The School

Timeline of St.Thomas the Apostle Church and Preschool:

1984 - St. Thomas the Apostle Parish was founded on St. Thomas’ Feast Day.

1987 - First Mass at our new Church.

January 23, 1994 - 1st survey to Parishioners regarding the need for a new Preschool.

Spring 1994 - Bishop Moreno gives approval for the Preschool to be built.

June 1994 - Leslie Schultz-Crist is hired as Director of the Preschool.

August 1994 - Parish Preschool and Kindergarten opens with approximately 103 children and a waiting list for the second year.

January 1996 - The Preschool has outgrown its existing space! Construction begins on the new buildings that will include 4 new classrooms, bathrooms, expanded playground and offices with a library.

Winter 1997 - The children help move the teachers into the new Preschool buildings using wagons and trikes.

August 2002 - St. Thomas the Apostle Preschool curriculum is adopted as the curriculum for the Diocese of Tucson Catholic Schools.

During our 12 year history, approximately 800 children have been served.  Many of our Alumni remain actively involved and connected.  Our School Advisory Board is tremendously active in all aspects of the Preschool.  One example is our annual Parent Dinner.  This dinner has been a long-standing tradition within our community raising approximately $25,000.00 for the Preschool annually.

     In addition, the Community Service Liaison for the School Board, helps the staff organize ongoing community service projects that actively involve the children.  One annual project involves the community of St. Charles Catholic School on the San Carlos Indian Reservation.  We collect food for 25 families of the school at Thanksgiving and in return, their children come to share their culture and dancing with our school.  Other projects the Preschool has been involved with include:  Pio Decimo, Intergenerational pairing and giving, collecting prayer buddies for a Catholic School in Manhattan during 9/11, collecting first aide supplies for rescue workers thru We Care, raising money to plant trees and for the victims during Arizona’s wildfire season, supporting our own Preschool families who are struggling with illnesses and/or losses, collecting school supplies for children in Iran thru Operation I Can, supporting families by purchasing animals thru the Heifer International Project, collecting basic needed items for victims of Hurricane Katrina and have toy and clothes drives yearly.