Principal's Weekly Newsletter
September 25, 2026
A Message from the Director of Admissions and Development, Mrs. Domenica Beiter
Dear St. Mary’s Families and Friends,
We just received word from the Town of Brookline, and they have informed us we are no longer able to move forward with the St. Mary's 5K as planned. They shared that the storm requires all personnel and municipal resources to be focused on emergency preparedness, and in order to ensure consistency across all scheduled town events, we have agreed not to host the event.
Early next week we will meet with the Brookline Police Department to choose a postponed date for the race. While we regret the timing of and are disappointed to share this incredibly difficult decision, we are excited for the Fourth Annual St. Mary's 5K to still take place later this fall! Please be on the lookout for future communication regarding a new date.
While a virtual race is an option under these unforeseen circumstances, what makes the St. Mary’s 5K so special is the opportunity to come together as a community in a spirit of sportsmanship, athleticism, and school pride. We want to preserve that tradition and celebrate the 5K together in person.
We pray that everyone has a safe weekend!
Looking Ahead
September 25
Paul Effman Band Registration due (Grades K2-8)
September 28-October 2
Fall MAP Testing Week (Grades K2-8)
Fall Clubs begin
October 5-October 9
Empowering God’s Children Lessons (PreK-8)
October 6
Picture Day
October 9
First Day of Paul Effman Band Lessons
October 12
No School - Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples’ Day (Infant - 8)
October 13
No School - Staff PD Day (Infant - 8)
October 16
Discovery Day from 9:00-12:00
October 23
Trimester 1 Progress Reports Released (Grades K2-8)
October 30
Halloween Costume Dress Down Day (Infant-8) and Parade at 8:15 a.m.
Progress Reports Released (PreK-K1)
EDP, Infant, and Toddler close at 3:30 p.m.
Trunk or Treat from 4:00-6:00 p.m.
November 3
No School - Staff PD Day (Infant - 8)
November 11
No School - Veterans Day (Infant - 8)
November 13
Evening at the Brookline Booksmith from 5-7 p.m.
November 20
Trimester 1 Grades Close (K2-8)
November 25-November 27
Thanksgiving Break (Infant - 8)
Parking Lot Prayers
This week’s Parking Lot Prayers were led by our eighth-grade students, bringing the K2-8 students and families together to start the week. Students reflected on this month’s Bible verse, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth” (1 Corinthians 3:6), considering how God works through our efforts and guides our growth. They opened the floor up to the rest of the community who offered prayer intentions for people in their lives, allowing us to pray for them together. The eighth graders finished with the Pledge of Allegiance and Monday morning announcements, getting the school community excited for a great week!
Back to School Night
Thank you to parents and guardians of PreK through Grade 8 students for attending our Annual Back to School/Curriculum Night this past Tuesday, September 22nd. Teachers were excited to open their classrooms and share their students’ work while presenting information about the curriculum, daily schedules/routines, technology usage, assessments, and other important information to strengthen the home and school partnership. Special subject teachers spoke with parents and guardians in the Auditorium about their unique roles in the School. We appreciate your commitment and continued support of our educators!
MAP Testing Rally
This week, we kicked off our autumn MAP Assessment season with a MAP Rally for kindergarten through 8th grade to get our students excited, confident, and ready to show what they know!
We got the party started with an inspirational video from celebrity Baby Drake, followed by some great advice straight from our students. They reminded their classmates that success starts with taking care of yourself: get to bed early, eat as healthy as possible, stay calm, take a deep breath, and, most importantly, do your very best! We ended by "making it rain" in the gym…ask your student what that means!
As we head into MAP assessment week next week, we encourage our families to help build excitement and confidence at home. Talk with your child about their goals, remind them of how much they have learned, and help them get plenty of rest and fuel their bodies for a great day of learning.
We’re all in this together! Let’s cheer our students on, encourage them to believe in themselves, and remind them that the goal is simply to try their best and show what they know. Good luck, SMA S.T.A.R.S.!
8th Grade High School Placement Update
That's a wrap on another wonderful week at SMAS, and Mrs. Bayazid would love to update you on our 8th graders' journeys to high school thus far. While she gets to wear many hats as the St. Mary's School Counselor, one of her favorite hats to wear is the St. Mary's High School Placement Officer hat. To date, we have had Sparhawk Academy, Boston College High School, Roxbury Latin, Milton Academy, and Noble & Greenough come to spend time with our 8th grade scholars. Next week, we will have Commonwealth, Catholic Memorial, Newton Country Day of the Sacred Heart, and Archbishop Williams coming to speak with our students, and more scheduled for the coming weeks! We’ve received glowing reviews from the high school reps regarding our 8th graders, as they are so mature, intelligent, kind, and motivated to learn and grow. The rep from Sparhawk has lovingly dubbed our five 8th grade boys the "fab five." We look forward to walking this journey with our 8th graders!
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