| St. Thomas' Episcopal School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Houston, Texas, United States | |
| Information | |
| Type | Independent |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Episcopal |
| Established | 1955 |
| Headmaster | Michael Cusack |
| Faculty | Full time: 59 Part time: 15 |
| Enrollment | 643 |
| Campus | Urban |
| Website | http://www.stes.org/index.htm |
St. Thomas' Episcopal School (STES) is a private, Episcopal institution serving grades Kindergarten through 12. It is located in the Meyerland area of Houston, Texas. The school has 645 students and 100 dedicated faculty members. It is accredited by the Southwestern Association of Episcopal Schools and is a member of the Houston Association of Independent Schools (HAIS) and the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS).[1]
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The school opened in September, 1955, with a headmaster, five teachers, and eighty-five students in kindergarten and primary grades. Its first high school class graduated in 1967. Since then, many graduates have gone on to universities and trade schools throughout the nation and abroad.
The school's mission is "to form honorable men and women through a classical education grounded in a Christ-centered world view." [2] Starting at the kindergarten level, the school offers a structured, classical education.[3]
Central to the culture of the school is the worship of God in the daily Morning Prayer service which takes place in the church. Led by faculty members and senior class students, the service follows the liturgy outlined in the 1928 Book of Common Prayer, penned by Thomas Cranmer. The liturgy provides the setting for traditional hymns, Gregorian chant, readings from the King James version of the Bible, and canticles taken from both the Old and New Testaments. Following the liturgical calendar through the Christian church year, the service provides a foundation for an education in theology, sacred music, ancient and biblical history, and in Western Literature. However, in keeping with the mission of the school, the primary purpose of the service is the glory of God.
The school offers a wide range of extracurricular and cocurricular activities for students at all levels. These include a Mock Trial team that has won 14 straight regional championships, and a state championship, and a yearbook program that has won three Gold Crown Awards from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, most recently in 2008. STES finished in third place overall at the 2006 TAPPS State Academic Meet. Two STES students tied for 1st place in the overall science category, making top scores in biology, physics, and chemistry.[4] Twenty-six percent of the Class of 2008 are National Merit semifinalists or commended students. St Thomas' is home to many wonderful sports programs as well. The St. Thomas Episcopal Boys Varsity Cross Country Team has won back to back Tapps 3A State Championships in 2009 and 2010 while the Varsity Girls won their first Championship in 2010. The Varsity Girls Swim Team has also won back to back State Championships in 2010 and 2011. The Soccer program has won State Championships in 1994 and 1998. In 2011, the school won the Henderson Cup for 3A Tapps which was the schools' first. The Henderson Cup is an overall champion award determined by the points each school earns in the 24 Tapps championships held throughout the school year. In addition, St. Thomas Episcopal had the honor of having two of their athletes named as 3A Athlete of the Year. They were Andrew Coulter and Claire Coulter.
The bagpipe and drum band has been to Scotland on several occasions as well as Scottish dancing to compete for the Junior World Championships. The school has won this award on five different occasions. In the school year of 2011-2012, the school will allow female musicians to play in the bagpipe and drum band. [5]
St. Thomas' Episcopal School provides bus transportation to the school for students in Richmond, Sugarland, and Pearland.