Top Story:
Our Principal of 17 Years, Mr. David Faber, Accepts Call as the New Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Grand Rapids
After leading us so well for so many years, our beloved principal, Mr. David Faber, has accepted the position of Superintendent of all Catholic Schools for our Diocese. Not seeking to leave Saint Thomas on his own, Dave felt the Lord calling him—and almost pushing him—toward this new position for the last several months. After much prayer, discernment, preparation, and a national search, Dave was chosen to fill this new role.
While we are sad that Dave will be leaving us as principal, we know he has helped to develop within each of us the gifts, plan, and vision to continue to follow God’s call and mission for Saint Thomas School. Taking on Dave’s daily prayer as our own, “Apart from you, Lord, we can do nothing….but with You, all things are possible,” we know God’s blessings and great work will continue here at Saint Thomas School. We look to the future of our school with excitement, anticipation and confidence in God's continued leadership.
We wish Dave the best as he continues to follow where God leads him, and are grateful that he and his family will remain vital members of our Saint Thomas School and Parish family.
Dave and the members of the Education Commission have unanimously recommended that our current Assistant Principal, Mrs. Suzi Furtwangler, be chosen as the new Principal. Father Jim and a representative parish search committee are reviewing their recommendation and are currently accepting input from the entire parish community in an effort to make the transition a smooth one. If you have any concerns regarding the opening or the transition, please make them known to Father Jim by July 4th by contacting the parish office or by dropping a note in the collection basket during next weekend’s Masses.
Click here to read Dave's personal letter of farewell.
From Crayons to Art Prize!
Among many gifts and talents, Mrs. Suzi Furtwangler, our Assistant Principal, is an amazing artist! She has been working all year on collecting used and new crayons from our students for a Crayon Mosaic she is doing featuring the Seven Days of Creation. This amazing piece is
nearly half way completed at this
point. It is exciting to watch as each of the seven panels -- each representing one day in the creation story -- is being finished with the help of our students! Suzi has been bringing the different panels to each
classroom so that all of our children
can place a few crayons on the mosaic.
The final work will measure 4’ by 9’, with each of the seven panels increasing in
width. Suzi has entered this
piece in Art Prize 2010, and will be
applying for a venue to accept it!!!
At that point, she appears on the
Art Prize website as an accepted
artist, and our piece is officially
in the running. Suzi needed to enter the
piece listing herself as the artist, since
they do not accept “children’s art”.
She did, however, contact Art Prize to verify that
if she designed, orchestrated and oversaw
the piece, she could accept “a little help”
from the children. She wanted to be
up front with this so that our piece
does not get disqualified.
Once a venue accepts the piece, our Saint Thomas children will be able to go to Art Prize
and say that they helped create what we hope will be the
Art Prize winner for 2010! Wait until you see this special piece. It is truly awesome! Stay tuned for more details as they develop!
The Real Award and Gift is Saint Thomas the Apostle Catholic School - A Personal Account from the Awards Banquet in Minneapolis
I was honored and humbled to be able to accept, on behalf of Saint Thomas School, the Catholic School’s for Tomorrow 2010 Innovations in Education Award in Minneapolis last week. This is a national award given out by Today’s Catholic Teacher magazine to 12 schools, a combination of both elementary and secondary schools, in one of six different categories. As I sat in a room filled with the award sponsors, several prominent supporters of Catholic education, and the representatives from the other 11 winning schools, some coming from as far away as Hawaii, I was both awestruck and grateful. I was awestruck at the level of commitment, dedication and faith evident in that group. I was also awestruck and grateful for the generosity of each sponsor who presented not only the individual awards to each school, but also gave each winning school a special gift from their company. These gifts included a SMART board, a $1,400 Professional Development Kit, a classroom full of the latest Microsoft MOUSE Mischief technology, the 13 DVD Echoes of Faith series, gift certificates, and even a giant 5 pound chocolate bar specially labeled with our School name and the award we received. WOW! We knew we were to receive an award and a banner, but the other gifts were a total surprise. But, despite the glamour, the gourmet food, and the magnificent gifts and people, the one gift I was most awestruck and grateful for was the chance to be a part of something as special as our own Saint Thomas the Apostle Catholic School family.
