Make exciting discoveries, spark curiosity, and ignite your passions at St. Thomas High School’s Summer@STH program for exceptional scholars. 

Summer@STH creates an engaging curriculum for elementary school, middle school and high school students that will provide academic enrichment and course credit.  Expert educators prepare students to seamlessly make the next year of school.  Participants may also take part in athletic camps located in STH’s state-of-the-art sports facilities.       

Carol Mandola, the Campus Activities Director, leads conversations around program goals and curriculum to make sure it meets both the academic and social needs of incoming students. Students have the opportunity to meet peers, teachers, coaches, and form lasting relationships which will bolster confidence and bridge the gap between middle school and high school.

Another driving force behind the program’s success is the St. Thomas Dean of Students, Rodney Takacs.  He teaches Step Up Study Skills to prepare incoming ninth graders for a rigorous high school curriculum and beyond.  Takacs delivers a deep reservoir of academic knowledge as both an instructor and program director.  He has served the St. Thomas faculty while teaching history, government, and legal studies, and brings more than two decades of superior results honing and shaping educational journeys.

 Takacs states that the “primary purpose of this course is to remove barriers to effective learning” and “establish the proper foundation for future learning.”  Step Up Study Skills takes an interactive approach and uses collaborative exercises and visual presentations to teach students goal setting, organization, time management, note-taking, memory strategies, and critical thinking skills.  This creates a solid foundation from the start.  “We want to begin developing an attitude and self-confidence that supports accomplished students,” says Takacs.

Max Demarest, who took the Study Skills course last summer as a freshman, states, “The class turned out to be very helpful. I think that the most useful insight that the class gave me was about the different types of note taking styles. It definitely prepared me for St. Thomas. Coming from a different learning environment the Study Skills Class helped me adjust to the new school.”

Fellow classmate, Patrick Daily, adds, “The study skills class helped me prepare for St. Thomas in a number of different ways, but I think that the most important was that I was able to meet the dean of students. Through the study skills class, I learned that not only does he want the best for his students, but he wants them to feel a part of a community.”

Study Skills, which begins in June 2023, is available to all rising ninth graders.  The enrichment is rooted in the SMARTS Executive Function & Mentoring Program developed by Dr. Lynn Meltzer of the Research Institute for Learning and Development, and the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

“As with all our summer offerings, the goal is to craft a learning experience that will be both interactive and captivating,” says Takacs.  “In many ways, I see these tutorials as fostering our next intellectual community.  So many students emerge ready to excel from day one and often become the future leaders and mentors.”