Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Arlington Celebrate National Catholic Schools Week: Sunday, January 30 - Saturday, February 5

Many of the Diocese's 50 Schools, Including Independent Schools, Prepare Special Events for Diocese's Nearly 18,000 Students

January 27, 2022

ARLINGTON, Va. - On Sunday, January 30, Catholic schools in the Diocese of Arlington begin celebrating National Catholic Schools Week (Sunday, January 30-Saturday, February 5). The annual celebration, sponsored by the National Catholic Educational Association, is meant to highlight the unique role of Catholic schools in providing exceptional instruction rooted in the Catholic Faith. This year's theme is “Catholic Schools: Faith. Excellence. Service.” Special school initiatives planned for the week include donation drives to support first responders, fundraisers for local food pantries, cultural diversity celebrations, movie nights and art displays.

“Catholic schools of the Diocese of Arlington continue to enjoy an excellent reputation. As enrollment has grown, the rich diversity of our school communities has continued to grow too. Our schools reflect the rich racial, ethnic and cultural diversity of our communities,” said Bishop Michael F. Burbidge. “I am so proud of our schools, the administrators who lead them, the teachers who teach in them, the wonderful children who are formed in them, and the parents who, as the primary educators of their children, entrust them to our schools. I also extend my gratitude to the pastors and chaplains whose spiritual leadership is so essential to the success of the mission of the schools.”

See a video on Catholic schools in the Diocese of Arlington here.

This year, the 37 parish schools, 4 high schools, 4 free-standing pre-schools and 5 independent Catholic schools reached a 15-year enrollment high with 18,000 students, an increase of approximately 1,100 students. More than 60 percent of Catholic schools in the Diocese have been recognized as Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence by the U.S. Department of Education. Standardized test scores of students in diocesan Catholic schools are consistently well above the national average, including last year. The Diocese distributed more than $6 million in financial assistance to support those in need in the 2020-21 academic year alone.

“I have never been more proud of what is being accomplished in the Catholic schools of our diocese,” said Dr. Joseph Vorbach III, Superintendent of Schools, Catholic Diocese of Arlington. “The spirit of community that has animated our collective efforts since the beginning of the pandemic continues today stronger than ever and is allowing students to flourish and grow in leadership, faith and service through Catholic education. The administrators, teachers, counselors, nurses and staffs of our schools, in partnership with parents, have been remarkable.”

Catholic schools in the Diocese continue to use a range of COVID-19 mitigation strategies, including CDC recommendations. The Diocese continues to elect to follow CDC and state and local guidelines for isolation of those who contract COVID-19 and quarantining for those who come in close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19, to the greatest extent possible.

Schools in the Diocese are following Governor Glenn Youngkin's Executive Order 2, “Reaffirming the Rights of Parents in the Upbringing, Education, and Care of Their Children.” Diocesan direction to schools is to continue following local public health guidance, without, however, violating the rights of parents as described in Executive Order 2.

For media inquiries, please contact Amber Roseboom, Director of Media Relations, Catholic Diocese of Arlington, at 571-215-8731 or Amber.Roseboom@arlingtondiocese.org.

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