As I listened to the stories of the winning schools and the testimonies of the sponsors presenting the awards, I reflected on the stories that make up the fabric of our own school and mission. I have told people that marketing Saint Thomas is easy because once we get parents and students inside the doors, Saint Thomas virtually “sells” itself. Let me clarify what I meant. No, the hours and commitment I spend to market the school, work on the website or edit the Pieces are not easy. People ask me why I don’t get a “real” job that actually pays a salary if I’m going to work so many hours. People may think I’m an anomaly to work the way I do, but at Saint Thomas I’m not. As a matter of fact, I don’t know one person at our school—teacher, administrator, volunteer, aide, maintenance man—who does just what they need to in order to get by….everyone goes “over and above.” That’s part of what makes Saint Thomas such a special, award winning school. The “retention” rate of our wonderful teachers, staff, and administrators has nothing to do with how much they make “monetarily” nor, obviously, is it why I or the many other volunteers continue to work the long hours we do.
You see, it’s all about our mission and about living out this year’s school theme, “We Are One Body in Christ.” It takes all the members of Christ’s body, each with his or her own unique and special gifts, to work together at a common mission, to produce the fruits such as those that can be seen at Saint Thomas School. Dynamic Education Centered in Christ is our mission and it’s one we take to heart. What those in the marketing world would call our “talking points” are not just marketing tools, they have become the promises we make to our parents and students. We stand behind these promises…all of us…from administrators to teachers to those on the payroll receiving stipends, to volunteers. All of us are part of the Body of Christ who, along with our students and families, make up the fabric and living spirit of Saint Thomas School.
I sat at the Awards Banquet listening to Mary Baxter and Holly Lake, two of our teachers who attended the banquet with me, as they shared with the sponsors seated at our table their faith, their ideals, and their commitment to our mission. It confirmed again why I do what I do and why I am so grateful to be a small part of this wonderful gift from God. I want others to be able to know and share in the blessing that is ours here at Saint Thomas. If you could have heard those two amazing teachers talk with such wisdom, conviction and love about why they are at Saint Thomas and how they want to share Christ’s love and their love for the Church with their students. If you could watch them interact with their students as I have done, you would see not their hands, but Christ’s hands reaching out to His little ones; not their words, but Christ’s words teaching and healing and guiding those precious children. Mary and Holly aren’t the only teachers here who feel that way or who teach that way. That’s part of the gift. Their excitement and commitment and faith are shared by the rest of the faculty and staff.
Catholic education--it’s not about religion class or being able to talk about God. It’s SO much more. It’s about faith and education being so intertwined that you can’t separate them. It’s about living out our faith and our mission in every moment of every day in such a tangible way. It’s about sharing that God-given gift whether we’re teaching math or science or history, or acting as a recess supervisor, or working with a child with special needs or special talents, or leading our student body in praising at Mass when we’re celebrating the gift of the Eucharist! …Or even when we’re sharing with others about Saint Thomas the Apostle Catholic School. What a gift! What a blessing! If you haven’t already done so, come take a look. Like I said before, once you’re here, Saint Thomas sells itself…well, not quite by itself, we have a lot of help. The Lord is working powerfully through His dedicated servants!
Kathy Barth
Marketing Coordinator, Webmaster, Newsletter Editor
Grateful and Blessed Parent
Saint Thomas Receives National "Catholic Schools for Tomorrow" Award
Saint Thomas the Apostle School has been selected as
one of only 12 recipients of the “2010 Catholic
Schools for Tomorrow Award” for Innovations in
Education. This is a national award sponsored by
Today’s Catholic Teacher, a nationally distributed,
professional periodical for Catholic school teachers.
Our award letter states, “In this 13th year of the award
we received a hearty response from Catholic schools.
