Happy Monday, Rebels! With our middle school students away at Camp Wooten, we have a relatively quiet week on campus. See below for a brief outline of the week and a few upcoming events. May all our days be filled with peace, learning, and joy.
- Monday-Thursday : Grades 6-8 at Camp Wooten. Keep these students, counselors, and staff members in your prayers as they tackle this special adventure!
- Tuesday : Free dress for Kindergarten only. This is a reward for bringing in the most money per student at our Fund Run. Congratulations!
- Friday : No School
This October, our school community continues to explore the Fruits of the Spirit theme with a focus on Joy! St Paul lists joy among the nine fruits of the spirit in Galatians 5:22, a reminder that this kind of joy is not something we manufacture on our own, but something God cultivates within us.
It is important we distinguish joy from happiness. Happiness comes and goes with our circumstances, but true joy is the deep and steady confidence that God is good, God is near, and God never leaves our side. It is the kind of joy that blooms even on the darkest of days.
This month, students will be discovering what it looks like to carry that joy into their classrooms, friendships, competitions, and homes. We hope this October becomes a beautiful reminder for our whole school family - children and parents alike - that a heart rooted in Christ is a heart that overflows with joy.
It is important we distinguish joy from happiness. Happiness comes and goes with our circumstances, but true joy is the deep and steady confidence that God is good, God is near, and God never leaves our side. It is the kind of joy that blooms even on the darkest of days.
This month, students will be discovering what it looks like to carry that joy into their classrooms, friendships, competitions, and homes. We hope this October becomes a beautiful reminder for our whole school family - children and parents alike - that a heart rooted in Christ is a heart that overflows with joy.
Volunteer
We need parents like you to run programs in a school like this! Use the links above to fulfill your five volunteer shifts for this year.
Around Campus
Upcoming Picture Days
Next week, we have two picture days: October 14 for student athletes in Fall Sports, and October 16 for all-school individual student pictures. Students will be required to wear their sport jerseys for the sport picture day, but for individual pictures, students are allowed to wear free dress. We will send picture ordering forms home the week of October 12. You can also place orders online at mydorian.com before picture day and for up to 2 days afterwards.
4th Grade Bake Sale Next Week
Every student is invited to purchase items at our 4th Grade Bake Sale! All items are 25 - 50¢ and additional donations and gratefully accepted. All proceeds will be used to purchase Giving Tree gifts!
Fund Run - Running with the Spirit
Dear St. Thomas More Families,
I am truly blown away by the incredible generosity that was shown to our school for the 2026 STM Fund Run. Over the last three weeks, we raised over $70,000 for St. Thomas More Catholic School. THANK YOU to our incredible students, families, friends, teachers, alumni, parishioners, and supporters for showing up, giving big, and “Running with the Spirit!” This financial support is amazing and I am both humbled and speechless (not a common occurrence!).
As I told your children at Friday’s last Pep Rally, we have some new additions coming to our playground soon as well as some new furniture to our breezeway to thank them for all of their hard work.
This year we were also blessed with a growing number of business sponsors, whose combined financial commitment totaled more than $16,000, and allowed all donations to go directly back to the school.
My heartfelt thanks to the STM teachers for their tireless support during this Fund Run season, our Advancement Team for their efforts in making this event successful, and the many volunteers, including the Rebel Parent Group and the Knights of Columbus for all their help, and our 8th grade Ambassadors for running the carnival.
Congratulations to our Raffle Prize Winners:
$200 cash - James, Grade 3
Adventure Kit - Jessie, Kindergarten
Craft Kit - Timber, Kindergarten
Nintendo Switch Lite - Teagan, Grade 2
Harry Potter Lego Set - Gia, Grade 3
Lastly, congratulations to all of the classes K - 8 for meeting their classroom goals and earning a skate party at Pattison’s on Friday, October 23. Kindergarten was the class who earned the highest donations per student and earned free dress on Tuesday, October 6. Congrats to Nolan Allbery, our top fundraiser overall.
