The Atonement Academy
The church and school building
The sanctuary is of the traditional style with a central nave leading to an East-facing altar. It is decorated with many meaningful symbols of the Catholic faith, especially the fish net-like matrix that covers the entire ceiling, which symbolizes the Christian church's role in evangelization. The school building abuts the church and is centered around the library. The gymnasium completes the structure on the opposite side of the school building from the church. The exterior walls of the complex are styled to resemble a medieval castle.
Curriculum
The minimum requirements for high school graduation are established by the Texas Catholic Conference Education Department. A college prep diploma in the Catholic schools of Texas requires three years of a foreign language, and all three years must be in the same language. Additionally, beginning in the 2010–2011 school year, a "four by four" policy has been implemented, mandating four years of math and science at the high school level.
The Atonement Academy offers a wide variety of classes including grammar and literature, science, Texas, U.S., and World history, U.S. government, and economics. AP courses are available to the juniors and seniors in areas such as American Literature, World Literature, American Government, American History, Biology, Statistics, and Calculus. For the languages, Latin is offered in the elementary, middle and high school grades.
Students in grades 1-8 participate in the Advanced Reading (AR) program. There is a quarterly awards ceremony in which the students are recognized for their academic excellence. Rarely, teachers hold advanced degrees in their specialties.
In the College Preparatory School (grades 9–12), the typical basic yearly course load is 7+1⁄4 credits. In addition to the 7+1⁄4-credit basic load, a few additional requirements must be met, either by having completed them in middle school, by taking them during the elective period.
High school-level courses completed by some students in middle school include Algebra I.
Fine arts
The music program is centered on choral instruction, where the various student choirs play a part in the liturgy of the Mass. There are several choral concerts throughout the year as well as a series of sacred music performances. Many of the academy's students also participate in extracurricular arts activities such as theater performances.
Athletics, extracurricular activities, and events
Sports teams include boys' varsity basketball, track and cross country, baseball, six-man football, and golf, girls' varsity basketball, volleyball, track, and cross-country. School colors are black and red, and the school team name is the Crusaders. A playing field adjacent to the church parking lot is designed to accommodate both football and baseball.
Other, non-academic activities that are supported include Scouting (both boys and girls), chess club, National Honor Society and Student Council. Yearly events include the Upper School Tea and the King's Fair (a medieval fair).
Every other year until 2020, the students of the academy had an opportunity to go on a parish-wide pilgrimage to Rome, and attend Mass in some of the greatest churches in Christendom.
Uniform requirements and comportment guidelines
Students at The Atonement Academy are required to wear an academic uniform as well as a standardized physical education uniform. The high school uniforms in particular are noteworthy for their elegance, maturity, and strict modesty, and in the junior and senior years include the class ring.
The class ring is a signet ring featuring the school's crest and is given to juniors in a special ceremony during Mass. The class ring then becomes a part of the student's official uniform.
Counseling services
The students have access to a number of extracurricular counseling services. For the upper grades a full range of college counseling services are offered, with information available for a wide range of Catholic, private, and state institutions.
