Principal's Weekly Newsletter

Dear Families,

In this second week of advent, I have been reflecting on the themes of hope and peace in my life. As the joy of Christmas approaches I can’t help but feel immense gratitude for the St. Mary’s community. Joining this community this year has been such a blessing. Every day I am greeted by a classroom full of welcoming and eager to learn smiles. As a school, the hallways are filled with acts of kindness and built upon fellowship between faculty and staff. Each day students are becoming the people they were created to be.

This was especially evident this week as we joined together for our Christmas Pageant. Students from our infant classes through 8th grade used their gifts and talents to immerse us into the Christmas season. Thank you to everyone who joined us and continuously support our students' growth and creativity. I pray that our entire community can find some moments of peace during this holiday season to give thanks for all the gifts that surround us and make our community so special.

I look forward to seeing the students return on Monday!

December 13

• 5-8 Girls Basketball Game at St. Theresa of Avila, West Roxbury at 10:00 a.m.

• 5-6 Boys Basketball Game at St. Theresa of Avila, West Roxbury at 11:00 a.m.

• 3-4 Basketball at Our Lady’s Academy at 1:00 p.m.

December 17

• Coffee with the Principal at 8:00 a.m.

December 19

• No EDP

December 20

• 5-8 Girls Basketball Game at St. Theresa of Avila, West Roxbury at 10:00 a.m.

• 5-6 Boys Basketball Game at St. Theresa of Avila, West Roxbury at 11:00 a.m.

December 22 - January 2

• No School - Christmas Vacation

January 5

• No School - Professional Development Day (Infant - Grade 8)

January 6

• Welcome Back!

January 9

• Discovery Day at 9:00 a.m.

• 5-8 Girls Basketball Game at Our Lady’s Academy at 6:00 p.m.

January 12-16

• MAP Testing

January 16

• 5-8 Girls Basketball Game at Jackson at 5:00 p.m.

• 5-6 Boys Basketball Game at Jackson at 6:00 p.m.

January 19

• No School - Martin Luther King Jr. Day

January 22

• Trimester 2 Progress Reports Released (Grades K2-8)

• Report Cards Released (Infant-K1)

January 23

• No School - Parent Teacher Conferences (Infant-K1) and Professional Development Day (Grades K2-8)

• 3-4 Basketball Game at Holy Name at 6:00 p.m.

January 25-31

• Catholic Schools Week

January 30

• 5-8 Girls Basketball Game at Jackson at 5:00 p.m.

• 5-6 Boys Basketball Game at Jackson at 6:00 p.m.

• 3-4 Basketball at Holy Name at 6:00 p.m.

February 1

• 3-4 Basketball Game at Our Lady’s Academy at 1:00 p.m.

February 6

• No School (Infant - Grade 8) - Professional Development- Staff Meetings

February 13

• No EDP

• 3-4 Basketball Game at St. Columbkille at 5:00 p.m.

February 14

• 5-6 Boys Basketball at St. Columbkille at 12:00 p.m.

February 16-20

• No School (Infant - Grade 8) - February Break

February 23

• Welcome Back!

February 27

• 3-4 Basketball Game at St. Columbkille at 5:00 p.m.

February 28

• 5-6 Basketball Game at St. Columbkille at 12:00 p.m.

If you are interested in purchasing Spa Pizza from January to June, please send a cash payment by 12/12/2025. Label the envelope with your child's name, grade, and number of slices.

We have 16 Fridays plus 3 Thursdays (02/05, 03/19 and 05/21) which total 19 days.

1 slice = $65

2 slices = $130

If you do not wish to purchase pizza please send a lunch from home. There will not be a hot lunch option on these days.

Our school community came together last week for a heartwarming evening of celebration at this year’s Christmas Pageant and Tree Lighting. Students from Infant through Grade 8 took the stage, filling the church with festive music, bright smiles, and the joyful spirit of Christmas. Each class shared a special performance, showcasing weeks of practice and teamwork.

