Dear Prospective Family
Thank you for considering St Thomas More Catholic School and our over 75 year tradition in the scenic West Hills of Portland. As a proud alum and previous STM parent, I know first hand that the foundation St. Thomas More Catholic School provides is truly a life-long gift. We offer a comprehensive, K-8 academic program that prepares our graduates for their life in high school and beyond.
St Thomas More Catholic School is a family focused, caring community dedicated to academic excellence rooted in our Catholic faith. Our schoolwide learning expectations challenge our students to serve responsibly, treat others in a Christian manner and make learning a life-long endeavour. We believe in a comprehensive approach to educating a well-rounded student with a focus on rigorous academics, character development, and service learning. Our range of enrichment courses in the arts, music, and athletics broaden our students’ capacity for learning both inside and out of the classroom. With one class per grade level, our students are given an opportunity to build strong community and leadership skills through cross-grade level activities. One of my favorite parts of the day is seeing our Kindergarten and 8th Grade buddies interacting at morning assembly and Mass.
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I invite you to call and schedule a tour to see in person what makes St. Thomas More Catholic School so extraordinary.
Sincerely,
Katy Smith
Principal, STM Alumna
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BY THE NUMBERS
A LOOK INSIDE STM CATHOLIC SCHOOL
* Full-Time Staff
DISCOVER YOUR FUTURE AT STM: TIMELINE FOR ADMISSIONS
ADMISSION TIMELINE
STM HOLIDAY & SPRING STORY TIME & PARENT COFFEE
Prospective incoming kindergartners and parents
OPEN HOUSE PRESENTATION & TOUR | JANUARY 28TH
Meet our staff, hear from students & alumni and take a tour
STUDENT ASSESSMENTS
Early February - Kindergarten
Transfer students assessed anytime - Schedule Today
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ADMISSIONS NOTIFICATIONS
Mid-February
Prospective students are notified of admission or waitlist status
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SHADOW DAY
Upon completing the application process, students in grades 1 through 8 will have the opportunity to shadow and immerse themselves in the vibrant Bulldog life experience.
ENROLLMENT
St. Thomas More Catholic School uses an online admissions and enrollment program via the FACTS Management system.
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Applying to St. Thomas More Catholic School is easy using our online application. To begin the application process, create an account here. Upon account creation, you will receive an email containing a verification link. Once your email address has been verified, log in to your account and create a New Student Application for your child. You will then have the flexibility to log in and out of your account and access your open application. A non-refundable fee of $127.00 is submitted with each application.
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After submitting the application, you will be able to track your admissions status at the school by logging in to your account. In addition, you will be able to print the completed application, monitor when the school receives any applicable supplemental forms and, if necessary, reprint the forms.
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We appreciate your interest and hope to assist you any way we can. If you have questions, please feel free to email us.
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St Thomas More School Catholic School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. St Thomas More School Catholic School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.
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TUITION
In accordance with its mission, St. Thomas More Catholic Church seeks to offer a Catholic school education to interested families via our parish school. Varying tuition levels are based on active parishioner status and volunteer commitment to the school and church.
Financial aid is available to the family of any student who demonstrates need. Funded by the support of the parish and school community, generous outside donors and foundations, as well as our own archdiocese, financial aid is a reflection of how our parish truly values the importance of providing access to a Catholic education. It is our goal that no STM student ever have his or her education interrupted due to a lack of funds.
FACTS GRANT & AID
If you are concerned about affording tuition costs, assistance may be available. The process to obtain this assistance involves several steps.
First, families seeking assistance must complete the FACTS Grant and Aid online application. This application requires contact information, student and school details, and comprehensive data on your financial situation. FACTS needs information about your annual income and expenses, as well as details on your family's assets and liabilities. As a third-party administrator, FACTS Grant and Aid's primary role is to collect and verify financial information to assess need. The collaboration between the family, FACTS Grant and Aid, and the school offers numerous advantages: it ensures confidentiality of sensitive information; applies uniform criteria for assessing need across all families within the Archdiocese; and provides the Archdiocese and St. Thomas More Catholic School with empirical data to inform their decisions on resource allocation. For additional question, please contact our Principal, Mrs. Katy Smith, at 503-222-6105.
THE DUE DATE FOR YOUR APPLICATION TO BE CONSIDERED IS JANUARY 31, 2024.
The Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon is the administrator of an Endowment Fund. Earnings from that fund are allocated to the schools within the Archdiocese to provide tuition assistance. In April, the Administrator at the Archdiocese will review needs assessment reports from FACTS Grant and Aid and will notify each school of their portion of the endowment earnings available for tuition assistance. St. Thomas More School Catholic School will notify each school applicant of the amount, if any, that will be paid to the school for tuition on their behalf.
Lastly, after the allocation from the Archdiocese is made, you may apply to an oversight committee at STM for additional funding. The details of this secondary application process will be contained in your notification letter. However, the same criteria for need that the Archdiocese uses will be applied for any tuition assistance granted by STM.
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Please apply for tuition assistance if you need it.
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Realize that if you do not apply through these channels, NO tuition assistance will be available.
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All information is kept strictly confidential.
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Don’t miss the deadline.
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Late applications will be accepted only if you have a change in circumstances.
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Funds available for tuition assistance are limited. Please comply with the process outlined above so that we may make the best possible decision in allocating limited resources.
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DISCOVER THE STM DIFFERENCE: WHAT OUR FAMILIES SAY
St. Thomas More Catholic School is so much more than a school. It’s the place that made my children the people they are today. We transferred to STM from public school when my son was entering 5th grade and my daughter 6th. Neither of my children were thriving at public school, they didn’t ‘meet expectations’ nor were they engaged by the curriculum. At STM my children became engaged, and excited to learn. They were eager to take on new challenges and see what they could do. They were welcomed and invested in by the teachers and staff, and quickly made fast friends. St Thomas More Catholic School is a strong community that prepares children for High School and beyond. My family is forever grateful for the years we’ve spent at STM. Go Bulldogs!
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Vanessa & Lawrence Wilson
Parents to Emyr class of 2022 and Henry class of 2023
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