A group of Catholic laymen, many belonging to the Prelature of Opus Dei (Work of God), founded The Heights School in 1969. Starting as a middle school on Garrison Street in Northwest Washington, D.C., The Heights aimed to prepare boys for success in high school while inculcating in them a deep Christian formation, an adventurous approach to life’s challenges, and the desire to seek holiness in and through everyday life and work. From the beginning, the school sought guidance from Opus Dei to ensure the Christian orientation of all the school’s activities.
Dr. Robert H. Jackson arrived in 1971 to assume the role of headmaster and to begin the upper school. Dr. Jackson, an Englishman, left his mark on the school in various ways. A lively and witty approach to the rigors of study and a disdain for false prestige characterized his leadership of the school.
In 1978, The Heights purchased the Potomac campus and started the lower school. By 1983, construction of the main building allowed the entire school, grades three through twelve, to be united on the Potomac campus. The Garrison Street facility reverted to its original use as a supplemental educational center for young men and is now known as the Tenley Study Center.
The growth of the school continued throughout the tenure of Headmaster Joseph McPherson from 1983 until 1997. Capture-the-Flag on feast days, the Maryland Day Gala, and the intramural flag football tournament became Heights traditions under his aegis. The board of directors adopted a master plan for the improvement of the school’s physical plant that was approved by Montgomery County.
Under the leadership of Richard McPherson, headmaster from 1997 until 2002, The Heights continued to blossom. Heights students distinguished themselves on the national Advanced Placement exams, and increasing numbers of boys were accepted into the nation’s most prestigious universities. A new log cabin was built in 1997, and the library and Chesterton Hall were built in 1999. The school’s entrance was reconfigured, and outdoor basketball and tennis courts were added. The Clans of the Crest began in 2001.
Alvaro de Vicente ’83 assumed the role of headmaster in July 2002. As an alumnus, a former board member, and a soccer coach, Mr. de Vicente lends to the position a thorough knowledge of the spirit and culture of the school: to educate young men of vision and purpose who look to serve society through their professional work and family life. Mr. de Vicente’s administration, with the active support of the Board of Directors, has focused on attracting and retaining the highest caliber of faculty while preserving and expanding the campus buildings to match the excellence of the school’s curriculum and academic accomplishments. A new chapel, upper school, and administration building were opened during the 2007-08 school year.
In 2009-10 the school celebrated its 40th Anniversary. The following decade has seen numerous academic, cultural, and athletic initiatives and achievements flourish at the school. The upper school has expanded its curriculum with the addition of the Robert H. Jackson Scholars Program (named in honor of the first headmaster of The Heights) and the History of Western Thought program. The seventh through tenth grade Humanities “Core” program has enabled students to think broadly and to facilitate their transition to mature learning.
The advent of the Curriculum Alive program in the lower school has provided students with the love of adventure and an interest and passion in drama, mountaineering, culinary delights, gardening, and other areas. The upper school Crescite Week seminars and trips have expanded in recent years to include adventures to Japan, Hong Kong, Peru, Ecuador, Iceland, Argentina, and the Holy Land; in addition, a service trip to Jamaica has become an annual addition to Crescite Week. The music, drama, and studio art programs have developed outstanding opportunities for our students, with yearly performances and art exhibits. In 2016, the Cavalier Awards expanded to include awards in the music and arts programs.
In November of 2017, The Heights honored its first and only fallen Cavalier, Lt. Andrew Bacevich ’98, with a schoolwide dedication of a memorial plaque. Thanks to members of the class of 1998, the music department, Dr. and Mrs. Bacevich, and the idea of Mr. Chris Breslin, the school was able to host this memorable event. In the spring of 2018, a new turf field was inaugurated, and additionally, the following spring, a new baseball field. That same year, a new music hall and rehearsal space with marked acoustical improvement was completed.
The academic year 2019-20 marked the school’s 50th Anniversary. In October of 2019, Alumni Weekend began with a Friday evening reception at the first home of The Heights on Garrison Street. Saturday festivities included a Mass for deceased alumni and was followed by a dinner and get-together commemorating the founding and growth of the school. The weekend concluded with the annual Heights Golf Classic on Columbus Day.
Crescite Week trips returned from India, Greece, and the Holy Land just ahead of the coronavirus shutdown. The Heights School experienced distance learning from March until June. Commencement exercises for the class of 2020 occurred three weeks after the scheduled date!
In-person classes were in session for the entire 2020-21 academic year despite the veil of COVID-19, and the school was even able to hold some athletic events, concerts, and plays. The class of 2021 and their families and friends attended a tented Baccalaureate Mass and graduation on the upper turf field. It was a fitting completion to an adventurous year at the school.
For the 2021-22 school year, all athletic events, concerts, and plays were held to the delight of the parents, faculty, and student body. The Gold Cross clan won the tower trophy, fourteen seniors successfully defended their Jackson Scholar’s presentation, and the class of 2022 graduated seventy-two seniors – the largest class in history.
The Heights graduated sixty-four seniors for the 2022-23 academic year and a record number of “Lifers”: twenty-five students. In addition, we bid farewell to Professor Eddie Smith, one of the early shapers of The Heights School’s culture and curriculum, and much beloved teacher in the 1970s and 1980s.
The 51st commencement ceremony for the seventy-two graduates of the class of 2024 featured twenty-two lifers (students who have attended the school since third grade) and five sons of alumni, a new record for the school. Fourteen of these seniors entered the ranks of Jackson Scholars. The class was noted for their dedication to service along with outstanding athletic accomplishments. Moreover, the class of 2024 led their teams in a variety of athletic accomplishments: the soccer team won the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) Championship for the second time in five years, the climbing team earned first place in the Washington Area Interscholastic Climbing League (WAICL) Championship meet for the second time, and the cross country team won the Maryland Private School State Cross Country Championship for the first time in school history.
The class of 2024-2025 graduated sixty-five students, and featured twenty “lifers” (students who have attended the school uninterruptedly since third grade) and one son of an alumnus. Fourteen students were Jackson Scholars. The class leaves a strong legacy for the drama and fine arts departments. Ten graduates sang in the Men’s Chorus and five played instruments in the band. One was the most decorated debater in the history of the School. Athletically, the Rock Climbing team won the Washington Area Interscholastic Climbing League (WAICL) Championship meet for the third time. A lacrosse player earned All-American honors, WCAC Player of the Year, and the Washington Post All-Met Player of the Year, the second year in a row a Cavalier won this prestigious All-Met award. In an enthralling Day of the Tower, the White Lily Clan prevailed over Red Cross to win the Tower trophy.