|
St. Thomas More Parish was
established on October 2, 1962 by a formal decree signed by
Archbishop Thomas Connelly, of the Archdiocese of Seattle.
Construction of the parish church and school was completed in the
summer of 1966, with the first mass celebrated on July 31, 1966. The
Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur agreed to staff the parish school and
moved into the convent during the month of August.
Classes at St. Thomas More
School began in September of 1966 for First, Second, and Third
Grades. 120 students were taught by four Sisters during this first
year of school. The uniform included salt and pepper cords, green
sweaters and white shirts for the boys, and green plaid skirts,
green sweaters and white blouses for the girls. Additional grades
were added each year until eventually the school included
Kindergarten through Eighth Grades.
The facility was expanded
in 1995 to provide a full size library, science lab,
state-of-the-art computer lab, music room and counseling room. Our
staff of nine classroom teachers has been joined by music and
physical education specialists, a librarian, computer teacher,
multi-sensory learning specialist, and a school counselor.
Extra-curricular activities include: Drama, Speech and Math Teams,
Coffee House Poetry Writing Workshops, Spanish, Chess, Choir and
Band. In 1998, an Extended Care Enrichment Program was established
to provide before and after school care for students. In 1999, the
school became fully accredited by the Northwestern Association of
Schools and Colleges, and the Western Catholic Education
Association. During 2000-2001, a CASE Statement and 5 Year Plan
were completed to define the future direction of our school. St.
Thomas More Parish has recently approved a Master Plan which will
support the building of a new church, and remodeling to the existing
church structure to create a multi-purpose building which includes a
gymnasium, stage, and additional storage rooms for our facility.
|
