Work & Education > Schools & Kids > Guide to Private Schools
+ offers boarding
DISTRICT
Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School, 1524 35th St., NW 20007; 202-337-3350; girls 9th-12th grades; $20,600; 480 students; www.visi.org.
What’s new: The school has added AP Environmental Science and AP Physics C.
Recent accomplishment: The soccer and softball field was renovated this summer.
Colleges where the greatest number of 2008 graduates enrolled: University of Virginia, University of South Carolina, James Madison University, and Elon University.
National Cathedral School, Mount St. Alban, NW 20016; 202-537-6300; girls 4th-12th grades; $30,700; 582 students; www.ncs.cathedral.org.
MARYLAND
Academy of the Holy Cross, 4920 Strathmore Ave., Kensington 20895-1299; 301-942-2100; girls 9th-12th grades; $15,500; 600 students; www.academyoftheholycross.org.
What’s new: Three new English classes (Literary Journalism, Voices: Women Writing about Women, and Survey of Science Fiction) and four new performing arts classes (Introduction to Ballet, Advanced Ballet, Introduction to Modern Dance, and Advanced Modern Dance). The language department added Accelerated Spanish.
Recent accomplishments: Claire M. Helm, Ph.D. is the new president beginning during the 2008-2009 school year. Recent construction includes a new front entrance way.
Colleges where the greatest number of 2008 graduates enrolled: Salisbury University, Virginia Tech, Catholic University, University of Maryland, and Towson University.
Connelly School of the Holy Child, 9029 Bradley Blvd., Potomac 20854; 301-365-0955; girls 6th-12th grades; $19,240-$25,080; 325 students; www.holychild.org.
Recent accomplishment: Athletic Director Sheila Wooters was named Athletic Director of the Year by the Maryland State Athletic Directors Association.
Colleges where the greatest number of 2008 graduates enrolled: Catholic University, Salisbury University, and Virginia Tech.
Elizabeth Seton High School, 5715 Emerson St., Bladensburg 20710; 301-864-4532; girls 9th-12th grades; $9,500; 638 students; www.setonhs.org.
What’s new: The revised Freshman Orientation Program was unveiled this fall for the 190 members of Seton’s class of 2012 (the largest incoming class in over 20 years).
Recent accomplishment: The school recently opened a fine arts and athletics building with a new gymnasium, a dance studio, a weight room, acoustically-enhanced music performance spaces, and practice rooms for student musicians.
Colleges where the greatest number of 2008 graduates enrolled: University of Maryland at College Park, Towson University, and University of Maryland at Baltimore.
+ Garrison Forest School, 300 Garrison Forest Rd., Owings Mills 21117; 410-363-1500; coed preschool and K, girls pre-1st-12th grades; $10,200-$21,900 (day), $20,900 (regional boarding), $38,500 (boarding); 701 students; www.gfs.org.
What’s new: A Chinese culture course in the upper school; a Center for Public Purpose Partnerships affiliated with the Bloomberg School of Public Health; a program called Women in Science and Engineering, in partnership with the Johns Hopkins University.
Recent accomplishments: The school received Silver Certification from LEED for its new middle school building. It also has two new turf fields. Last fall, the school’s field hockey team won the IAAM A-Conference championship and last spring, the school’s lacrosse team won the IAAM B-Conference championship. The school was the 2008 International Equitation Association (IEA) National Champion in riding.
Colleges where the greatest number of 2008 graduates enrolled: University of Virginia, Franklin and Marshall College, and Vanderbilt University.
The Holton-Arms School, 7303 River Rd., Bethesda 20817; 301-365-5300; girls 3rd-12th grades; $27,200-$28,500; 650 students; www.holton-arms.edu.
What’s new: As part of a new program to expose students to the developing world, rising seniors will spend two weeks during the summer in one of three locations: Costa Rica, India or Senegal. The academic program will include a service and, in some cases, a home-stay component.
Recent accomplishment: Both Holton’s varsity swimming and varsity ice hockey teams won their fifth straight championship in 2007-08; swimming won the ISL Championship and ice hockey the MSHL Championship.
