What Makes STMA Unique
Daily Mass
Mindful that the liturgy is the "the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed" (Sacrosanctum Concilium, no. 10), Saint Thomas More Academy sees the daily celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass as indispensable to our mission of education. Students, staff, and families gather at the start of each school day to receive Jesus Christ in the Word proclaimed and in the Eucharist--His body, blood, soul, and divinity."
Classical Education
Our educational goal at Saint Thomas More Academy is the cultivation of the whole person. This goal is achieved by the human person being fully alive: free, flourishing, and united to Christ, who reveals man to himself.
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Classical education does not aim for technical proficiency or an uncritical absorption of cultural assumptions about the human person and the world. Rather, it is an ancient and time-tested method of education that is commonly called the classical liberal arts. Classical Education can be understood through its defining characteristics:
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Deep reading of primary and classical texts, and engaging these texts through Socratic discussion.
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Emphasis on learning ancient languages - primarily Latin and Greek.
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Centering on the arts of word and number - particularly Grammar, Logic, Rhetoric, and Arithmetic - with mastery of these disciplines as foundational to further education.
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A basic and ordered knowledge of the world through the observable sciences and history.
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Engagement with the fine arts and the formation of the human body through physical education.
What is considered "classical education" today was simply "education" throughout the history of Western civilization. This form of education continues at Saint Thomas More Academy.
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Low Technology
While our school community is keenly aware that digital technologies provide greater access to resources and tools, and provides one with more efficient means of communication and collaboration, Saint Thomas More Academy strives to "swim against the current" of tech-driven education - emphasizing handwriting and cursive over typing and touch commands.
Families visiting our school will notice pencils and paper, chalkboards and white boards, as opposed to tablets and laptops, smart boards and e-learning. Moreover, the use of cell phones, hand-held devices, and electronic games are not allowed at Saint Thomas More Academy.
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Small Class Sizes
Our classrooms of 15-20 students have shown benefits for both those teaching and those being taught. Studies over the past few decades have found that smaller class sizes lead to greater academic performance of students, individual gains in learning, and a greater capacity for long-term retention of information.
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In addition to the academic benefits, small class sizes allow students to receive a more personalized education experience, form deeper bonds with their teacher and peers, and exhibit better social behavior. Moreover, our teachers benefit from smaller class sizes as it allows for a more manageable workload, greater job satisfaction, and long-term retention.
Virtue Formation & House System
The goal of education is the formation of the person in virtue and wisdom. As we desire our students to not simply be competent, but striving for excellence, there is an essential moral component to our work of educating both hearts and minds.
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Students at Saint Thomas More Academy are educated, formed, and given the space to grow in both the natural and supernatural virtues. From the example the saints, that great "cloud of witnesses" (Cf. Hebrews 12:1), our young people are encouraged to pursue with zeal the virtue of magnanimity - greatness of soul.
Towards this end, our House System draws students across all grades together in fellowship, growth, support, healthy competition, and prayer. Our Upper School students lead these male and female houses as communities of authentic friendship enlivened by the Holy Spirit.
