7 August 2026

Why Am I Here?

A child by the water, a line and a hook,

found a question too big for the pages of a book.

but a quiet becoming, a slow, daily unfold.

Not the child that s/he was, not yet who s/he'll be,

just today's honest noticing — did I live faithfully?

Where was I patient? Where did I fall short?

Grace doesn't keep score. It just calls us back to the shore.

So we ask it together — God, grit, and grace —

not once, but each morning, each ordinary day.

Not perfect. Not finished. Just faithfully here,

becoming, and becoming, one small choice at a time.

A Story About Becoming-The-Best-Version-Of-Yourself!

Author: Matthew Kelly

Max is a curious boy — curious about other countries, about animals and nature, and about life itself. One day, while fishing with his grandfather, Max stumbles onto the ultimate question: “Why am I here?” His grandfather offers a simple, powerful answer: Max is here to become the-best-version-of-himself.

In the days and weeks that follow, Max begins noticing when he is — and when he isn't — living out that answer. It becomes the touchstone for his decisions, guiding his words and actions and growing his self-awareness. It's a gentle, memorable lesson for children of all ages about living with passion and purpose.

Talk About It as a Family:

• What do you think it means to become “the-best-version-of-yourself”?

• Can you think of a moment today when you were living your best self? What about a moment when you weren't?

• Who is someone in your life, like Max's grandfather, who helps you become a better version of yourself?

Why Am I Here? was chosen to kick off the year because it asks the same question we're asking together as a school this year — who we are, and who we're becoming.

Look for a new Book of the Month in every newsletter!

Before Day One

☐ Finish any outstanding enrollment paperwork

☐ Apply for the Idaho education tax credit, if you haven't already

☐ Confirm your bus / pickup / drop-off plan — knowing the routine helps everyone stay safe during busy arrival and dismissal times

☐ Label lunchboxes, water bottles, and jackets

☐ Check that uniforms still fit

☐ Order Uniforms @ Lands End

☐ Update health forms or allergy info if anything's changed

First Week Basics

☐ Know your child's teacher and the best way to reach them

☐ Note the Friday Mass schedule and any Mass-day dress expectations

☐ Calendar early dates — Blessing of the Backpacks, first all-school Mass

☐ Bookmark The Lion's Share (the school newsletter) so you don't miss updates

Settling In

☐ Set a simple after-school routine — snack, downtime, homework

☐ Find one good way to ask about their day (not just "fine")

Nice-to-Haves

☐ Sign up to volunteer, if you'd like to get involved

☐ Add school dates to your family calendar

We know it's hard to keep track of everything — Mass schedules, early dismissals, sports, and all-school events like the Back-to-School BBQ. To make it easier, you can now subscribe to the St. Mary's calendar directly in Google Calendar. Once it's set up, school events will show up right alongside your personal calendar and update automatically whenever something changes on our end.

Click on the button below for a short step-by-step guide to get you connected. If you run into any trouble, reach out to Dr. B (mbordeleau@stmarysmoscow.org0

Middle School PE Update

You may have noticed a change to the middle school PE schedule this year, and we wanted to share the thinking behind it.

In the past, PE periods were shorter, and our schedule didn't include a morning recess. This year, middle school PE periods are longer, and we've built in recess time that wasn't there before. When you add up the longer PE blocks and the daily recess, our middle schoolers are actually getting more total time to move, socialize, and take a break from academics than they did under the old model — even though the number of PE class periods is fewer. The remaining time is going toward protecting instructional time for our core subjects, which we also have to weigh carefully to keep our academic program strong.

We don't take this tradeoff lightly, and we want to be upfront that we'll be evaluating how it's going throughout the year. If it turns out the balance isn't right, we'll adjust.

Our 2026–27 Family Directory will be included in your Welcome Packet at the Welcome BBQ on August 20. It's a handy way for St. Mary's families to connect with one another throughout the year.

If you'd prefer to have any of your family's information removed from the directory before it's distributed, please let Dr. Bordeleau know by August 10 at mbordeleau@stmarysmoscow.org.