A standout moment of the night was the Grade 5 Pageant, a beautiful retelling of the Christmas story. Their narration, acting, and songs reminded us all of the hope and wonder at the heart of the Advent and Christmas season.

Following the Pageant, families gathered outdoors for our annual Christmas Tree Lighting. The sing along and countdown, led by Dr. Nadjarian, made for a festive evening. Everyone enjoyed hot chocolate, cookies, music, and a special visit from Santa!

We extend a special thank you to Ms. Pereyra, our dedicated music teacher, whose guidance, patience, and passion helped bring every performance to life. We also extend sincere thanks to the Brookline Police Department for their support throughout the event, ensuring a safe and magical evening for all.

Students in grades 2-8 showcased their talents this week at the Paul Effman Experienced Band Concert. The show opened with two song by the violinists, who played a selection of festive pieces. The full band then took the stage, filling the auditorium with lively Christmas music and demonstrating the hard work and dedication they’ve put into their practice. We are so grateful to Band Director Jen Hawes, along with the Paul Effman staff and our supporting teachers, for guiding and encouraging our musicians throughout the year. Great job, experienced band members!

This week, students, faculty, and families gathered on Monday to celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, a feast that honors Mary being conceived without original sin. Fr. David explained that this special grace prepared Mary to be the mother of Jesus. He also shared one of his favorite images of Mary, describing why it inspires him and how it reflects her purity and love. His reflection helped our community better understand the meaning of the feast and deepen their appreciation for Mary’s place in our faith. Thank you to Fr. David, our lectors, altar servers, and beautiful student choir led by Ms. Pereyra for helping to make Mass beautiful.

In art class with Ms. Stawowczyk this week, PreK through grade 4 students celebrated the Feast of St. Juan Diego, the humble man to whom Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared in Mexico in 1531. Students learned about his faith and devotion and then created their own “tilmas” inspired by his story and the apparition of Mary. On the front of each tilma, they colored images of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Happy Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, today, December 12th!

This week in the infant classroom, students participated in an experience inspired by The Mitten by Jan Brett. After reading the story, the children explored soft textures, bright colors, and cause-and-effect as they decorated their own paper mittens with pom poms. This activity supported literacy, fine motor, and sensory development from practicing grasping and placing the pom poms, feeling the different textures, and engaging their curiosity.

This week in Ms. Bryna’s toddler classroom, the students learned about Advent and the Christmas story through a variety of hands-on activities. They explored the idea of light and its symbolism during Advent, then painted their own candles to add to classroom Advent wreaths. During their walk, the toddlers visited the church and observed the crèche, taking time to look closely at the figures in the Christmas scene.

Mrs. Porcello’s PreK class has been studying their five senses and doing different “tests” to see how senses work. They focused on an exciting sense on Thursday: taste! Instead of morning centers, they started their day by working together to bake their very own gingerbread cookies!

The students worked together to combine the cookie mix, butter, eggs, and water in a bowl. They used the stand mixer to mix up the dough, and they observed that the cookie dough looked just like the gingerbread playdough that they have been playing with throughout the week. Once they made the dough, the students rolled it out and took turns using the gingerbread man cookie cutter.

Next, the class took a trip down to the oven and baked their cookies! The cookies only took 8 minutes to bake, so they read the story "There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Spoon" while they waited. Students made sure to keep a close eye on the cookies just in case one of them wanted to jump out of the oven and run away! They are sure that all of the cookies stayed in the oven and didn't run away.

Once the cookies were done and cooled, the class had its official gingerbread cookie taste test! They all took a big bite together and then decided if they thought the taste of the cookies were yummy, just okay, or yucky. They also noted if our first bites were the head, arm, or legs.

Students in K1 have been learning all about their five senses. This week, they created a gingerbread-themed Five Senses Book to help them explore each sense in a fun and engaging way. They also practiced important fine-motor skills by cutting out the pages, coloring the illustrations, and assembling the book themselves.

K2 jet-set around the world this week! Students visited Mexico to celebrate Las Posadas and traveled to Israel to learn about Chanukah. Along the way, they added highlights to their travel journals and crafted festive poinsettias and menorahs as souvenirs to pack home in their “suitcases.”

