Principal's Summer Update

Dear Families,

It was such a pleasure to see so many of you at last week’s Early Childhood summer playdate! Our students and families had a great time reconnecting over snacks and popsicles as we gear up for the new school year.

As we get closer to the first day of school, please keep an eye out for additional updates and information. We’re excited to welcome everyone back for our Meet and Greet on Tuesday, September 2nd. This year, instead of ice cream, we’ll be celebrating with a Belgium Waffle Food Truck, a fun and delicious way to kick off the year!

Wishing you a wonderful start to August!

August 15

• Last Day of Summer Preschool Program

August 17

• Feast of the Assumption Parish Mass and BBQ at 11 a.m.

August 25 - August 27

• No School for Infant-Toddler Classrooms

September 1

• No School - Labor Day

September 2

• Student - Teacher Meet & Greet Social with All Belgium Waffle Food Truck

• Grades Infant - Grade 2 from 10:15-10:45

• Grades 3 - 8 from 10:45-11:15

• Welcome Packet Paperwork Pickup for Families

• First Day of School for Infants-Toddlers (September Enrollment)

September 3

• First Day of School (Grades 1 - 8) with Early Release at 11 a.m.

• No EDP - Bring a snack from home

September 4

• First Full Day of School (Grades 1 - 8) with dismissal at 2:25 p.m.

• No EDP - Bring a snack and lunch from home

• PreK - K2 Orientation with families from 9 - 10:30 a.m.

September 5

• First Day of School (Grades PreK - K2) with Early Dismissal at 11 a.m.

• No EDP - Bring a snack from home

September 8

• First Day of Extended Day Program (EDP)

• Brookline Lunch Program begins

September 10

• First Parent Volunteer Council Meeting at 8 a.m.

September 20

• 5K at 9:30 a.m.

September 23

• Bring lunch from home - Brookline Public Closed (Rosh Hashanah)

5K Registration is Now Open!

Exciting news! Get out your running shoes because it’s time for the THIRD ANNUAL St. Mary’s 5K!

📅 Saturday, September 20th at 9:30 a.m.

📍67 Harvard Street Brookline, MA

📋 Register using the link below! https://runsignup.com/.../StMaryoftheAssumptionSchool5K

👕 Be sure to be within the first 100 sign ups to guarantee your race shirt!

🎁 We love bringing our community together with this event! We have already secured some exciting prizes for this year’s raffle, so be sure to stick around after the race to try your luck!

📧 If you are interested in sponsoring this event or donating to our raffle please contact ddeluca@stmarys-brookline.org for more information!

Over the summer, our Middle School team got together to welcome Mr. Chris O’Connor's onboard and discuss important topics such as curriculum mapping, material ordering, the schedule, leadership opportunities and community service with our Dean of Students, Ms. Nicole Kfoury. Drs. Nadjarian and Enrique led the session. It was a wonderful time to connect before the busy back to school season!

Last week, teachers in our Infant through K1 classrooms met off-campus to discuss curriculum for the upcoming school year. Drs. Nadjarian and Enrique led the professional development session, allowing time for each grade level to share best practices, review timelines for report cards and progress reports, and discuss daily schedules. It was a fruitful time to come together just before the Early Childhood Team attends the Summer Institute with the Lynch Foundation in early August.

This week in the Infant Room, we are having so much fun celebrating “Picnic Week”!Our youngest students created their own healthy picnic plates filled with handmade treats crafted from their tiny hands and feet.

These prints turned into colorful fruits, veggies, and other “snacks,” giving the infants a chance to explore art, sensory play, and creativity all at once. It was a joyful (and very cute!) way to introduce healthy eating in a playful, hands-on way!

This week, our toddlers explored the colorful world of emotions through the book The Color Monster. During our read-aloud, we talked about different feelings and the colors that go with them helping the children begin to recognize and express their own emotions. Afterward, we sang If You’re Happy and You Know It, adding movement and joy to our learning.

For a fun STEM twist, the toddlers used pipettes to squeeze water, building their fine motor skills while identifying colors from the story. It was a meaningful and playful way to connect emotions, science, and early learning!

Myranda Stawowczyk graduated from Franciscan University of Steubenville in 2020 where she earned her degree in Theology and Catechetics. Through her combined experience working in the fields of education and ministry, she developed an appreciation for the integration of the fine arts and theology. Myranda is passionate about the role of the transcendentals in education, and looks forward to journeying through the mysteries of faith alongside her students this year. She joins St. Mary’s as the PreK-8 Visual Arts and Grades 5-8 Theology teacher. Welcome, Myranda!

Mackenzie Martin graduated from Bridgewater State University with a Bachelors degree in Elementary Education and History. She has taught ELA, History and Theology for the past two years at St. Francis Xavier School in Acushnet, Massachusetts and is excited to be the Grade 4 teacher at St. Mary’s in September. She is passionate about nurturing curiosity and creativity in her students through deep engagement with the content, especially in history and science. Welcome, Mackenzie!

St. Mary's Class of 1974, Michael Stuart and Bernadette Kennedy recently celebrated their 50th class reunion. Michael attended our elementary and middle school, graduating from 8th grade in 1970.

As they walked the halls and shared stories from their time at St. Mary’s, it was inspiring to hear how much the school has meant to them over the decades. Both Michael and Bernadette played on the basketball team and have fond memories of their days as students and athletes.

Their visit was a beautiful reminder of the lasting impact a St. Mary’s education can have, and the strong sense of community that spans generations. We are so grateful for their commitment and contributions to our school.

On Friday, we had a visit from Daniel Haggerty, an alumnus of St. Mary’s! Daniel attended Kindergarten-grade 4 at St. Mary’s in the early 1990s before his family moved outside of the city. He had Mrs. Jutras for fourth grade before she became principal of the school. He has fond memories of being close with his classmates and hanging out with friends from St. Mary’s.

Daniel is now a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and School Adjustment Counselor in the Boston area. It was so wonderful to have him stop by the school and to hear his stories and memories as he took a tour down the same halls he grew up in 30 years ago!

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/