​A village during a pandemic

A village during a pandemic

They often say during a child’s development that it “takes a village” to ensure that every one of the child’s needs are met. But what happens to that metaphorical village when hit with an unexpected pandemic that could undoubtedly have disastrous effects? During the month of March, educators from all over the world were faced with such dilemma. At St. Thomas More Catholic School, we knew we ultimately had two choices: We could ebb and flow and pray for May, or we could refocus and rise above the current challenges. Earlier, last August, we chose our school theme based on the verse from Joshua, “Be strong and courageous for the Lord, your God, is with you wherever you go.” It was this quote that undoubtedly motivated our school community to make the best out of a terrible situation. During the course of only a few months, students, parents, teachers, and school staff experienced what is now known commonly as distance learning. We could make mention of the difficulty teachers, students, and parents had adjusting to this new and strange curriculum, however, this would not detail our greatest struggle. At St. Thomas More, we pride ourselves on our relationship with our school community. When we came to the realization that field trips, communions, and graduations would be put on hold, or even worse cancelled, we were devastated. We missed our students and parents, but we knew Christ would show us how to love from a distance. We celebrated virtual prayer services every Friday, held a drive-thru teacher appreciation party, and celebrated with our graduates on their front lawns. We overcame our greatest struggle by allowing Christ to show us the true importance of education — the village it creates.

Next year, we would like to welcome you join our village of St. Thomas More Knights! We have dedicated our summer to preparing for next school year, including fulfilling the requirements set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and we are beyond excited for August! We will be offering two models for learning: In-class and virtual. Please call our office at (210) 655-2882 for further information.

Together, we are St. Thomas More strong!