St Thomas Episcopal School

4900 Jackwood Street

Houston, TX 77096

45 Reviews

School District
Grade

K-12
Type

private

Find Homes for Sale in this School Zone

Reviews

Submitted by other on August 11, 2024

St. Thomas’ Episcopal School provided me a superior education, with mandatory classes, exposing me to education the vast majority of people will never experience. STE demanded we respect our elders and we all simply knew to obey; it never occurred to us to not obey. I was never aware of any intentional hurtful actions taken against another student. We were taught to “do unto others…”, do your best work every time, and, “you mustn’t take offense where none is meant”. We were held accountable for our actions. The first Shakespeare play I saw was spring of 2nd grade (just turned 8). Though I had terrible stage fright and my fear of performing in 8th grade increased every year, these plays created a love for Shakespeare’s work and at age 21, I was fortunate to spend a month in his hometown, attending different plays several times a week by The Royal Shakespeare Company. By age 14, in addition to the traditional classes of English, Math, and some Science, I had taken six years of Bible History, a year of Penmanship, six years of ballet/Scottish Dancing, half a year each of quilting and etiquette, a year of Greek, six years of French, three years of Latin, and six years of music. The current Principal, another classmate, and I were partners for the Parents Day Scottish dance. The older grades danced in the Sam Houston Coliseum every year. It’s the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts today. The band performed in parades and competitions and was the first band outside of Scotland to win a particular competition. We moved so I did not graduate from STE, but I still live by the values and standards I learned there. I am not aware of even one of my classmates who did not go on to achieve great things. All are fluent in at least French and Latin. Considering my experience, I cannot recommend STE highly enough. I “married military” and we moved every few years or our children would have been at STE. We did keep our children in private, Christian schools until high school, because I had learned the importance of a high quality, Christian education from STE. One is Corporate Counsel for Dave Ramsey, one is on the Cardiac Transplant Team at the Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville. The Mayo Clinic has just sent him to Vanderbilt for another degree, and one has post graduate degrees in Sports Medicine. At their graduations they all whispered “Mom, you’re the reason I am here today”, but I attribute their success to my years at STE and, the grace of God.
Submitted by parent on March 07, 2023

This school has been a life changer for our daughter. After moving from another private school to this one, our daughter felt so welcomed in this community and she loves her school.
Submitted by parent on December 10, 2022

My daughter just started first grade and in 3.5 months she has blossomed on all fronts( reading, writing, comprehension, math) the school is extremely structured and has homework for 1st graders, however they spend the time in. Teaching the material in class. It worth the premium and I am thrilled with the quality of education and care. I was hoping it was going to be a good experience 6 mths ago and now I can confidently say, best decision we made as parents. If you are looking for a school with academic rigor, great culture and caring teachers, this is the place!
Submitted by parent on June 06, 2020

We heavily researched schools before choosing STE and it’s one of the few schools that didn’t feel artificial. Amazing education, warm community, reverent students, skilled teachers, and lots of clubs and activities offered. Their transition to online learning during the COVID crisis was amazing! The school is like having another family member—I can’t say enough about the place!
Submitted by parent on May 29, 2020

Mediocre We grew tired of the braggadocios admin trying to justify collecting an exorbitant tuition for a subpar education. My family has left.
Submitted by parent on February 17, 2019

We love, love, love STES!! Best school in Houston!
Submitted by parent on March 23, 2018

As a parent at the school, I have been overwhelmingly happy with every aspect. My son is thriving and loves going to school. His teacher is amazing and so responsive. We feel so fortunate to have found STE.
Submitted by parent on March 06, 2018

As a parent of children at this school and as a graduate, I cannot say enough about the strength of the school community. It is a privilege to be a part of it.
Submitted by other on March 06, 2018

