SHAPING YOUNG MINDS
St. Thomas High School is a well-established college preparatory that provides a caring, intellectually challenging learning atmosphere in which young men develop the tools necessary to become successful in their future studies and careers. Our students are well prepared for an ever demanding and diverse world. Young alumni often tell us that the course content and workload in college is very manageable for them because they trained for academic rigor at St. Thomas.
To view our full course catalogue with all academic courses offered please click here.
World Languages Department
Today we live in a global village. There is little that happens anywhere in our world that does not affect people living in other areas. Learning another language must be part of every educated person’s academic preparation. No longer can we rely on speaking only English as an effective tool for communication. Americans, sadly, lag behind in language study as part of their education and culture. Our World Languages department is ready to make a difference. Offering four years of instruction in French, Latin, Mandarin, and Spanish, St. Thomas prepares young men for life in the 21st Century.
French: French 1, French 2, Adv. French 3, AP French Language and Culture, French Conversation Workshop
Spanish: Spanish 1, Spanish 2, Acc. Spanish 2, Spanish 3, Adv. Spanish 3, Spanish 4, AP Spanish Language and Culture
Mandarin: Mandarin 1, Mandarin 2, Adv. Mandarin 3, Adv. Mandarin 4, Adv. Mandarin Dual Credit
David Finkelstein (B.A. Classics 2010, M.A. Teaching 2012, Washington University in St. Louis) is a Houston native, having graduated from St. John’s School in 2007. He joined the STH team in 2024. His former teaching assignments were at Parkway North High School (St. Louis); Baylor College of Medicine Academy at Ryan Middle School (Houston ISD); and most recently, Hill Country Middle School and West Ridge Middle School (both Eanes ISD, in Austin). This is his 13th year teaching Latin. He teaches Latin 1, Latin 2, Advanced Latin 3, AP Latin, and Latin Literature IV. In his spare time, Magister Finkelstein can be found extending his Duolingo streak, watching football, playing trivia, singing karaoke, or spending time at the gym.
Lorin Lee (B A., M.A. in Asian Cultures and Languages from The University of Texas at Austin) is the Dean of the World Languages department. She joined St. Thomas in 2017 to create and build the Mandarin program. Prior to coming to St. Thomas, she was a Fulbright scholar in South Korea and studied Chinese at Zhejiang University of Technology in China and National Chengchi University in Taiwan.
Danny Hernandez ’08 (B.A., University of San Diego, M.T.S., Boston College) joined the faculty in 2016. He also serves as the assistant Cross Country coach. Danny has had a rich history with the Basilian Fathers having graduated from both St. Anne Catholic School in 2004 and St. Thomas High School in 2008. While in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, he taught at Brooklyn Jesuit Prep in Brooklyn, NY.
Josh Hortman (B.M., Music Theory and Composition and French, Houston Baptist University; M.A., Historical Musicology, New York University) joined the STH faculty in 2024, teaching French 1, 2, 3, and AP. Prior to STH he taught at The John Cooper School in The Woodlands for 4 years and in public schools for 11 years. He also serves on the Board of Directors for Texas French Symposium.
Christopher Patton ’13 (B.A. with Honors in International Relations from Austin College) is a proud graduate of St. Thomas High School who taught at St. Thomas from 2017 to 2018 and happily rejoined the faculty in 2022. He began his own study of Spanish as a Freshman at St. Thomas, studied throughout his time at university (including at la Universidad de La Habana in Cuba), and now teaches Spanish 1.
Karely Peralta (B.A., Science in Teaching Foreign Languages, The University of Puebla, Mexico; M.A., French as a Foreign Language, The University of Paris VIII, France; M.A., Spanish and Civilization Culture, University of Salamanca, Spain) joined the STH faculty in 2024 as a Spanish teacher. Born and raised in Mexico, Mrs. Peralta speaks French, Spanish, and Portuguese. She has taught Spanish and French across several countries, including Mexico, France, Angola, Congo, Nigeria, and Malaysia, while accompanying her husband in his professional career. She enjoys traveling and discovering new cultures. A passionate dancer, she is also an active member of a folk-dance group in Houston.
Sally Flores (B.A. in Spanish Linguistics from California State University Dominguez Hills) is from Los Angeles California and joined Saint Thomas in 2024. Sally is originally from Los Angeles California where she began her career as a Spanish Teacher teaching in both Public and Charter Schools. Sally spent the last 5 years living and working in Italy where she learned to speak Italian and taught children English. This past August she became a Texas resident and loves to learn about cultures, travel, cook, and spend time with her family and orange cat.
