Principal's Weekly Update

Congratulations to our K2 through Grade 8 students for all their efforts on MAP testing this past week! Students in grades K2 and 1 took the math and reading tests and students in grades two through eight took the math, reading, and language usage tests. MAP tests are computer-adaptive assessments aligned to standards for students in kindergarten through Grade 12. Results are more immediate and will be shared during Parent Teacher Conferences in November. Teachers use the results to drive instruction, specifically searching for areas of growth in student learning. Although it was a busy week of testing, student learning did not pause, as you will see below. In addition, they enjoyed tasty treats gifted by the school to celebrate their hard work. Great work, students! I hope you enjoy a restful and fun-filled weekend!

October 1st:

• Children's Liturgy of the Word during 11 a.m. Mass

October 2nd

• Feast of the Guardian Angels School Mass at 8 a.m. (K2-8 students only)
  

October 4th

• Blessing of the Pets at 8 a.m. (K2-8)

October 6th

• Picture Day
  

October 9th:

• No School (Columbus Day/ Indigenous Peoples' Day)

October 10th

• Coffee with the Principal at 8 a.m. in the school cafeteria

October 13th

• Make Up Day for Pictures

October 20th

• Progress Reports Released (K2-8)

• Discovery Day

October 27th

• Costume Parade at 8:15 a.m.
  
• Trunk or Treat from 4-6p.m. EDP ends at 3:30
  

October 30th

• Progress Reports Released PreK+K1
  

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the enthusiastic racers and dedicated volunteers who made our inaugural 5k race an extraordinary success. Your passion, determination, and unwavering support transformed this event into a memorable experience for everyone involved. With each stride, you not only embraced the spirit of healthy competition but also united as a community, which will resonate at St. Mary's beyond the finish line. Thank you for joining us on this incredible journey, and we look forward to next year's race!

This Tuesday marked our very first Cross Country practice at Downes Park! They did a warm-up run to the park, they exerted themselves in a workout at the track, and then performed a cool-down on their way back. Great job team!

Check out our new "Family Resources" tab on the St. Mary's school website. There you will find the FACTS family portal, the Student-Parent Handbook, information on Protecting God's Children, and the Parent Volunteer Hours Log. Please click the link below to familiarize yourself!

https://stmarys-brookline.org/family-resources/

Please remind your child(ren) to come to school next Friday looking their best! Makeup pictures will take place the following Friday, October 13th.

This past Tuesday, St. Mary's School hosted "Touring Tuesday." We welcomed quite a few prospective students and their families to get an inside look at the St. Mary's experience! Thank you to Daniella Zankai for participating as one of our parent ambassadors. Although many of these families are interested in the 2024-25 school year, we are still open to applications for the current school year. If you know of any families who are interested, feel free to refer them!

This week during Music Class, students were treated to a tour of St. Mary’s Choir Loft and pipe organ! Students were given a demonstration of how the organ console works, and all of the different stops “sounds” of the organ. Students were able to try the console and were amazed that you have an orchestra at your fingers!

PreK and Grade 5 buddies in Miss P and Mrs. Palmer's classes got together to kick off their year! The 5th graders authored and illustrated their own version of "The Day the School Supplies Quit." Each 5th grade author chose a school supply such as crayons, markers, play doh, purple glue stick, whiteboards and whiteboard markers and books. They wrote a page of the book from the perspective of the school supply, offering advice on how to properly care for them. PreK audience members listened attentively, observed the carefully drawn illustrations, and made connections to the school supplies they care for at home and in Miss P's classroom. Great collaboration, grades PreK and 5!

In drama class, PreK students have made official detective hats, gone on investigative missions using visual thinking strategies and total physical response methods, and began their "Similarities and Differences in Friendship"unit with a story drama based on "Hello Hello" by Brendan Wenzel.

Students in Ms. Reitnour’s 1st grade class counted using a ten frame and ones tallies for their Morning Number Corner and Calendar. Elementary students at St. Mary’s think critically as teachers utilize Bridges Math.

In reading class, students practiced partner reading, emphasizing collaboration and teamwork to develop reading abilities. Not only did this help them make progress in their reading, but it also reinforced a conflict resolution lesson they learned in their social studies class earlier that day!

