Why St. Thomas More Catholic School?

“At that time the disciples approached Jesus and said, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, ‘Amen I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.’” (Mt 18:1-5)

Catholic Identity

Weekly Masses, beginning and ending the day in prayer, meal time prayer, Social Justice, Citizenship, Partnerships with St. Vincent de Paul Food Bank, Catholic Charities Spokane Ministries, and a curriculum that is embraces the philosophy and mission of the school are paramount to and intertwined with our academic expectations. Our Mission is “To Know, Love, and Serve God” in all we say, do, and pray.

Examples:

Student-led liturgies
Stations of the Cross at Holy Cross Cemetery
English Language Arts Curriculum with specific Catholic Identity elements of study
C+STEM program designed to embrace Pope Francis Encyclical “Laudato Si”
Christian Living Program that encompasses the growth of the whole person – spiritually, physically, intellectually, and socially.
Participation in parish weekend liturgies as ministers (altar servers, lectors, cantors, etc.)

Academic Excellence

Catholic school students earn higher scores on standardized tests in every subject area. 97% of St. Thomas More Students graduate from high school. 85% of Catholic high school graduates go on to college. St. Thomas More School is a pre-K through 8^th grade school. Research has shown that middle-schoolers who stay in the same school for K-8 perform better academically and have fewer absences than their peers who attend a separate middle-school. St. Thomas More takes pride that we teach students to “learn how to learn”.

Examples:

Singapore Math Strategies combined with Accelerated Math Differentiation
English Language Arts Curriculum that is integrated with other disciplines combined with Accelerated Reader Differentiation.
Response to Intervention (RTI) and Trimester Normative Assessments
C+STEM = Catholic STEM curriculum – encouraging scientific and technical learners to embrace these fields of study with a concern for God’s kingdom and people.
Spanish Language program from Kindergarten through 8^th Grade with Level 1 Spanish completion
Visual Arts, Music, and Physical Education
Camp Wooten Outdoor Education Week for Middle School students that embraces learning with the environment and encourages cooperative learning among adolescents.
Fully Accredited since 1994

Community

A strong sense of community is one of the core factors for the success of our students and our school. Family involvement is proven to be critical in a child’s appreciation for learning and this involvement is highly encouraged at St. Thomas More Catholic School. Caring for one another, for each other’s’ families, and appreciating the unique gifts and talents that each student and their family brings to St. Thomas More is our way of living out the teachings of the Gospels.

Examples:

Families supporting one another with food and funds during times of loss and grieving
Students praying each and every day for their families, classmates, and our community
8^th graders and their “Kris Kringle” program for the K-7^th students
Our Italian Dinner and Auction which has been a home cooked meal for over 37 years and held on our own campus – with new families always invited gratis
Fund Run and Carnival day for entire family
Father-Daughter Dance
Child Care provided for families during Christmas, social events, and parish & school functions

Service

“I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted, and behold, service was joy.”

Rabindranath Tagore

“We shelter the homeless, educate those hungry for knowledge, and care for the sick,” Cardinal Hickey said, “not because they’re Catholic, but because we’re Catholic. They are Jesus in disguise.”

St. Thomas More Catholic School believes strongly that the words of the gospel are meant to be learned, studied, and PUT INTO ACTION! Caring and nurturing others is one of the best ways to learn about yourself and to develop in yourself the moral compass to lead a life of joy and fulfillment for the betterment of mankind and all of God’s creation.

Examples:

Secret Saints – entire year program of service to nine different ministries of Catholic Charities.
Corporal Works of Mercy yearlong reflection and service
Mass and visitations to nursing homes
Serving at parish coffee and donuts on Sunday
Food Drives each Advent and Lent for St. Vincent de Paul Food Bank
“Art from the Heart” – new for 2015-2016 – student-created artwork that will be framed and decorate the rooms for the homeless in two new structures.
“Pennies from Heaven” drive for Trinity School – our sister Catholic School that serves the most vulnerable.
“Quarters for Living Quarters” – drive for St. Margaret’s Shelter and House of Charity – raised over $10,000.00 from the students donating quarters all year long for the Capital Campaign to build new housing for these two ministries.
Planting flower gardens and stewardship of the parish and school grounds.
Hurricane Katrina Flood Donations – 5% of all funds raised from our Fund Run went to help those affected by this devastation.