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Principal's Weekly Update
May 24th, 2024
A Message from Miss Domenica DeLuca
Dear Families,
Thank you to all who have re-enrolled for next year. If you haven't re-enrolled your child for the 2024-2025 academic year, there is still time! Classes are starting to reach capacity, so please log onto FACTS/SIS Family Portal to complete the re-enrollment process and secure your child's seat for next year.
If for any reason your family will not be re-enrolling, we ask that you still log into the FACTS/SIS Family Portal and select the "Will Not Re-enroll" option.
If there are any extenuating circumstances regarding your family's decision to re-enroll, please let us know. If you have any questions about the re-enrollment process, please reach out to Ms. DeLuca at ddeluca@stmarys-brookline.org.
Looking Ahead
May 27th
- No School (PreK - Grade 8): Memorial Day
May 31st
- International Family Festival: 4:30 - 6 p.m.
- EDP ends at 4:30 p.m. (Dismissal at Harvard St.)
June 3rd
- Field Day at Larz Anderson Park (10 a.m. - 1 p.m.)
- No EDP
- Trimester 3 Grades Close (Grade 8)
June 4th
- Rain Date for International Family Festival: 4:30 - 6 p.m.
June 7th
- Trimester 3 Grades Close (PreK - Grade 7)
June 5th
- Commencement Mass for 8th Grade Students: 10 - 11 a.m.
- Reception to follow for 8th grade students and their families
- Report Cards Released for Grade 8 only
June 7th
- Paul Effman Band Concert: 8:30 - 9:15 a.m.
June 10th
- Science Fair (Grades 6-7): 12:45 p.m.
June 12th - 13th
- Uniform Swap
June 13th
- Report Cards Released (PreK - Grade 8)
- Social Studies Fair (Grades 3-7): 12:45 p.m.
- Last day of EDP (Ends at 6 p.m.)
June 14th
- Last Day of School and Early Dismissal at 11 a.m. (PreK - Grade 7)
- No EDP
Graduate Spotlights!
This week, we are spotlighting two more of our 8th-grade graduates - Julia and Lukas. We are incredibly grateful for their joy and presence in our St. Mary's community. Thank you, Julia and Lukas, for your extraordinary example to our school!
Julia
Julia's favorite memory at St. Mary’s is when she first arrived in 6th grade. Julia said “I was really nervous when I had to go to a new school, but when I arrived at St. Mary’s everyone was so welcoming. St. Mary’s has a wonderful small community where everyone is so kind and respectful.” On the first day, she came home with some new friends and a smile on her face. The main thing Julia will miss from St. Mary’s is the 8th grade classmates and teachers. Julia says she will be sad to leave St. Mary's but she is excited to start at the Newman School. Julia is really excited for new beginnings, but she will never forget the wondrous things St. Mary's has taught her in the past years, and she will use those teachings throughout her life.
Julia - we will miss your cheerful spirit and positive outlook towards each day. We are excited to see you thrive in high school!
Lukas
Lukas has been at St. Mary's since 6th grade. Lukas is thankful for the teachers and friends he has met at St. Mary's and the help and guidance they have provided along the way. Outside of school, Lukas has joined the St. Marys crew team. Lukas will dearly miss his teachers and friends that he met throughout his time at the school.
Thank you, Lukas, for your great sense of humor and your constant efforts. We will miss you!
Field Day Announcement
If this is your child's first Field Day, Field Day is an event in which students enjoy a variety of games and athletic contests, emphasizing teamwork and a fun time with the help of teachers and parent volunteers!
-When? 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Please drop off your child directly at Larz Anderson Park at 10 a.m. There will be no supervision before 10 a.m. There will be no classes held at school. When you drop off your child, there will be many volunteers and staff members dedicated to guiding your child throughout the day. All children must be picked up no later than 1 p.m. There will be no EDP.
-Where? Use the following park address to ensure you are arriving at the correct location in the park: 293 Goddard Ave, Brookline, MA 02445. Families are responsible for transportation to and from the field. Students in upper grades should not walk to Larz Anderson as there are no sidewalks en route.
-Attire: Please make sure your child is dressed in the proper attire for their grade level (see below) with comfortable outdoor shoes. Don't forget sunscreen, a hat, and water!
PreK and K1 – St. Mary’s tee shirt
K2 - tie-dye
Gr 1 - navy
Gr 2 - red
Gr 3 - white
Gr 4 - green
Gr 5 - yellow
Gr 6 - purple
Gr 7 - orange
Gr 8- tie-dye
-Lunch and Hydration: Please have your child bring a nut-free bagged lunch and a water bottle to fuel the activities. We will have additional water available. No money is necessary. The school will provide ice cream!
