A Classical Catholic Education for the Whole Child

We recognize that children learn and grow differently at each stage of their development. Our classical curriculum is designed to meet students where they are while gradually leading them toward greater knowledge, independence, and intellectual maturity. From the wonder and discovery of the earliest years to the deeper reasoning and discussion of the upper grades, each stage builds naturally upon the one before it.

Our youngest students begin their education in an environment filled with stories, prayer, movement, play, and opportunities to explore the world around them. These early years cultivate wonder and a love of learning while gently establishing the habits and foundational skills children will need as they grow.

Students are introduced to early literacy and numeracy, art, music, nature, and the rhythms of the liturgical year. Ample opportunities for outdoor play, movement, and hands-on activities recognize that young children learn with their whole selves.

We also recognize that children and families have different needs during these early years. Our Pre-K and Kindergarten programs offer flexible attendance and childcare options, allowing families to choose a schedule that works well for their child while remaining part of the broader St. Anthony Academy community. 

In first and second grade, students begin laying the academic foundations upon which later learning depends. Particular attention is given to learning to read well, developing strong handwriting and written-language skills, mastering the fundamentals of arithmetic, and acquiring the habits of attention and perseverance.

At the same time, education remains rich in stories, poetry, history, nature, art, music, and the Catholic faith. Memorization and recitation strengthen students' memories and command of language, while hands-on activities, movement, and outdoor play help preserve the natural joy and curiosity of childhood.

Rather than rushing children toward abstraction, we seek to fill their minds and imaginations with beautiful language, memorable stories, important facts, and firsthand encounters with the world around them.

As students mature, their studies broaden and deepen. The middle elementary years are especially rich in the acquisition of knowledge: students encounter increasingly substantial works of literature, history, mathematics, science, grammar, composition, religion, and the arts.

Formal Latin instruction begins in fourth grade, strengthening students' understanding of grammar and vocabulary while introducing them more deeply to the language that has shaped the Catholic Church and the Western intellectual tradition.

Memorization and recitation remain important, but students increasingly learn to explain ideas in their own words, write with greater clarity, participate thoughtfully in discussion, give oral presentations, and make connections across subjects. Teachers gradually expect greater independence, responsibility, and intellectual curiosity as students prepare for the upper grades.

In seventh and eighth grade, students are increasingly challenged not only to know, but also to consider why something is true and to express their thoughts clearly and persuasively.

Students engage more deeply with literature, history, mathematics, science, Latin, and the Catholic intellectual tradition. Writing becomes more sophisticated, discussions more substantial, and students assume greater responsibility for their own work. Through thoughtful questioning, discussion, presentations, and encounters with challenging texts and ideas, students develop habits of careful reasoning and articulate expression.

These culminating years of an St. Anthony Academy education are designed to prepare students for the intellectual demands of high school while preserving something even more important: a love of truth and learning that can continue throughout their lives.

Although the methods and expectations change as children mature, the purpose remains the same. At every age, St. Anthony Academy seeks to educate the whole child: intellectually, physically, socially, morally, and spiritually.

Our goal is not simply to prepare students for the next grade level. It is to help form young people who are curious about the world, capable of thinking carefully, confident in expressing themselves, grounded in their Catholic faith, and increasingly drawn toward what is true, good, and beautiful.