![page background](https://cdn.smore.com/_fr/handwritten02.5d9241fd.jpg)
Principal's Weekly Update
April 8th, 2024
A Message from Dr. Nadjarian
Dear Families,
There was a lot of excitement that filled the classrooms and halls of St. Mary's today as students eagerly waited to watch the solar eclipse! The 5th Grade Class extended their Earth and Its Place in Space unit by experiencing a Solar Eclipse Party. Solar glasses were provided to each student, so that they could safely experience the moment. Solar themed snacks were also provided to the class to enjoy. Thank you to Mrs. Kerry Do for organizing this special event!
Be on the lookout for a separate newsletter highlighting our amazing Gala.
Have a wonderful start to the week, and we look forward to seeing you tomorrow at Mr. Antonacci's Family: the First School discussion at 8 a.m. in the school cafeteria!
Looking Ahead
April 9th
- Family: The First School (Session 3) Talk & Discussion: 8 a.m. in the School Cafeteria
April 12th
- No EDP
April 15th - 19th
- No School - April Break
April 27th
- 5th Annual Southern Massachusetts Catholic School Honor Band Concert: 1 p.m. at Quincy Catholic Academy
May 3rd
- Progress Reports Released (K2 - Grade 8)
May 7th
- World Language Celebration: 1:45 p.m.
May 9th
- School Mass: Ascension of the Lord: 12:10 p.m. (PreK - Grade 8)
May 13th
- Crowning of Mary Procession: 8 a.m. (PreK - Grade 8)
May 17th
- No School (PreK - Grade 8): Professional Development Day for Staff
May 21st
- Spring Concert (PreK - Grade 8): 8:45 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. in School Auditorium
May 31st
- International Family Festival: 4-5:30 p.m.
June 3rd
- Field Day
June 5th
- Commencement Mass for 8th Grade Students: 10 - 11 a.m.
- Reception to follow for students and their families
June 7th
- Paul Effman Band Concert: 8:30 - 9:15 a.m.
School Board Member Spotlight: Kitty Boles
Over the next few weeks, we will continue to spotlight our incredible school board members. They are indispensable members of our community who are responsible for big-picture planning, such as directing the vision of St. Mary's, budgeting, and discussing curriculum.
Kitty Boles taught at the Harvard Graduate School of Education for 25 years, serving as Senior Lecturer on Education and Director of the Learning and Teaching Master’s Program until her retirement in 2018. Kitty was a classroom teacher for over 20 years before earning her doctorate at Harvard. With her colleague, Vivian Troen, Kitty has written extensively about school reform, teacher education, new forms of teacher leadership, and the connection between educational research and teaching practice.
Kitty lives in Brookline with her husband Barney. They have a son, Henry, who lives in Utah with his wife and two children, and a daughter, Molly, who lives in Uruguay. Kitty loves to travel, and in addition to visiting her children and grandchildren, she enjoys trips to New York City and Paris for good food and theatre. Kitty is a parishioner at St. Mary’s and an active member of the St. Vincent de Paul Society.
Thank you, Kitty, for your dedication to the St. Mary's community!
Southern Massachusetts Catholic School Honor Band Concert
We have big news to share with you! 15 students from St. Mary's were hand-selected by Paul Effman Music Service to represent the school at the 5th Annual Southern Massachusetts Catholic School Honor Band Concert. The concert will take place on April 27th at 1 p.m. at Quincy Catholic Academy. They will rehearse for over 12 hours and perform an amazing concert, so we invite you to support them and congratulate them!
Hand-Selected Students:
- Stella Belculfine
- Alexandria Clement
- Willow Davies
- Grace Do
- Samuel Elwood
- Paloma Gaglia
- Ava Holley
- Adira Jones
- Cleio Kellis
- Emilia Maciejuk
- Kennedy McConnell
- Griffin Miller
- Vivienne Skelly
- Tripp Strahm
- Max Vianello
Community Service Opportunity!
Our amazing BC nursing students are participating in a project that benefits a community in need. Lauren and Lena have decided to collect diapers and baby wipes for the St. Mary's Center for women in Dorchester and have asked for our help in collecting these items.
Underwater Robotics Club
Specialist Highlight: Mrs. Soukas
At St. Mary's, we strive to create a supportive and engaging learning environment where students can develop a love for reading. Mrs. Soukas, the St. Mary's reading specialist, plays a pivotal role in the process. We offer a balanced literacy program, focusing on phonics, vocabulary development, and reading comprehension strategies. Students take part in read-aloud, partner reading, independent and guided reading, and a writer's workshop. Our teachers receive training in Heggerty and Fundations to be equipped with the necessary skills to effectively address the diverse needs of students!
Hot Off The Press! (Newspaper Club)
PreK
Pre-K student-artists finished their mixed media project inspired by Monet's water lilies! Students painted backgrounds with watercolor and then ripped paper to create lily pad shapes on their paper. Flowers were added with crinkled tissue paper to create an impressive masterpiece!
K1
On one of the days in Mrs. Curley's class, students learned all about the sun and the moon, including fun facts and features. Then, they made the learning sink in by painting those celestial objects. Students were over the moon about this week's learning!
Grade 2
This week, Mrs. Fragola's family came in to do an activity to prepare students for their First Penance. Mrs. Fragola's grandmother and aunt joined the students in creating lambs out of yarn and clothespins. Students also discussed why the lamb is important as it represents the offering of redemption and atonement for sin. It was beautiful seeing so many students receive the sacrament of penance from both Mrs. Fragola's and Mrs. Sterge's classes!
Grade 3
Grade 3 students brainstormed a list of activities that help them feel refreshed, recharged, and ready to give their best selves to others. Then, they personalized the list on their own monarch butterfly, listing their top 3 activities. Some students turn toward talking to friends/family, while others enjoy walking their dogs outside.
Grade 4
4th grade students began working on constructing windmills in groups. After learning about different types of energy, students engaged in this hands-on challenge to design the most effective windmill using household materials. Next week, we will see which windmill generates the most power. In order to measure this, a cup will be lifted by the windmills, and washers will be added incrementally until the windmill can no longer generate enough power to make the cup rise.
Grade 5
Happy Poetry Month! 5th grade completed their poetry unit in which they wrote, read, and analyzed poems. To finalize the unit, each student chose their favorite poem that they wrote and decorated it with artwork. You can find the poems filling the 3rd floor hallway!
Middle School Highlights
Below is a glimpse of the middle school experience at St. Mary's. To see more, reach out to Ms. Allen (gallen@stmarys-brookline.org) to be included in the Middle School Newsletter mailing list!
A few of Ms. Allen's 6th grade students soaking in the sun in the classroom!
Mr. Suri teaching 7th Grade science, highlighting the differences between genotypes and phenotypes.
Mr. Febesh's moon phases activity, using Oreos to model.
Mr. Antonacci's 6th grade math class mastering calculations of volume to wrap up their unit on geometry.
Student Council discussing a trip to AABA Assisted Living and ideas for an 8th grade adventure trip.
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