A K-12 School
We are expanding, one grade at a time, to be a full K-12 school by 2025. St. Thomas the Apostle High School, which will include the 9 th -11th grades beginning in the fall of 2024, is our “Upper School.” Our Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools build on each other, culminating in your son or daughter being formed in the love of God and in the Tradition of the Church, by which he or she can discover a meaningful identity and purpose. Indeed, our students’ catechetical instruction and spiritual formation follow the stages below, such that the deepening of the mind is matched by the expansion of the heart.
Lower School (K-5) Focus – The Grammar Stage, which involves:
o Memorizing poetry, prayers, and definitions
o Developing an ear for the Latin language and chant
o Forming the imagination through stories in good literature and history
Middle School (6-8) Focus – Transitioning to the Logic Stage, which involves:
o Developing a basic understanding of Latin grammar and an ear for Latin prayer and chant
o Forming the ear and imagination through the beauty of language and good literature
o Beginning to grasp a syllogism, and practicing reasoning through mathematics, discussion, writing, disciplined observation, researching, and interpreting
o Beginning to understand the overall unity of Western Civilization and the nature of Catholic culture in history
Upper School (9-12) Focus – Transitioning through Rhetoric and the Quadrivium to Philosophy, which involves:
o Mastering the art of basic logical thinking and asking good questions
o Learning to speak, argue, discuss, write, interpret, and reason well and elegantly
o Developing a mind in complex and intricate modes of thinking through studies in mathematics, the natural sciences, and music
o Becoming familiar with Latin – spoken and written – and Gregorian chant
o Attaining a deeper vision of Catholic culture in the history, thought, and art of the West
o Experiencing a first taste of actual philosophy and theology in 12 th grade, addressing significant questions of human life and the Catholic Faith