-Note: In the event that Larz Anderson Park is not able to be used for Field Day (e.g. Raining on Field Day or a wet field from prior rain), St. Mary's School will be used for the Field Day. This would be a full school day with regular school hours. An announcement will be made and communicated to all families via email at least 24 hours in advance.
We look forward to a fun and memorable experience on Monday, June 3rd! Please return your child's permission form by Wednesday, May 29th.
News From Nurse Catherine
In Massachusetts's schools, sunscreen is considered an over-the-counter medication. If you would like me to apply sunscreen or supervise your student applying sunscreen during the school day please request the required medication form. Forms must be completed and signed prior to application of sunscreen during the school day. Sunscreen must be provided by parents with the student's name on the package and will be kept in the health office.
Students should be wearing proper footwear during the school day for gym and recess. If your student has a dress-down day and is wearing an open-toe shoe please send in a pair of sneakers so they can change into them. This will decrease the chance of injury.
I hope everyone has a safe Memorial Day weekend. Keep all veterans in your thoughts and prayers especially those who paid the greatest sacrifice.
St. Joseph’s Cemetery in West Roxbury has an annual Memorial Day mass at 9am.
Bigelow Chapel in Mount Auburn Cemetery has an open house on May 26th 1pm-4pm.
Boston Common is covered with 37,000 American Flags each one representing a Massachusetts resident who paid the ultimate price for our freedom. If you are in Boston this weekend check it out! It is an awesome sight to behold. Annual Memorial Day services in Boston are on May 27th at 11 am at the Veterans Memorial Park in the Back Bay Fens.
Reminder: Next week is the last week of clubs!
First Communion
On Saturday, May 11th, our second graders received their First Holy Communion. It was edifying to see how they thoroughly prepared for the sacrament with reverence and understanding. There was also a great celebration afterward with their families and friends! May they feel the warmth, comfort, and love of the Lord every day, especially in the gift of the Eucharist.
Spring Concert
This week the school welcomed over a hundred family members into the auditorium for the Spring Concert! All of the students did an amazing job performing and it was such a joy to watch! Thank you to Miss Annie, Mr. Lynch, and Miss Whitten for working so hard to prepare our students, and to make this concert wonderful. Thank you also to all of the parents and family members who came to watch and support the students. Events like this one are special when we get to share them with our school community. Finally, thank you to our student stage managers and tech crew who helped ensure a smooth event. What a memorable event!
Honor Band Concert at Faneuil Hall
Take a look at some photos from the Honor Band concert at Quincy Market on Tuesday. Students who performed in this concert came directly from the St. Mary's Spring Concert. It was amazing to see the students' dedication to 2 musical performances in one day! Thank you, Mrs. Hawes, for preparing the students!
International Family Festival
The International Family Festival is one of the most popular events at our school, gathering a wide variety of cultures from miles away in one space outdoors at St. Mary's. See below for more details about this fun night!
PreK
Take a look inside Miss Crapo's PreK class! On Monday the class had so much fun at stations looking at new books in the library area, working on their counting, one-to-one correspondence, and number recognition with number locks and keys and animal number sequencing puzzles! They also created dot-paint spring flowers and enjoyed some fun outside playtime!
In Miss Porcello's PreK class, students completed some fun activities in the morning like painting with fly swatters! They had a very special surprise. After reading a story about butterflies, they got their very own cup of caterpillars! They are going to observe these caterpillars every day and watch them turn into butterflies! They have a special chart to track how many days until the caterpillars change into butterflies.
K1
K2
Grade 1
This week, Grade 1 students practiced writing 2-3 syllable words, worked on finishing up their number corner books, and presented information about jobs. Pictured below is a student presenting about his dad's job as a neurologist!
Grade 2
Students have been working on a research project about animals and habitats. Students picked an animal and researched the animals habitat and how animals adapt to their environment to thrive there!
Grade 3
This week in Ms. Kousidis’ third-grade class, students were working to publish their fairytale adaptation stories. They were using a website called BookCreator to add pictures and drawings to their stories. They will also be adding front and back covers!
Grade 4
After creating fraction cards, 4th grade students brought all their cards to the center and talked through best strategies to order the fractions from least to greatest. Students first strategized finding the least common denominator, then they tried grouping the cards into piles that are less than 1/2, equal to 1/2 and greater than 1/2. Great work 4th grade mathematicians!
Grade 5
Students in the 5th grade are preparing for the Social Studies Fair. As part of the fair, the 5th grade will be presenting historical figures they have researched by holding a Wax Museum. They will also show off the trifold poster and presentations they have created.
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!
Middle school volleyball playing competitively in their volleyball tournament - well done!
Students completing analysis papers of poems they are reviewing in class.
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