Q: I have taken a tour of St. Thomas the Apostle School and had my
questions answered by an administrator.
How can I find out more about St. Thomas the Apostle School?
A: Our website is a wonderful resource to find out more about
our school. Please visit us at www.stthomascl.org. If
you have further questions, please click on the "Contact" tab under
the main menu and email us your questions or
concerns. Our Parent/Student Handbook can also be found on our
website. The handbook contains valuable
information about our school's policies and procedures.
Familiarizing yourself with this important information
before school begins is highly recommended. Every Wednesday during
the school year you will find our weekly
family communication on our website listed under "Weekly Family
Communication." Enjoy browsing through
our past communications with our families and see what we've been up
to!
Q: I understand you have a mentoring program for new families at St.
Thomas the Apostle School. How does
this work?
A: New families are paired with current St. Thomas the Apostle
families who look forward to making you feel
welcome at our school and comfortable with the transition to our
school. Before school begins, you will receive a
call from your mentor family. If you have not heard from your mentor
family by mid-August, please contact the
school and we will make sure to find you a mentor family.
Q: My child will be taking the school bus to St. Thomas the Apostle
School in the fall. Who do I call to answer
questions I have about transportation on the first day of school?
A: Transportation is provided free to students who live in
District 47 by District 47 buses. Special arrangements can
be made to students living outside the District 47 area. Please
contact the District 47 Bus Garage at (815)455-
0558 with questions regarding bus scheduling. If you anticipate your
child taking the bus and have not received a
letter from the bus garage by mid-August, please call the bus garage
to make sure your child is on their list.
Q: I would like to be involved in my child's activities at school.
What steps do I need to take before I can
volunteer at St. Thomas the Apostle School?
A: As mandated by the Dioceses of Rockford, every employee and
volunteer must be trained to recognize and
properly act upon allegation in incidence of abuse. The McHenry
Deanery offers a required class to assist in this
matter called Protecting God's Children (PGC). For your convenience,
PGC classes can now be taken online.
Simply go to www.virtusonline.org to get started. Once you have
completed the PGC class, please bring the
completion certificate to our school office. If you prefer, PGC
classes are also offered at various locations
throughout the Diocese of Rockford. Dates and locations for upcoming
classes are listed on our website. All
parent volunteers at St. Thomas School also need to complete a
background check. Background check forms
must be acquired from our school office. A $10 check made out to St.
Thomas School needs to accompany your
background check. If you are able to complete these two requirements
before the start of school it is very
beneficial, as you will be permitted to volunteer at St. Thomas the
Apostle School right from the very start!
Q: Is the school office open during the summer?
A: The school office will be open August 13-16 from 8:00am -
l2:00pm and August 20-23 from 7:30am - 3:00pm,
or by appointment.
Q: I want to make sure my Fair Ability pledge is set up correctly.
Who do I contact?
A: Any questions regarding your Fair Ability pledge can be
directed to Sonda Herren, Financial Secretary for St.
Thomas the Apostle Parish. The number for the parish center is
(815)455-5400.
Q: I understand there is a required school uniform and gym uniform
for St. Thomas Apostle students. When
and where can I purchase uniforms for my child?
A: All uniforms must be purchased from Dennis Uniform Company.
Their store is located at 1400 E. Business
Center Drive, Mount Prospect, IL. You can also order online at
www.dennisuniform.com. Their phone number
is (800)299-1442. For your convenience, Dennis Uniform will be at
St. Thomas the Apostle Oak Street Church
in the Community Center, 451 W. Terra Cotta Avenue, on Monday, July
23, from 4:00pm-7:00pm. St. Thomas
the Apostle School also has gently used uniforms that can be
purchased. These will be available to you during
specific times throughout the school year.
Q: Is hot lunch served at St. Thomas the Apostle School?
A: Yes! Students may choose to bring in a sack lunch from home
or order a hot lunch from Papa Saverio's. Papa
Saverio's provides hot lunch to our students in our cafeteria Monday
through Friday. All ordering is done online
and can be found on our website under "Papa Saverio's Hot Lunch." If
you have further questions about hot lunch
or getting your child's account set up online, please contact Ronnie
at (815)482-5561. Students may also order
daily milk which typically runs about $20 for the whole year.
Q: My child need after school care. Who do I contact to register my
child for this program?
A: St. Thomas School provides an extended time program, often
referred to as ET, to students in grades K-8. This
after school program provides adult supervision on campus in room
KA. ET provides students with snacks,
homework time, and a variety of both indoor and outdoor activities.
Pickup times are 4:15pm or 6:15pm. Please
call our school office for more information or to register for this
program.
Q: Are there two St. Thomas Churches in Crystal Lake?
A: Yes, there are. We are blessed to have a church on campus,
453 Pierson Street (often referred to "Pierson Street
Church") and 451 W. Terra Cotta Avenue, (often referred to as "Oak
Street Church"). Once a week our students
are fortunate to participate in mass with their classmates at St.
Thomas Pierson Street Church. Retreats,
confessions, and adoration also take place for our students at this
church. All school masses are held 3-4 times
during the school year and are held at Oak Street Church. We welcome
parents to join us for weekly mass at
Pierson Street Church as well as our all school masses at Oak Street
Church.
