St. Anthony Parish School

This past year I graduated from St. Anthony's.I attended for 2 years and was less than impressed.In fact, I became so stressed and upset about having to return there after 7th gr that I spiraled into a depression.I felt like I wasn't learning and the kids there were too sheltered. In 7th grade I was pre alg in math so I had to do independent study until the day an accredidation commitee came and they put me downstairs with the librarian.No coincidence there or anything!In 8th grade I had a teacher but I had a shared class!Really, I only had half a period of math everyday.Oddly enough, even though I only got a half a period I probably learned the most out of any class.I really did feel like I was wasting my time going to school everyday.As middle schoolers, we were forced to do the same stuff as the little kids taking away from education time. I come from a christian famiy and after attending religion class I can tell you that i never want to have any part of christianity as an adult.The hipocrisy displayed by the teacher was overwhelming.She also didn't have any viable knowledge to back up what she was teaching us."Because it's tradition" is what she'd say. Don't send your child.

My 5 year old recently completed summer school here. I couldn't be more pleased with the results. He went from not knowing which hand to write with to tracing his own name with his right hand while holding the pencil correctly. I couldn't get him to do it with me for months and he got it in 6 weeks. The staff is so friendly and it feels like a family there. My son was in the ELC program and felt so comfortable in their environment. For summer school they mixed 3, 4 & 5 year olds but all the children worked well together. The ELC has a beautiful playground complete with a clean sandy bottom, slide, little tree house and jungle gym. Inside they have tons of excellent manipulatives and toys as well as a train table which is my son's favorite. The children had water play every Friday and walked to the local public library once a week. This is a Catholic school so the children also learned lots of prayers. My son picked them up quite easily and he still says them even today. He even told me that he knew all the sounds of the letter A, and he did. I am so impressed and every day was so worth it knowing how much he learned in such a short time. A+++ St. Anthony's!
—Submitted by a parent

As a military child, I have been enrolled in many wonderful schools, but St. Anthony;s is by far the worst I have ever been to. Not only does it lack appropriate teachers for those students more advanced, but it also does not help those students who are falling behind. The religion program was also very disappointing and made me very upset everyday. Students who attend a Catholic school should not doubt their Catholic faith because of the religion class. This private school was not worth the money, sedn your child to a different one.

We have been so happy with the elementary part of this school. I love how teaching is done outside of the box with hands on experiments, guest speakers and wonderful parental support. We came from a public Hawaii school in Kailua that didn't have music, art, Spanish... Sas offers all this with skilled professionals and fab computer center as well! We are military and my child has attended many schools. This is by far our favorite!
—Submitted by a parent

Most of St Anthony's teachers are the reason the school continues to attract students. Other teachers need to be replaced. All of this is due to lack of leadership by the two Administration personnel. They care more about perception and protecting their job than the school. Class sizes have ballooned from 17 to 22 in three years. In the past year, they have shuffled bad teachers to other positions rather than removing them from the school. They have created useless middle school writing classes, with no structure or purpose. Lastly they have lowered their acceptance standards, accepting students who will struggle and sometimes disrupt the learning process with bad behavior. It is a sad state of affairs. The core problem is the administration, who must be removed. The school needs someone with vision and leadership. This will be the last year that I will keep my children at the school. I believed things would get better, but it is more of the same from the administration.
—Submitted by a parent

As a parent to 3 students at SAS, I couldn't be more pleased with the school. The teachers are top notch, the curriculum is challenging, yet comparable to what is being taught on the east coast, and most importantly, it provides a Christian atmosphere- truly embracing the "Ohana Ideal." We have no reservations or worries concerning how well our children will transition upon our inevitable return to mainland schools. Contrary to other recent reviews, we have found the Early Learning Center (ELC) to be the highlight of our time at Saint Anthony's. The teachers are loving and provide developmentally appropriate instruction.
—Submitted by a parent

