Washington Jesuit Academy is located in NE Washington at 900 Varnum St. N.E., next to Providence Hospital. Public transportation is quite good: the Route 80 bus stops just one block away. The nearest Metro station is Brookland/CUA on the Red line.

Our school day starts with breakfast before classes begin, includes a full set of courses, plus sports and other extracurricular activities in the afternoon and mandatory supervised homework sessions in the evening – a day that extends from about 7:20 a.m. until 6:20 p.m.. Our school week includes enrichment activities, field trips, clubs, and service projects. In addition, our school year extends into the summer with required participation in a 5-week Summer Enrichment Program that provides academic, recreational, and cultural activities.

Experienced, well-prepared, and skilled teachers provide most of the instruction in the core academic courses. Our full-time staff of professional teachers are assisted by volunteers who work in instructional and administrative support. Our teachers are not only well-qualified in the teaching profession, but they are also fully committed to our rigorous and supportive program.

The Academy is sponsored by the Jesuits, a Catholic religious order with a long and successful history in education. (Locally, the Jesuits sponsor Georgetown University, Georgetown Prep and Gonzaga High School.) While the Academy will offer classes from a Catholic perspective and provide worship opportunities in keeping with the Catholic tradition, we do not require that our students be Catholic. The educational approach is respectful of the religious faiths.

At full enrollment in the 2020-2021 school year, the Washington Jesuit Academy will have just over 115 students throughout the school. There will be full classes of the 5th through 8th grades, each with a maximum of 30 students split into two sections of up to 15 students. There will also be a single cohort of 4th graders.

The goal of the WJA is to prepare students to be very successful at the high schools of their choice in order to continue on and excel in college. Therefore, our classes are academically rigorous and demanding with a strong focus on the core subjects of reading, language arts, science, math, and social studies. In addition, supplemental courses are offered in art, finance, physical education, health, technology, study skills, etc. We set very high standards for our students, but we provide a great deal of time and assistance in order to achieve these goals.

Although the Washington Jesuit Academy is a relatively small school, we have a variety of sports and other activities in which our students participate. In fact, all Academy students will participate in sports and/or organized extracurricular activity as part of their regular school experience. WJA has competitive soccer, basketball, baseball, and track and field teams. Clubs include newspaper, cooking, gardening, art, STEM, Geography Bee, and debate, among others.

All students selected for the Academy receive full tuition support; families are asked to provide $30 each month, or $300 for the whole school year, to support student activities and our Home and School Association (H.S.A). Parents or guardians will be expected to contribute their time and talents in support of the Academy’s programs as well through mandatory volunteer hours.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be provided on a daily basis.

Academy students wear shirts, jackets, sweaters, and sweatshirts as provided by the Academy. Students provide their own trousers that must be twill or khaki material; they may be tan, dark blue, gray or black. Jeans and denim are not permitted. Students must also wear “school shoes” in the building (sneakers can be worn to school but students must change into appropriate shoes once on campus).

The faculty and staff at the WJA are not only qualified but are also caring and supportive people. In keeping with our mission to maintain the highest standards of learning and conduct, our students are expected to exhibit excellence in appearance, behavior, enthusiasm, and cooperation.

WJA has the specific mission to serve students from underserved communities. Students at the Academy will be young men whose families meet approximately the same guidelines as the qualifications of the National School Lunch Program. For this reason, the Academy reviews a family’s income information to see that the family qualifies. Academically capable students with very strong motivation, good attitude, and with strong family support will be successful at the school.

Parents or guardians of prospective students should fill out an application from the Apply Now section of the website. In addition to completing the standard informational forms, parents will be asked to provide financial information so that the Admissions Committee can ensure that all students meet the financial qualifications. Prospective students will also be required to participate in a Saturday Admissions Session, as described in the application.

WJA accepts applications for 4th through 7th grades. Final selection of the new 4th through 7th grade classes will be made after the end of the Saturday Admissions Sessions and candidates will be notified on a rolling basis. We will maintain a waiting list and go to that list should space become available during the school year.