You can feel justifiably proud to be judged among the
top 12 innovations in education.” The award will be
presented at a banquet on the evening of Wednesday,
April 7, 2010 at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where the National Catholic Education
Association (NCEA) Convention will take place that week. Our Diocesan Superintendant, Dr. Bernard Stanko, and five
representatives from Saint Thomas School have been invited to receive this prestigious award. Saint Thomas the Apostle
School and the other award-winning schools were featured in a special section of the March issue of Today’s Catholic
Teacher that came out last week. You can read the complete article by clicking here or the section on Saint Thomas by clicking here.
In the fall of 2008 and 2009 several committees worked diligently to nominate our school for the Catholic Schools for
Tomorrow Award for innovative projects in the areas of Promoting Catholic Identity, Marketing your Catholic School,
Curriculum and Instruction, Technology Integration, and Total Community Involvement. Our school’s award was one
of only two awards received specifically for innovations in Marketing our Catholic School. I would like to extend my
gratitude and congratulations to Kathy Barth, our marketing coordinator, who took the lead on this particular area of the
nomination process and for the years of collaborative work she led to transform our entire marketing program and website.
These exemplary efforts have made this award possible. I would also like to extend special thanks to Lynette
Flynn, Maryly Skallos, and Sue Ysasi and the following individuals and marketing firms for their generous pro bono
contributions to our marketing efforts over the last seven years: Sue Haas-Williams and Williams Group; Laura Palma,
Darek Jansen, and Mike McCarthy of DDM Marketing; and Bob Neumann of Robert Neumann Photography.
In 2003, we began to research and study how to best market our school. We developed a cohesive marketing plan and
redesigned our marketing materials and website. We wanted our materials to portray the gifts and unique character of
Saint Thomas to those looking for a Catholic School with a “Dynamic Education Centered in Christ”. As you know, our
school features a diverse and talented faculty and staff as well as over 200 active volunteers who all share a dedication to
our school’s mission and promises. “Dynamic Education Centered in Christ” is a lived mission here at Saint Thomas and
our talking points are more than marketing tools or slogans, they are the promises we make to our parents and students.
When we say, “Faith is First, Academics are Rigorous, Climate is Peaceful and Disciplined, Parents are Empowered,
Technology is Optimized, and Leaders are Formed”, this is our commitment to our families.
“In a time when so many schools are suffering enrollment losses and having to cut programs and offerings, we are
blessed to be growing, both in enrollment and in programs. Because Saint Thomas is such a special place, my job is
easy”, exclaims Kathy Barth, “I just have to get people in the door. Once they’re here, Saint Thomas sells itself.” Our
current enrollment is 340, up 17% since the year 2000, with waiting lists because of current capacity limitations. We are
currently accepting registrations for the 2010-11 school year.
Congratulations, Saint Thomas Community, on your 2007 School of Distinction and your 2010 Catholic School
for Tomorrow!
David A. Faber, School Principal
Olympic Gold Medalist Visits Saint Thomas
Olympic Gold Medal Winner Brian Diemer visited Saint Thomas as part of our Reading with the STARS program. Click here to see WZZM coverage of his visit. (Search for Brian Diemer)
Student Body Records Current School Theme Song
Once again this year, our students will be professionally
recording our school theme song. The 2009-10 school theme song is, "We Are One Body in Christ," which perfectly echoes our theme for this year. In addition to the song, they will also record our special school prayer which the student body recites together each morning. Both the song and prayer are available here to download--free of charge--as are the theme songs and prayers from the last two years. We hope you and your families continue to enjoy these songs as much as the students enjoy singing and praying them.
We are pleased to share the voices and prayers of our wonderful student
body with you and hope you take advantage of the opportunity to download
these recordings onto your personal audio devices.
INSTRUCTIONS: To play, simply click on any title below. To download to your computer for use on your IPOD or MP3, right click on the title and then choose "Save Target As..." Save file to your music library and you can then upload to any audio device.
