Principal's Weekly Update

Dear Families,

We have exciting news! We have officially partnered with TRUE Robotics Inc, which is a program that inspires and educates students about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). TRUE Robotics provides teachers with professional development and students with a robotics kit, curriculum, and training service for a hands-on, all-in-one STEM experience for students in Grades 6-8. Students will be exposed to the latest technology by designing, building, and programing their very own robots. Currently, TRUE Robotics is based out of Worcester Polytechnic Institutes’ “Business Development Laboratory.” Our Middle School Teachers will begin professional development in January and will implement this new curriculum shortly after!

Have a safe and restful long weekend.

November 14th-18th: Thanksgiving Food Drive

November 16th:

• Walk-Around-Wednesday

November 23rd:

• Thanksgiving Liturgy at 9:30 a.m. (PreK-8)

• Thanksgiving Reception at 10:30

• Early Dismissal at 11 AM- NO EDP

November 24th-25th:

No School Thanksgiving Break

November 27th:

• Parish wreath making activity after 11a.m. Mass

November 28th:

• K2-8 Report cards go home

• Parent-Teacher Conferences begin
  

December 5th:

• Christmas Tree Lighting at 4p.m.
  

December 8th:

• Immaculate Conception Mass (PreK-8) 12:10 p.m.

December 9th:

• Admissions Open House

December 13th:

• School-wide Christmas Concert and Pageant

December 16th:

• Last Day of school before Christmas break

December 17th-January 2nd

• Christmas Break

January 3rd:

• Welcome Back!

This year, we are conducting the first annual Thanksgiving Pie Program to show our gratitude and appreciation for the teachers and staff members of St. Mary's. We are trying to reach our goal of 50 pies to be donated on Tuesday, November 22nd so that each staff member has a pie to bring home for Thanksgiving. Pies can be store bought or homemade and you can sign up to help here:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1TMs097CXR9NF3AURvSMXgBE2Iqg0Ad0k0mYfVSgY9SM/edit?usp=sharing

Any questions about ways to help? Contact Jayme Simovic at Jayme.simovic@gmail.com.

To accommodate many working parents and guardians, St. Mary’s is pleased to share that we will live stream the Christmas Band Concert and Pageant on Tuesday, December 13th starting at 8:45 am. The link will only be shared with current parents and guardians. If you do not want your child to be live-streamed, please email Dr. Nadjarian or Mrs. Enrique. Thank you!

Thank you to our 7th and 8th grade families and students for attending our High School Admissions Fair on Wednesday afternoon. St. Mary’s hosted nine private high schools in the Lower Hall of the Parish. Students and families had the opportunity to meet 1:1 with admissions ambassadors, ask application questions and receive important information. We are so pleased with this first event, and wholeheartedly thank Ms. Stroia, our 6th grade homeroom teacher, for organizing this!

The holiday season is racing towards us, so it must be time for our Annual Book Fair!

The Scholastic Book Fair will be open the 5th, 6th and 7th of December (M, T, W) with our Family Night happening on the afternoon of the 5th, right after the Tree Lighting!

We could not hold this event without you! Attached is a link to sign up for setup, cleanup, and working at the actual fair (helping children make difficult decisions and checking them out). I know that parents would most like to work the Fair when their child’s class is attending. Over the next week, the teachers whose students do not attend Library during the Book Fair days (1 Chambrelli, 2nd, 3rd, 6th, 7th and 8th) will sign up for a time to bring their class. If you would like to volunteer during the time your child’s class visits keep an eye out for the teachers to sign up. Otherwise, students will attend with Ms. B during their regular Library class time - which is already noted on the sign up.

PreK and K1 students are invited to attend with a parent either before or after school or during Family Night.

Thank you so much for your support!

Hello everyone!

I'm seeking instrumentalists for the 6/7/8th grade song! I'm primarily looking for string instruments and a bass player. Please reach out to me if you're interested in playing! asmith@stmarys-brookline.org

* if you're interested in playing at other times of the year, too, also reach out to me!

What is it?:

St. Mary's 5th graders lead us all in the true spirit of Christmas as they perform the annual nativity pageant. The band will kick off the performance followed by different grades performing songs throughout the pageant to help share the story we celebrate this time of year. We can't wait for you to share in their hard work and spirit!

Date: Tuesday, December 13

Time: 8:45 am directly following mass. Band will play first and the Concert/pageant will follow.

Location: The Saint Mary of the Assumption Church

Dress: Christmas best! This is a dress up day! Wear colors Red, Green, Black, White, Gold, and/or Silver to celebrate the festivities.

****Note: K1 (Creamer, Curley, and Schneider's classes) have the very adorable job of being our sheep in the pageant. K1 students should dress in all black, white, or brown, and Ms. Smith will provide them with their very own pair of sheep ears.

Thank you for sharing your amazing children with me in music class once a week. I can't wait for you to see all they've been putting together.

Best,

Ms. Smith

For students in grades 5-8, this survey is meant to gauge what teams we will be offering for this upcoming basketball season. Before we send out official sign ups, we want to see what our interest level is.

Basketball Survey

Students continued learning more about colors, monsters and “esqueletos”. Using their Spanish Calendar, they also practiced their morning and weekly routines.They are also doing such a great job singing in Spanish. Ms. Rocio is so proud of all of them because they are learning so much so fast!

Miss Crapo’s preschool class connected the story The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza by transforming their dramatic play area into a pizza parlor and tomorrow they will be making their own pizza for lunch!

Miss Crapo’s Pre-K classroom was transformed into a pizzeria today. The students read the story The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza and by following the visual story cue cards they were able to follow the steps to make a pizza just like the Little Red Hen. It was great to see so many academic components being taught: literacy, math, science and social development. Buon Appetito!

The K2 students have been reading the book called Turkey Trouble. The book describes different disguises that a turkey wears in order to avoid becoming the main course for Thanksgiving. The students got the chance to bring home a paper template of a turkey to create their own disguises. The students really let their creativity shine! Each student took turns to present their turkey disguise to their classmates. Everyone was so respectful of each other and showed their appreciation with loud rounds of applause.

Ms. Chambrelli's Grade 1 class kicked off their St. Cecilia celebrations this week!

Grade 3 is working with climate and weather, and every morning we predict the weather of the day. Making our own thermometers is the next step of understanding on how to read weather forecasts using thermometers.

Fifth-grade mathematicians worked with fractions as a whole class and in pairs. They used the Bridges Math manipulatives to spin and land on a fraction, then they had to color in the correct number of pie sections. It was a challenge when the fraction was larger and students had to simplify and reduce it or carry over to the next circle. This fun and interactive activity challenged the students while working collaboratively to problem-solve.

Grade 6 is making board games on Mesopotamia for their final project for this unit. They were tasked in applying questions based on content they learned into their game.

Final products will be showcased in next week's newsletter!

8th grade is working towards wrapping up their weaving projects!

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

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/stmarybrookline