Xanthus Communications adds St. Thomas School to its Client List

SEATTLE, July 1, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Xanthus Communications has announced the addition of St. Thomas School in Medina, Washington, to its client list. Founded in 1951, St. Thomas School (STS) is one of the oldest schools in Washington State. As an independent, non-sectarian, early childhood, elementary and middle school, its mission is to instill within children a lifelong love of learning that helps them to develop the intellectual capacity and strength of character to lead, innovate and collaborate.

In 2014, St. Thomas School (STS) was one of only five schools in the USA selected to participate in the Microsoft Innovative Schools World Tour. Since then the school has been showcased to visitors and research teams as providing the optimum in learning environments. The school has hosted visiting delegation teams from Brazil, Morocco, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and Tasmania, as well as visitors from Microsoft Research, the Microsoft Surface team and Microsoft China. The delegation teams, composed of leaders in education, technology and government, are interested in how St. Thomas School uses technology in learning.

STS has a long history of incorporating 1:1 laptop programs for each student in the fourth to eighth grade so students can produce videos, compose music, take online math tests, and author book reviews and essays. This year the school expanded the program to include a 1:1 Surface program for first through third grade students.

Another factor in the designation as a Microsoft school is the school's physical environment on an expansive campus that reflects an abundance of light and natural surroundings that evoke a sense of belonging. The school is known for its spring garden, bio-swale, and rooftop garden that provide opportunities to connect with nature. Plazas through the school function as learning areas where students can engage in conversation and creative exploration, while collaborating on project-based work that often expands beyond the classroom. Student initiatives have included a successful recycling research project that identified innovative solutions to reduce vehicle emissions in transportation.

According to St. Thomas School Head of School Kirk Wheeler, "Technology supports and empowers students to serve as leaders, work collaboratively with others, and present their learning to the broader community."

STS serves almost 300 students on a 55,000 sq. ft. LEED Gold certified campus on the east side of Lake Washington in Medina. In addition to the Microsoft designation, STS receives annual recognition from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth talent search program.   For more information, please see http://www.stthomasschool.org, find them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter @stsfalcons.

*"The 'LEED Certification Mark' is a registered trademark owned by the U.S. Green Building Council and is used by permission."

About Xanthus Communications LLC and PR for People®
Founded by Patricia Vaccarino in 2003, Xanthus Communications www.xanthuscom.com  is a national PR firm offering the full range of traditional public relations services as well as low-cost PR tools and services through its internet company PR for People® http://www.prforpeople.com.

SOURCE Xanthus Communications