Track 1 - We Are One Body in Christ (2009-10 School Theme Song)
Track 2 - One Body Theme Prayer (2009-10 School Prayer)
Track 3 - You Are the Life Inside (2008-09 School Theme Song)
Track 4 - Encounter the Living God Prayer (2008-09 School Prayer)
Track 5 - Holy Spirit, Come (2007-08 School Theme Song)
Track 6 - Come Holy Spirit Prayer (2007-08 School Prayer)
Bishop Hurley Visits Saint Thomas School
Bishop Hurley spent the morning with us on Monday,
October 26th, celebrating Mass and then making visits
with the students and teachers in their classrooms.
Bishop Hurley answered a variety of questions, allowing
the students an opportunity to get to know their Bishop.
The visit was enlightening and was enjoyed by students, teachers and staff. Thank you, Bishop Hurley!
First Day of School - 2009-2010 School Year
Mrs. Jazwiec put together a video of our faculty and students getting ready for the bell to ring on the first morning of school. Take a peek at how excited everyone was as we began a new school year!
Operation Christmas Child a Huge Success!
Students and their families, faculty and parish staff, and countless donors all worked together to ensure that this year's Operation Christmas Child was again a wonderful success. It took many hands and donations to make this project a possibility. Our thanks to all those who helped in any way to make this special project a reality.
This year over 285 festively wrapped boxes were filled with small toys and basic necessities such as toothpaste and soap. After the boxes were filled a personal letter and picture from the person or family who packed the box was put inside. The letters included messages about God's love and assured each child that we--the Saint Thomas community--would be praying for them. Before each completed box was stacked and ready to be sent off, a prayer was said for the little boy or girl who would receive it.
"I was really happy this year," said Maureen Jones, our Operation Christmas Child Coordinator. "It's always nerve wracking, but I was very pleased. We sent out 285 boxes with messages of God to 285 kids."
Whether you donated boxes, items, money, time, or your prayers for these special children and the success of Operation Christmas Child--thank you for joining with us in this special Saint Thomas outreach and for making Operation Christmas Child such a wonderful success.
To view a pictoral movie of our Operation Christmas Child "Packing Day" click on the link to Mrs. Jazwiec's website http://jazwiec.pbwiki.com/FrontPage and then click on the picture.
New Library Books Attract New Readers
Library Coordinators Liz Aschwege and Maureen Jones have been working hard to sort through our library collection, cleaning out the out-of-date books and bringing in new and exciting books that appeal to readers with varying interests and skill levels. One parent wrote our principal the following note to thank Liz and Maureen for their hard work.
Hi Dave,
There are so many positive things happening in the library this year, I
just had to share a few with you.
As a parent, I am thrilled that Ciara looks forward to going to the school
library this year. I am a huge reader and have taken my children to the
public library since they were 6 months old. When Ciara started at St. Thomas,
she could never find a book that she liked. She would bring the book home
and it would sit until we returned it the next week. We always got our reading
books from the public library. Not this year! With all of the new books,
Ciara has even put some on hold. She can't wait to go each week to find
another book to read.
As a volunteer in the library for 3 years, I have seen children and teachers
excited about library this year. I have heard more than once, that it is
starting to be a great library. Mrs. Donohue wanted her class to be able
to check out books that they could read, but we didn't have many easy readers,
so Maureen Jones bought them. The next week the class was very excited that
they had their own reading section. The students love the fact that they
can easily find their own books. I wish you could have seen the children's
faces and Mrs. Donohue's. It was priceless.
I have also been to the library to process books, when classes aren't scheduled.
Every time I am there, children have come in and asked if they could please
check out another book because they have finished the one they checked out
and can't wait until the next week. This has never happened before this
year and I love hearing about all of the books they are reading.
As a parent volunteer, I have to tell you that Maureen Jones and Liz Aschwege
are the type of people I had hoped to find at a catholic school. A former
mentor of mine told me that you have something to learn from every person
you come in contact with. I can tell you this is very true with these women.
They have created a volunteer environment that is above any other I have
worked in. They never hesitate to say thank you, ask for an opinion or to
offer a word of encouragement. This has created a enthusiastic environment
for the volunteers where we all feel like an important part of the team.
