Greeting the class of 1961 were Brothers of Christian Schools and Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM), who would guide their education.The Global Studies Certificate Program offers optional beyond-the-classroom learning experiences focused on themes of world importance.These courses are offered at the honors level:[8] Bishop O'Connell High School participates in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC).Some current clubs include: (listed alphabetically)[11] The O'Connell Superdance is an annual 12-hour dance-a-thon held at the school which raises money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.Maura O'Donnell graduated and went on to nursing school at Marymount University, continuing to support the Superdance in hopes that a cure would be found.[16] As of 2018, O'Connell students have raised over $4,300,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, an organization dedicated to finding a cure for the disease.The winners of this contest would be cage dancers at an upcoming Kid Rock concert at George Mason University's Patriot Center.