Our philosophy is to provide a learning environment where students will be able to realize their full potential and capabilities within an environment that nurtures faith, excellence, community, and service. We adhere to a traditional philosophy regarding homework, discipline, and dress code, and we expect and encourage each student to achieve to the best of their ability.
At St. Anthony, faith formation promotes a relationship with Christ and teaches students how to live the Gospel through love and service to others. While Catholic faith is the cornerstone of our school, we welcome students of all faith traditions.
Through the lens of Catholic social teaching, we encourage our students to respect the diversity, dignity and beliefs of all in pursuit of knowledge and truth through critical thinking and constructive debate. This helps form strong principles, a moral center, and a vibrant community that celebrates all achievements for the common good. Students have the opportunity to celebrate Liturgy together once a week and are involved in the planning of school masses. Family and friends are invited to celebrate these masses with our school community.
Early Childhood Education
Our early childhood education program provides faith-based, socio-emotional learning opportunities for children in preschool (3-year-olds) and pre-kindergarten (4-year-olds). Half of the day for prekindergarten is covered by the Iowa Universal PreKindergarten benefit and includes Common Core-aligned curriculum. The second half of the day involves social-emotional play-based learning with special classes such as physical education, art, music, and religion.
PK HandbookK-8 School
Our teachers challenge your child to aim higher in every aspect – academically, spiritually and personally – so they can achieve their potential. We offer numerous academic support and enrichment opportunities for our students including:
PK-5 Spanish Immersion
Through a partnership with Boston College, St. Anthony Catholic School offers the only language immersion education track in the diocese. Students experience core subjects like reading, science, math, and social studies in both English and Spanish. The goal is to provide students with an opportunity to become bilingual and bi-literate by the time they reach middle school.
TWI Students gain:
Outcomes
St. Anthony, along with schools across Iowa, participates in the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP). ISASP is a standards-based assessment designed to inform schools and families on how students perform on the Iowa Core Academic Standards. Students performing at the proficient level demonstrate adequate competency in the knowledge, skills and abilities that meet the requirements for their grade level associated with academic readiness for college and a career in the subject area.
| State of Iowa (Percent Proficient) | St. Anthony (Percent Proficient) | |
| 8th English Language Arts | 67% | 76% |
| 8th Math | 60% | 66% |
| 8th Science | 60% | 63% |
At St. Anthony, excellence is relentlessly pursued by instilling a culture of continuous improvement, innovation and growth. As a result, our graduates are prepared to:
We teach love, care and concern for others as a part of our curriculum. Values of respect, discipline, diligence and compassion are instilled in all students. In addition, students in all grades have the opportunity to participate in community service and mission projects.
We focus on prosocial behavior and teach our students about their role in fostering a positive and safe learning environment. Students experience positive reinforcement for meeting school-wide expectations and logical consequences for problem behavior. In addition, our students understand that their actions have a wider impact on the school community.
The School Handbook is vital for all to understand the expectations of the school. It guides our school community throughout the year to ensure we all are moving in the same direction. Parents are required to sign an acknowledgment indicating they have read and understand the handbook at the start of every school year.
PK Handbook K-8 Handbook
