St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School // About Us

About Us

Weaving a bright future one child at a time.

Since 1951, St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School has strived to instill a desire for life-long learning, leadership and service in each student. The Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities, headquartered in Syracuse, N.Y., lead our school and serve as staff and faculty for our Pre-K through 6th grade student body.

We are a Franciscan Catholic School that originally served the African-American community and today is open to all families. Our school logo represents the interconnectedness of our Franciscan and Black American heritage.

The T-shaped cross in the center is the traditional Franciscan cross known as the Tau. The colorful and bold pattern behind the Tau cross is a Kente pattern that holds a special meaning to both our school and parish community. Kente is a royal, sacred “woven cloth” that originated in Ghana. It is an icon of African cultural heritage around the world.

Our Kente combines several meanings: to have a sense of direction in life; to live a dynamic life through the help and guidance of others; to live with courage and confidence; and to protect.

The multi-colored, woven nature of the Kente inspired our school tagline, “Weaving a Bright Future.” The tagline intertwines our heritage, mission, and core values. Through these strong bonds, we can help weave a bright future for our students!

Mission Statement

Founded in 1951 as a Black American Franciscan school, St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School provides a high quality Catholic education. Faithful to our African-American heritage, we welcome students in Pre-K through 6th Grade from all cultures. Celebrating our diversity, we are committed to respect for each person. All charged with this mission strive to create in each student a desire for life-long learning and a commitment to being a builder of the Kingdom of God.

Our Core Values

Distinctly Franciscan

Franciscan values are fundamental threads in our identity: peacemaking, having a joyful spirit, respecting all creation, supporting the poor, and seeking justice and truth. Pursuing knowledge for the sake of knowledge is vanity. As a Franciscan school, we seek truth through knowledge. We also honor the dignity of every person and model our world based on the harmony of God’s creation.

Faithfully Catholic

We welcome families of every spiritual background who are open to receiving a Catholic school education. Every morning, our students pray the Prayer of St. Francis and our faculty prays the Prayer of the Divine Office together. We strengthen our faith through weekly Mass for Grades 2-6, a Prayer Service for the younger children, daily religion classes, and celebrations of feast days throughout the year.

Proudly Diverse

Our students, faculty and staff make up a colorful pattern of different ethnic and racial backgrounds. To celebrate our original African-American roots, we learn about Black History and Black Catholic saints. Through a variety of activities and partnerships, we act with compassionate concern, cultural sensitivity and purposeful service to people with varying needs and cultural backgrounds.

Courageously Supportive

Education takes courage. So does social justice. The generous spirit of our parish community, donors, volunteers, parents, faculty and staff enable us to offer flexible tuition and a strong referral system for families who need help in different ways. We fearlessly advocate for our students, their families, and our community.

Ultimately Successful

A St. Anthony’s School education prepares students for middle school and beyond. Our students develop a firm foundation to build on during their next academic steps. Our alumni are confident in their abilities and talents. They are willing to serve. A recent survey noted that over 90 percent of St. Anthony’s students graduate from high school, a rate significantly higher than that of our local public school district.