A home away from home…that is how I and many of my friends felt about our dear old St. T…St Thomas Episcopal School, that is, not to be confused with any other St. Thomas out there. Small enough to feel like an extended family, but large enough to compete on many levels with the big guys, both academically and athletically, St. Thomas Episcopal School is a giant in many of our hearts. It is its unique environment- purposely small, proficiently staffed, and warmly welcoming- that makes St. Thomas Episcopal stand out amongst the rest. The formation that St. Thomas gave me in my education and religious backbone was of utmost importance in my life; however, the enduring friendships and memories I hold dear to this very day were the greatest gifts St. Thomas gave me.
Submitted by other on March 05, 2018

The classical education that I received at St Thomas' has been invaluable. The relationships I formed while attending the school are some of my most cherished friendships to this day. I am truly blessed each and every day because I went to such a great school.
Submitted by parent on June 18, 2017

Our only child has attended this school since Kindergarten (9 years now) and we are very happy with the education she has received. Her Bible knowledge is great. Her math, English, History, Latin, and science foundations are very solid. She feels a part of this wonderful community - she says it is her "home away from home". Middle School was a dream, not the nightmare we had always heard any middle school would be. One thing is probably true, though. If you slack off in your studies, you will not get an A or a B (or maybe not even a C!) and it will be very difficult to catch up. The education builds upon itself, so if pieces are missing, it will be tough to keep up. There are plenty of sports, and even if you are not really good, you can play - and you will likely become good! During our search for kindergartens 9 years ago, what struck us about this school was that the kids - ALL of the kids - were HAPPY. To this day, we still see that at STE. So if you want your kids 1)to be kids, 2)to be happy, 3)to work hard and realize that if they do work and do try their best, they CAN do it, 4) to learn, and 5) to grow up with Christian values and grounded in the Word, this is a great place.
Submitted by other on December 05, 2016

We enrolled our kids (one now in 8th grade, one in 11th grade and one in her first year of college) at St. Thomas when they entered kindergarten with the intention of putting them in a different private school or public school for high school. When our oldest daughter was in 8th grade they had a presentation for her grade with the head of upper school. He talked about how starting in 9th grade they would be working towards college. He discussed how the college counselor would work side by side with them to get into the college of their choice. After that we talked with out daughter and made the decision for her to stay at STE for at least one year of high school to see how she liked it and work with the college counselor. What a great decision that was! We decided as a family that she would graduate from STE. She was accepted into 6 different colleges and ultimately attended her first choice school. We gave out other two kids the same choice. They have both decided to stay at STE so they can have the same experience as their older sister.
Submitted by other on October 24, 2016

We enrolled our children in STE when they were in kindergarten. They are now in 6th and 3rd grade. My husband is an Alum of the school and was incredibly excited to send our kids there. He had the most wonderful experience at St. Thomas. We are absolutely thrilled with the education they are receiving at STE. The class sizes are smaller so they are getting more one-on-one time with their teachers. The teachers have high standards for their students. Being a smaller school, there is a wonderful sense of community at the school. Everyone really feels like family. There are so many activities throughout the year that all the families attend. Fall Fair is a favorite for my kids. Our kids really love all the the activities that are available to them (athletics, music, theater). One of the things that we love as parents is the Christian based classical education. We really are blessed to be able to send our kids to St. Thomas.
Submitted by parent on October 21, 2016

I have two children that graduated from STE and one child currently enrolled. I cannot say enough good things about this school! Being a classical education, the students are exposed to so much more than at a traditional school. The class sizes are small which keeps the students engaged. There are a lot of AP classes offered which helps with college admissions. The students also have a lot of options for interesting electives including Scottish bagpipes or drumming and Scottish dance. College counseling starts in the 9th grade which really gets students more than prepared to start their applications. The schools is smaller which makes for a very nice community feel. Parents are also encouraged to be active in the school activities. STE is a wonderful school run by a wonderful faculty. I encourage anyone in the Houston area looking at private schools to definitely take the time to look at St. Thomas. You won't regret it!!
Submitted by other on June 13, 2016

As a graduate of STES, my experience at this school was great. I can't emphasize enough how the diversity of the academic courses and extracurricular activities prepared me for success throughout my college career. The close-knit, small class size allows students to participate in a variety of activities instead of exclusively in one focus. The academically inclined also participate in arts like music and theater, sports teams, and dancing and/or band and they can be successful at all of them!
Submitted by parent on October 11, 2015