+ Oldfields School, 1500 Glencoe Rd., Glencoe 21152; 410-472-4800; girls 8th grade-postgraduate; $25,075 (day), $35,800 (5-day boarding), $40,475 (7-day boarding); 110 students; www.oldfieldsschool.org.
Colleges where the greatest number of 2008 graduates enrolled: Lynchburg College and Stevenson University.
+ St. Timothy’s School, 8400 Greenspring Ave., Stevenson 21153; 410-486-7400; girls 9th-12th grade; $24,200 (day), $41,000 (boarding); 155 students; www.sttims-school.org.
Recent accomplishment: The class of 2008 was the first class to earn International Baccalaureate Diplomas; 88 percent of them did.
Colleges where the greatest number of 2008 graduates enrolled: Cornell University, University of Pennsylvania, and Duke University.
+ Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart, 9101 Rockville Pike, Bethesda 20814; 301-657-4322, ext. 321; coed pre-K-JK, girls K-12th grades; $10,975-$21,350; 654 students; www.stoneridge.org.
What’s new: Catherine Ronan Karrels became the new head of school this year. She is a 1986 graduate of Stone Ridge and the first lay alumna to serve as head of school.
Colleges where the greatest number of 2009 graduates enrolled: Boston College, Fordham University, University of Maryland at College Park, and New York University.
+ Yeshiva of Greater Washington, 2010 Linden La., Silver Spring 20910; 301-962-5111; Orthodox; 7th-12th grades; $14,500 (7th and 8th grades), $16,670 (9th-12th); 185 students; www.yeshiva.edu.
VIRGINIA
+ Chatham Hall, 800 Chatham Hall Cir., Chatham 24531; 434-432-2941; girls 9th-12th grades; $14,500 (day), $37,000 (boarding); 133 students; www.chathamhall.com.
+ Foxcroft School, 22407 Foxhound La., Middleburg 20117; 540-687-5555; girls 9th-12th grade; $30,712 (day), $40,950 (boarding); 185 students; www.foxcroft.org.
What’s new: The Foxcroft Summer Science Research Institute, an intensive six-week program offering girls the opportunity to participate in ground-breaking research projects, will debut in summer 2009. New courses include Southern Gothic Literature, Art History, Environmental Science, Advanced Algebra, and Laboratory Techniques in Molecular Biology.
Recent accomplishment: Foxcroft recently broke ground on a $14 million expansion and renovation of the school’s athletic and student center. The project is part of Foxcroft’s campus master plan, which includes proposals for a new dormitory, an arts center, and new classrooms.
Colleges where the greatest number of 2008 graduates enrolled: College of Charleston, College of William & Mary, and James Madison University.
+ Madeira School, 8328 Georgetown Pike, McLean 22102; 703-556-8200; girls 9th-12th grade; $33,060 (day), $43,540 (boarding); 320 students; www.madeira.org.
What’s new: New courses include a Diversity Curriculum for 9th and 10th graders, Global Civilization, Genocide in the Modern Age, Biotechnology and Bioethics, Irish Literature, and a course called Getting Medieval.
Colleges where the greatest number of 2008 graduates enrolled: College of William & Mary, Boston College, and Carnegie Mellon University.
Oakcrest School, 850 Balls Hill Rd., McLean 22101; 703-790-5450; girls 6th-12th grades; $14,721-$15,696; 195 students; www.oakcrest.org.
What’s new: Upper school philosophy and theatre arts courses, and a swim team and volleyball team.
Recent accomplishment: The average SAT score of the class of 2007 was 1832, up for the second year in a row.
Colleges where the greatest number of 2008 graduates enrolled: University of Mary Washington, Catholic University, University of Dallas, and University of Notre Dame.
+ St. Margaret’s School, 444 Water La., Tappahannock 22560; 804-443-3357; girls 8th-12th grades; $16,000 (day), $40,000 (boarding); 151 students; www.sms.org.
Recent accomplishments: Last year, three out of 28 graduates were named AP Scholars and one student was a National Merit Scholar finalist. Also, last year marked the school’s first full year using its new 42-acre athletic complex.
Colleges where the greatest number of 2008 graduates enrolled: Sweet Briar College, Washington and Lee University, and Parsons: The New School for Design
