FAQ

Why are you called The St. Anthony School? Are you a religious school?
The St. Anthony School is not a faith-based school. Many years ago, The St. Anthony School directors worked in a school for students with a variety of learning differences. When students reached middle school and high school age, they weren’t keenly aware of being somehow “different.” Some had challenges with math, reading, writing and other academic subjects or skills. Others had attention- or anxiety-related problems. Whatever the issue was, they didn’t want to be classified as different. No teenager does.

St. Anthony was a gentle soul and the patron saint of the lost. The St. Anthony School operates in that same spirit, holding every child in esteem and reverence. They are gifts that parents share with and entrust to us, and it is our mission to make the school a place where students find themselves.

What is a therapeutic school?
A therapeutic school is an alternative institution that specializes in educating and working closely with students with a variety of needs using methods not found in a traditional academic environment. At The St. Anthony School, we understand that children require a clear understanding of what’s expected of them. We teach students to take responsibility for their actions, and to understand that those actions have both benefits and consequences. The St. Anthony School students learn both respect and consideration for others on their unique paths to achieving their greatest academic potential.

To accomplish these things, we recognize that our students require more than an ordinary school can provide. Many of our students, despite their individual diagnoses, share common symptoms and needs. Many struggle with delayed gratification, organizational skills, time management, impulsivity and transition times. That’s why a team of professionals looks after your child, meeting as treatment teams every week to discuss a student’s needs and progress.

Psychological and academic assessments are reviewed to customize an individual plan for each student. Reality-oriented therapy and techniques, along with our reflective modeling system, address the basic issues behind maladaptive beliefs, behaviors and attitudes. Treatment may address a wide variety of these issues, including impulse control, stress reduction or assertiveness training. With parental permission, our therapists may be in regular communication with a student’s private therapists or doctors.

Is The St. Anthony School accredited?
Yes. The St. Anthony School is accredited by the Texas Alliance of Accredited Private Schools recognized by the State of Texas. We also have approval from the Texas Education Agency. Our accreditation helps with the transferal of credits to public and other private schools, as needed.

How does The St. Anthony School maintain discipline?
We use a variety of techniques, including “The Nurtured Heart Approach” taken from Howard Glasser’s groundbreaking book, Transforming the Difficult Child. Our goal is to build “inner wealth” in every child through sustained positive interaction, and to continually recognize and reward the hundreds of good things children accomplish every day.

We also use a reflective modeling system with built-in rewards and consequences, called a “coaching card.” This enables students to monitor their own behavior and choices through real-time feedback throughout the day. Our children don’t always come to us with an intrinsic vision of what success looks like for them, so the coaching card is one more method to build self-esteem piece by piece.

Will my child go to The St. Anthony School until he/she graduates?
We generally work with two types of children. The first may have found the perfect learning environment for his or her particular disability. In The St. Anthony School, the student may have found an ability to concentrate for the first time. It may be that no other school duplicates such an ideal learning environment. He or she may find a true group of friends for the first time, or may be socially or emotionally behind by a couple of years. In his or her senior year, the student may take dual-credit courses at local community colleges if appropriate. This is the child The St. Anthony School nurtures and is proud to graduate.

The second child may step through our doors needing only remediation in certain subjects or requires assistance in coping with circumstances that have made life particularly challenging. The same rebuilding process and programming is implemented, but the child may only need one to three years before transitioning to a larger private school or public school. In the end, The St. Anthony School aligns its goals for each student with those of the parents.

My child needs to build social skills. Do you address those needs?
Absolutely. The primary reason individuals cannot maintain employment is an inability to work well or get along with others. The emotional quotient (EQ) is as critical as a person’s intelligence quotient (IQ), and we weigh the importance of each equally. We begin each day with a classroom meeting in which student issues are addressed to teach and practice the social skills needed to function in society.

Teachers and therapists model and guide social behavior throughout the day. In addition to individual sessions with therapists on an as-needed basis, an end-of-day 30-minute period is designed to encourage discussion around character-building and social skill development.

Does The St. Anthony School require testing?
If a student’s test results are not current, we may ask that new students receive testing. Without proper testing, developing a personalized education plan becomes a matter of trial and error. Testing gives us a roadmap to identify learning styles, determine individual strengths and weaknesses and ensure academic progress. Throughout the year, the Measure of Academic Performance (MAP) is administered to accurately meet students’ academic needs.

Does The St. Anthony School have a dress code?
Yes. Students are required to wear a navy blue or hunter green polo-style shirt with khaki-colored pants or shorts. Girls may wear a khaki-colored skirt or jumper. Athletic shoes are considered appropriate.