St. Thomas School is an independent school in

Medina Medina,, ', "the radiant city"; or , ', (), "the city" officially Al Madinah Al Munawwarah (, , Turkish: Medine-i Münevvere) and also commonly simplified as Madīnah or Madinah (, ), is the Holiest sites in Islam, second-holiest city in Islam, ...

, an Eastside suburb of

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region ...

, United States.

Description

St. Thomas School provides

early childhood Early childhood is a stage in human development following infancy and preceding middle childhood. It generally includes toddlerhood and some time afterward. Play age is an unspecific designation approximately within the scope of early childhood. ...

pre-primary Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th ce ...

, and

primary Primary or primaries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Primary (band), from Australia * Primary (musician), hip hop musician and record producer from South Korea * Primary Music, Israeli record label Works * ...

education for students from 2 ½ years of age through to the eighth grade. It has a close relationship with, but is independent from, the adjacent St. Thomas Episcopal Church and is a member of the National Association of Episcopal Schools, the

National Association of Independent Schools The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) is a U.S.-based membership organization for private, nonprofit, K-12 schools. Founded in 1962, NAIS represents independent schools and associations in the United States, including day, boar ...

the

Northwest Accreditation Commission The Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC), formerly named the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools, is a non-governmental organization that provides accreditation to educational institutions in the Northwestern United States. The Co ...

, the

Pacific Northwest Association of Independent Schools The Northwest Association of Independent Schools (NWAIS) is a nonprofit membership association that provides accreditation, professional development and support services to over 110 elementary, middle, and secondary independent schools in Alaska, ...

and the Washington Federation of Independent Schools. The average class size for Early Childhood is 12-15 students and for Primary is 15-18 students.

Programs

* Athletics * Chapel and Character * Clubs * Early Learning Center * Elementary Center * Extended Day * Falcon's Ledge * Fine Arts * Foreign Language * Library and Media Center * Middle School * Service Learning * Technology

History

St. Thomas School began in 1951 as St. Thomas Day School, a parish school of St. Thomas (Episcopal) Church, and was located across the street from the church. In 1954, the first permanent school buildings were constructed on the current site. In 1968, the school became fully independent of the church. Various expansions occurred until 2008 when the school buildings were demolished and replaced with a new facility designed by

Bassetti Architects Bassetti Architects is an architectural firm based in Seattle, Washington with a second office in Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1947, the firm has newly designed or substantially renovated several well-known Seattle landmarks and many schools in th ...

Facilities

The school shares a campus with St. Thomas Episcopal Church. The two facilities are adjacent but not connected. The school's playground is shielded from outside view by the L-shaped configuration of the two-story school building. The public facades of the school are designed to reflect the more formal, rectangular, stone-clad character of the adjacent church. The facades that face the playground are more informal, free-form, and brightly colored. Three of the school's four wings (two each on two floors) are for a different age group, with classrooms opening off of common activity areas for group learning, tutoring,

project-based learning Project-based learning (PBL) is a student-centered pedagogy that involves a dynamic classroom approach in which it is believed that students acquire a deeper knowledge through active exploration of real-world challenges and problems. Students le ...

, and individual instruction. The fourth wing houses the library and specialist classrooms (music, art, Spanish, etc.). The building includes a science lab, technology center, media publishing lab, library/multi-media center, a dedicated foreign language classroom, music room, and exterior covered plazas for play and outdoor learning. The facility was designed to celebrate cycles of nature and human learning, to demonstrate leadership in environmental responsibility, and to support the school's educational program by addressing the latest research on cognitive development. The grounds include a playfield, covered play areas, and a children's garden for students to cultivate plants. St. Thomas is in the process of expanding its facilities. In the Spring of 2021, a new gym and theater complex opened on newly acquired property next to the current campus. St. Thomas' Center for Leadership and Innovation is completing new offices and work space on campus that should be finished in 2022.

Sustainable Features

The school facilities are notable for their sustainable features. LEED Gold: The new building was Washington State's first to receive Gold certification by the US Green Building Council's

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a green building certification program used worldwide. Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), it includes a set of rating systems for the design, construction ...

program under the LEED for Schools Rating System. Energy Star: The facility received an

Energy Star Energy Star (trademarked ''ENERGY STAR'') is a program run by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) that promotes energy efficiency. The program provides information on the energy consumption of pro ...

design rating that indicates 30 percent less energy usage than a typical school of this size. Carbon dioxide emissions are reduced by approximately 130 tons per year. Due to the successful efforts of students to introduce food recycling and reduce

food waste Food loss and waste is food that is not eaten. The causes of food waste or loss are numerous and occur throughout the food system, during production, processing, distribution, retail and food service sales, and consumption. Overall, about o ...

(with use of composting), STS has been certified as a Washington Area Green School.Washington Green Schools, retrieved online 2011-04-28

References

External links

{{Portal, Schools
School website

St. Thomas Church website

National Association of Independent Schools

Northwest Accreditation Commission

Pacific Northwest Association of Independent Schools

Greatschools.org

Private School Review

St. Thomas Episcopal Church

US Green Building Council

LEED for Schools

Energy Star profile

Washington Area Green Schools

Washington Federation of Independent Schools
Private elementary schools in Washington (state) Private middle schools in Washington (state) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design gold certified buildings