it's odd the parish staff has (twice) issued a school policy without providing proper notice to the school administrators - i.e. the people responsible for defending and enforcing that policy. There's a fracture in communications between school staff and parish staff, and it's had some serious consequences.
-To a previous question on this post: No, the bullying families have not been exited, nor will they be due to reasons indicated above.

In closing, I'd like to stress again these points:

**For parents of children with any kind of special learning need: I would strongly recommend against enrolling at OLGC. If you are set on Catholic school, you might consider Holy Spirit in Annandale or All Saints in Manassas.

**OLGC could be a good fit for you IF: 

#You are, or are seeking to become, a member of Westwood CC or a part of the wealthier social scene in Vienna generally and are willing to donate (preferably publicly) significantly to the school and parish each year, on top of your tuition expenses.

OR

--You are committed to being a visible part of the school and parish community, attending Mass regularly at OLGC and volunteering at least 10 hours a year at the school in a capacity that can be verified by at least one staff member or other parent (Keep a written record of those hours and witnesses. Ask me how I know.), AND
--You donate a documented, regular (at least yearly) amount to the school activities/Wildcat fund, and the parish, AND the Bishop's Lenten Appeal credited to OLGC, AND
--Your child is an average to above-average student who will likely do fine in an environment where they can coast through mostly unnoticed.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So accurate “ The Westwood Country Club set is on the ascent here - families who know their dollar won't go real far at Flint Hill, Potomac, Langley, or Congressional (where everyone is wealthy) - but they have gotten word that they can pretty much pay to play at OLGC, and they dig it. ” it is such a social climby set of people but not sure if other privates are like this or this just particular to OLGC

That’s sad to hear…. you’d think the Catholic element would make more kind hearted people?

What advice do you have for a new family entering the school? Starting next year in a younger grade level and was very excited to start here and get away from some really blatant and pathetic social climbing behavior at a different, non religious private, but sounds like that’s not the case.

Anonymous wrote:I think they are kind in word at least. Just discriminatory.