Weekly Newsletter

Dear St. Thomas Aquinas School Families,

Welcome to the 2026–2027 school year!

I hope each of you had a restful, joyful, and blessed summer filled with meaningful time alongside family and friends. On behalf of our faculty and staff, I am excited to welcome both our returning families and those joining the St. Thomas Aquinas community for the first time.

As we begin another school year together, I am grateful for the trust you place in us to partner with you in the education and faith formation of your children. At St. Thomas Aquinas School, we are committed to educating the whole child by fostering academic excellence, strengthening Catholic values, building strong character, and preparing students to become compassionate leaders who serve others with integrity and purpose.

This year, we will continue cultivating a school culture where every student is known, challenged, and supported. We hold high expectations because we believe students rise to the level of the expectations set before them when they are surrounded by caring educators, supportive families, and a faith-filled community. Together, we will help our students grow academically, spiritually, socially, and emotionally while developing a lifelong love of learning.

Our teachers have worked diligently throughout the summer to prepare engaging classrooms and meaningful learning experiences. We are also excited to continue providing opportunities for students to discover and develop their God-given talents through academics, service, leadership, athletics, and extracurricular activities.

The partnership between home and school remains one of our greatest strengths. Your support, involvement, and encouragement play an essential role in your child's success and in the continued growth of our school community. I encourage you to stay engaged by participating in school events and maintaining open communication with our faculty and staff.

Thank you for being an important part of the St. Thomas Aquinas family. It is truly an honor to serve as your principal, and I look forward to another year filled with faith, learning, and joyful memories.

May God bless each of our students, families, faculty, and staff throughout the 2026–2027 school year.

In Christ,

Marco Juarez, M. Ed.

Principal

St. Thomas Aquinas School

As we continuously look for ways to best support our students' academic and social growth, we are adjusting our 5th Grade daily schedule to ensure a smooth, confident step toward middle school.

What’s Changing?

Monday through Thursday — Self-Contained Classroom: 5th-grade students will remain in a single classroom setting for their core instructional time rather than rotating through the middle school class-to-class schedule.

Friday — Electives Rotation: On Fridays, 5th graders will join the full middle school rotation to participate in their elective classes!

Recess & Lunch: 5th-grade students will continue to share recess and lunch schedules with the middle school daily.

Why We’re Making This Change

Transitioning to a fully departmentalized, multi-teacher schedule is a massive milestone for 10 and 11 year-olds. By giving our 5th graders a stable, single-teacher home base Monday through Thursday, we create an environment where they can thrive.

Key Benefits for Our 5th Graders:

Stronger Connection & Support: A primary home base teacher can better monitor individual progress, tailor support, and build deeper relationships with each student.

Less Executive Function Fatigue: Reducing daily transitions between classrooms allows students to focus their energy on learning core academic content rather than managing multiple binders, locker stops, and short passing periods.

A Balanced, "Best-of-Both-Worlds" Bridge: By sharing recess and lunch daily and diving into rotating electives on Fridays, students get a structured, low-stress taste of middle school independence. This gradual exposure gently builds confidence and readiness for 6th grade without overwhelming them.

We are excited about this adjusted approach and confident it will set our 5th graders up for their most successful, joyful school year yet! Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions.

We will increase the number of electives available to all of our students!

Tk-4th: Game and Strategy, Music Theory, Spiritual Formation, and Dancing Arts

5th-8th: Music, Digital Design, Arts and Crafts, and Study Hall

Drop-off: Park your car in a parking spot and walk your student(s) into the school.

Pick-up: Park your car and walk in to pick up your student(s).

• Tk/K outside of the classroom.
• 1st-8th at the lunch benches.

Classrooms: Do NOT enter the classrooms; walk your student(s) to their designated line. (You will see cones with grade levels)

Uniforms:

• Regular school uniform this week since we do not have a school mass.
• Closed-toe shoes of any color are acceptable daily except on Mass days.
• Students must wear shoes that are black, white, or a combination on Mass days.
• No hoodies on Mass days.
• If you ordered online and have not received your uniforms, have your student(s) wear something similar to the school uniform.

Avoid:

• Hair dye
• Make-up
• Nails
• Non-STA headgear
• Hoodies/Sweaters with designs other than STA, High Schools, or Universities.

Morning Care: Starts at 7:00 am.

Afterschool Care:

• This week we will offer free daycare from 12:30 - 3:30 Wed-Friday. Daycare ends at 6:00 pm.
• Starting next week, after-school care starts at 3:30 Monday - Thursday, at 12:30 on Fridays, and ends at 6:00 pm daily.

8/20/26 Fire Drill: 10:20

8/21/26 No Mass (Wear regular uniform)

8/21/26 Earthquake Drill: 10:20

Any outstanding enrollment package forms are due tomorrow.

Dear STA Families,

As we prepare for the upcoming 2026–2027 school year, we ask that all families complete the Lunch Program Application as soon as possible using the link below.

Submitting your application early will ensure that your eligibility for free or reduced-price lunch is determined before our lunch program begins in September.

Please note that for the 2026–2027 school year, we will only be offering lunch service. Breakfast will no longer be available.

If you have any questions or need assistance completing the application, please don't hesitate to contact the school office.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. We look forward to a wonderful school year!

APPLICATION LINK: https://linqconnect.com/public/meal-application/new?identifier=9SZU7T

September Lunch Pre Orders-Pending Free/Reduced Lunch Applications

Due Aug. 21, 2026-No Late Orders will be accepted.

If you have applied for free or reduced-price lunch and are still waiting for a response, you may still submit your September lunch preorder.

You will not need to pay at the time of ordering. Your order will be invoiced once we receive the results of your applications.

Please note: This payment arrangement is only for the month of September. Beginning in October, all lunch orders must be paid at the time the order is submitted.

Thank you for understanding!

When: Wednesday, August 26, 2026

Time: 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM

Location: 2086 S. Atlantic Blvd. Monterey Park CA 91754 (323) 728 - 8008

Please download the updated class schedule for the year