We can't wait to see you at the BBQ!

Welcome to the St. Mary's Lion's Den! (Link below - please bookmark it today).

This site exists because your family's time is valuable, and staying connected to St. Mary's should be simple. The less time you spend hunting for a form or wondering who to ask, the more time you have for what matters — your kids and being part of our school community.

Think of this as your go-to starting place. Calendars, forms, handbooks, and more — if you need it, look here first. We've done our best to make it easy to find what you're looking for, and we'll keep it updated as things change throughout the year.

This is a Google Site and something we are developing. Feedback on what's not working, how it's organized, or what could still be added would be incredibly helpful.

And if something's missing? Please tell us. The Lion's Den belongs to our whole school family, and it gets better when we build it together. When in doubt — start here. We've got you.

Dr. Marie Bordeleau

As we finalize plans for the 26-27 Hot Lunch Program it would be helpful to have everyone complete the short survey - click on the button below.

Moscowanna

Join our school booth on August 15, from 4–8 PM — or for as long as you can stay! A fun community event and a great chance to represent St. Mary's.

RSVP to Cassandra — Cassmarie29@gmail.com

Ministry Expo — August 23

We'd love to see kiddos in their Mass uniforms and parents at our table. Bonus: anyone who stops by in uniform gets a free dress coupon!

Email Cassandra if you can help man the table — Cassmarie29@gmail.com

ONGOING VOLUNTEER ROLES

Auction Decorating Lead

We're looking for a Decorating Lead for the Auction as planning begins this fall. If you have a creative eye and love bringing a room to life for a big event, this could be your role — as much or as little support as you'd like to bring together. Email fundraising@stmarysmoscow.org

Ongoing need — Email Dr. B (mbordeleau@stmarysmoscow.org)

Middle School Wood Art Project

We'd love to create a piece like this reclaimed wood geometric wall art for our middle school: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1796622556/reclaimed-wood-wall-art-geometric-wooden

Looking for someone with woodworking skills (cutting and assembly) who can lead the project and work directly with our middle schoolers to bring it to life together. If this isn't quite the fit for your skills or interests, no worries at all — we're glad to keep looking.

Archivist

Help organize the treasured items that celebrate our school's rich history — a meaningful, flexible role for anyone who loves preserving a story.

Help Us Think Through Volunteering

We're still early in figuring out what a simple, sustainable volunteer approach could look like at St. Mary's. Looking for one or two parents to kick around ideas over coffee — no experience or commitment required, just an interest in helping us think it through together.

Coffee with Dr. Bordeleau — mbordeleau@stmarysmoscow.org

CAMPUS CLEAN-UP & ORGANIZATION DAY

We're pulling together a team of 5+ parent volunteers to help clean out and organize our campus. If you're handy with organizing spaces, don't mind a little elbow grease, or just want to pitch in for a good cause, we'd love to have you. Once we have our team, we'll find a Saturday that works for everyone.

Banners

☐ Clean and rehang the banners — so they are all level

Paint Touch-Ups

☐ Cover scuff marks on walls — with matching paint

Janitor's Closet (Main Floor)

☐ Clean out the closet — including the sink

☐ Wash all the mops — janitor's supplies, kitchen mops, etc.

Lost & Found

☐ Sort through items and ready the section for the new year — usable items go to the Hope Center, the rest to the trash

Interested? Reach out to Dr. Bordeleau to join the clean-up team, sign up for an event, or grab coffee to talk volunteering.

Thank you for being part of the St. Mary's family.

Before our first fire drill of the year, we're asking every family to read St. Mary's Emergency Preparedness Plan, linked below. It covers how our staff are trained, how we'll communicate with you during an emergency, and the shared vocabulary — Hold, Secure, Lockdown, Evacuate, Shelter — your child will hear and practice at school this year. Please take a few minutes to read it and make sure your emergency contact and medical information on file is current. This is one of the most important things we ask of you all year.