Saint Rita Catholic School

In the Classical Tradition
Preschool - Grade 8
"The soul of education is the education of the soul"

How to Apply

To apply for the 2025-2026 school year:

Please complete the initial steps listed below as soon as possible, following the opening of our application portal on November 1, 2024.  Submitting your initial application materials as early as possible will position you to schedule your child’s shadow day with maximum availability.  New family applications are due on January 13, 2025.  Registered, active Saint Rita parishioners receive priority consideration.  After January 13, 2025, applications will be processed on a rolling basis, with spaces awarded as they remain available.

If applying for the current 2024-2025 school year, please contact Monica Ciatti, Director of Admissions at mciatti@saintrita-school.org

Online application (all applicants, preschool to 8th grade): To access the Diocesan application portal, click the button on the left or click here to access the portal in Spanish. You will need your child’s birth certificate and baptismal certificate, if Catholic.

Parent Questionnaire (for grades K-8): Please complete online using the button on the left or click here to download a hard copy to mail or drop off at our office during school hours.  Please be sure to complete an online or hard copy questionnaire for each child in your family who is applying to Saint Rita.

Middle School Questionnaire (for grades 6-8): Please have your rising or transferring middle schooler click the button on the left to complete their questionnaire online or click here to download a hard copy to mail or drop off at our office during school hours.  If you have multiple rising or transferring middle schoolers applying to Saint Rita, please make sure each of them complete a questionnaire.

Application Fee (all applicants): Please submit a non-refundable application fee of $75/student ($150/family max) online. Click the following link to process your payment.

Records Request (for grades 1-8): Use the button on the left to access the records request form to give to your child’s current school so they can send his or her academic records directly to Saint Rita.

Teacher Recommendation (for grades 1-8):  Please click the button to the left to access the teacher recommendation form to give to your child’s current teacher, so he or she can complete and email or mail directly to Saint Rita.

Now schedule the Shadow Day at Saint Rita!

After completing all of the above initial steps, we look forward to welcoming your son or daughter for the day!

  • Please click here to learn more about our Shadow Program for rising 1st to 8th graders
  • Once you have submitted your application materials, please email our Admissions Director, Mrs. Monica Ciatti, at mciatti@saintrita-school.org to request a Shadow Day. This is the medical form we will need on file for the day.
  • Please note that rising Kindergarteners do not participate in a full Shadow Day.  Information about our January small group visits will be sent to prospective Kindergarten families in December.

Final steps in application process

After your son or daughter spends the day with us at Saint Rita, please start compiling and sending the following forms and documents.  If accepted for the 2025-2026 school year, we will need these on file to secure his or her placement: 

  • Please bring your original birth certificate to our office for verification
  • Copies of sacramental records if Catholic
  • Virginia School Entrance Health Form with Immunization Record
  • Emergency Care Form
  • Home Language Survey
  • Parish verification form (this can be a typed note from you stating your current parish with contact information, if you do not have an official letter)
  • Custody agreements, if applicable

How to Apply to Preschool

Saint Rita Catholic Preschool enrolls children in our three classes: Angels (2-3 years old), Lambs (3-4 years old), and Shepherds (4-5 years old).  To learn more about our program, please visit our preschool page.  To schedule a conversation or tour with Mrs. Caitlin Rockwell, our Preschool Director, please call (703) 548-1888 ext. 16 or email her at preschooldirector@saintrita-school.org.

When you are ready to apply, please click here to complete the online application and use this link to submit the non-refundable $75/child application fee ($150/family max).


We love that St. Rita has a solid classical curriculum, and that it teaches traditional Catholic doctrine and values. At St. Rita the students have the chance to thrive in sports and academics, while also firming up their faith and devotion to God. We are very grateful we found St. Rita School for our family.
– Elizabeth