Religion

Our one guiding mission lies at the very heart of Saint Thomas More Catholic School. We teach children to reach out to the world as the hands of Christ. As a school in the Jesuit tradition, being the hands and feet of Christ is expressed through Catholic social teaching. We focus on Ignatian spirituality, highlighted by our daily Examen prayer, which is finding God in all things. Our goal is for every student to develop a personal relationship with God.

Beginning in Pre-K and continuing through 5th grade, students learn about God’s love through Catholic prayers, Catholic practice, and Catholic tradition. Instruction begins by learning basic and fundamental biblical stories and progresses throughout their grade school experience by spending time understanding the Beatitudes, vocations, and the Seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church.

Our 2nd graders spend the majority of their school year learning about and preparing for their First Reconciliation and First Holy Eucharist. Our teachers prepare the students in many meaningful ways so when the time comes to participate in this special sacrament, the students fully understand the beautiful gift in which they are about to partake.

During the middle school years, students continue their faith journey in 6th grade by digging deep into the Old Testament and how the Old Testament prepares us, as Christians, for a meaningful and personal relationship with Jesus Christ. During the 7th and 8th grade years, the children spend time analyzing and processing the Gospel using faith and reasoning. The students graduate with a deep understanding of Christ’s teaching particularly in the area of humility and service to each other, regardless of other’s faith backgrounds.

All of our students participate in grade-level retreats, youth activities, student-led weekly Mass, monthly rosaries, and monthly school-wide prayer services with the hopes of creating a deep and profound relationship with Jesus, while at the same time, teaching them to understand fully the rich teachings and traditions of the Holy Catholic Church.

The Assessment of Catechesis Religious Education (ACRE) is given annually to students in grades 5 and 8. The ACRE is produced by the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) and serves as an integrated approach to assessment offering both faith knowledge (cognitive domain) as well as beliefs, behaviors, attitudes, and practices (affective domain) sections. Results of the ACRE are used by Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Atlanta to guide the implementation and development of religious instruction and formation.