I hope that you are as happy as I am with the library and the way that it
is headed. I feel we have made great progress, and I hope the Maureen and
Liz feel very appreciated for all of the hard work and time they have put
into this project.
Sincerely,
Marnie E. White
Other Stories:
Saint Thomas Alumni Builds New Outdoor Habitat Classroom as His Eagle Project
When John Mirandette began planning his Eagle Scout Project, his focus
turned to giving back to his school.
With the encouragement of his mom Patti, our Habitat Coordinator, he came
up with the idea and began
making his plans. John’s plan was to put in the decking for a permanent
outdoor classroom that all St. Thomas
students could use and appreciate.
John had the opportunity to put his plans into action this past summer as
he and his fellow scouts and classmates,
all recent grads from the St. Thomas Class of 2008, started digging and
building in the Habitat. Their project was
a total success! The next time you're at St. Thomas take a moment to go
out into the Habitat and check out their
beautiful work.
St. Thomas would like to thank John and all those who helped to make this
special project a reality. Special
thanks to John’s parents—Bruce and Patti; Scoutmaster of Troup
271—Gary Cook; and Dads—Dean Sykes,
Wayne Baxter, and Norm Pelak; and to fellow scouts and St. Thomas alums
Tyler and Jordan Sykes, Brandon
Cook, Ryan Pelak and Jacob Baxter. We would also like to thank all those
who donated money or materials
for this project.
Congratulations, John, and crew on a job well done and THANK YOU!
Saint Thomas Welcomes New Teacher--Mrs. Abby VanDyke
Saint Thomas is pleased to welcome Mrs. Abby VanDyke as our new third grade teacher. Mrs. VanDyke comes to us from just across the river where she has been teaching 2nd and 3rd grade for the last eight years at Sacred Heart School. She is a graduate of Central Michigan University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and triple minors in Child Development, Language Arts, and Bilingual-Bicultural (Spanish) Education. She is nearing the completion of her Masters in the Art of Teaching Reading at Aquinas College. Mrs. VanDyke is also certified as an Advanced Catechist through the Diocese of Grand Rapids. Abby is married to Michael, who is also an educator, and they have two sons, Cole ("CJ") who will be in our afternoon Kindergarten class, and Ethan who will be in Mrs. Michel's 3rd grade class. Mrs. VanDyke came highly recommended with comments like, “Students love her!”, “She’s up on all the latest things”, “She just really has it together”, and “One of the best!”. Mrs. VanDyke believes that teaching in a Catholic school is a vocation, not a job, and was attracted to St. Thomas because of our Faith First culture. Please be sure to welcome Mrs. VanDyke and her family to our Saint Thomas community!
Past Stories:
Saint Thomas Bids Goodbye to the Remarkable Class of 2008
In June of 2008 we graduated the 83rd class from Saint Thomas the Apostle School. The Mass and Academic Convocation were a beautiful expression of our love and admiration for this remarkable group of young people, and it is my pleasure to report that as a result of your generosity and support, we have once again had the opportunity to send off 29 of the most prepared and talented young men and women certainly, in our city, but I would venture in the state or country as well. In fact, just after their confirmation on April 29th, Fr. Jim and I were reflecting about the extreme giftedness of this group of students. He made the bold statement, “If we had not had the opportunity to be a part of their Christian formation they may have really been dangerous.”
In order to understand that comment you must have a little background about this class. As eighth graders their Class Mean National Percentile Ranking on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills was an 89%. On their last MEAP test 100% of them met or exceeded Michigan standards. The boys won the City Championship in basketball this year. For the first time ever at St. Thomas, five of them were offered the opportunity to take Spanish II as freshman. Seven of these graduates will be completing their Eagle Scout projects in the next year. Many are accomplished artists and musicians, and for the second year in a row an 8th grader has finished in the top ten in the state in the America and Me Essay Contest, in which hundreds of schools and thousands of students participate. They truly are among some of the most talented graduates ever; however, as fourth and fifth graders they began to show some signs of danger.
