
Principal's Weekly Update
January 26th, 2024
A Message from Dr. Nadjarian
Dear Families,
It was an insightful week especially for our faculty!
Earlier this week, teachers shared ideas and learned from an education professional in their small group coaching meetings. They discussed relevant information that will allow them to better meet the wide variety of student needs, support families, and bridge the language gap for students whose primary language is not English.
During today's professional development, our instructional leaders, Mrs. Palmer and Ms. DeLuca, led our faculty in setting goals and standards for their curriculum maps. After completing their curriculum mapping sessions, Mrs. Enrique, our assistant principal, led the faculty and staff in a team building exercise. Applying her vast knowledge and experience in visual arts, she guided everyone in a canvas painting experience!
We are so proud of our teachers who are committed to furthering their education as they strive to be great role models for out students!
Have a wonderful weekend and hope to see you at our Catholic Schools Week kick-off Mass on Sunday at 11 a.m!
Looking Ahead
January 26th
- No School - Parent-Teacher Conferences (PreK - K1) and Professional Development (K2 - 8)
- Re-Enrollment Deadline (extended)
January 28th
- Catholic Schools Week Kick-Off Mass
January 28th-February 2nd
- Catholic Schools Week (See below for details)
February 14th
- Ash Wednesday Mass at 12:10 (PreK-8)
February 29th
- Coffee with the Principal
February 19th - February 23rd
- February School Break
March 6th
- Trimester 2 Grades Close (K2-8)
Catholic Schools Week
St. Mary's School is excited to celebrate Catholic Schools Week (CSW) from January 28th - February 2nd. CSW is an annual initiative to celebrate the impact Catholic schools have on the education and formation of children around the world. Please familiarize yourself with the schedule for our school below for information on the various events that will take place and the corresponding dress-down days for students. For more in-depth information, please refer to Dr. Nadjarian's recent Catholic Schools Week email.
High School Youth Group at St. Mary's
Do you have a child in high school who wants to get connected with a great community? Please see the flyer below for more details on the youth group at the parish!
Great Basketball Games This Weekend
It was another great weekend for our boys and girls basketball teams! Our boys team was able to secure their second win and our girls team fought hard in a very close game! Great job to all of our athletes. We love seeing this teamwork amongst our students!
Message From Nurse Catherine
Norovirus: St. Mary’s had several cases of the stomach bug last week. We did not have a cluster in any one classroom. If your student is home sick with a stomach bug please let me know.
The following information is from public health:
Norovirus is a very contagious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea. It is the most common cause of acute gastroenteritis in the United States (CDPH). Norovirus is also known as the “stomach bug” or “stomach flu,” but it is not related to flu viruses, which mainly cause respiratory illnesses. Anyone can get infected with norovirus, but older adults (65 years and older), young children (under 5 years old), and immunocompromised people are at higher risk for serious illness or death.
How is norovirus spread?
Norovirus lives in the stool or vomit of infected people.
You can get norovirus from:
Having direct contact with an infected person (for example, when caring for them or sharing food or utensils with them).
Eating food or drinking liquids that are contaminated with norovirus.
Touching objects that are contaminated with norovirus and then putting your unwashed hands in your mouth.
Because the amount of norovirus needed to infect a person is so small, people can very easily become sick from touching food, drinks, and surfaces contaminated with norovirus. Contamination can happen through direct contact with hands or surfaces that are contaminated with stool or vomit, or by tiny droplets from nearby vomit that can travel through the air.
What are the symptoms of norovirus?
Symptoms of norovirus are nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, and/or diarrhea. Some people also experience headaches, fever, chills, and muscle aches. Symptoms usually last for 1 to 3 days. However, during that period, people can feel very ill and vomit many times a day, sometimes violently and without warning.
How soon after exposure to norovirus will symptoms appear?
Symptoms usually begin 12 to 48 hours after exposure to the virus.
Parking Lot Prayers Resumed
After multiple Mondays away from Parking Lot Prayers due to school breaks and school Masses, it was great to gather for a lesson on this month's virtue - humility. Mr. Antonacci helped students understand that humility is not thinking less of ourselves but it is thinking of ourselves less. This key difference allows us to recognize our strengths and weaknesses, asking ourselves, "How can I serve God and my neighbor in this moment?"
After School Tennis Club
Our young student-athletes in Ms. McAuliffe's Tennis Club have been enjoying fun tennis workouts to end their day! Tennis Club offers a blend of fun and skill development for young athletes. Below you will find pictures of hand-eye coordination skills work with the racquet, and footwork to improve agility.
Italian Club
Ciao! The children in Italian Club had a great learning experience about the mask of Arlechinno. They learned all about the story behind the masks and there was a lot of laughter in the process!
K2
K2 began their American Symbols unit! Students will be identifying America’s national symbols and discussing their importance to our country. This week, they learned about the American Flag. Students created their own flags. They also wrote and illustrated a page in their journals!
Grades 1 and 2 Field Trip: Harvard Museum of Natural History
Grade 3
Students is Ms. K’s Grade 3 Writing Class brainstormed different ways to be kind. They came up with various ideas, such as helping to clean up spills, help those who are hurt, listening to others, using manners, and giving compliments. Students shared their lists with a partner, and then chose one idea for their “Kindness Mugs.” Ms. K reminded students to elaborate on their ideas and include the reasons why each idea shows kindness. Each cup of kindness will be posted on the bulletin board outside the classroom. Great ideas, Grade 3 students!
Grade 5
In 5th grade, students have started learning about how to research both sides of an argument in order to create a claim and support that claim with factual evidence. Students are working in research groups on the topics of whether animals should be in zoos, if we should research the ocean or space more, and if sharks are more dangerous to us than we are to them. They will present their finding at the end of the unit.
Grade 6
In math, students are feeling confident with solving proportions. So, Mr. Antonacci decided to give them a puzzle to put their knowledge to the test. "Calculate the height of the flagpole outside using proportions." At first, students were puzzled, but then they realized they could use shadows to measure the lengths and heights, which would allow them to write an equation to calculate the height of the flagpole!
Follow us on Social Media
Please find the links below to our social media pages. We have been constantly uploading posts and stories so if you are interested in seeing more of our day-to-day happenings, please follow us!
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/st-mary-of-the-assumption-school
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stmaryschoolbrooklinema