San Antonio Academy
Curriculum & Programs
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Learning at The Academy
San Antonio Academy’s curriculum is driven by our mission to offer an exceptional education intentionally crafted for boys, Pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade. We do this through a culture built with our four core values: scholarship, leadership, integrity, and brotherhood. The mission and values are seen in everything we do at SAA, including our curricular program.
Our curriculum provides a strong foundation of academic skills. Students study reading, language arts, social studies, math, science and foreign language. Fine arts, music, integrated technology, library/research skills, and physical education broaden their perspective. We believe that a good education should teach students to solve problems; to express themselves clearly, correctly and cogently; and to become task-committed and self-disciplined.
Primary School
The Primary School program is created using our understanding of the developmental sequence of boys and teaching strategies proven to be beneficial for boys’ learning. Students take courses in language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, outdoor education, and Spanish language, as well as instruction in visual and performing arts.
Elementary School
The Elementary School program offers courses in language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, and Spanish as well as instruction in visual and performing arts. Additional classes include choice classes that include Outdoor Leadership, coding, and robotics.
Middle School
Academy boys in grades 6th through 8th will have expanded opportunities to build upon their critical thinking, social/emotional intelligence, and leadership skills that will help prepare them for high school and beyond. These final three years of their Academy career will be a time where their "bond of brotherhood" will be strengthened, forging friendships that often last a lifetime.
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Signature Programs
Three decades of research shows that boys learn differently from girls. As an all-boys school, San Antonio Academy uses research on the unique strengths of the boy brain to create an environment and educational experience that best supports boy development. The Academy is a school where boys get to be boys while learning how to be compassionate leaders.
![character education]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1754939655/saacademyorg/mrpoj14i207va8gjsqzz/CharacterEducation.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1754939655/saacademyorg/mrpoj14i207va8gjsqzz/CharacterEducation.png","width":500}])
![outdoor education]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1754939685/saacademyorg/yqezrgyggwljber6ggtr/OutdoorEducation.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1754939685/saacademyorg/yqezrgyggwljber6ggtr/OutdoorEducation.png","width":500}])
![leadership education]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1754939623/saacademyorg/at85gjxno7qwwi3u55ly/LeadershipEducation.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1754939623/saacademyorg/at85gjxno7qwwi3u55ly/LeadershipEducation.png","width":500}])
![service learning]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1754939520/saacademyorg/rioihszwudkntwfdcocj/ServiceLearning.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1754939520/saacademyorg/rioihszwudkntwfdcocj/ServiceLearning.png","width":500}])
![public speaking]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1754939560/saacademyorg/kdxcek5ikvyebzd9mubj/PublicSpeaking.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1754939560/saacademyorg/kdxcek5ikvyebzd9mubj/PublicSpeaking.png","width":500}])
San Antonio Academy is a wonderful school for our son. The academic opportunities and staff are amazing! We couldn’t be happier with SAA and love their motto: “Be honest. Be kind. Be the best you can be."– Laura H.
Bond of Brotherhood
The "Bond of Brotherhood" encompasses all of the signature programs at SAA. An afterschool atmosphere where the boys play and interact together, the opportunities that arise during family-style lunches, and opportunities for the older boys to mentor our younger students, are all part of the unspoken traditions that make The Academy unique.
Academic News
See how our boys learn in an educational environment intentionally crafted for them.
News Slideshow
![CharacterExcellence1 (PDF)]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1772811104/saacademyorg/igzbgyalidjdzecwkceo/characterandexcellence.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1772811104/saacademyorg/igzbgyalidjdzecwkceo/characterandexcellence.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1772811104/saacademyorg/igzbgyalidjdzecwkceo/characterandexcellence.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1772811104/saacademyorg/igzbgyalidjdzecwkceo/characterandexcellence.png","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1772811104/saacademyorg/igzbgyalidjdzecwkceo/characterandexcellence.png","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1772811104/saacademyorg/igzbgyalidjdzecwkceo/characterandexcellence.png","width":1675}])
On the morning of Tuesday, March 3, parents gathered in the Bondurant Library for a Coffee Chat outlining the rollout of San Antonio Academy’s new Character and Excellence initiative, a framework designed to form not only capable students, but honorable young men.
