"I am wondering what is your policy on substitutions and supplements to your philosophy and religion texts. I don't dislike what you have chosen, I just have other books/materials I would want to use in place of or in addition to."
You are encouraged to supplement as often as your time, interest and opportunity allow, though it is never required. We also welcome some course substitutions, but recommend that you discuss them with your advisor in order to set academic goals and reasonable time investment plans.
Our policy regarding course substitutions can be found here: Personalizing the Course of Study. The policy is mainly directed towards high school students that wish to complete the diploma program. The St. Thomas Aquinas Academy high school diploma program has been carefully balanced and outlined to achieve maximum efficiency in acquiring quality study skills, Catholic formation, liberal arts literacy, and a good measure of student independence. Trading out large blocks of our recommended materials leads to weaker integration of the subjects and more planning, preparation, and supervision on the teaching-parent's part, as you can imagine.
There is a great deal of flexibility in materials for Grades K - 8. But be aware that we are very persuasive. We chose the materials and methods of presentation very specifically, book by book. When trying to decide if your own selections would be a good fit for you, our advisors will clearly outline the general goals of the course and how our materials work with those goals. The final decision is up to you, of course. Just keep in mind that if you are participating in the semester reporting and transcript process, the materials must be of appropriate academic rigor for the grade level (identified special needs excepted), the religion courses must be Catholic, and materials with overwhelming anti-Catholic bias will not be eligible to appear on a St. Thomas Aquinas Academy transcript.
To open the conversation about materials you have on hand and are eager to use in the upcoming school year, attach a short note to your student's assessment test when you return it. Your advisor will keep your preferences in mind during the initial Course of Study proposal and discuss the substitutions with you during the evaluation/planning appointment.