Thank you again for your continued support and commitment to our school and to Catholic education. I may be biased, but there is no denying that our STM community is truly something special, and this event was yet another testament to the strength, generosity, and spirit of our community.
Humbly,
Jim McCollum
I am truly blown away by the incredible generosity that was shown to our school for the 2026 STM Fund Run. Over the last three weeks, we raised over $70,000 for St. Thomas More Catholic School. THANK YOU to our incredible students, families, friends, teachers, alumni, parishioners, and supporters for showing up, giving big, and “Running with the Spirit!” This financial support is amazing and I am both humbled and speechless (not a common occurrence!).
As I told your children at Friday’s last Pep Rally, we have some new additions coming to our playground soon as well as some new furniture to our breezeway to thank them for all of their hard work.
This year we were also blessed with a growing number of business sponsors, whose combined financial commitment totaled more than $16,000, and allowed all donations to go directly back to the school.
My heartfelt thanks to the STM teachers for their tireless support during this Fund Run season, our Advancement Team for their efforts in making this event successful, and the many volunteers, including the Rebel Parent Group and the Knights of Columbus for all their help, and our 8th grade Ambassadors for running the carnival.
Congratulations to our Raffle Prize Winners:
$200 cash - James, Grade 3
Adventure Kit - Jessie, Kindergarten
Craft Kit - Timber, Kindergarten
Nintendo Switch Lite - Teagan, Grade 2
Harry Potter Lego Set - Gia, Grade 3
Lastly, congratulations to all of the classes K - 8 for meeting their classroom goals and earning a skate party at Pattison’s on Friday, October 23. Kindergarten was the class who earned the highest donations per student and earned free dress on Tuesday, October 6. Congrats to Nolan Allbery, our top fundraiser overall.
Thank you again for your continued support and commitment to our school and to Catholic education. I may be biased, but there is no denying that our STM community is truly something special, and this event was yet another testament to the strength, generosity, and spirit of our community.
Humbly,
Jim McCollum
Athletics
Fall athletics are in full swing and we would love to see your student athletes in action! If you have photos of your students competing in an STM fall sport, please consider uploading them to our Fall Athletics Google Album for us to share on social media and in our school newsletter. Go Rebels!
8th Grade Fundraising
Other Happenings
Catholic Charities Fire Relief
The entire CCEW community offers its prayers and support to all who have been displaced or impacted by the devastating wildfires that have gripped our community. See the PDF below for information about the ways that CCEW has been able to assist wildfire victims.
Chesterton Honor Choir
We warmly invite all 4th through 8th graders to register for Chesterton Academy's 2nd annual HONOR CHOIR! Singers must attend a parochial school, or be registered at a Diocesan parish. Students will develop group singing skills, play fun team games, learn new songs together, enjoy lunch and meet high school student leaders who LOVE TO SING!
WHO: Parochial & Catholic Home School students, grades 4-8
WHAT: Honor Choir 2026
WHEN: Saturday, November 7, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
WHERE: St. Mary's Catholic School gymnasium
COST: $40 materials fee includes t-shirt, sheet music and lunch
REGISTER HERE! REGISTRATION CLOSES FRIDAY 10/30/2026!
Important Dates
- Oct 5-8 : Camp Wooten, Grades 6-8
- Oct 9 : NO SCHOOL
- Oct 14 : Fall Sports Pictures
- Oct 15 : 4th Grade Bake Sale
- Oct 16 : Individual Picture Day
- Oct 17 : Oktoberfest, Adults only, 5:30p
- Oct 18 : Student-Led Mass, 11:00a and 8th Grade Pancake Breakfast
- Oct 29 : 3rd Grade Saints Mass, 9:00a
- Oct 30 : End of Q1
Click here for the 2026-2027 school calendar, last updated September 2, 2026.
Instagram: @stmspokane
Facebook: St. Thomas More School Spokane
School Website: www.thomasmorespokane.org