Atonement Academy

hey! listen up!! all i've heard about this school is that it worries all about money and scares children into doing well. its the total opposite!! yes, we go to mass everyday, but after a few weeks, youre used to it. i went to a school where i was non-stop bullied and stereotyped and pressured for grades. here, at atonement, my classmates love and respect me and im allowed to work at my own pace. sometimes the homework is a bit heavy or i struggle a little more on one subject than others. but doesn't that happen at all schools? and people say its all stuffy and loser-ish because they don't have a strong sports program. but the school's still fairly new. no more cliques, no more bullies. at this school everyone REALLY does love everyone. i came to atonement and i'm never going back. -A STUDENT

After months of researching/ visiting local private schools, my husband and I decided on the Atonement Academy for our Pre-Kindergartener. Both of us feel we could not have made a better choice. Our son loves going to school everyday, has made great friends and feels comfortable. His teacher is outstanding, she keeps in contact with us, let's us know daily his behaviors and what the class is doing. She is accessible and responds promptly. All of the staff is friendly, professional and genuinely care about the students. I am shocked to read some reviews about "being financially motivated" or being "shaken down", this is certainly not the case as we have NEVER felt that way. I would honestly recommend this school to anyone and am sending our younger son to the Academy next year.
--Submitted by a parent

I've read a few reviews that are inaccurate and show hints of the poster knowing little about the Atonement Academy. For instance, one poster complained of the school being primarily financial motivated and pressuring parents for money using fund raisers as tool to beat them over the head with. There are only two fund raisers per year and I have never felt pressured to make any donations to either. While I pay full tuition, I have a friend who was laid off and combined with other factors was not able to afford the tuition. The Atonement staff made arrangements for their child to stay at the academy, effectively charging no tuition. I am one of the, if not the youngest fathers at Atonement, I am lower middle class and I have always been treated with respect and felt welcome. While I mainly wanted to rebuke the comments that less than accurately reflect the school, I also want to note that I thoroughly investigated schools as far as Houston and that my research has paid more dividends then expected by choosing Atonement in several aspects.
--Submitted by a parent

We wasted tens of thousands of dollars in this school, when the surrounding schools (public and private) are so much better. When I first saw Atonement I was impressed with the European fa ade and beautiful uniforms, but I found out later that the core values are rotten. What matters here is money, not the person. Children are treated harshly and given massive amounts of homework which robs them of a normal childhood. The social relations among the students are unpleasant. There are clicks, unfriendliness, gossip and bullying. I learned that I don t have to waste so much money or overwhelm my kids with homework to educate them, I just need to get involved; they will do fine if I spend quality time with them regardless of the school.
--Submitted by a parent

I went to this school for most of my life. And let me tell you. I wish I hadn't . From the outward appearance of Atonement, it is a very beautiful, well brought up school. But as a student, the teachers expect way to much out of there students. They expect children to act as if they were proper adults. And this school is ALL about the cash. The tuition is WAY to high. And they think that the school is going to grow... HA! as if. The teachers are rude, unorganized, grade harshly, and pretty much the opposite of what a good Catholic SHOULD be. They randomly throw tests at you and you have to stay up until 12 o clock at night studying for them! I would not recomend this school for ANYONE.

I went to this school for two years, and though I made some good friends, I was constantly stressed out and crying due to the amount of homework and teachers. This school is a patriarch, where if you are male, you are more important. I got sent to higher authorities for not bringing my book to class once, and was constantly looked down upon in my math class for not understanding something I have never been good at. I left church everyday feeling like a horrible person, something that NO ONE should feel that way after church. Students visibly straightened up and acted completely different when the priest or deacon walked around. The school is too busy spending the money from fundraisers on gardens and outside appearances than providing warmer uniforms for the winter and books. Teachers compared the grades of males and females, and it was just not fun. I would NOT recommend this school for your children unless you want cold, judgmental teachers, and to be paying an arm and leg for tuition so they can make a nicer outside appearance instead ensure your child is being taken well care of.

My son was an average public school student. He started at the Atonement Academy in Middle School (6th) and is now finishing his freshman year. The first year was a struggle for him, but he is flourishing academically and socially. This is the kind of school where you need to stay out of the teacher / student relationship. I may not always agree with everything, but he needs to fight his own battles and he is becoming more of a man everyday. The academic program is rigorous. I have never had anything but productive feedback from his very competent teachers. Everyone at the school knows my child and is interested in his success. I truly appreciate the fact that this is a very orthodox Catholic shool and I don't think it is a good fit for everyone with daily Mass, formal uniforms & no-nonsense discipline. If you want your child to spend his days with other high-calibre students from strict families with high parental involvement, then this is the place for you. Otherwise there are lots of other schools to choose from. I think this school is worth every dollar. Although there are plenty of wealthy families in this school, there are also plenty of middle class families.
--Submitted by a parent

Our family has just finished their first year at Atonement. I say this as it takes a total partnership between family and school for children to succeed here. I do not find this to be a short-coming of the school. Yes Atonement is quite rigid, but I find that there is sound reasoning behind each of the rules. If your child is not willing to work for their education, this is not the school for you. I believe no finer school can be found for any amount of tuition. Only once during the school year did I feel that the amount of homework was overwhelming for one of my children (I have two attending). However, the work load WILL REQUIRE good time management skills if one wants time for extra-curricular activities. The Administration and staff may not hold every parents hand individually, but it is because they are busy WORKING to give my kids the best education possible. I think it is also noteworthy that we are Lutheran, and I have never felt like we were not part of the Atonement family. All the tools for children's success are here. If there are failures, they rest in the goals, and work ethic, of the students and their families.
--Submitted by a parent

Atonment Academy is no more expensive than any other Catholic school here in San Antonio. At other Catholic school there are required "donations" which makes absolutely no since to me. Yes they upped their tuition $50, but again all the school do. I am not sure if you do realize that there is a tuition cap for families, so if you have more than 2 children at the school, the rest go for basically free minus the enrollement cost. I am not really sure what is wrong with having very high expectaions of our children. That is why we are sending our children to private school, so they get a better educatioation. I personally would rather sacrafice in my own wants and pay for my child to have a better future.
--Submitted by a parent

My wife and I are both products of Catholic education, and we think this school is exceptional. The curriculum is top notch and challenging to the students preparing them for a lifetime of learning. Teachers care about the individual students and it shows in their frequent, though not required, attendance of student activities. The only complaint that I have had is that they depend on room moms to communicate some activities with parents. This has proven to be ineffective, but has since been corrected. I'm not sure I understand the complaints about fundraising in a Catholic private school. It is asked, but not required, and I have been able to participate in some and not others. I am not an outcast, and appreciate the efforts to raise funds for the school outside of straight tuition. I respect the efforts of Atonement Academy in providing my children with a rigorous Catholic education preparing them to be the leaders of the community in years to come.
--Submitted by a parent