Ten Compelling Reasons to
Attend a PS-8 School

 

1. At Congressional, we specialize in a PS-8 education. We firmly believe that the building blocks of life-long learning are established in the Preschool through Middle School years. Consequently, we devote all our resources to serving children during this formative period, an approach we believe better prepares them for their high school years and beyond. 

 

2. Our PS-8 environment allows students to engage in age-appropriate activities and events, without being exposed to the very different social and academic pressures faced by high school students.

 

3. Congressional is a caring and nurturing community. From the warm greeting our students receive when they come to school each morning to the enriching and supportive environment in which they learn, each child is recognized as an individual who has an important place in our school.  Active parent participation in school life and community service throughout the curriculum further enhance the vibrant sense of community at Congressional.

 

4. Congressional offers unique cross-grade learning opportunities that help create a mutually beneficial bond between our students.  A seventh grade science class may work on a joint science project with a first grade class, eighth graders and  third graders may perform a community service project together, or fourth graders may plan a fun activity with their Preschool buddies. Senior K students and second graders love their book buddy time together twice a month.  As a PS-8 school, we are able to cultivate a close-knit community where everyone joins forces to enrich the learning experience.

 

5. At Congressional, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th graders are not “caught in the middle.” Our Middle School students are the role models for the entire student body. Congressional students assume early leadership responsibilities. The result is greater confidence, self-esteem, and a sense of belonging; all of which are important during these formative years.

 

6. Our seventh and eighth graders are empowered in many different leadership roles as upper middle school students.   They may be officers of the Student Senate, captains of their Varsity sports teams, members of the leadership club, editors of the yearbook or leads in the school musical. Armed with self-assurance, Congressional students continue to demonstrate a record of leadership in high school. Our alumni visit us often with their stories of accomplishments in such schools as Landon, Madeira, St. Stephens/St. Agnes, Flint Hill, St. Albans, Holton-Arms, Potomac and Thomas Jefferson.

 

7. Congressional students graduate fully prepared for new academic and social challenges. After being at the same school for eleven years (or longer for those who came to us as infants), eighth graders are confidently ready for a smooth transition to high school. They are eager for the opportunity to reinvent themselves as young adults. With a strong foundation of learning and friendship, high school becomes a new and exciting chapter in their lives.

 

8. Congressional students benefit greatly from the opportunity they and their parents have to choose the right high school at the right time. By eighth grade, a child’s strengths, learning styles, interests and maturity levels are more clearly understood, making it easier to determine the best “match” for high school.  Congressional provides programs and special assistance designed to help eighth grade students make a smooth transition to high school. These include holding mock interviews, writing strong high school applications, setting aside days on the school calendar for high school visits, and holding a question and answer forum with recent Congressional graduates.

 

9. Our school works in close partnership with you and your child to ensure the most appropriate high school placement. Congressional has an outstanding placement record. Our students are sought after by area private high schools because they are articulate, well-prepared, self-confident and well-rounded.

 

10. Recent studies cited in the Wall Street Journal show that students who remain in a K-8 school not only produce higher test scores but are more likely to have a more positive attitude toward school in general. There are also fewer incidents of student discipline in K-8 schools.