Testimonials
Family Stories
We value the kind words shared by our families and community members.
Setting the Standard
If you're weighing an intimate, invested partnership in your child's education, I highly recommend STM. For our family, the value has been well worth the investment. We gained a community, real resources, and a standard of excellence our daughter would not have found in an environment with high staff turnover and many different hands involved in her day-to-day.Nashan, Current STM Parent
I grew up in the Rondo and Midway communities, was raised at St. Peter Claver, and was married by Father Kevin. I've been woven into the Catholic faith community here in St. Paul since I was young, so when I moved back in 2017 after ten years in Washington, D.C., with a small child in tow, I was determined to find the right pre-K choice for her as a first-time mom.
I spoke with Father Kevin, who told me Principal Lofton and Father Warren were doing wonderful work at St. Thomas More, so I set up a tour. During that visit I met Ms. Barb, the preschool director, who was relatable, open to feedback, and made my daughter Kimmie excited to attend STM.
That small child is now a sixth grader at the school. Over the years my family has gone through many transitions, needed grace at times, and had specific requests around cultural competency and representation in the classroom. Every one of those conversations led to a positive outcome. Principal Lofton and the staff have worked closely with us to make sure Kimmie was seen, heard, loved, and nurtured as a Black girl at STM. They have never shied away from talking with me directly, and they have truly been a partner in raising a phenomenal young woman.
Our second child starts the same pre-K program this fall, with the same director, and our family feels the same confidence and intentionality going into this next chapter.
If you're weighing an intimate, invested partnership in your child's education, I highly recommend STM. For our family, the value has been well worth the investment. We gained a community, real resources, and a standard of excellence our daughter would not have found in an environment with high staff turnover and many different hands involved in her day-to-day.
I'll be honest about something that weighed on me: I worried about the bias a brown girl can face in a large school system, where the bar sometimes gets lowered based on assumptions, or where police presence and disproportionate discipline show up more often for kids who look like her. That's not a fear I invented. It's backed by data on how minority girls fare in large public school systems.
At STM, Kimmie has been personally greeted at drop-off by staff and by the principal himself for seven years running, through every Minnesota winter. She has been expected to be excellent, the same as her peers. If something comes up, there's no unfamiliar social worker, no rotating paraprofessional, no automatic write-up or suspension. There's a direct phone call home first, every time.
I've been grateful for our experience at STM. If you're considering it, I recommend moving forward.
Building Relationships
STM has created a culture that is rooted in a faith tradition of love, inclusion, respect, and accompaniment. It is a culture that undeniably shapes you and your kids, and within a year at STM, you realize that you and your kids are shaping that culture for other families as well.J.P. & Danielle, Current STM Parents
Even more than education, STM excels at relationships. An 8th-grade girl knows our preschooler by his name and says hi to him. Our kids are seen and heard, and we as parents have been seen and heard. Teachers, the school counselor, reading specialists, the principal, and fellow parents have all taken the time to listen to us, guide us, and most valuably demonstrate a willingness to walk with us—wherever this parenting journey goes.
STM has created a culture that is rooted in a faith tradition of love, inclusion, respect, and accompaniment. It is a culture that undeniably shapes you and your kids, and within a year at STM, you realize that you and your kids are shaping that culture for other families as well.
The Right Fit
Trusting someone with your children is never easy, and after extensive research, school visits, and many prayers, we felt an immediate sense of peace that this was the right place for our family. That feeling proved to be true. The principal, teachers, and staff are kind, patient, and genuinely invested in each child’s growth and well-being.Sosena and Henok, Current STM Parents
As a family, we were looking for a school for our two sons that would provide a warm, nurturing environment, strong academic challenges, and the opportunity to incorporate faith into their education, as we believe spiritual growth and academic success go hand in hand.
Our sons entered Saint Thomas More through the Preschool and More 4s programs and immediately felt at home. From our first visit, the welcoming teachers, friendly students, and strong sense of community stood out. After attending a Montessori school where drop-offs were often difficult, we were amazed when our boys eagerly waved goodbye on their very first day here.
Trusting someone with your children is never easy, and after extensive research, school visits, and many prayers, we felt an immediate sense of peace that this was the right place for our family. That feeling proved to be true. The principal, teachers, and staff are kind, patient, and genuinely invested in each child’s growth and well-being.
Beyond the classroom, the school has built an incredible community among families, and we have met parents who are generous, supportive, and deeply committed to their children's success.
Cura Personalis
What made a difference was that our kids received a truly Christian education that teaches them to seek out “who they are and who God wants them to be.”Matt & Maria, Current STM Parents
We came to STM from the public school system after being a parish family for seven years. Our oldest joined in 6th grade, and our other children during their 5th and 3rd grade years. Any transition to a new school can be difficult for children, and ours were no different.
But what made a difference was that our kids received a truly Christian education that teaches them to seek out “who they are and who God wants them to be.” The fundamental importance of this methodology goes beyond religion class and permeates the instruction of every subject as well as student interaction and development. This cura personalis has taught our kids to value authentic relationships and see first the inherent dignity of their classmates. They are better students, friends, family, and community members because of their education at STM.
Building Connections
As parents, we have also found the connectivity we were missing. The school fosters relationships with and among parents through frequent opportunities to get to know teachers, staff, and fellow parents: grade-parent happy hours in the fall and monthly morning coffee at the school are two of our favorite events.The Smiths, Current STM Family
We came to Saint Thomas More four years ago, as our children were entering fourth grade, first grade, and kindergarten. At that time, our children’s school was not meeting their emotional and educational needs and we as parents felt less connected than we wanted to be with the school community. It was clear we needed a change.
We looked at a few options, but Saint Thomas More won us over right from the start. On our first tour, Principal Lofton impressed us with his personable welcome, the depth of his expertise, and his obvious care for each student. We also appreciated the school’s Jesuit values, embodied by academic excellence and intellectual curiosity in a loving, respectful, and diverse environment.
Our kids fell in love with the school right away, too: the students and teachers were welcoming, and they got to know other classes and grades through buddies and houses, and, as our son put it: “the classrooms are so calm!”—the small class sizes allow the students to shine and for the teachers to build lasting relationships with their students.
One thing that happened during our first tour provides such a clear example: a group of eighth graders approached Principal Lofton and respectfully but confidently asked about restarting a club that had gone inactive during the pandemic. Principal Lofton took the students’ and their request seriously, providing an equally respectful and actionable response.
We thought about our children and realized this is what we want for them: a school community where they feel loved and respected, where they feel encouraged to grow and tactfully advocate for themselves. Seeing how much our children have grown over the past four years, we know we have found that community at Saint Thomas More.
As parents, we have also found the connectivity we were missing. The school fosters relationships with and among parents through frequent opportunities to get to know teachers, staff, and fellow parents: grade-parent happy hours in the fall and monthly morning coffee at the school are two of our favorite events.
Although not every school family attends Mass at STM, we have found Mass to be another way to participate in the community. Through our involvement in ministries and the thoughtful homilies and personable discussions with Fr RJ and Fr Peter, we continue to deepen our understanding of Catholicism and how to better live the Jesuit values we find so inspiring.
Over the past four years, this community has been a place where our children have grown as students and individuals, and where we, as parents and as a family, have grown, too. We are blessed to have found the Saint Thomas More Community.
– The Smiths, Current STM Family
Find your place at Saint Thomas More