Bishop O'Connell High School

About Us
About Us
The mission of Bishop O'Connell High School is to provide students an education rooted in the life of Christ and to foster the pursuit of excellence in the whole person.
Admissions
O'Connell Admissions
Find all the information about applying to Bishop O'Connell here, including how and when to visit, deadlines and much more.

Inquiry Form
Academics
Academics
Bishop O'Connell offers a challenging college-prep curriculum that includes 28 AP subjects and 36 honors courses. Our faculty is committed to helping students see their potential and to continue reaching to fulfill God’s plan for them.
Student Life
Student Life
It's always a great day to be a KNIGHT! We yell "D-J-O" which is the full name of our school: Denis J. O'Connell. Our student body of 1,100 is spirited and involved--from our 40+ year tradition of Superdance to find a cure for cystic fibrosis, to our Tuckahoe Elementary School tutors--there's something for everyone.
Campus Ministry
Campus Ministry
Campus Ministry provides opportunities for our students to experience the presence of Jesus in the Blessed Eucharist, to experience His healing power in the sacrament of Reconciliation, and to enter into a relationship with Him in personal prayer.
The Arts
The Arts
Bishop O'Connell has a vibrant and award-winning arts program. Our belief is that the Arts belong to everyone and that our school community will be enriched if every student has the opportunity for self-expression.
Athletics
Sports as a Ministry
The athletics program seeks to use the virtues of fortitude, teamwork, and athletic excellence as a means of drawing students to a personal relationship with Christ, a spirit of service to others, and to develop the habits of mind and body which lead to continued success.
Support DJO
Support O'Connell
The generosity of the Bishop O'Connell community is the difference between a "good" Catholic education and the exceptional experience our students receive during their time here.

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Exchange Program

Each fall, French and Spanish students have the opportunity to participate in a fall week-long exchange program with Catholic sister schools overseas, alternating travel and hosting each year. Students are paired up with their peers, where they enjoy going to class, sightseeing and spending leisure time with their families and friends. This tradition began with a relationship with Lycée Privé Jean XXIII in Reims, France back in 2006, and an annual exchange with this Catholic school continues today.

Since then, the program has expanded to include a Spanish student exchange with Colegio SIL (San Ignacio de Loyola) in Barcelona, Spain.

"As a language teacher, my main purpose is to ensure that my students are global citizens who recognize that every culture and language has intrinsic value and offers a beautiful and different perspective on the world." - Mrs. Kirschbaum

German Program Launched in 2024

The exchange program continues to expand! A group of 14 high school students from Bischöfliches Pius-Gymnasium, a Catholic school in Aachen, Germany, spent a week with Bishop O'Connell students here in Arlington in October 2024. Later in the spring of that same school year, the O'Connell students traveled to visit their counterparts in Germany, where they had a chance to see what their school was like, as well as take a half-day excursion to nearby Maastrick (Netherlands), and to visit the EU Parliament in Brussels (Belgium).