Senate Resolution No. 3048

BY: Senator BRESLIN

COMMEMORATING the 60th Anniversary of St. Thomas
the Apostle School in Bethlehem, New York

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize and
commend institutions of true purpose and high achievement whose
exemplary programs and accomplishments clearly demonstrate the pursuit
of excellence in education and service to the community; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to
commemorate the 60th Anniversary of St. Thomas the Apostle School in
Bethlehem, New York; and

WHEREAS, This auspicious milestone was celebrated with a myriad of
community events from Friday, June 9, 2017, through Sunday, June 11,
2017; and

WHEREAS, St. Thomas the Apostle School is the learning environment
where students gain a love of knowledge and understanding, and achieve
excellence both in their academic and their spiritual lives; for six
decades, the School has strived to prepare each student to realize his
or her personal destiny as a moral and social leader of men and women;
and

WHEREAS, Built in the fall of 1956, St. Thomas the Apostle School
had it highest enrollment numbers, close to 50 students per class,
during the peak of Catholic education in the 1960s; today, that number
is closer to 22; and

WHEREAS, Throughout the last 60 years, the community around St.
Thomas the Apostle School has changed considerably; many of the staff
and faculty members are not sisters, brothers, or priests anymore, and
the curriculum has been dramatically expanded to include programs in
music, theatre, art and technology; and

WHEREAS, The School recognizes how important it is to be an integral
part of its community through active participation in social justice
issues and human concerns; each class supports and works closely with a
local charity; and

WHEREAS, Under the luminous leadership of Principal, Thomas Kane,
each and every child at St. Thomas the Apostle School is taught to
become change agents by encouraging them to explore their gifts and use
them to better the world in which they live in; active participation in
social justice issues and human concerns is the cornerstone of its
service experiences; and

WHEREAS, St. Thomas the Apostle School firmly believes that the
education of a child is best supported with active cooperation between
parents and school; as a school community, it recognizes parents as the
child's primary educators; and

WHEREAS, Since its inception, St. Thomas the Apostle School has
stayed true to its three-fold mission of message, community, and
service; and

WHEREAS, On the propitious occasion of the school's 60th
Anniversary, this Legislative Body is proud to join in celebrating and
recognizing the noteworthy place St. Thomas the Apostle School holds in
the hearts and in the life of the Bethlehem community; and

WHEREAS, For 60 years, St. Thomas the Apostle School has
demonstrated an impressive dedication, an unparalleled commitment, and
an unremitting enthusiasm for the quality of the educational programs
and opportunities offered for the benefit of its students, teachers,
parents, alumni, and community; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 60th Anniversary of St. Thomas the Apostle School in
Bethlehem, New York, fully confident it is planning with vision and
purpose for the ebb and swell of growth and change it will encounter in
the years to come; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Thomas Kane, Principal, St. Thomas the Apostle School.