Our Mission
Holy Spirit School inspires life-long learners and ignites servant-leaders through a program of academic excellence grounded in the traditions and values of the Holy Catholic Church.
-Holy Spirit School Mission Statement
About Us
Holy Spirit School is a parish school in the Diocese of Arlington that educates children from Pre-Kindergarten through Eighth Grade. We are a nationally recognized Blue Ribbon School of Excellence* and are fully-accredited school through the Virginia Catholic Education Association**.
Holy Spirit School possesses the defining characteristics upon which authentic Catholic education is built. Namely, we are centered in the person of Jesus Christ; we contribute to the evangelizing mission of the Church; we are distinguished by excellence; we are committed to educating the whole child; we are steeped in a Catholic worldview; we are sustained by Gospel witness; we are shaped by communion and community; and we are accessible to students with varying abilities.
Everything here begins with God. He is the reason for our thoughts and the reason for our actions. Throughout our day we continually come back to Him, making Him our reference point and from Him we find success in our endeavors.
Each school year we live our mission of Inspiring Minds & Igniting Hearts not just in the classroom but through service to others.
Please see our Admissions Page for application procedures, or schedule a tour today to learn more about Holy Spirit School.
Educational Philosophy
- We believe our students have families who seek a faith-based, academically challenging education.
- We believe our students are diverse, engaged, passionate and morally aware.
- We believe our students have varying abilities and gifts.
- We believe our students learn best in a spiritual, structured and supportive academic environment.
- We believe our students learn best in a physically and emotionally safe setting.
- We believe our students learn best and work toward academic mastery through differentiation.
- We believe our students learn best through both traditional and technology-based instruction.
- We believe our students learn best when actively engaged.
- We believe our students will succeed when challenged to be critical thinkers.
Our History
Holy Spirit Catholic School, founded in 1966, has been educating the youth of the parish and community for over 50 years.
In 1964, His Excellency John Russell, Bishop of Richmond established the Holy Spirit Catholic Church located in Annandale, VA at its current location. The parish was formed by approximately 500 families and at the urging of the parishioners, the school was built.
Two years after the parish was established, Holy Spirit Catholic School opened its doors in 1966 and started with just a kindergarten and first grade class. Over 50 years later, Holy Spirit School now educates students from Pre-Kindergarten through Eighth Grade.
Holy Spirit Expands
Over the years Holy Spirit School has seen a number of expansion projects. The most recent large-scale projects include 2007’s multi-million dollar expansion that created several new teaching spaces including a separate wing for the Middle School, 2019’s Media Lab construction, and 2020’s Outdoor Classroom construction. Holy Spirit School is dedicated to moving forward and staying current with educational technologies, while remaining steadfast in our dedication to a traditional Catholic education.
The 2007 expansion project created a new and separate space for the vibrant and growing Middle School. It also created spaces for an expanded Computer Lab, Art Workshop, Science Lab, larger Media Center and new cafeteria.
The Media Lab addition of 2019, utilized renovated space in the Media Center that is now dedicated to the authentic integration of technology into curriculum lessons across all grade levels. Students have opportunities to learn the art of video and podcast production and have access to robotics and STEAM related equipment that encourages collaboration and develops critical thinking skills.
The Summer of 2020 brought the construction of two outdoor classroom spaces as we turned open spaces into learning places. The ambitious project is meant to create outdoor classrooms that promote and encourage integrative educational modalities. The plans included multiple seating areas, butterfly garden, greenhouse, inspect traps and garden plots all set to allow for a multitude of cross-curricular experiences for students across all grade levels.
*In 2008, Holy Spirit School was honored with the Blue Ribbon School of Excellence designation. The nationally-funded Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors schools that are models of excellence, that demonstrate a strong commitment to educational excellence for all students, and that achieve high academic standards. Blue Ribbon Schools are selected by the Department of Education to serve as models for all schools throughout the nation.
**Holy Spirit School is a parish school within the Diocese of Arlington, operating under the auspices of the Office of Catholic Schools. We are a fully-accredited school through the Virginia Catholic Education Association whose accreditation process has been approved by the Virginia Council for Private Education as authorized by the Virginia Board of Education.
