St. Thomas School began in 1951 as St. Thomas Day School, a parish school of St. Thomas Church, and was located across the street from the church. In 1954, the first permanent school buildings were constructed on the current site. In 1968, the school became fully independent of the church. Various expansions occurred until 2008 when the school buildings were demolished and replaced with a new facility designed by Bassetti Architects.
Facilities
The school shares a campus with St. Thomas Episcopal Church. The two facilities are adjacent but not connected. The school's playground is shielded from outside view by the L-shaped configuration of the two-story school building. The public facades of the school are designed to reflect the more formal, rectangular, stone-clad character of the adjacent church. The facades that face the playground are more informal, free-form, and brightly colored. Three of the school's four wings are for a different age group, with classrooms opening off of common activity areas for group learning, tutoring, project-based learning, and individual instruction. The fourth wing houses the library and specialist classrooms. The building includes a science lab, technology center, media publishing lab, library/multi-media center, a dedicated foreign language classroom, music room, and exterior covered plazas for play and outdoor learning. The facility was designed to celebrate cycles of nature and human learning, to demonstrate leadership in environmental responsibility, and to support the school's educational program by addressing the latest research on cognitive development. The grounds include a playfield, covered play areas, and a children's garden for students to cultivate plants. St. Thomas is in the process of expanding its facilities. A new gym and theater complex will be built on newly acquired property next to the current campus. Ground was broken on the project on November 6, 2019. It was expected to be completed by September of 2020, but work slowdowns due to COVID19 have pushed back this date to early 2021.
Sustainable Features
The school facilities are notable for their sustainable features. LEED Gold: The new building was Washington State's first to receive Gold certification by the US Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program under the LEED for Schools Rating System. Energy Star: The facility received an Energy Star design rating that indicates 30 percent less energy usage than a typical school of this size. Carbon dioxide emissions are reduced by approximately 130 tons per year. Due to the successful efforts of students to introduce food recycling and reduce food waste, STS has been certified as a Washington Area Green School.
