Safeguarding Policies


Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue in the Episcopal Diocese of New York is committed to the safety and well-being of all God’s children. 

Our Safeguarding Policies demonstrate our commitment to creating safe environments, especially for children, youth, and vulnerable adults.

The Saint Thomas Choir School community is both an integral part of our common parish life and is also a distinctive institution in its own right. As a school it is accountable to additional federal, state, and local regulations, and it is accredited by the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS). It is, therefore, governed by further policies pertinent to the unique needs of a boarding school, and participates in reaccreditation reporting processes and visits from NYSAIS every five years.

Additional and supplementary documents relating to the practice of safeguarding will be uploaded to this site pending external review and the ongoing work of the Safeguarding Monitoring Committee of the Vestry.

These policies are founded on the Model Policies of General Convention 2018 and were adopted by the Vestry on February 24, 2021.

Our next Annual Safeguarding Audit and Policy Review will occur in February 2023.


Weapons Policy

Saint Thomas Church and Choir School (STCCS) strictly prohibits the possession of Weapons of any type, concealed or otherwise, indoors and outdoors at all STCCS-owned properties.

Individuals carrying Weapons will not be permitted to enter the premises. STCCS will not provide storage for Weapons.

Our full weapons policy is available to download.