Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School
Encyclopedia
- This article is about an establishment in Washington, D.C., formerly known as the Convent and Academy of the Visitation. For the establishment with an identical historic name located in Alabama, see Visitation MonasteryConvent and Academy of the VisitationThe Convent and Academy of the Visitation, properly known today as the Visitation Monastery, is a historic complex of Roman Catholic religious buildings and a small cemetery in Mobile, Alabama, United States. The buildings and grounds were documented by the Historic American Buildings Survey in 1937...
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Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School was founded in Washington, DC in 1799 as the Georgetown Academy for Young Ladies. It was also formally referred to as the Convent and Academy of the Visitation. Since 1799, the school has continued for over 200 years as a college preparatory school for women. Visitation is the second oldest, continually run all-girls school in the United States. It is a member of the Independent School League
Independent School League (Washington, D.C. area)
The Independent School League or ISL is a group of seventeen United States, , preparatory schools that compete with each other athletically. Schools are noted for their academic rigor and traditional rivalries...
. Modern school literature states that their curriculum is rooted in the virtues of faith
Faith
Faith is confidence or trust in a person or thing, or a belief that is not based on proof. In religion, faith is a belief in a transcendent reality, a religious teacher, a set of teachings or a Supreme Being. Generally speaking, it is offered as a means by which the truth of the proposition,...
, vision, and purpose. Visitation currently enrolls approximately 450 students in the ninth through twelfth grades. Visitation is a Catholic school
Catholic school
Catholic schools are maintained parochial schools or education ministries of the Catholic Church. the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system...
originally guided by the Visitation Sisters, but the school community includes many students and faculty who are not of the Roman Catholic faith.
History
The Visitation Convent, GeorgetownVisitation Convent, Georgetown
The Visitation Convent, Georgetown is a nunnery of the Visitation Order, located in the District of Columbia, United States of America.-History:...
was founded at the request of Archbishop Leonard Neale
Leonard Neale
Leonard Neale, S.J. became, in 1800, the first Roman Catholic bishop ordained in the United States, and the second Archbishop of Baltimore...
, president of Georgetown College
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
, with Teresa Lalor
Teresa Lalor
Teresa Lalor, V.H.M., was an Irish immigrant to the United States, and a nun, co-foundress, with the Most Rev...
. The Visitation order is Salesian, basing its spirituality on the teachings of Saint Francis de Sales and Saint Jane Frances de Chantal. One of St. Francis’s central teachings is, “Be who you are and be that well.” A second teaching still imparted to the students of Visitation is, “Nothing is so strong as gentleness and nothing so gentle as real strength.” While the Sisters of the Visitation no longer teach the majority of classes at the school, they maintain an active presence in daily life there by teaching homeroom, participating in school events, and reaching out to students and their families.
The convent and school at Georgetown Visitation have been active participants in the history of Washington, DC. When it was still illegal to teach a slave to read, the Sisters of the Visitation opened a Saturday school where they would offer a free education to any young girl who wished to learn. Both free blacks and slaves learned at the Visitation convent. During the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, the Visitation campus was used as a hospital for soldiers wounded when the British set fire to the city of Washington. The walls and corridors of Founders Hall display the family heirlooms and portraits that were given to the school in lieu of tuition payment during the hard economic times of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Fire and rebuilding
On July 8–9, 1993, a fire destroyed the historic main academic building of the campus, Founders Hall, causing an initially estimated $3.5 million in damages. Trailers were brought in to serve as temporary classrooms in time for the start of the 1994 academic year. Founders Hall was rededicated on May 5, 1995. Since then, the campus has been revitalized with the Catharine E. Nolan Center for the Performing Arts and the Sarah and Charles T. Fisher Athletic Center completed for the bicentennial of the school in 1999, and the renovation of both St. Joseph’s Hall and the St. Bernard Library in 2002 and 2003.Student life
Located on more than 45 acres (182,108.7 m²) of land in the heart of Georgetown, Washington, DC, the Visitation campus offers its students state-of-the art academic, sports, and performing arts facilities. Students enroll in a wide variety of Advanced Placement courses and one hundred percent of Visitation students attend college. Students play on a wide variety of athletic teams, including lacrosse, field hockey, soccer, tennis, basketball, track, cross country, swimming and diving, and crew. The Visitation Masqueraders mount musical and theatrical productions each year in the Catharine E. Nolan Center for the Performing Arts. There is also a Dance Ensemble, Choir, Instrumental Ensemble, and Madrigal Singers and the groups have performed at various events around the city, including in the Kennedy Center’s Christmas program.There are also many clubs and publications at the school. Student publications include the award-winning student newspaper, The Wicket, the Green Gate yearbook, and also a literary magazine produced and edited by students entitled "The Georgetowner." Students also participate in the Think Pink Society, Model United Nations Club, Kaleidoscope Club, Peer Educators Club, and Black Women's Society, among others. Students have the opportunity to serve as representatives of the student body in the Student Government Association, Athletic Association, and on the Honor Board, which is charged with ensuring the integrity and of the Visitation Honor Code.
Each graduate performs at least eighty hours of community service, but many students offer hundreds of hours of their time throughout their four years at Visitation. Community service trips take place domestically and abroad. Recent trips have been to Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, Camden, New Jersey
Camden, New Jersey
The city of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 77,344...
