Principal's Weekly Newsletter

A Message from the Art Teacher, Ms. Myranda Stawowczyk

Dear St. Mary’s Families and Friends,

Thank you so much to all of you who attended our Evening of the Arts this past Tuesday. It was a tremendous success that could not have happened without the help and support of our incredible team here at St. Mary's. What made the evening particularly special was our talented student musicians who generously shared their gifts with us under the leadership of Ms. Pereyra. They have been hard at work in their preparation to weave beautiful music into the tapestry of this event, and for that I am so grateful.

Throughout the year, students have been working on projects inspired by sacred art, particularly in the tradition of the Catholic Church. One of my favorite projects were our oil pastel candles, inspired by George de La Tour's paintings depicting St. Joseph and St. Mary Magdalene. Not only are his paintings captivating meditations on the lives of Christ and the saints, they are also excellent teaching points for explaining the element of value to the students before inviting them to try their own hand at achieving light and darkness in their artwork. For some of our students, this was the first time they worked with oil pastels - it was thrilling to see these students start to get the hang of the medium and enjoy the process of and confidence with color blending.

One of the crowd-favorites of the night were the abstract self-portraits done by our K1 students. They explored color, line, and shape in these abstract self-portrait projects. While looking at the work of Wassily Kadinsky, Paul Klee, and Joan Miró, we discussed the power of these different elements in conveying different emotions and ideas. We then talked about what colors we would choose to convey different emotions such as joy, sadness, peace, and excitement. Students experimented with drawing different lines and shapes while practicing overlapping crayon-drawn forms with watercolor and observing the ways these different mediums interact with one another. I interviewed each of them and asked them "to strike a pose" before snapping their portrait that they later pasted on. I loved the way their personalities and responses to the questions matched the bright colors and lively shapes they created in their backgrounds.

Seeing the lower hall packed with students proudly showing their work to their parents, pictures being taken of the young artists in front of their work, and our St. Mary's community celebrating the arts together filled me with immense gratitude and appreciation for this school and the wonderful families that we are blessed to partner with in the formation of their children. Thank you again for all of your kind words, encouragement, and support.

Have a great long weekend!

Looking Ahead

May 25

No School (Infant - Grade 8) - Memorial Day

May 27

Parent Volunteer Council and Coffee with the Principal at 8 a.m.

May 29

Spring Singing Concert (Infant- Grade 8) at 8:30 a.m.
Dress Down Day - Colorful Spring Best

June 1

Field Day - Details to follow via email

June 2

Drama Class Performances (Grades 3-8) at 8:15 a.m. in the Lower Church Hall

June 4

Paul Effman Spring Band Concert (Grades K2-8) from 8:30 a.m. - 9:15 a.m.

June 5

Multicultural Dress Down Day
Trimester 3 Grades Close (Grade 8)
EDP and Infant-Toddler Classrooms Close at 4 p.m.
International Family Festival from 4 -6 p.m.

June 8

Middle School Science Fair from 12 - 2:00 p.m. in the Lower Church Hall
Last Week of Spring Clubs

June 10

Trimester 3 Report Cards Released (Grade 8)
Grade 8 Graduation Mass at 8:30 a.m.

June 12

World Cup Dress Down Day
Trimester 3 Grades Close (Grades K2-7)

June 15 - June 18

Dress Down Days - No Uniforms

June 16

Father’s Day Celebration at 8:15 in the Lower Church Hall
Grades 3 - 7 Social Studies Fair from 12 - 2:00 p.m.
Uniform Swap in the Lower Church Hall from 2 - 3 p.m.

June 17

Trimester 3 Report Cards Released (Grades Infant-7)
Uniform Swap in the Lower Church Hall from 2 - 3 p.m.
Last Day of EDP

June 18

Last Day of School (Infant - Grade 7) - Early Dismissal at 11 a.m.
No EDP

June 19

No School (Infant-Toddler) - Juneteenth

July 6 - July 10

No School (Infant-Toddler) - July 4th Break

August 24 - August 28

No School (Infant-Toddler) - Building Deep Cleaning

August 31 - September 4

No School (Infant-Grade 8) - Professional Development Days

This event features you, your families, and your cultures! Sign up using the link below to represent your country at the event by sharing food, crafts, and talents!

Represent a Country at International Family Festival

Professional Development

Faculty and staff came together today for a school wide Professional Development Day. It was a full schedule starting off with a visit from Beth Hamilton, Senior Associate Director of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, to introduce the upcoming reaccreditation processes, timelines, program standards and indicators and the importance of data-driven reflection. Members of the school’s Board of Specified Jurisdiction, Mary Russo and Kitty Boles, were also in attendance. Next, Cor Creative Partners co-founders James Simons and Maureen Chapman returned to St. Mary’s to reflect on the year long Learning Walk Throughs Initiative and preview the creation of an Instructional Strategies Playbook for the next school year. Early Childhood faculty met with Ms. Suzette Torres-Perrier and Dr. Nadjarian to discuss collaboration and communication best practices amongst staff. Dr. Enrique worked with the Infant and Toddler teacher team on assessment alignment. Lastly, teachers met to enjoy lunch together and close the day with transition discussions looking toward next year. It was a busy day and an excellent way to start the long weekend together in reflection and collaboration.

