Our History

St. Anthony of Padua School, staffed by Dominican Fathers and Brothers and administered under the direction of the Dominican Sisters, Congregation of Mary, is a Catholic parish school serving the children of its own parish and neighboring parishes. Because of its strategic location, it also serves students whose parents work in the city but live in outlying neighborhoods. The Dominican emblem VERITAS, emblazoned on the school uniform, summarizes the school’s identity and purpose, the search for truth.

St. Anthony of Padua School, located at 4600 Canal Street, was established in 1915 by a Spanish Dominican priest, Father William Martin. That year, the school consisted of grades 1, 2, and 3. The following year, four Dominican Sisters joined the lay staff. Subsequently, grades were added until it became a Primer through eighth grade school. A beautiful three story stucco building was built in the 1930’s and the annex and convent were added in the early 1960’s. As the enrollment increased throughout the years, the facilities were renovated to accommodate the growth of the school.

St. Anthony of Padua from its beginnings has provided excellence in education. Many of the city’s most prominent citizens were St. Anthony of Padua students. In the late 1970’s, aware of the growing need for child care and development, St. Anthony of Padua responded by establishing an Early Childhood Program. One of the first Before and After Care Programs in the New Orleans area was established at St. Anthony of Padua to assist working parents. Summer camps, sports, choir, band, ballet, quiz bowl, geography bee, and chess have been offered to the students throughout the years to address the needs of the whole child.

St. Anthony of Padua School continues to meet the challenges of providing educational excellence for today’s children who will be tomorrow’s Christian leaders in their families and in their society. Ever mindful of the changing society, St. Anthony of Padua School adopted the Montessori Method in the Early Childhood. The school offers a balance between academics and the arts and takes pride in being on the cutting edge of the technology development since the 1980’s. The school offers Spanish instruction to all students in order to introduce a second language to the English speaking students and to address the needs of the Hispanic population. The music program has been enhanced by introducing vocal and instrumental instruction. A full time art teacher provides art classes to address the interest and talents of all SAS students. The school provides speech therapy and counseling on as-needed basis. Sign language, taught once a week, is the latest program to be introduced to the curriculum.

St. Anthony of Padua School is accredited by LA Department of Education and has been recognized with the following awards:

The National Blue Ribbon School Award

The National Distinguished Principal Award

The NCEA Distinguished Teacher Award

The NCEA Presidential Award

The Principal in Leadership Award

The Walt Disney Company American Teacher Award

Historically and currently, St. Anthony of Padua School is a Catholic school which strives to create an environment in which each child makes his/her faith become living, conscious, and active through the light of instruction.

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