St. Thomas School Alumni

07/12/2022

🙌🎓👍 A warm welcome to our newest alumni: the St. Thomas School class of 2022!

09/28/2021

This past summer, St. Thomas School was very happy to welcome back alumnus Ian McKnight ’18 as our IT Intern. Currently a senior at Bellevue High School, Ian is passionate about designing and producing laser-cut and 3D-printed objects and has even begun designing his own robot to learn about robotic movement. An aspiring tech engineer with a passion for augmented reality and virtual reality software, Ian hopes to follow his passions by pursuing a degree in electrical computer engineering. In fact, it was those passions that brought him back to St. Thomas School, “When I saw the job involved designing and producing laser-cut and 3D-printed objects, as well as working with computers all summer, I immediately began filling out the job application.”

Ian looks back on his time as a student at St. Thomas School fondly, “I loved playing games with people at recess, and I would participate in group sessions of Beyblades when that was still popular. Looking back, that was one of the most unifying activities for all grade levels, it didn’t matter how old you were as long as you could let it rip.” And now, seeing our operations firsthand as a member of the IT Team has helped Ian realize “how effective the IT department at STS is. They do an amazing job of running things extremely smoothly, and their ability to deal with unusual circumstances has inspired me to work harder than before, and to persevere through any obstacle that comes my way.”

Thank you for returning to STS as a member of our IT Team, Ian, it was wonderful having you back.

08/17/2021

We are gathering Alumni Notes for the Fall 2021 edition of The Builder, and we want to hear your news! Whether it's a personal or professional transition, graduation or newborn, please let us know using the link below.

https://www.stthomasschool.org/alumni/alumni-notes

06/03/2021

Our Walkathon Celebration Chapel is this week, and we are fortunate to have Liz Kuula (class of ’96), an alumna and current parent, as one of this year’s Walkathon co-chairs.

STS: What made you want to volunteer for Walkathon?
LK: As an alumna, Walkathon was one of my favorite traditions at St. Thomas School, and now that my boys are at the school, it is their favorite, as well. Walkathon is one of the events that is fun for students, teachers, and parents—it brings everyone together as a school community to unite and accomplish a common goal and have fun while doing it. Additionally, fundraising for the PA is important since they give back to the STS community all year long, through initiatives like TAG, Sunshine Fund, holidays parties, and so much more.
This year, I felt it was particularly important to maintain the Walkathon tradition, and to have a week of fun-filled activities in a non-traditional year.

STS: What are some fond Walkathon memories from when you were a student at STS?
LK: Speed walking, trying not to get caught running by the parent volunteers, and trying to get more laps than my best friend, Jeni, who is still one of my best friends today. And obviously the sun and snow cones!

STS: Why is volunteering at STS important to you?
LK: The School, teachers, and community do so much for our family, volunteering is a way that I can give back, and I want to set an example for my children—to show them the importance of volunteering and contributing to causes that are meaningful to them.

STS: As an alumna, what made you want to return to STS as a parent?
LK: Returning was an easy choice; I feel that St. Thomas School gave me a solid educational foundation that has benefited me throughout my life. The community has always been so caring, nurturing, and supportive, it is an idyllic environment for my children to learn and grow. The dedicated staff and teachers are so involved and truly care about their students. In fact, two of the teachers that I had, Mrs. Kearney and Mrs. Zwang, are still at STS.

STS: What is a fun fact you would like to share from your time at STS?
LK: My best friend at St. Thomas School was the Maid of Honor in my wedding!

04/30/2021

On Earth Day, STS alumnae Tessa D., Ivy H., and Lily H., and other members of The Overlake School Environmental Club, presented to our Elementary Center students on the environment. We are always thrilled to see our alumni return to St. Thomas School, thank you for taking the time to work with our students!

03/22/2021

Have you visited our Alumni Portal lately? You can update your information, connect to our other social media accounts, or drop us a note to share a memory of your time at St. Thomas School!

www.stthomasschool.org/alumni/

02/02/2021

Congratulations to alumni Arin Jaff and Nick Alfonso, who recently achieved Eagle Scout rank with Boy Scouts of America!

Last month, STS alumni Arin Jaff and Nick Alfonso, members of Boy Scouts of America Troop 600 of Bellevue, received the Eagle Scout Award in a Court of Honor ceremony.

Eagle Scout is the highest achievement or rank attainable in the Scouts BSA program of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). Since its inception in 1911, only four percent of Scouts have earned this rank. Requirements include earning at least 21 merit badges. The Eagle Scout must demonstrate Scout Spirit, an ideal attitude based upon the Scout Oath and Law, service, and leadership. This includes an extensive service project that the Scout plans, organizes, leads, and manages.

Congratulations, Arin and Nick. You make us proud!

01/29/2021

We are so happy to host our annual Firetruck Food Drive on Wednesday, February 3, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. You can drop off items in front of St. Thomas Church. Please have items pre-bagged and ready to go.

Donations will go to Jubilee REACH, whose food bank supports Eastside families impacted by the pandemic.

Items needed include non-perishable food (no glass packaging), diapers (sizes NB-6), baby wipes, paper towels, dish soap, laundry soap/pods, quart-size zip-lock bags, gallon-size zip-lock bags. The following items are needed in bulk sizes only: rice, dry pinto beans, cooking oil, cat litter, cat food, dog food.

Contact [email protected] if you have any questions.

01/26/2021

Alumni, save the date for this year's Auction! Learn more at www.stthomasschool.org/auction.

Save the date for “Better Together,” the 2021 St. Thomas School Auction. The online auction will take place March 5-9, with the virtual “live” auction on March 13. Visit www.stthomasschool.org/auction to learn more.

01/01/2021

Wishing our alumni community joy, health, and laughter in the new year.

12/29/2020

Over the holiday break, the STS community has been taking time off to unplug and take a break from our screens, so we thought we'd share this fun article from the 1988-89 Builder. Back then it was VCRs, now it's iPhones, but some things haven't changed a bit!

"The Wired Bedroom"

A new study suggests that, in their battle for the minds of the next generation, the schools are losing out to the mass media on students' home turf—their bedrooms.
A survey taken in Santa Barbara County, Calif., this spring showed that a surprising number of students have succeeded in converting their rooms into multi-media entertainment centers where the delights of the electronic age may easily overshadow the joys of quiet study.
"We expected to find high levels of media consumption," said Wendy Shelton, who coordinated the survey for the country's 23 school districts. "But we really didn't expect to find so much electronic gear in students' bedrooms."