Flag Football

Our new spring co-ed Flag Football program for grades 4 through 6 has quickly become one of the highlights of the week, and we could not be more proud of our scholar-athletes! While Fridays are game days (when students head outside to put their skills to the test and enjoy some friendly competition), Wednesdays are all business. These are our bona-fide training days, where Coach Kfoury hosts workouts for students where they improve on their speed, agility, hand work, and, of course, the art of flag pulling. It has been incredible watching students grow not just as players, but as teammates who are just out here having fun. The effort, enthusiasm, and determination they bring has been outstanding thus far. We are building skills, confidence, and having a bunch of fun along the way! Go S.T.A.R.S.!

Volleyball

This past weekend, the Grades 5–8 Girls Volleyball Team competed in a tournament at The TRACK at New Balance and represented St. Mary’s with incredible determination and heart. The team battled through three exciting match victories to advance to the quarterfinals, then continued their impressive run with a semifinal win before ultimately falling after an intense and hard-fought match.

The girls showed outstanding teamwork, perseverance, and sportsmanship throughout five straight hours of competitive volleyball, and we could not be more proud of their effort and commitment. A special thank you goes to the families and supporters who stayed the entire day, cheering the team on every step of the way. Thank you also to parents Ithwa and Katie, and Athletic Director Mr. Pritchett for stepping in as coaches. It was an amazing tournament and a memorable accomplishment for our athletes! Go St. Mary’s S.T.A.R.S.!

Grade 8 Graduation`

Our dear 8th graders will graduating in just a few short weeks! This week, students took their formal graduation photos. Check out some of the behind the scenes below. Over the next couple weeks, ahead of graduation day, we will be featuring each of our graduates. They shared some favorite memories of their time at St. Mary's, wisdom for future students, and hopes for the future. We are so proud of all they all accomplished and the amazing people they have become.

Adira

Adira began her education at St. Mary’s when she was a PreK student in Ms. Annie’s class back in 2016! She has participated in several clubs and activities during her time at St. Mary’s including volleyball, band, and honor band. During her many years at St. Mary’s, one of Adira’s proudest moments was playing the cymbals during the national anthem at the Celtics game as part of the honor band. She is going to miss all of her friends at St. Mary’s, and she will miss attending school in the building where she learned so much, from counting, to reading, to building friendships. Adira is looking forward to beginning her high school experience next year at Boston University Academy! She is most excited about challenging herself with more advanced coursework, joining the volleyball team, and enjoying lunch at the food court with her new peers. She leaves the St. Mary’s middle school students with a helpful word of advice: “Study hard”. We will miss Adira here at St. Mary’s and can’t wait to see all that she accomplishes during her time at BUA!

Diego

Diego started at St. Mary’s as a Grade 7 student. Over the last two years he has been involved in many activities, and the cross country team was one of his favorites. His favorite memories at St. Mary’s were the overnight New York City and East Hill Farm School middle school trips because he loves going to new places, and it was great to have the opportunity to do so at school. After graduation, he will especially miss the people here at St. Mary’s. His seventh grade science teacher, Mr. Ahmad, made a particular impact on Diego during his time here because he made him love science! Diego will be attending Brookline High School next year and looking forward to seeing old friends again as well as taking entrepreneurial classes and exciting electives. His advice for the St. Mary’s middle school students is to "enjoy yourselves; the time you have here isn’t going to last forever, so make friends and long-lasting relationships while you can that will stick with you throughout your life." We are so proud of Diego and will greatly miss him at St. Mary’s!

Pebbles

Pebbles entered St. Mary’s during 7th grade, and she jumped right into school life, joining the basketball, volleyball, and Quiz Bowl teams, debate club, gardening club, and more. Volleyball is her favorite, as she was excited about the opportunity to play for her school time and to do so with her classmates. Her favorite memory at St. Mary’s is the first time meeting one of her classmates, Vibha, with whom she has become great friends. She will miss the community here, especially her classmates and teachers and how they learn at St. Mary’s. Pebbles loves how her class is relaxed and comfortable around each other, making for a close-knit learning environment. She finds that everyone is friendly here. Ms. Falcone has had a significant impact on Pebbles’ learning experience because she is so kind and encourages her to challenge herself with skills like public speaking. Next year, Pebbles will be attending Boston Latin School, and she is looking forward to challenges academics and the opportunity to join a variety of clubs. She advises St. Mary’s middle school students to simply "be yourself, and don’t worry." We will greatly miss Pebbles at St. Mary’s and look forward to seeing all she accomplishes at BLS and beyond!

Kennedy

Kennedy started at St. Mary’s as a K2 student in Ms. Tiney’s class! She has been an active participant in many extracurricular activities including volleyball, basketball, and debate club. She enjoyed building connections with her teammates and competing in games. She also helped to coach the grades 3 and 4 basketball team. Kennedy has especially enjoyed her eighth grade year, building connections with her peers, and attending school events all together (especially Trunk-or-Treat). She has especially appreciated Ms. Tiney (her first teacher) throughout her St. Mary’s experiences. She shared that she has learned so much from Ms. Tiney, and that she has continued to help her every step of the way. A fun fact about Kennedy is that she was a competitive figure skater, and continues to figure skate as a hobby. She was able to showcase her skills at the middle school field trips to Larz Anderson’s ice rink. Next year, Kennedy will be attending The Newman School! She is excited about the new experiences that high school will bring, and the new connections she will make. We will miss Kennedy here at St. Mary’s, and we can’t wait to watch her continue to grow in her next chapter.