Students in Mrs. Fragola’s 2nd grade class celebrated their classroom saint, Michael the Archangel, on Friday. Students rotated between four centers: making protective shields out of cardboard and construction paper, writing thank-you cards for the Brookline Police Department, water-coloring St. Michael pictures, and making St. Michael’s Bannock Bread. Second graders eagerly awaited their turn to make bread with Mrs. Fragola. They carefully softened the butter, measured the buttermilk, added the flour, and kneaded the dough in small groups. Dr. Nadjarian joined in the fun! The children enjoyed their bread with butter and jam. Leading up to this day, Mrs. Fragola introduced the significance of St. Michael the Archangel including his mission of protection. Fr. Bobby visited to gift St. Michael Prayer Cards for students to take home as well. What a special day!

Students in Ms. Kousidis' 3rd grade class completed a Halloween/fall-themed craft in writing on Wednesday. They picked an emotion and worked on elaborating in detail what that emotion would look on a non human character’s face, body and voice. They had the option of working with a partner or independently to decorate a Halloween creature character such as a spider, witch, candy corn or pumpkin to go along with their elaboration. They learned how to personify their Halloween-themed characters! Great work Grade 3 writers!

In Grade 4, student writers in Ms. DeLuca’s class recalled reading the book Fireflies by Julie Brinckloe. They identified aspects of the book, evidence to demonstrate their understanding, that conveyed the message of the author. Students recognized repetition and character actions in the book, especially the rich descriptive language. In order to add more “delicious” words to their own writing, they brainstormed in pairs a list of words to replace frequently used words such as “said,” “happy,” “sad,” and “nice.” Students shared their co-created lists after rotating for each word. Students also recalled how their new collection of words was similar to “The Word Collector” by Peter Reynolds. Lastly, students learned how to use a Thesaurus to add any more words! Some new words were irritated, whined, shouted and mumbled. Great work, writers!

In drama class, our 5th graders began their Theatre for Social Justice unit though making their values quilt, playing imagination games like "This is Not A", and unpacking the book "Story Boat" by Kyo Maclear, which discusses important themes like home, imagination, togetherness, and community.

We are so proud of our Middle School students for their incredible performance and effort in MAP testing. Remember to turn in permission slips for Nature's Classroom field trip.

Our 8th grade students had their first high school visits from top Catholic schools this week. They are each working closely with Mrs. Bayazid to choose their high schools wisely. With careful consideration and thoughtful guidance, we aim to ensure that each student finds the perfect fit for his/her unique aspirations and interests.

Our middle school classes took their own spin on the classic values quilt by making a classroom values graffiti walls. This practice encourages making thinking visible, "yes, and'', and putting your own spin on someone else's offer. They also began a semester long unit on characterization and devised work with the 5 Song Playlist unit!

In Math, 6th graders wrapped up their unit on decimals and began understanding metric system conversions. Their understanding of the metric system will provide them with practical knowledge for science classes, baking, cooking, and many other real-life scenarios. In Social Studies, students completed their projects where they developed their own island civilizations. They got the chance to present on their islands to their class. In Science, they learned about the different layers of the earth and what processes happen within the mantle.

In Grade 7 ELA, students formed teams to take their first “high stakes” spelling and handwriting test, practiced the Cornell note-taking method, and explored subjects, predicates, and simple and compound sentences in grammar. They have also been engrossed in C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. In Social Studies, they took a deep dive into the Chinese philosophies of Confucianism, Daoism and Legalism and completed a socratic seminar discussion to better understand them.

In Grade 8 ELA, students have embarked on their literary journey with To Kill A Mockingbird. In religion class, they have been learning, along with the 7th graders, about the Trinity, human dignity, and the purpose of government.

Mrs. Bayazid, our school guidance counselor, is on a mission to help each student further develop healthy mindsets and understand their emotions. She meets with classes of all ages on a weekly basis to encourage this social and emotional growth.

This week, our 2nd graders discussed healthy ways to react to rumors and practiced virtuous strategies of on how to navigate cliques if/when they arise.

Our 4th and 5th grade students were able to understand what it is like to walk in “other people’s shoes” by watching several SEL videos featuring two protagonists with different views on one topic. They learned what it is like being on both sides of a “rumor”. Kindness and understanding proved to be very important among classmates.

Christopher Columbus Day is right around the corner! In preparation for this day, we are partnering with the Knights of Columbus at St. Mary of the Assumption parish for a scavenger hunt. Clues will be distributed to registered families October 1st and they will hunt around Brookline and take pictures with the items solved in the clues. All you need is a team of 4-8 people and creativity with pictures! There will be an award ceremony the following Sunday (October 8th) after the 5pm Mass with a slideshow of your fun pictures and tasty food! Registration will be made available in the Church bulletin on October 1.

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/