Today in Religion, Miss Johnson’s first grade class read a short play about Joseph and Mary’s journey to Bethlehem. The students took turns reading different parts of the play, practicing their oral reading skills while bringing the story to life. They listened carefully to one another and followed along in their script as they learned more about the events leading up to Jesus’ birth.

This week in second grade math, Mrs. Sterge’s students took part in a hands-on project called “Presents and Parcels.” As part of their place-value practice, each student created a math equation using groups of tens and ones, then used those numbers to design a festive picture. After completing their creations, students participated in a gallery walk, solving one another’s equations and checking their understanding of place-value concepts. The activity not only reinforced key math skills, but also encouraged collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity.

This week in third grade, Ms. Kousidis’ class celebrated Saint Nicholas, their classroom patron saint! Students started by learning a little bit about Saint Nicholas and the wonderful inspiration he is to us all this season. Students then placed their shoes in the hallway, which were later filled with a special treat. After that, the third graders took a moment to reflect and think about an act of kindness they could preform in ‘secret’ during the coming week, just as Saint Nicholas did! They finished their celebration off with a relay, working together to fill their team shoe with cotton balls. After their relay race they went into the hallway and discovered that their shoes had been filled with chocolate gold coins and a special prayer to Saint Nicholas!

This week, 4th grade celebrated the feast day of St. Juan Diego, their classroom saint, on December 9th! They learned about St. Juan Diego's life and the lessons we can learn from the miracle of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Students then completed some writing and coloring activities as well as helping to add the final touches to their saint bulletin board.

This week, grade 5 students have been putting their literacy and speaking skills to work in the lead-up to our recent Christmas Pageant. They created their own scripts, practiced reading them with expression, and worked together to strengthen their clarity and confidence when speaking. They also read a variety of scripts as they practiced their performance. The final performance at the concert on Tuesday was a great celebration of their hard work and growing skills.

Dear St. Mary’s parents,you may have heard that we recently had our student council elections to vote on our SGA officials. This week, we had our first student council meeting and a town hall to introduce the way these meetings are going to run. Also, we started brainstorming ideas on how we can improve the school. For example, we discussed getting a suggestion box so students can fuel us with ideas if they are appropriate and serious. We also talked about an advisory program to strengthen the bond between teachers and students and peers. This is a portion of what we talked about; some of the rest is down below. If you have any questions, please let me know. Stay informed, and this year I can guarantee we will have a great year!

Some things that were discussed in the meeting:

• More study hall for Middle School
  
• Idea box for suggestions possibly will be expanded to the entire school
  
• Soccer net / soccer team
  
• Advisory program ( build Student Teacher Peer relationships)
  
• Ideas for service projects
  

This Monday our Middle School cohort officially launched the first official S.T.A.R.S. Student Government Association (SGA) session, marking an exciting new chapter in student leadership and student voice.

The “SGA Day” began with a working lunch meeting attended by our elected officials and moderated by Ms. Kfoury. Dr. Nadjarian was also in attendance and shared her vision, which was super helpful! We began in prayer, asking God for guidance, courage, respect, and unity as we work together in leadership and service. We explored the dynamic purpose of SGA, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and communication, to set the tone and expectations for our monthly working lunches - which will be a space for honesty, preparation, respect, and growth. We then used this time to prepare for hosting the afternoon town-hall meeting with the full middle school cohort.

The second part of the day was structured as a town-hall meeting with the rest of the middle school students. We began by identifying what we wanted to accomplish during the town-hall: opening lines of communication, hearing appropriate feedback, and gathering ideas directly from students. We started the meeting with prayer, before opening the floor to discussion and conversation.

This first S.T.A.R.S. SGA session set an intentional foundation for the year ahead. The honesty and leadership shown by our students was exciting, and we cannot wait for next month’s SGA day as we continue this important work together!

Please find the links below to our social media pages. We are 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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stmaryschoolbrookline/