Rooted in The Academy’s mission to offer an exceptional education intentionally crafted for boys, the initiative brings additional clarity and structure to conduct expectations, aligning with both our Portrait of an Academy Boy and school motto: Be honest. Be kind. Be the best you can be. The Character and Excellence Initiative builds on the Character and Conduct Support shared at the beginning of the school year.
![Mateo Nelson 2026 Oratorical contest winner]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1772121169/saacademyorg/ytumghswlk6tutga66y5/oratoricalcontest-9541.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1772121169/saacademyorg/ytumghswlk6tutga66y5/oratoricalcontest-9541.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1772121169/saacademyorg/ytumghswlk6tutga66y5/oratoricalcontest-9541.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1772121169/saacademyorg/ytumghswlk6tutga66y5/oratoricalcontest-9541.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1772121169/saacademyorg/ytumghswlk6tutga66y5/oratoricalcontest-9541.jpg","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_6/v1772121169/saacademyorg/ytumghswlk6tutga66y5/oratoricalcontest-9541.jpg","width":2200}])
San Antonio Academy proudly celebrates 8th grader Mateo Nelson as the 2026 W.T. Bondurant Jr. Oratorical Contest winner with his essay titled, "The Button I Wouldn't Press."
![David Yeager Parent Education Presentation]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1771608130/saacademyorg/xf7bahyrza7lftmhvrih/david-yeager-presentation-09.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1771608130/saacademyorg/xf7bahyrza7lftmhvrih/david-yeager-presentation-09.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1771608130/saacademyorg/xf7bahyrza7lftmhvrih/david-yeager-presentation-09.png","width":800}])
SAA welcomed parents, grandparents, alumni, and members of the broader community for an evening of insight from David Yeager, renowned psychologist, researcher, and author of “10 to 25: The Science of Motivating Young People.” Presented as part of The Academy’s parent education speaker series, the event offered more than theory. It delivered practical, research-backed strategies that families could begin using the very next day.
![2026 8th Grade Shakespeare Play 8A]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1770918243/saacademyorg/plnn1njuwmkzr6q39g3k/ShakespearePlay8A-9073.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1770918243/saacademyorg/plnn1njuwmkzr6q39g3k/ShakespearePlay8A-9073.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1770918243/saacademyorg/plnn1njuwmkzr6q39g3k/ShakespearePlay8A-9073.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1770918243/saacademyorg/plnn1njuwmkzr6q39g3k/ShakespearePlay8A-9073.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1770918243/saacademyorg/plnn1njuwmkzr6q39g3k/ShakespearePlay8A-9073.jpg","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_6/v1770918243/saacademyorg/plnn1njuwmkzr6q39g3k/ShakespearePlay8A-9073.jpg","width":2200}])
The San Antonio Academy Class of 2026 took center stage this week, performing Shakespeare’s Hamlet before an eager audience of family, friends, faculty, staff, and fellow students. Both 8th grade sections brought the classic play to life with remarkable enthusiasm, filling Ellison Hall with laughter, energy, and applause.
![Spelling Bee 2026 Champions]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1769199043/saacademyorg/saacademyorg/a4tapvtvm99nbxr8mv2s/SpellingBee-8441.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1769199043/saacademyorg/saacademyorg/a4tapvtvm99nbxr8mv2s/SpellingBee-8441.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1769199043/saacademyorg/saacademyorg/a4tapvtvm99nbxr8mv2s/SpellingBee-8441.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1769199043/saacademyorg/saacademyorg/a4tapvtvm99nbxr8mv2s/SpellingBee-8441.png","width":1000}])
San Antonio Academy’s top spellers took the spotlight on Wednesday, January 21, during the 2026 SAA Spelling Bee. Held after Chapel in Ellison Hall, ten outstanding 4th through 8th grade students (two from each grade) went head-to-head in a spirited competition that celebrated focus, confidence, and a love of spelling.