ANyone have kids at Bishop O'Connell or Bishop Ireton high schools?

[penandpaper]

Are most of the k-8 schools in Northern VA full? I know that for our Catholic school here in the Midwest if you don't get them in in kindergarten you can only cross your fingers and hope an opening comes up in the later grades.

[Yankeesfan]

That used to be the case here, but when house prices began their huge escalation several years ago, way fewer young families could afford to move into Fairfax, and many of those who did couldn't afford Catholic schools because they were stretched to pay the mortgage. As we all know home prices have been dropping, so the enrollment numbers are going up again but it's still not as competitive as it used to be.

[wildcat12]

I graduated from O'connell and personnally I loved it. I would suggest it over Ireton just becuase it is bigger and there are just more options for your children. PVI and O'connell are very similar, and huge rivals. Most of my friends were from McLean, Vienna, or Falls Church, all nice towns. And as for middle schools, St. James, OLGC, and Corpus Christi were popular. Sports are incredably competative in the Northern Virginia area in general, not just O'connell. Our boys basketball, girls soccer, and girls softball were the most competative. Hope that's helpfull,
p.s. with your daughters height she can for sure make at least the JV volleyball team, which in my opinion is one of the best way to make friends.

[Ranger Vic]

When we got to NOVA in 2000-2001 school year our daughter was able to get into OLGC in Vienna. Our son two years behind her had to be enrolled in the three hour kindergarden to ensure enrolement into the first grade. We eventually pulled him out and this last year when we tryed to enroll him inthe new school, St Marks, sixed grade, they did not have room for him. NOVA has very good schools both private and public so I was very suprised when i found that the catholic school were so full.

[VLT]

Hi there. I hope you got this resolved. Just wanted to let you know our last child is at O'Connell, from St Tim's k-12 in Chantilly. We like O'Connell a lot, both for the edcation the children received there and for the O'Connell family we've become a part of.

[frmilici]

Originally Posted by volleyball1

First of all, thank you for this info! We are Catholic and since we move around every 2-3 years our kids really want to continue at Catholic schools. I think they feel more secure on the first day in a new place wearing the uniforms, knowing that discipline is expected and that the academics will be strong. They are both good ( A-B) students. I worry about my daughter more than my son because moving in your eighth grade year can be tough for girls. She is 5'11 also, so fitting in is right away is important her since she stands out enough already! That is why I asked about club volleyball. I can find out more on that later. The schools and where to live are my main focus now! She also loves music theatre and likes to be in plays, etc. so that is why O'Connell seemed like a great fit for her.

St. John's in McLean does look like a good school. Is it hard to find nice homes to rent there that aren't astronomical?

I also am a yoga instructor and would love to work at a nice health club somewhere near where we live or the school. We are thinking of maybe a big townhouse in N Arlington or a house in the areas that his commute to the Pentagon will not be too long. What would you recommend? Do you know anything about the Catholic elementaries in Arlington? I think the Cathedral of St. Thomas More is one I looked at.

This is so incredibly helpful to me! We know lots of people there but none with kids in Catholic schools so this makes narrowing things down much easier!

I saw your posting and was wondering what you decided. we might be moving to alexandria or arlington and we are looking for that same continiuty for out girls (ages 6 and 8) as they attend catholic school now. where did you decide to go? would love any advice.

[volleyball1]

Originally Posted by frmilici

I saw your posting and was wondering what you decided. we might be moving to alexandria or arlington and we are looking for that same continiuty for out girls (ages 6 and 8) as they attend catholic school now. where did you decide to go? would love any advice.

Well, so far I have narrowed it down to St James in Falls Church, St Agnes or St Ann's in Arlington, or St Thomas More.....depending on where we can find a house! St James has three classes per grade and I have heard nothing but great things about this school. They were also super friendly and gave me lots of good information when I called. I will register them soon and then maybe at St Agnes as well. We are looking in Falls Church, McLean or Nroth Arlington for housing. I will keep you posted!

[Newk]

Originally Posted by wildcat12

I graduated from O'connell and personnally I loved it. I would suggest it over Ireton just becuase it is bigger and there are just more options for your children. PVI and O'connell are very similar, and huge rivals. Most of my friends were from McLean, Vienna, or Falls Church, all nice towns. And as for middle schools, St. James, OLGC, and Corpus Christi were popular. Sports are incredably competative in the Northern Virginia area in general, not just O'connell. Our boys basketball, girls soccer, and girls softball were the most competative. Hope that's helpfull,
p.s. with your daughters height she can for sure make at least the JV volleyball team, which in my opinion is one of the best way to make friends.

I graduated from Ireton. Living in Springfield it was the closest school to me and I think was a good fit. Great college prepatory classes and lots of AP. Lots of athletic activites as well as a great theatre and IT program. Good luck in your search.

[irvine]

St. Thomas More is a very good Parochial school. Most students there go on to O'Connell for high school, although a few go on to Bishop Ireton, Washington-Lee, or Yorktown (both public), and DC schools like St. Albans, or Gonzaga. The facilities are quite good, and the school benefits through its association with the cathedral. Attractive neighborhoods within walking distance of St. Thomas More include Lyon Park and Ashton Heights. These are some of the oldest neighborhoods in Arlington with a variety of housing styles that range from large colonials to smaller craftsman bungalows. Arlington Forest is also nice and a bit less expensive.

St. Ann's, another local Arlingon parochial school is quite good, but they lose many of their students to the North Arlington public middle schools (especially Swanson). It also competes for students with Mckinley Elementary, the neighborhood school that was recently ranked number one in Northern VA by the Washington Post. The neighborhood immediately around St. Ann's is attractive and pricey but very convenient to the Westover Vilage shops/library and plenty of parks.

On O'Connell:
Joe Wooten coaches basketball at O'Connell (he is the son of the legendary Morgan Wooten who is the winningest coach in the history of high school basketball; he coached at DeMatha in Hyattsville). Concerning sports in general, O'Connell has rivalries with the local public schools in most sports, and is very much a part of the community.

O'connell also has the annual Superdance, a popular annual event that attracts many local bands to raise funds for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

The school just underwent a major renovation... brand new library facilities.

BI:
Bishop Ireton in Alexandria became co-ed about 15 years ago. It is a good school; in the 90s the music program had a very strong reputation.

Arlington and The City of Falls Church are walkable communities: shops, schools, parks are always close by. Mclean is also very nice, with a bit of a rural feel in some of the more wooded neighborhoods, but a car is needed for most trips as there is not a good sidewalk network.

If you're sticking to Catholic schools, I'd very highly recommend St. Thomas More followed by Bishop OConnell for high school. While I attended the county's public schools I had many friends at O'Connell who loved it!!