Principal's Weekly Newsletter
May 15, 2026
A Message from the Director of Admissions and Development, Mrs. Domenica Beiter
Dear St. Mary’s Families and Friends,
Casino Night was a tremendous success! Thank you to all the families, friends, and supporters of St. Mary’s who joined us for such a fun and memorable evening. A special thank you goes to James Bowman and Deacon Tommy Heyne for diligently planning for this event, and to Deacon Tommy and Brian Egan for bartending all evening! We are also grateful to Evan Duffy for the beautiful decorations and to the many parent volunteers who generously gave their time to help set up and to assist throughout the event. Thank you to all the community businesses, parents, and school staff who contributed silent auction items. We were especially honored to have Superintendent of the Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese of Boston, Mrs. Eileen McLaughlin, join us for the evening.
Thank you also to our generous sponsors, Brookline Dental Specialists, RLAW P.C., Goldfish Swim School, Fogo de Chão, and American Alarm for helping to make this event possible!
One of the highlights of the evening was celebrating Elisabeth Etaix alongside her family and friends as she received the very first S.T.A.R.S. Award. The St. Mary of the Assumption S.T.A.R.S. Award honors a community member who exemplifies the values of service, truth, academic excellence, respect, and spiritual growth. As one of our beloved St. Mary’s parents, Elisabeth has been an incredible supporter of both our parish and school for many years. She consistently demonstrates humble generosity, faithful steadfastness, and a deep commitment to the school’s mission through her four children, who attend St. Mary’s, and through her extensive volunteer work alongside her husband and family. Elisabeth embodies the S.T.A.R.S. values as an exceptional role model, and we are thrilled to celebrate her benevolence.
Thanks to the incredible generosity of our community, we raised over $25,000 for our students, with donations still continuing to come in. Thank you for helping make this event such a meaningful celebration for St. Mary’s and for the support that enables an incredible experience for all students at our school!
Eversource Challenge
This year’s Eversource Challenge was truly something special at St. Mary’s! What began as a classroom initiative quickly became a schoolwide celebration of creativity, hard work, and innovation. Under the leadership of Dean Kfoury, our students and teachers poured countless hours into creating thoughtful poems, eye-catching posters, inspiring artwork, and unique projects that truly thought outside the box. We are incredibly proud to represent St. Mary’s on a national level through this initiative! A huge thank you goes out to every teacher who supported the challenge, mailed in submissions, encouraged students, and celebrated their creativity along the way. An especially heartfelt thank you to the teachers who led projects directly with students and helped bring their ideas to life. Your dedication made this experience unforgettable for our children.
We also want to recognize Ms. Falcone, who drove all the way to Worcester to attend the awards ceremony and support our students, which is a wonderful example of the commitment and pride that make our school community so special. And of course, deep congratulations to this year’s winners: Emmi (K2), Teddy (Grade 3), Magnus (Grade 7), Lola (Grade 6), and Kenzie (Grade 6)! We are so proud of your accomplishments and the incredible way you represented St. Mary’s.
One parent shared words that perfectly captured the spirit of the event:
“I also want to say that the response of excitement and pride by you and your class as well as [teachers] and their classes (and all the other students within earshot) was a true testament to what makes St. Mary’s so special. The school pride was so evident in the celebration of one of their classmate’s/schoolmate’s accomplishments and it made it even more special for my son.”
Moments like these remind us that St. Mary’s is more than a school. It is a community that celebrates one another, lifts each other up, and takes pride in every student's success. Congratulations again to everyone involved in this year’s Eversource Challenge!
Mother's Day Tea
Last week, we had the joy of gathering with more than 120 incredible women for our Mother’s Day Tea as we celebrated the blessing of having such amazing mothers, grandmothers, and mother figures in our community! 💐☕️
It was a morning filled with laughter, conversation, and special moments shared across generations. This event was a beautiful reminder of the love and support that surrounds our school family. Thank you to everyone who joined us in honoring the women who nurture, guide, and inspire us and our students each and every day. 💕
First Holy Communion
Congratulations to our students who recently received their First Holy Communion! This special milestone in their faith journey was a beautiful celebration shared with family, friends, and our parish community. We are so proud of the students for their prayerful preparation and reverence as they received the Eucharist for the first time. May God continue to bless and guide them as they grow in faith, love, and friendship with Him.
Photos by Elizabeth DeRosa Photography.
Crowning of Mary
This week, our PreK through Grade 8 students gathered together for the beautiful tradition of the Crowning of Mary, led by Father Jonathan. Following the crowning by our First Communicants, students processed forward to honor Mary by placing flowers before her statue. As the Catholic Church celebrates May as the Month of Mary, this prayerful gathering gave students the opportunity to reflect on Mary’s love, faith, and importance in our school community.