The Administration lacks vision. The ELC which was a gem has deteriorated to become a daycare. In 2010 this was a highly regarded school. Most teachers are excellent. The schools Administration continues to run excellent teachers out of the classroom due to the lack of leadership. Unfortunately I must say that St. Anthony s has a terrible administration. I can no longer say that the ELC is a place that I would send my children, or recommend it to anyone else.
—Submitted by a parent

Great school! The Early Learning Center is an amazing place for preschoolers. My children were all very happy, safe, and learned so much. We will miss the school when we leave.
—Submitted by a parent

Excellent school! The people are wonderful amd make you feel like one 'ohana.
—Submitted by a parent

My 3 children have all attended St. Anthony. They each have great standardized test scores and my two oldest were accepted at every school to which they applied. More importantly, I felt they were well cared for, well prepared, and treated with respect. I love this school!
—Submitted by a parent

I have taught at this school for a number of years. The administrative is supportive and has revitalized the vision for the school. They encourage and support professional development for teachers - I have personally been to more than 40 hours of classes and workshops during just this year. The leadership team has a strategic vision and is actively involved in a project to make St. Anthony a center for 21st Century Learning Skills. I wouldn't work anywhere else.
—Submitted by a teacher

My three children have gone to Saint Anthony and it's a great school. The curriculum is rigorous, but the teachers work to make each child successful. The school has wonderful extra-curricular activities such as before and after school care, competitive sports teams, hula, martial arts, student council, and even a drama club that produces delightful plays. Saint Anthony students do great in state or national academic and art competitions such as Geography Bee, Spelling Bee, Peace Poster, Word Power Challenge, Write in the Middle, and Science Fair. The administration is so kind and caring. Whenever one of my kids starts to struggle, or make less than great choices, everyone in the office, the principal, vice-principal, or even the school secretary is immediately available to listen to my concerns, and work toward a solution. Saint Anthony provides a fantastic, well-rounded, strong Catholic education. I love this school!
—Submitted by a parent

Check for yourself....ask the teachers (and compare different answers) about the last time they had any professional development? ...how many middle school MATH teachers they have gone through in the past 5 years? who has control over the curriculum? ...what they do with the outcome of the standardized test scores to improve weak areas? ...what interventions exist for students who are struggling or gifted? ...how do they accomodate different learning styles and how they differentiate insturction to meet ALL the student's needs? how do they integrate technology into the curriculum? Ask tougher questions and don't reley soley on word of mouth. Go to the school and ask several teachers. They have some amazing teachers that keep the school afloat but the current administration has done little to ensure high academic standards for the school and it's getting worse every year.
—Submitted by a parent

The administration, or lack there of, negatively impacts the teacher's ability to provide a high quality of care. It is sad because the school has been around long enough to know better. Obviously, the school leadership made a conscious decision somewhere along the line to have one person handle the entire school's administration. We withdrew our son because of this, even though we REALLY liked our teacher.
—Submitted by a parent

St. Anthony's is a wonderful school! I would highly recommend it to parents who are looking into sending their children to a private school. The teachers are great and the whole staff is loving and caring. Your child is not just a number at this school - St. Anthony's is a tight knit community. We will be moving this summer and I will really miss being a part of a wonderful school.
—Submitted by a parent

I went to this school it is really great & very friendly community
—Submitted by a former student

St Anthony's provides an inexpensive quality education. My 3 children were enrolled there after living overseas and attending an international school. St Anthony's welcomed them and provided a great atmosphere that allowed them to rapidly assimilate with the existing student population. St Anthony's offers numerous athletic programs and other community service opportunities. After 3 years at the school, we are very pleased with the quality and environment that St Anthony's provides.
—Submitted by chris, a parent

i had two childen that went to st anthony's and absolutely loved it the teachers were great k-3 alot of homework but well worth it in the end my children now go to a dod school it is nothing compared to st anthonys if we get stationed in hawaii again my children will go back to st anthonys.
—Submitted by a parent