At that time we noticed some patterns beginning to emerge. Miss Campbell and Mrs. Furtwangler began to hear reports of backstabbing, an “in” crowd, and a definite group who was “out”. I can remember a growing number of discussions about this and so began discerning how to address the situation. The class was at a crossroads. Would they pack up all their gifts and talents and head down the road toward DANGER and DESTRUCTION or the road toward GOODNESS, BEAUTY, and WHOLENESS?
In a moment inspired by the Holy Spirit, Mrs. Furtwangler had the idea to hold a prayer service. She told me her idea and invited me to participate. We gathered the whole fifth grade into the Ministry Center Chapel and I can still remember where I was sitting on the floor. Mrs. Furtwangler began by explaining why we were gathered and then she proceeded to take a ceramic platter out of a large bag. She told us that it was a very special gift that she had received from a close friend. She continued by telling why this platter meant so much to her and the sentimental value it had and that it would always be very special to her. She then put the platter back into the bag, quietly picked up a hammer she had placed behind her and raised the hammer and delivered the first shattering blow. The kids collectively went, “huh!” Mrs. Furtwangler said, “This is what happens every time you say something unkind about a classmate.” She delivered the second blow and said, “This is what happens every time you exclude a classmate.” She continued until the platter was nothing but a pile of shattered pieces. She told the kids that this platter was important to her, but not nearly as important as each one of them. She then gave everyone a piece of the platter to keep as a reminder of the choice before them.
That day during that prayer service, I believe this class decided to take the road less traveled, especially by many kids their age. They decided to pack up their gifts and talents and commit to follow the road toward GOODNESS, BEAUTY, and WHOLENESS. Of course there were many bumps in the road and a few detours along the way, but with the help and guidance of Fr. Jim, our faith-filled Faculty and Staff, and their parents, they came together “In the pattern of Christ and His message” just as our school vision statement envisions. As Fr. Jim stated during his Graduation homily, “This class no longer has to believe it’s possible to achieve, because they know and have lived it here at St. Thomas.”
During the academic convocation it gave me great pleasure to present to Mrs. Furtwangler and the other distinguished members of our faculty, a new hand painted platter, in the colors of the original and signed by the “WHOLE” graduating class. This was a memorable and moving event that I wanted to share with the entire parish, because without your help and support this opportunity to form very talented young people in the principles of our faith would be lost.
Peace in Christ,
David A. Faber, School Principal
Bishop Hurley Visits School and Celebrates Mass with Us
Bishop Hurley celebrated Mass at Saint Thomas last spring and visited with students in their classrooms. It was an honor to have him with us. He told students how "lucky they were to be at a school like Saint Thomas." We know what a true blessing Saint Thomas is to all of us. We are grateful for the Bishop's visit and pray God will continue to bless him and his important work.
Click here to view a photo montage of the Bishop's visit.
Our Students Professionally Recorded a New CD!
Yes, it’s true, they really did! A copy of their newly released CD was sent home to each family as a gift from Saint Thomas students to their families this Christmas! (Click here to listen to the CD now.)
As most of you know, the theme of our school year is, “Alive in the Power of the Holy Spirit”. One day this fall our principal Mr. Faber was listening to the second graders singing this year’s theme song, “Holy Spirit Come” during music class. He was so inspired that he asked our music teacher Mrs. Proulx if it would be possible to do a professional recording with the entire school. She told him that she knew the people at RiverCity Studios in downtown Grand Rapids. Mr. Faber thought it would be a great experience for the students to do a professional recording in a studio, so Mrs. Proulx checked into the cost and possibility. One thing led to another and our students (grades 1-8) made their first professional recording on November 13. Unfortunately, the studio capacity was not large enough for the whole school recording so RiverCity did a remote recording on location here at St. Thomas. Our students were incredible in their preparations under Mrs. Proulx’s direction. We had several contributing student artists on instruments and Amanda Vernon on the piano. Mrs. Skallos assisted with the technology aspects of projecting the words so that all students could follow along without papers, and Mrs. Barth designed the artwork that was stamped on the CD itself.
