Head of School

# Head of School Bishop O’Connell High School Arlington, VA1 Search managed by Catholic Recruiter Associates Head of School | BISHOP O’CONNELL HIGH SCHOOL HEAD OF SCHOOL October 28, 2025 BISHOP O’CONNELL HIGH SCHOOL 2 Search managed by Catholic Recruiter Associates Head of School | BISHOP O’CONNELL HIGH SCHOOL Bishop Denis J. O'Connell High School is a Diocesan Catholic coeducational school community within the Diocese of Arlington, with a seven-decade long history of helping young men and women recognize and use their God-given talent to serve and positively impact those around them.

The O’Connell community respects and values each individual as a precious creation made in the image and likeness of God. This educational community recognizes five dimensions of the whole person: spiritual, intellectual, social, emotional and physical. To encourage spiritual development, the administration, faculty, and staff work to provide an atmosphere of true Christ-like compassion and concern in which students may experience the Gospel message.

This atmosphere allows the students to recognize themselves as personally redeemed by Christ and to generate a response rooted in knowledge and love and manifested in service. Each faculty member provides quality academic instruction in order to inspire students with a love of learning and to give them knowledge and skill in specific disciplines. Each teacher presents to the students the opportunity to develop reason, to find truth, to express their thoughts clearly, and to be able to comprehend the development of ideas presented by others.

The administration, faculty and staff strive to adapt this instruction to the intellectual needs of the individual students so that they may become more confident and therefore better prepared to face the challenges of society. The school provides students with a variety of extra-curricular activities in order to help them become aware of their individual talents and limitations. These activities challenge students to contribute to the needs and spirit of the school and the community, making them more aware of their responsibilities to others.

The students' emotional needs are met through the combined efforts of professional counselors and faculty. The students' physical needs are addressed by physical education, intramural, and inter-scholastic athletic programs. BACKGROUND 3 Search managed by Catholic Recruiter Associates Head of School | BISHOP O’CONNELL HIGH SCHOOL History With the post-World War II expansion of Arlington County came the need for a diocesan high school to serve the needs of families in Northern Virginia.

To care for this need and, at the same time, honor an outstanding educator and seventh Bishop of Richmond, the late Most Rev. Denis J. O'Connell, six parish priests purchased a twenty-acre tract of land in 1949, and subsequently devised a plan for a fund drive that culminated in a ground-breaking ceremony on March 27, 1956. Sixteen months later, the school building which included a classroom wing for boys, a classroom wing for girls, and a center wing which housed the administration offices and facilities shared by boys and girls was completed.

On September 9, 1957, Bishop Denis J. O'Connell High School opened its doors as a co-institutional college preparatory school, admitting 360 ninth graders from the six founding parishes:
St. James, St. Thomas More, St. Ann, St. Charles, St. Agnes and St. John. Greeting the class of 1961 were Brothers of Christian Schools and Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM), who would guide their education. The school will celebrate its 70th birthday in the Fall of 2027. Since then, Bishop O'Connell has prepared over 18,000 young men and women to play significant roles in our competitive and richly diverse world.

Today, the school continues to serve the original six parishes as well as students from more than 80 different schools and parishes throughout the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. Student Experience Bishop O’Connell High School offers a dynamic student life that integrates rigorous academics, competitive athletics, and a strong religious…