Advocacy Day at the Boston State House
On Tuesday, May 12th, Dr. Nadjarian and Dr. Enrique attended Advocacy Day at the Boston State House. The Massachusetts Council for American Private Education hosted the event, which provided an opportunity to connect with fellow educators and advocates, hear from state legislators, and network with other local non-public school representatives to support students and families. Mary Goslin, Co-Chair of MA CAPE, the Associate Superintendent for Government Programs for the Archdiocese of Boston, welcomed attendees. Speakers highlighted the impact state grants have on students' well-being and safety, and access to special education support services. Superintendent of Catholic Schools, Eileen McLaughlin, celebrated the students who were in attendance, who came from all over the Commonwealth. The Federal Scholarship Tax Credit was explained and discussed, namely, how these funds would bring more resources for students in Massachusetts. Dr. Nadjarian and Dr. Enrique came back to St. Mary's renewed in their mission to advocate for students and families.
St. Mary's Girl Scouts
Infant
In honor of Our Lady of Fatima, the infant students listened to her story this week. In the small village of Fatima, Portugal, Our lady of Fatima appeared to 3 children: Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta. On May 13, 1917, while the children were praying the rosary, a bright light appeared on top of the oak tree, and Our Lady of Fatima appeared. She spoke to the children and said to them, “Pray the rosary every day to end the war and bring peace to the world. I will come here six more times on the 13th of every month.” And so she did. Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us and guide us to Jesus. Amen!
Toddler
Our toddler students have been exploring flowers through sensory play, flower stamping, art, and hands-on discovery activities. Along the way, they learned about the different parts of a flower and used their new knowledge to create beautiful flowers to crown Mother Mary as part of their classroom celebration. Throughout the week, these playful experiences encouraged creativity, fine motor development, language growth, and early science exploration.
To bring the unit to life, the students wrapped up the week with a special Garden Party, where parents were invited to join the celebration as the children planted seeds, sang songs, and enjoyed gardening-themed snacks. It was a joyful and meaningful way to celebrate all they had learned, just in time for the beautiful spring weather!
K1
K1 students have been exploring the world of famous artists and learning about their unique styles and contributions to art. Throughout the unit, they are studying artists such as Pablo Picasso, Frida Kahlo, Alma Thomas, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Henri Matisse. Inspired by what they learned, the students create their own artwork using techniques, colors, and ideas influenced by these celebrated artists. It has been exciting to see their creativity shine through each masterpiece!
Grade 3
Our third graders are getting hands-on with science as they begin a seed germination experiment! Students carefully placed seeds in wet paper towels inside plastic bags to create the perfect environment for sprouting. Over the next few weeks, they will observe changes, record their thinking in their science notebooks, and check on their seeds every few days. Once the seeds have germinated, students will transfer them to soil and continue tracking their growth.
Through this work, students are developing skills in making observations over time, recording data, and understanding how plants grow and change. They are beginning to explore how living things have life cycles and what plants need to survive, all while thinking and working like scientists!
Ms. Carr assessed our fourth grade students on Ascension Thursday after Mass during their Religion class using an interactive Kahoot. Students answered questions on individual whiteboards in response to prompts about Mass parts and prayers. They reflected on the readings of the day and Father David’s homily where he reminded us that Jesus is always with us. Ms. Carr guided students through the four parts of the Mass using our Sadlier text: the Introductory Rites, the Liturgy of the Word, the Liturgy of the Eucharist, and the Concluding Rites.
Grade 5
This week, students in grade 5 are starting a research project in reading. With a partner, students brainstormed and chose a topic of their choice. Within each topic they are planning to research multiple subtopics. Partners will work together to create a presentation on their topic, which they will share with the class.
In Mr. O'Connor's class, sixth grade science students have been learning about the Earth-Sun-Moon system. They explored how observations of the sky allowed humans to develop an understanding of these celestial bodies and how they interact with one another. Students explored how the Earth's rotation produces our cycle of day and night, as well as how and why this cycle changes throughout the year. They explored how Earth's revolution around the Sun, combined with the tilt of the axis, produces seasons. To review for an upcoming quiz, sixth graders were challenged to represent the relevant concepts using drawings that they created in small groups.
This week, students in Ms. Falcone’s Grade 8 Social Studies class wrapped up their unit on the Legislative Branch with a creative and collaborative project: designing board games that teach “How a Bill Becomes a Law” for Grade 2 students! Working in groups, students used their knowledge of the lawmaking process to create fun, interactive games that simplify important government concepts for younger learners.