A BIG THANK YOU to all who contributed time, talent, or treasure to this exciting project!
You can listen to our newly recorded School Theme Song now by clicking here!
St. Thomas Receives "2007 School of Distinction" Designation
Saint Thomas the Apostle School has been awarded the 2007 “School
of Distinction” designation by the Michigan Association of Non-Public
Schools (MANS). Saint Thomas the Apostle School is one of only two schools
statewide that has received this first time ever award which was given on
the basis of Saint Thomas’ exemplary efforts in ongoing school improvement.
Noteworthy accomplishments that figured into the awarding of this special
designation to Saint Thomas School include the development of processes
used to evaluate the ongoing effectiveness of the school’s program,
including it’s most recent graduates; the ongoing development and
use of a comprehensive long range plan to guide the school into the future;
exemplary efforts in adopting curriculum changes and integrating technology
throughout the curriculum; and the school’s efforts in communicating
its image and mission to the community through ongoing marketing efforts
that have continued to boost a strong and growing enrollment in a climate
of declining enrollments in surrounding schools.
This is the first year the Michigan Non-public Schools Accrediting Association (MNSAA) will award this designation, which was introduced in 2005. Similar to the “Blue Ribbon School” designation, this award is designed to honor schools that set themselves apart as a model for other schools. Barbara Stork, director of the MNSAA said, “At Saint Thomas we found the ‘Wow Factor’ we were looking for.”
Saint Thomas the Apostle School is a Catholic preschool – 8th grade school with a current growing enrollment of 327 students, up 13% since the year 2000. The school features a talented faculty and staff and over 200 active volunteers who all share a dedication to the school’s mission of: “…Dynamic Education Centered in Christ.” David Faber, Principal of Saint Thomas the Apostle School said, “God’s blessings have compelled us to share what’s possible when a community of faith comes together in support of its school mission!”
Mrs. Sue Ysasi, school secretary and a member of the School Improvement Team which sought the designation, agreed with his comments summing up why she felt Saint Thomas was a “School of Distinction” and such a special place. “It’s the people—the faculty, parents and students—all working together for the same purpose with Christ as our focus and at the center of all we do.”
Bernard Stanko, Superintendent of Elementary Schools for the Diocese of
Grand Rapids concluded his report on the school with, “I wish to commend
the St. Thomas the Apostle School community for its commitment to continued
self-evaluation and improvement and I wish you every success in the future.”
Other Archived Top Stories:
- New Web Site Goes Live in Spring of 2007...thanks to the
help of some very special people!!
As you can see, our new site features captivating pictures. Most of these wonderful photos were taken by professional photographers and St. Thomas parents Bob Neumann and Julie Line. In addition to the awesome photos, our site also features new information, interactive menus, printable forms, sports schedules, the Parent/Student Handbook broken down into easy-to-find and read sections, school and classroom newsletters, calendars, curriculums, a whole section dedicated to our Alumni and more….
An extra special thanks to DDM (especially Darek Jansen and St. Thomas parent Laura Palma) for the countless hours they donated pro bono toward the design and development of this site. Also, thanks to Williams Group and Sue Haas-Williams (parishioner and former parent) for the artwork for our new school and parish logo. Thanks to our Marketing Coordinator and school parent Kathy Barth for acting as our webmaster in writing copy, taking photos, making corrections and pulling this together along with our Technology Coordinator Maryly Skallos who got the site up and running on our server. Praise God for the many talented and generous individuals and organizations who made this gift to St. Thomas School a reality.
Please page through our new site and send us any information or stories you think might be of interest to the St. Thomas community—especially from our alums! Also, please drop us an email (info@stthomasgr.org) if there is something additional you'd like to see on the site. We already have plans for some additional features we hope to add in the near future and we value your suggestions. We hope to make this site one you'll return to--and use--often!