As summer gives way to fall and students return to Austin Prep, a new school year brings renewed energy to the 55-acre campus in Reading. Classrooms fill again, athletic teams return to competition, rehearsals begin, and students gather for community, service, and prayer.

For families considering Catholic education, fall also marks the beginning of the admissions season and an opportunity to see how Austin Prep's mission shapes daily life for students in grades six through 12.

"In the tradition of St. Augustine, a tradition more than 1,600 years old, Austin Prep is on a journey," Head of School James Hickey, Ph.D., has said. "At the core of our school is the same pursuit, animated by the Augustinian charisms of 'veritas, unitas, and caritas' ... truth, unity, and love."

Those values are reflected in theology courses, retreats, Christian service, all-school Masses, and opportunities for prayer in the Chapel of St. Augustine. They also shape how the School approaches academics, student support, inclusion, and life beyond the classroom.



Academic excellence leads to national recognition

Austin Prep continues to pair its Catholic educational tradition with engaging academics. Academic opportunities include the Harvard Medical School MEDscience program, a Digital Fabrication Lab, robotics and technology programs, interdisciplinary learning, and Honors and Advanced Placement courses across disciplines. Austin Prep's Middle School also recently became the first Catholic school in the United States to be named a School of Distinction by the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE).

Formation continues after the academic day ends. Student-athletes are challenged to develop discipline, resilience, and selflessness while representing their teams. Students in the arts find opportunities in theater, dance, music, visual art, and digital design, where collaboration and creativity become another expression of community.



Supporting students as they learn, grow, and belong

The Richard J. Meelia '67 Center for Integrated Learning is an example of Austin Prep supporting various learning styles, providing those who learn differently academic accommodations, 1:1 coaching, and targeted services. Students remain fully part of the school experience while receiving support designed to build confidence, independence, and strategies for success.

Another example of the school's mission in action came last spring. Austin Prep hosted students and educators from Augustinian schools across North America for the Student Augustinian Values Institute, combining prayer, service, and fellowship in a four-day gathering.

The same emphasis on dignity and inclusion is seen throughout the community. Austin Prep's Kaleidoscope Crew, created through a partnership with BrightBridge Neurodiversity Workforce Partners, brings adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities into meaningful employment roles on campus and into the wider life of the school.



Fall Open House welcomes families to experience Austin Prep

The beginning of fall brings those pieces together. New students settle into campus, returning students reconnect with teachers and friends, teams take the field, clubs begin meeting, and the rhythm of the school year returns.

It is also when prospective families begin asking where their children will learn and grow next.

Austin Prep will open its campus to those families at its annual Fall Open House on Sunday, Oct. 18, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Prospective students and parents will be able to tour classrooms, labs, studios, athletic facilities, and other aspects of campus life, as well as meet faculty, students, and coaches.

For Austin Prep, the event is about showing Catholic education in practice: in the relationships between students and teachers, in a community that makes room for all learners, in competition and creativity, and in the connection between faith, knowledge, and service.

As another school year begins on Willow Street, that remains the goal of an Austin Prep education: to form young people who seek truth, build community, and serve others with love.

Austin Prep is an independent Augustinian Catholic school serving students in grades six through 12 in Reading, Massachusetts. More information about Fall Open House is available at www.austinprep.org/admissions/fall-open-house.