St. Anthony’s Day School is committed to meeting the developmental needs of the children entrusted to its care. We differ from childcare centers in our focus on giving children a well-rounded education that includes age-appropriate classical art, music and movement, Spanish language class, drama and literature, as well as training for social responsibility and respect for God and his creatures. We encourage children to begin their day by asking God’s help and protection and ending it with thanks for His gifts and a blessing on all those we love. We provide moral support to parents as needed in the education of their children. We endeavor to employ the best trained teachers, to offer them incentives for new courses, workshops, competitive salaries as well as all possible fringe benefits. As part of our commitment to the Community around us, St. Anthony’s offers at least one full scholarship to a child from Alexandria City whose parents cannot otherwise afford to pay tuition.
Children learn in a positive nurturing environment and should be exposed to a stimulating environment that provides experiences which encourage them to appreciate beauty as well as solve problems. They should be encouraged to be independent and to satisfy their natural curiosities, and be given the opportunity to make choices and to understand the impact their actions have upon others. Thoughtful play is productive play which develops self-esteem, cognitive skills, inner awareness, and respect for others. We believe that an eclectic approach to education provides the opportunity for a balance between adult and child initiated activities.
Children learn in many different ways and it is our responsibility to address all the needs of a child – spiritual, emotional, intellectual, cultural, social and physical. We plan each day to be a balance of teacher-directed and child-selected activities that focus on active learning. Language development, music, art, story time, center play, and quiet play are presented daily in a thematic unit. The positive development of the child’s self-image is the core of these activities. We believe that children should be respected as individuals and encouraged to be independent and self-motivated while learning to be sensitive to those around them.
Our health and safety concerns for our children are reflected by the safe, clean, and organized environment that we provide. Our staff is trained in first aid, CPR, and well-child assessment. In addition, we provide opportunities for our children to explore the world outside our center; frequent events in which we encourage parent participation so that they can share in their child’s growing and learning; a support system for families providing them with daily information on the physical and intellectual growth of their children.
St. Anthony’s Day School believes in the importance of building strong and happy families. We, therefore, respect the right of parents to determine what is best for their children. We believe we can best do this by maintaining open channels of communication with parents. Effective communication between parents and staff is fostered by our open door policy. We invite parents to drop by at any time during the day (with the exception of nap time, i.e., 1-3 p.m.) to visit their child, share lunch, or visit the park across the street. We strongly urge those parents who can to volunteer for service with our Parent Association. We welcome your suggestions on how to improve our service, and will do all possible to make St. Anthony’s Day School a place where children are loved, educated, and cared for in the very best way possible.