Mission Philosophy

Philosophy of Learning Statement

St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Dominic, preeminent teachers and preachers of faith and truth, serve as guides, exemplars, and intercessors in the processes of teaching and learning at St. Thomas Aquinas Regional School.

The ultimate purpose of learning is salvation; man, who is made in the image and likeness of God, has the capacity to learn and know the truth. Aquinas’s motto is Fides et Ratio because man learns the truth through faith and reason. Striving for the salvation of students and their growth in the knowledge of truth, students are prepared to engage in the world with a reason formed to think according to what is true, good, and beautiful. An important aspect of the learning process is encouraging and developing the student’s sense of wonder. Students are encouraged to be life-long learners, studious participators and questioners ready to tackle the mental labor that academic study requires. Teachers are committed to forming students’ minds so that when they receive new information, they are capable and ready to fully evaluate it in the light of truth.

Wisdom is a quality of the living mind; it is not simply information acquisition. The learner is an active agent in learning and the teacher is an instrument in this process. Therefore, investigative learning is promoted, which allows students to actively engage in learning and to develop their intellects fully, actively receiving information and grappling with it.

Knowledge is gained through one’s senses. Each student learns through different modalities, so every effort is made to address the academic needs of students’ varying cognitive abilities. The integration of subjects facilitates students’ recognition, discovery, and grasping of the truth of God. Learning involves every aspect of the human person: intellectual, spiritual, emotional, physical and social; and Aquinas educators work to integrate each aspect into lessons ensuring the education of the whole person.