Lower school with Mrs. Vogeley's leadership and the amazing teachers from K-5th make STE perfect for our family. At school my children are: safe, loved, happy, learning, & playing. Your child will have homework and high standards are expected. (not the school for the lazy) A lot of family activities offered. Our favorite is Fall Fair. The Christmas Concerts are phenomenal.Middle school should be renamed "travel agency school" because expensive trips are being promoted non-stop. This is new and many parents do NOT like it. Puts many families in the awkward position of parents vs school. Buyer Beware!Upper school students set a good example for younger student body. They are polite and friendly Great resource for babysitters!
Submitted by parent on May 01, 2015

I love, love, love this school! It's a place of substance where the Classical canon of academic literacy in math, English, natural science, social studies, and foreign languages is still honored (sadly, this is becoming increasingly rare in education). The students are remarkably respectful to teachers, and they're kind and supportive to each other. It's a formula that works: acceptances to Stanford, Princeton, Caltech, Rice, and Carnegie Mellon this year; state champions in swimming, cross country, and basketball; state champions for their string orchestra; one of the best yearbooks in the nation; and one of the best Scottish band and dance programs in the world prove that this is a small school that packs a big punch! I know my daughter's friends will be her friends for life, and she couldn't be surrounded by a better community of people.
Submitted by parent on April 29, 2015

Having three of my children graduate from STE, I can say that attending STE was a life-changing experience for my students and family. Academically based on curriculum, AP test results, SAT/ACT scores, college acceptances, teacher retention, and the expectation teachers have of students STE is one of the finest school in Houston. Even more importantly, it is a classical Christian school where virtues like character, honesty, discipline, and respect are taught and modeled by the faculty and staff. It s a family oriented community where the bullying and social competition is not tolerated. This is not a school for the lazy or for families that gravitate to the latest marketing trends disguised as education. Children are taught using proven pedagogy (dating back to Socrates), they are challenged in the best possible way, and most of them are involved in numerous activities sports, music, art, theatre, clubs, and volunteerism.
Submitted by parent on April 22, 2015

I agree with the previous post that the curriculum is outdated, promotes rote memorization and severely lacks in encouraging creative and critical thinking. I have seen teachers raise their voices and threaten the kids "to take away their party" if they dont be quiet. Again, some parents may feel that is okay. However, this is not a conducive learning environment. Most importantly, is the bullying. With so much awareness nowadays regarding bullying, it is pitiful that it occurs here at this school. The idea that ANY school who would not take this subject seriously, is ludicrous. Many emails were sent with no REAL plan of action, only pacifying words. The poorest marker of any school, is their lack of an avenue for feedback from the parents. When we decided not to re-enroll our child at St Thomas, there was not an email or letter inquiring why. This lack of desire to know parallels St Thomas's outdated curriculum and way of thinking. Again, some families will enjoy St Thomas, but it was not for us. Not all "great" schools per these reviews, are "great" for your children. I wish more updated reviews had been written before we enrolled our child there 3 years ago.
Submitted by parent on January 29, 2015

My daughter attended this school for seven years and the principles of the school are astounding. This is the type of school where your punishment for a "too short" skirt is much worse than the punishment for bullying. In fact the bullying problem is practically entirely ignored by the staff, and other parents when confronted about their child's behavior don't even bat an eyelash. The curriculum is outdated, and many concepts are taught robotically and the concepts are ignored completely. The entire school is rather sexist, with practically no middle school sports for girls other than volleyball. The sports program is kind of pathetic- there is no football team, no baseball team, no upper school softball team, and the only sports for lower school are soccer and highland dance. There is no traditional band, but a Scottish Pipe Band, which I will admit is amazing but isn't very helpful in life. By the way girls have only been allowed to be in the band as of two years ago. Haven't they heard of gender equality? Highland dancers and band members get special treatment from the staff and tend to get away with bad grades and misconduct. I truly regret sending my daughter to this school.