, the poorest city in America, St. Francis Inn in Philadelphia, and an Indian Reservation
Indian reservation
An American Indian reservation is an area of land managed by a Native American tribe under the United States Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs...
in South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
. Each year, several Georgetown Visitation students also participate in Vistory, a weeklong program of Salesian sisterhood and community service with students from other Visitation schools around the country. Some students make long-term service commitments through tutoring programs with local public schools, Best Buddies, and Saturday School, a program on the Visitation campus. Students also share their community service experiences with their parents through programs like Together for Others, McKenna's Wagon, and Gleaning of the Fields.
Many students participate in the theatre program on campus as well as at the theatre program at Gonzaga College High School. Two shows are performed each year, on average, on the Nolan stage. Director David Nastal and tech director Daniel Goldsmith have created a 1st class program that continues to reinvent itself. While many of the boys who participate in the shows come from Gonzaga College High School, it is not unusual to find boys from such schools at Bishop O'Connell, St. Anselm's Abbey School, and several others.
Traditions
There are really many traditions at Georgetown Visitation. Prior to her first day at Visitation, each student is assigned to either the Gold Team or the White Team. The mascot of the White Team is a bear named Nicodemus, a name that has been a lasting tradition for this team and holds much love and sentiment. The Gold Team's mascot is a tiger, officially named Ferdinand in 2010 via a team-wide vote. All family members are assigned to the same team to prevent intra-family strife. Throughout the year, the teams compete to win points through athletic competitions, quiz bowls and canned food drives. Students can also earn points throughout the year by trying out for and participating in sports teams and theatre productions, or by earning academic honors. Faculty and administrators join in, especially for the big fall and spring Gold/White field hockey and basketball games. Other popular Visitation events include Marshmallow Roast (classes come up with their own themed skits "roasting" their teachers, and the first year teachers vote on the winner, a great honor), Father/Daughter Masses and dances, Grandparents' Day, Diversity Day, Junior Ring Ceremony, Together for Others, Class Retreats, Snowball and Snowflake (winter formal dances).Visitation traditionally held its graduation ceremonies in the Odeon, an auditorium where John Quincy Adams addressed the graduates of 1828. After the Odeon was destroyed in the fire of Founder's Hall, graduation ceremonies were moved to Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
’s Gaston Hall. Starting with the class of 2005, graduation has been held on Visitation's McNabb field. Graduates are outfitted in matching white custom-made gowns and process through the historic Green Gate wearing long white gloves and carrying long-stem red roses. Graduates of the class of 2001 shook hands with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice is an American political scientist and diplomat. She served as the 66th United States Secretary of State, and was the second person to hold that office in the administration of President George W. Bush...
before she gave their graduation speech. One student is elected by her class to give a speech at graduation.
Notable alumnae
- Jennifer DoughertyJennifer DoughertyJennifer P. Dougherty was elected Frederick, Maryland’s first female mayor in 2001. Dougherty defeated 2-term incumbent Republican Mayor James S. Grimes....
, first female Mayor of Frederick, MarylandFrederick, MarylandFrederick is a city in north-central Maryland. It is the county seat of Frederick County, the largest county by area in the state of Maryland. Frederick is an outlying community of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of a greater... - Mary EarlyMary EarlyMary Early is a sculptor living and working in Washington DC. Her three-dimensional works in beeswax, wood, and concrete are abstract references to symmetrical and structured forms...
, sculptor - Margaret GormanMargaret GormanMargaret Gorman is best known for being the first Miss America, from the year 1921.-Miss America:At age 16, Gorman was chosen as "Miss Washington, D.C." due to her athletic ability, past accomplishments, and outgoing personality...
, First Miss AmericaMiss AmericaThe Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands... - Harriet LaneHarriet LaneHarriet Rebecca Lane Johnston , niece of lifelong bachelor United States President James Buchanan, acted as First Lady of the United States from 1857 to 1861. She was one of the few women to hold the position of First Lady while not being married to the President.-Early life:Harriet Lane's family...
, US First LadyFirst LadyFirst Lady or First Gentlemanis the unofficial title used in some countries for the spouse of an elected head of state.It is not normally used to refer to the spouse or partner of a prime minister; the husband or wife of the British Prime Minister is usually informally referred to as prime... - Emily Warren RoeblingEmily Warren RoeblingEmily Warren Roebling was married to Washington Roebling, a civil engineer who was Chief Engineer during the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge...
, Brooklyn BridgeBrooklyn BridgeThe Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. Completed in 1883, it connects the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River...
engineer - Bertha Honore Palmer, (1849–1918), impressionist art collector, entrepreneuse, philanthropist
- Liz McCartneyLiz McCartneyLiz McCartney cofounded the St. Bernard Project in March 2006 to rebuild homes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in the St. Bernard Parish of Louisiana, southeast of New Orleans. She is the 2008 Hero of the year.-Biography:...
, cofounder of the St. Bernard ProjectSt. Bernard ProjectThe St. Bernard Project is a non-profit organization established in March 2006 to rebuild homes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina within the St. Bernard Parish. It was originally founded by Zack Rosenburg and Liz McCartney. As of June 2011, the St...
, 2008 CNNCNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
Hero of the Year - Margaret DuranteMargaret DuranteMargaret Durante is an American country music singer. In 2009, Durante signed to Universal Republic and released a cover of Kings of Leon's 2008 single "Use Somebody". A year later, she left Universal Republic and signed to independent Emrose Records, an imprint of James Stroud's Stroudavarious...
, country music artist