News

List of 7 news stories.

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  St. Thomas Kicks-off Black History Month!

  2/12/2019
  St. Thomas Episcopal Parish School celebrated the beginning of Black History Month by inviting renowned historian Dr. Marvin Dunn to speak to students in grades 1 – 5. Dr. Dunn is the author of “Black Miami in the Twentieth Century,” and co-author of “The Miami Riot of 1980: Crossing the Bounds.” During his presentation at St. Thomas, he spoke to students about the monumental feats African Americans made in building and laying the foundation for Miami, FL. To give students context about the Civil Rights Movement, Dr. Dunn selected six of them to participate in a role play of the historical day in 1955 when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus. Students were asked how they felt during the simulation and the overall response was “sadness.”
  
  St. Thomas has been incorporating Social Emotional Learning (SEL), an evidence-based approach that teaches students to identify their emotions, have healthy relationships, and feel empathy and compassion for others. Second grader Lily Pendergast was so moved by Dr. Dunn’s speech that she wrote a heartfelt letter thanking him for teaching St. Thomas students how important it is to treat people with kindness and to look beyond the outside, because what’s inside is what matters the most. Lily’s letter showcases what students are learning at St. Thomas. Director of Counseling Lily Medina said, “This is an example of how SEL can lead to a more inclusive atmosphere and an appreciation for diversity.”
  
  Although preschool and kindergarten students did not attend Dr. Dunn’s presentation, they are participating in other activities that celebrate Black History Month. Kindergarteners in Mrs. Carbajales’ class engaged in an experiment with a brown egg and a white egg, and were instructed to crack both eggs open. The students quickly realized that once the eggs were cracked, they could not determine which egg was which. Mrs. Carbajales said, “The purpose of this activity was to teach students that we are all the same on the inside and to teach students to judge by character and not by skin color.”

   

  Click here to see Community Newspapers Article
• 

  To Infinity and Beyond

  12/11/2018
  Twenty students in grades 3-5 were selected to attend a live interview with an astronaut aboard the Space Station. The live chat took place at Mandelstam, a neighboring school of St. Thomas. This collaborative effort was a unique and exciting opportunity for the entire school community to engage in active learning from researchers in space. Teachers and students who were unable to attend the field trip were able to livestream the event from their classrooms. 
  
  Two of our students, Walker Ciorobea and Daniela White, were able to directly engage with Dr. Serena Aunon-Chancellor aboard the International Space Station. Ciorobea asked, “When you return to earth, does it take a long time for your body to adjust to the gravity on earth?” To which Dr. Aunon-Chancellor replied, “The body is a wonderful thing – it adapts very quickly - our body remembers what earth is like – it remembers how to walk.” 
  
  Students were selected based on essays they wrote explaining why they should be chosen to participate. All of our students explored an immersive mock space station with simulations that enhanced their scientific curiosity. 
  
  Perhaps our students will become Star Trek, the Next Generation!

  Click here to watch the interview!

• Interview Spotlight: Get to know Mrs. Ortiz!

  12/4/2018

• Diwali Festival of Lights

  11/6/2018
  St. Thomas celebrated the Diwali Festival of Lights! Diwali is a Hindu celebration that symbolizes the spiritual victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. We would like to thank Mrs. Mehringer and Mrs. Samudrala for putting together this special celebration. It was a wonderful cultural experience.
• 

  Every Child is an Artist

  10/30/2018
  Last week in art class, the Great Art Committee introduced the works of the amazing Santiago Calatrava, a Spanish architect well known for his sculptural bridges and buildings.  Many of St. Thomas’ parents came into the art room and taught the style and importance of this architect and engineer.  After learning about Calatrava, Kindergarten through 5th grade students collaborated on a project where they highlighted the lines, angles, and shapes of Calatrava’s buildings and bridges. 

   

  Come! See! Behold and marvel at this masterpiece of our students, which will be on display in the courtyard by the entrance of the church. Be sure to ask your child to tell you something about what they learned from this presentation. 
• 

  Namaste: Reaching Our Goals One Stretch and Breath at a Time

  10/16/2018
  Our school has taken many STEPS to implement new initiatives that help children learn how to connect with themselves and with the world around them. This year we piloted Yoga, a program that is an extension of our physical education curriculum. Yoga has a remarkable impact on children and their physical, mental, social, and emotional well-being. In the spirit of living out our mission and our strategic plan, we have teamed up with Happy Warriors Yoga, and developed a program which includes a structured routine that is tailored to meet the needs of each age group. Our junior and senior preschool students participate in this program, as well as our 2^nd through 5^th grade boys.

   

  By practicing yoga, our students learn how to incorporate breathing, body movement, and relaxation techniques which help them combat any social and emotional stresses they may have, and they also learn how to better react to any given situations.
  
  All of our Yoga classes include creative movement, meditation, learning poses, music, instruments, and smart toys. From these exercises, our students learn different ways to use their muscles, build physical strength, understand core training, and improve their mental balance.
  
  Nationally, yoga is becoming more popular in schools as it ultimately improves focus, concentration, and boosts self-esteem, and confidence. Thus far, we have observed that our students are already learning self-control, self-regulation, and mindful listening. Indeed, our students are becoming little warriors.
  
  We invite you to attend our Yoga Open House. This Yoga Open House will give you a wonderful glimpse and sneak peak of your child’s yoga class. The dates and times are as follow:

  
  
• 

  What does EMPATHY look like?

  10/9/2018
  FROM THE DESK OF THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

   

  What does EMPATHY look like?

   

  $10,000 raised for Sammy and Mika, our “friended” orphans in Haiti.

   

  39 fifth graders applauding one another during the student government elections, when only 8 winners were selected.

   

  160 faculty and administrators from St. Thomas, St. Stephens, and St. Philips embarking on courageous conversations about equity, inclusivity and justice during an “Awkward Luncheon” on Friday, September 28^th.

   

  100% annual fund participation from our faculty, board, and the annual giving committee in record-breaking time. Are you IN?

   

  100s of books donated from the personal libraries of our students so that underprivileged children in Miami could reap the benefits of reading.

   

  78 HRCs patiently helping the school to work out the kinks of a new form of communication, aimed ultimately at better home/school communication.

   

  62 faculty members conscientiously implementing new assessment tools and standard-based reporting, providing a clearer understanding of the learning profiles of our students and guiding differentiated instruction. Parents can look forward to new report cards distributed four times this year!

   

  Many, many conversations during our responsive classroom morning meetings, giving students strategies and practice in self-awareness, self-management, social-awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making.

   

  Yes, last month’s value of EMPATHY is alive and well at St. Thomas. In our first 5 weeks of school, we have imagined ourselves in someone else’s situation, showing loyalty and respect, patience and kindness, compassion and love.

   

  Thank you, St. Thomas, for living our mission!

  
  With gratitude,

  Lillian Issa, Head of School