Introduction
The Congressional Schools of Virginia offers a challenging and comprehensive educational program to all of its students. Language arts, mathematics, science and the social sciences are core elements of the curriculum at each level of education, from Preschool to Lower School and Middle School. The curriculum is enriched with foreign languages, fine arts and athletics, as well as extensive technology and library resources.
Congressional's unique approach to education includes integrating study across disciplines. We provide an all-inclusive learning environment that goes beyond the artificial barriers between school subjects. An Early Childhood science study of insects, for example, often leads to counting exercises and student-written stories. Curriculum is also integrated across grade levels. When kindergartners team with second graders as Book Buddies or with older students on a shared topic, they build relationships and a reassuring sense of continuity in their education.
Extracurricular Activities
In addition to the Intramural athletic program for Lower School students and the Junior Varsity and Varsity athletic programs for Middle School students, a variety of other cocurricular activities is available to Congressional students in both the Early Childhood Programs and the Lower and Middle Schools.
SOL Independence
Congressional's belief in the importance of innovative, dynamic teaching is one reason the school does not participate in Virginia's Standards of Learning (SOL) program. Our SOL-independence empowers teachers to introduce new resources and explore challenging new material that can be tailored to their students.
Congressional's own benchmarks of achievement are fully articulated. For each school, a concise Scope and Sequence outlines goals by grade and subject area. Assessment of student performance includes a teacher's direct observation of a child’s understanding. The only external indicator used is Educational Records Bureau (ERB) testing. Our performance on these national norms is typically above the 85th percentile.
"Congressional offers so many opportunities for its students. Every child has the opportunity to be a star and be recognized."--Heather Oles