MARYVILLE — Freshman year of high school was barely under way for Alixandria Horstmann when she experienced an unexpected illness that doctors predicted would keep her out of classes for four to six weeks.

Alixandria, known as Alix to her family and friends, is one of the 19 students who attend the new Father McGivney Catholic High School. The school, which is currently housed in its own private wing at the St. John Neumann Catholic School campus on Wilma Drive in Maryville, opened its doors in August with an all-freshman class. Each year another class level will be added.

As a member of that initial freshman class, Alix had fears of falling behind in her work — maybe even to the point of repeating the school year. "I was so worried and sad at first, because I thought I was going to have to miss school and being with my friends," she says.

"But when I talked to the staff in the office they immediately set up Skyping into the classroom so that I wouldn't miss anything," Alix says. "I wasn't really sure how it would work, but I at least knew it would be better than missing school."

As soon as Alix was able, she began "attending classes," thanks to her fellow students. One or more students a day took turns acting as Alix's buddy, carrying the laptop they called "Alix Laptop," equipped with Skype's videoconferencing from classroom to classroom.

When the teacher moved or showed something on the board, the student who was manning "Alix Laptop," would turn the computer so Alix could see what the teacher wanted her to see. Through Skype, students could also see Alix in her home, which made her feel more a part of the class. Except for missing a few classes when she was too ill, Alix was able to attend school all day, every day.

Alix already had her own laptop because every student who enrolls in Father McGivney receives a new one on his/her first day of school, says David Michael, development director at Father McGivney. These laptops serve as the students' textbooks, notebooks, papers, and pencils. Upon graduating from high school, students are free to take their laptops to college with them.

"So, Alix had her own laptop at home to take the tests, do homework etc.," says Michael. "The one the kids carried around at school is one of the extra computers we have here to use for 'shadow days' (when a prospective student comes to visit classes at Father McGivney)."

As a brand-new small school Father McGivney is very high tech, he says. It has six classrooms with 70-inch flat screen TVs to interface with the teacher's computer and wireless Internet connection.

Each teacher has a state-of-the-art tablet computer to interface with the TVs as well, explains Mike Scholz, the school's principal. "Our advanced technology, combined with our Catholic faith, is really what sets us apart from any other high school in the metro-east," Scholz says.

"To be fully prepared for university-level courses, students must be proficient in using computers for educational and business purposes," he says. "Father McGivney gives its students a head start in this category."

Alix's father, Joe Horstmann, says he is pleased with just how well the Skyping has worked. "I am very impressed with how the technology the school provides has been utilized with Alix's recovery and class work. This is something that would benefit every school for so many different situations kids and teachers go through," he says. "We are blessed. This is very, very cool."

As for Alix, she has recovered quickly and returned to class on Oct. 24. She'll still use her computer, but will now be using it along side her fellow freshmen. She's happy to sit in her own classes with her classmates and looks forward to spending the next three years and seven months of high school at Father McGivney.