Monday Morning Memo

Email: school@stmaryum.org
Website: stmaryum.org
Location: 4610 Largo Road, Upper Marlboro, MD, USA
Phone: 3016274170

Good morning parents!

As we enter into this Thanksgiving season, I am truly thankful for all the people that make our school wonderful. The support of all our parents, especially our room parents, HSA and SAB members, and other volunteers, is invaluable. Our dedicated staff members make our school a warm and welcoming environment for all students to grow and learn. Most of all, I am thankful for our wonderful students, whose kindness towards others and desire to learn make our school the best place to be each day.

Please know that my office is always open for questions, concerns, or just to say hello. I hope you have a wonderful week with your family.

Mrs. Lewis

All families should have received an email, text, and phone call from the school today as a test of our AP Notify system. If you did not receive these, please contact Mrs. Campbell in the front office (301)627-4170. With snow days quickly approaching, it is important that we are able to reliably notify families of closures and delays.

Grandparents' Day is this Wednesday November 27th. In an effort to accommodate all our visitors, including those family members from out of town, we will not be requiring Virtus certification to attend the reception, Open House, or Mass. There will be teachers assigned to all areas of the school to ensure the safety of our students during this event.

The day will begin at 8:30am with a light reception in the Family Life Center. Please park in the back or side parking lot and enter through the Family Life Center doors.

At 9:00, there will be an Open House where families can go into the classrooms to observe the learning taking place.

At 10:00, we will gather back in the Family Life Center gym for Mass. Students will be able to sit with their families during the service. After Mass, there will be a special performance from grades Pre-K through 3rd.

After the performance, students will be dismissed back to their classes. Families are welcome to take their children home at this time. Please make sure you sign your child out; your child's teacher will have a sign out sheet in the classroom for convenience.

The day will end at 12:30. All students not already picked up will be dismissed to car line. There is no aftercare on Wednesday.

We look forward to seeing all of you!

Mrs. Bagley needs parents for Santa's Secret Shop from December 1st-3rd. Parents do not need to be Virtus certified for set up on Sunday (beginning at 1pm), but do need to be Virtus certified for Monday and Tuesday (8-12 and 8-2 respectively). This a fun way to get service hours! Please contact Mrs. Bagley as sbagley@stmaryum.org if you are interested.

We need assistance decorating our school this weekend (November 30 & December 1). This a great opportunity for service hours and does not require Virtus certification. Help make our school festive for the holiday season! Please contact Mrs. Campbell at tcampbell@stmaryum.org if you are interested.

November 27: Grandparents Day; Reception 8:30am; Open House 9am; Mass 10:10am; 12:30pm Dismissal; No Aftercare

November 28-29: No School; Happy Thanksgiving!

December 6: Progress Reports

December 7: Christmas Craft Fair

December 9: 6:30pm Christmas Program

Dear St. Mary’s School Families,

Our school’s annual Christmas Program will be held on Monday, December 9th at 6:30 PM in the gymnasium. All are invited to attend! Students are asked to arrive by 6:15 PM, dressed in “Sunday Best” for their performance. They will sit with their class on the gym bleachers until it is their time to get on to the stage. Once their class’s performance is over, they will come off of the stage to sit with their class on the bleachers.

Our school’s band will perform first, promptly at 6:30 PM, followed by each grade’s performance in the order of Pre K to 8th Grade. The evening will conclude with a Nativity presentation narrated by 7th Grade, which should finish no later than 8:15 PM. We ask that you please stay for the entirety of the program, as a courtesy to other families and in the spirit of traditional audience etiquette.

Thank you and please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions.

Have a blessed holiday season!

Sincerely,

Mr. Ben Hardwick

St. Mary’s Music Director

bhardwick@stmaryum.org

267-884-6666

Each class is asked to bring in items to make a raffle basket for the Gala in February. Please bring in any donations to your homeroom teacher. The class with the basket that makes the most money wins a prize!

o Pre-K: Disney: anything Disney, big or small
o Kindergarten: Baking: specialty spices, bakeware, etc.
o 1st grade: Fitness: fitness bags, yoga equipment, small weights, resistance bands, water bottles,
o 2nd grade: Harry Potter: anything and everything Harry Potter from the books to mugs. If it has anything Harry Potter associated with it, we want it!
o 3rd grade: Dad Basket: specialty grilling items, Man Cave items, beer mugs, etc.
o 4th grade: Maryland: We are proud of our State and like to show it. If you see something that screams Maryland, grab it! Anything with our flag to crabs and Old Bay!!
o 5th grade: Coffee, Tea, and Chocolate: mugs, specialty coffee, a tea kettle, an espresso frother, any type of chocolate.
o 6th grade: Sports Fan: items for Ravens, Redskins, Nationals, Orioles, Capitals, Mystics, Wizards....or any of the actual balls/equipment from any sport
o 7th grade: Date Night: restaurant gift cards, movie passes, spa certificates, candles
o 8th grade: Lottery Tickets: scratch offs or cash