
Principal's Weekly Update
March 29th, 2024
A Message from Dr. Nadjarian
Dear Families,
The deadline for re-enrollment is just a couple days away! You have until April 1st to complete the re-enrollment packet. If the re-enrollment packet is not submitted by April 1st, your family's enrollment status will be considered withdrawn for the 2024-2025 academic year. Please reach out to Ms. DeLuca or myself if you need assistance!
Yesterday, on Holy Thursday, it was a beautiful sight to witness all of our students join with the parish for the morning prayer service. The innocence and great faith of your children can serve as models for us of simple and dedicated prayer.
As we journey through the sacred days of the Triduum, may you be filled with the love of Christ, may the sacrifice of Jesus inspire you, and may the hope of Easter fill your heart with joy. Wishing you a beautiful Triduum filled with reflection, prayer, and the abundant blessings of God's love.
Have a Blessed Easter!
Looking Ahead
March 29th
- No School - Good Friday
April 1st
- No School - Easter Monday
April 3rd
- School Mass at 8 a.m. for Easter Week (PreK - Grade 8)
- First Penance for Grade 2 (Families Welcome): 8:45 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.
April 6th
- 2024 Black and White Gala: 6 - 10 p.m.
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
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.
Holy Week Parish Schedule
Good Friday (March 29th)
- 9:00 AM Morning Prayer
- 3:00 PM Liturgy of the Word
- 7:00 PM Liturgy of the Word (at St. Lawrence)
Holy Saturday (March 30th)
- 9:00 AM Morning Prayer
- 8:00 PM Solemn Easter Vigil
- Masses at 7:30 AM (St. Mary's), 9:00 AM (St. Mary's), and 11:00 AM (St. Lawrence)
School Board Member Spotlight: Sarah Kelly
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.
Sarah Kelly is a Director, National Strategic Partnerships at Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, a national non-profit organization that fundraises for 170 local children’s hospitals across the country. In her role, she is responsible for management for the partnership with 7-Eleven, Inc., including Speedway® and Stripes® Stores. The partnership totals more than $18 million raised annually, primarily through customer donations made at point-of-sale. Sarah has been with CMN Hospitals since 2015, previously working in peer-to-peer fundraising and other corporate partnership roles.
Sarah moved to Boston in 2015 and is a parishioner at St. Mary of the Assumption. She serves as a Eucharistic Minister and lector at the parish and volunteers as a Eucharistic Minister at Boston Children’s Hospital. Sarah holds degrees from Auburn University in Human Development & Family Studies and Spanish. She was born and raised in Missouri and often returns to Kansas City to visit.
Thank you, Sarah, for your dedication to our school and community!
Evening of Academic Excellence
You asked and we delivered! On Thursday, it was great to be with so many of our 3rd through 8th grade families as we shared all about the initiatives and opportunities that set the St. Mary's experience apart for upper elementary and middle school students.
Here are a few key points our speakers talked about:
- Mrs. Bayazid helped our 8th graders this year receive over $750,000 in scholarships (and counting).
- Mrs. Enrique has made it possible for our students to be educated in 7 special classes, not to mention band, nutrition classes, and health classes. This well-rounded learning experience for your children contributes to them achieving MAP testing scores far above the Massachusetts average.
- Dr. Nadjarian has brought in an athletic director for the school, adding to the leadership and community experiences older students can receive on top of the Student Council and overnight trips.
Thank you all for attending! We look forward to hosting another similar event next school year.
Gala Around The Corner (A Message from Mrs. Salic)
St. Mary of the Assumption School Black and White Gala is around the corner on
April 6th, 2024 from 6:30 pm to 10 pm in St. Mary’s Parish Lower Hall!
We are excited to share that this event will be our main fundraiser for our 2023-2024 school year. Your support is integral for the continued academic excellence and values that are vital for our children’s education and growth. Childcare will be available onsite in the school cafeteria from 6:15pm - 10pm to ensure community attendance.
To purchase your tickets. please click on the link below:
This year, we will honor our School Board Co-Chair, Damien Leigh, for his work with our school and parish councils. He has been a parishioner at St. Mary’s for 5 years and resides in Brookline with his family.
Mr. Damien Leigh is Senior Vice President, Direct to Consumer at New Balance. He looks after New Balance’s e-commerce, retail, marketplace, and social commerce businesses on a global scale. Additionally, he is responsible for digital products and engineering. We are thrilled to have him on our School Board and as an Honoree at this year’s Gala.
“It is a great privilege for me to work with Father Gaspar, Dr. Nadjarian, The Board, and the staff. I believe the mission of our school is so authentically beautiful – providing for the spiritual and academic growth of young people. If I can help, in even a small way, then it’s a blessing for me.” Mr. Damien Leigh, honoree 2024
Your ticket purchases and auction bids will create scholarship opportunities, enhance our curriculum, athletics, and professional development for our teachers, and upgrade our facilities for our students. I look forward to seeing you on Saturday the 6th!
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.
Cinderella Performed By Boston Lyric Opera
Our PreK through Grade 5 students enjoyed a treat on Tuesday - the Boston Lyric Opera performed "Cinderella" in an interactive and outstanding way! The show featured our wonderful Julia Whitten (as Clorinda/Teaching Artist), Chihiro Asano (as Cinderella), Patrick Starke (as Prince Ramiro), and Patricia Au (as Pianist). Even though only our younger students got to witness the performance, the beautiful opera music echoed throughout the entire building!
"Adopt A Peep" Grades 2 & 3 Activity
In anticipation of Easter, Mrs. Fragola and Miss Kousidis combined their classes for a festive activity: Students adopted a peep! Each student took a peep candy into their family by measuring the “birth” height, weight, name, and creative facts. Not only did students get more practice in the scientific skills of measurement, but they also had a blast with the whole experience.
Dunkin' Learning Experience With Grades 2 and 3
Students engaged in a tasty activity to celebrate the end of their March Reading Madness! In order to earn a Dunkin' treat (donuts and hot chocolate) they were tasked to complete multiple challenges, such as adding receipts and writing activities. As a reward, not only did students earn treats, but they also got to dress in Dunkin'-themed colors, as well as decorate the classroom like a Dunkin' cafe! Thank you to Mrs. Salic for helping to organize this creative, fun, and tasty event!
Grade 5 Aquariums & Terrariums
Students in Mrs. Palmer's 5th grade class continued to take care of their terrariums and aquariums in their eco-columns. Living creatures are moving around inside and students are attentive to their needs. As a whole, the eco-columns, run like any ecosystem in which animals depend on the living and non-living things around them for survival. Students are monitoring the changes they observe each week.
Middle Schoolers With Their Buddies
Throughout the year, our middle school students have enjoyed meeting with their younger buddies! With the Easter season approaching, middle schoolers organized an Easter egg hunt for Miss Tiney's Kindergarten class. The Kindergarten students were filled with joy and excitement as they ran around Linden Park hunting for the eggs. These are the types of heartwarming experiences that both the younger students and the middle schoolers will remember forever!
Mr. Suriawinata's Genetics Lesson
Mr. Suriawinata’s 7th grade science class is studying the advanced unit of genetics in an engaging way. Students learned that for a given genotype, the phenotype can be expressed differently. An example the students discussed is a pig becoming a bore given the right environmental conditions even though the genotype remains the same. The students were locked in on the discussion!
Socratic Seminar on "The Giver"
Students engaged in a Socratic Seminar with their peers, developing a deep understanding of "The Giver" by posing and responding to questions and providing textual evidence to support their ideas. Our 6th graders did a great job discussing whether it is worth it to sacrifice freedom, love, and individuality for peace, contentment, and ease.
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