Mission
The mission of the Congressional Schools of Virginia is to prepare children, through an innovative and accelerated curriculum, to embrace the opportunities and responsibilities they will face as global citizens.
History
Our school's long history of outstanding education and service began in 1939 when Evelyn and Malcolm Devers founded a new primary school, the Congressional School, in Arlington, Virginia. In six months, the school's enrollment grew to include 40 children ages three, four and five, all of whom were schooled in a five-room house in the Westover Hills section of Arlington. Within a year, the school expanded to include grades 1-4 and moved to the Yeatman home at 3155 N. Pershing Drive.
During the summer of 1942, the school moved to the former estate of General George Patton at 1401 N. 12th Street on Ft. Myer Hill. Facilities were expanded and over the next 15 years enrollment increased to include preschool through eighth grade. A second campus opened in Alexandria in the mid 1950s at 500 W. Windsor Avenue to house students in preschool through fourth grade. During the 1950s, Congressional developed a new school site on 40 acres of land at Sleepy Hollow Road. By the fall of 1960, students in preschool through 12th grade were learning at the new campus.
In 1979, the Congressional School was reorganized as the Congressional Schools of Virginia, a nonprofit corporation governed by a Board of Trustees. In the mid 1980s, the Board resolved to focus on the Lower and Middle School population and phase out the High School. In June of 1987, Congressional graduated its last 12th grade class.
The school's educational facilities continued to grow with the construction and opening of a new gymnasium/auditorium in the spring of 1997, followed shortly by the opening of a technology center. Today the school boasts two technology centers, interactive whiteboards in each classroom, a host of interactive media and virtual classroom tools. Course offerings at Congressional have continued to evolve and expand, most recently with the introduction of speech and drama in Middle School and a multitude of extracurricular activities, clubs and teams are available to students beyond the school day. Having celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2009, The Congressional Schools of Virginia continues to be a premier choice for families seeking the best possible education for their children from infancy through 8th grade.