Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School
Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School is a private Roman Catholic college-preparatory school for girls located in the historic Washington, D.C. neighborhood of Georgetown. Founded in 1799 by the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary (also known as the Visitation Sisters), it is one of the oldest continuously-operating schools for girls in the country and the city as well as the oldest Catholic school for girls in the original Thirteen Colonies. It is located within the Archdiocese of Washington. History. Georgetown Visitation was founded in 1799. It is the oldest Catholic school for girls in  the original 13 colonies. The school opened near Georgetown College because its fourth President, Father Leonard Neale, S.J., (later Bishop and Archbishop) co-founded the Academy and Convent. He invited Alice Lalor, Maria McDermott and Maria Sharpe to join him; these founders would come to be called “The Three Pious Ladies.”. Rome recognized the Georgetown Visitation Order in 1816; on May 24, 1828, the Sisters were incorporated by Congress, an act signed by President John Quincy Adams, who, a few months later, handed out awards at the commencement exercises. By this time, students were learning geography, history, mythology, astronomy, chemistry , French, Spanish, and vocal & instrumental music. From 1800 to 1862, Georgetown Visitation subsidized its mission by the forced labor and sale of enslaved people, 121 of whom have been identified, either by name or brief description. Primary sources tell of manumissions, self-emancipations, and the freeing of all people whom Visitation enslaved with the District of Columbia Emancipation Act on April 16, 1862. The school continued to grow and evolve in the 20th century, focusing on high school and Junior College students. Beloved traditions such as Marshmallow Roast, a good-natured class competition with skits that “roast” faculty, and Gold -White, a school-wide intramural athletic competition, began in the early decades of this century. By the mid-sixties, the school started seeing a decline in the number of resident students and Junior College students; the Junior College was closed in 1964 and the boarding school was closed in 1975. Fire and rebuilding. On July 8–9, 1993, a fire destroyed the historic main academic building of the campus, the Starkweather Academy Building, 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 1993 - 1994 academic  year. The building was restored and rededicated as Founders Hall 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. In 2019 ,the school opened Berchmans Hall, named for Sister Mary Berchmans Hannan, VHM, ’48 & ’50, a two-story addition to St. Joseph’s Hall with classrooms, science labs, and an art studio . The covered walkway between St. Bernard Library and St. Joseph’s Hall became the Saints Connector, with common areas and the McNabb Innovation Lab, named for Sister Mary de Sales McNabb, VHM, ‘48. Modern facilities are located side-by-side with historic buildings boasting a myriad of architectural styles, ranging from Victorian to Neo-Gothic. Student life. Located on more than of land in the heart of Georgetown, 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 100 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 are also a Dance Ensemble, Choir, Instrumental Ensemble, and Madrigal Singers. The groups have performed at various events around the city, including in the Kennedy Center’s Christmas program. There are 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, the Athletic Association, and 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, Camden, New Jersey, the poorest city in America, St. Francis Inn in Philadelphia, and an Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Each year, several Georgetown Visitation students also participate in Vistory, a week-long 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 Center stage. 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 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 is a lasting tradition for this team. 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), 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’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. One student is elected by her class to give a speech at graduation. Popular culture. In 1850, John H. Hewitt wrote the Grand Promenade March and dedicated it to the Sisters of the Academy of Visitation, Georgetown.