Every other school gives
your child a tablet.
An average class of eighteen. A teacher who knows your child by name. A classical curriculum that still teaches spelling, Latin, and critical thinking as their own subjects. Come spend a day with us and see it for yourself.
Book a Shadow DayHero video embeds here
Not a device for every child. A teacher for every child.
Three things you can verify the day you walk in.
Small enough to know every child
An average class of 18. Small enough that a teacher notices the student who will never raise their hand — and has room in the room for a table to sit down and help them.
Taught at their own level
Classes split into A and B groups by ability for math, science, and reading. In the primary building, students are taught individually or in small groups by reading level. Many work above their grade.
More time, and it is not wasted
8:00 to 3:15, 185 days a year, no half days. Built on the assumption that if your child is here, you are probably working.
The numbers.
More days in the classroom
Extended days and fewer in-service days add up.
School days, kindergarten through 8th grade, compared with other local private schools. 8:00 to 3:15 daily, 185 days a year, no half days.
What eighteen students actually changes.
"You get large classes over thirty and it's classroom management most of your day — you're just trying to keep the train on the tracks. Smaller classes let you see the student who is struggling. Especially the one who is not going to raise their hand."Mrs. KavanaughNoonan teacher, 14 years · Critical Thinking
"A room filled with thirty desks — there is not much room for anything else. A room with eighteen, and you have room for a table where I can help this child, and a space back here where another one can chill out for a little bit."Mrs. KavanaughNoonan teacher, 14 years
"I don't want them spending a whole month on apples. If they are going to spend their time away from the family, I want them to be learning."JennyNoonan teacher, 11 years · Noonan parent of six, 9 years
"If you are my child, you're my grandchild. How would I want someone to teach you? How would I want someone to draw the best out of you?"Mrs. KavanaughNoonan teacher, 14 years
What your child actually learns.
A classical curriculum, heavier on the liberal arts. Spelling, vocabulary, phonics and social studies are still taught here as their own class, with their own grade — not folded into a literacy block.
Religion · English · Literature and Novel Reading · Phonics · Spelling · Vocabulary · Social Studies · Math · Science · Computer Science · Music · Art · Character Development · Physical Education
Latin · Spanish · Speech · Drama · Critical Thinking
Boys and girls basketball and volleyball · Beginner sports for K–4 · Drama · Chess program · Academic bowl · After-school clubs · Nearly 20 teams and organizations in all
Math help and science help after school, every day. Classes split into A and B groups by ability for math, science, and reading. In the primary building, students are taught individually or in small groups by reading level.
Students gain ground every year they are here.
Median grade equivalent on the Stanford Achievement Test, measured against the student's actual grade level.
Years above grade level
The gap widens the longer a student stays.
Source: 2026 Spring Stanford 10 Complete Battery, school group report. Median grade equivalent.
What a shadow day is. Draft
Your child sits in real classes for a real school day. You see what eighteen students in a room actually looks like — not a tour, not a brochure.
Arrive in the morning
Drop off at the usual start of the school day. Your child is paired with a student in their grade.
A full day of classes
They attend real classes, eat lunch with the other students, and take part in the day as it happens.
Parents tour the school
While your child is in class, you walk the building and meet the principal.
No obligation
There is nothing to sign and no commitment. Come see whether it fits your family.
Book a shadow day.
Tell us a little about your family and someone from the office will be in touch.
Noonan Academy · Mokena, Illinois
Pre-K through 8th grade
Accredited by the Illinois State Board of Education. Fully recognized by the Catholic Schools of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Joliet and the National Catholic Education Association. Member of the National Association of Private Catholic and Independent Schools.