6 NOV 2026

Loving God, giver of every good gift, thank you for our families, our school and parish, and the blessings of each day, even the hard ones.

Thank you for all your saints, who show us the way to you.

Grant eternal rest to our loved ones who have died, and let perpetual light shine upon them.

Bless our veterans and all who serve.

Protect them, heal them and bring them safely home.

Like St. Martin of Tours, soldier and saint, may we serve with courage and give with generous hearts.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Dear St. Mary's Families,

This November, as we head toward Thanksgiving, our virtue of the month is gratitude. Our children learned to say "thank you" almost as soon as they could talk, but gratitude is much bigger than good manners.

Everything is a gift

Gratitude begins with noticing that everything is a gift: our lives, our families, the food on our table, the sunrise over the Palouse. None of it was earned. All of it was given. In Gratefulness, the Heart of Prayer, Benedictine monk Br. David Steindl-Rast teaches that gratitude is the heart of all prayer. As he puts it, it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy. It's no accident that the word Eucharist means "thanksgiving."

Even the hard things

St. Paul tells us, "In all circumstances give thanks" (1 Thessalonians 5:18): not for all circumstances, but in them. A math problem that takes three tries, a rough patch with a friend, a season of family stress: these are often where our children grow in patience, courage and faith. When they struggle, we can help them ask, "What might God be teaching me? Who is helping me through this?"

Try the Examen at home

St. Ignatius of Loyola gave us a five-minute prayer called the Examen, and its very first step is gratitude. Try it at bedtime or around the dinner table:

1. Be still. Remember that God is with us.
2. Give thanks. "What was a gift from God today?"
3. Look back. "When did you feel close to God? When was it hard, and how did God help you?"
4. Say sorry. "Is there anything we need to make right?"
5. Look ahead. "What do we need God's help with tomorrow?"

To read together

• A Very Thankful Prayer by Bonnie Rickner Jensen, for our little ones
• Gratefulness, the Heart of Prayer by Br. David Steindl-Rast, for parents
• The ten lepers, Luke 17:11–19. Only one came back to say thank you. Ask, "Which one do you want to be?"

I am deeply grateful for each of you and for the gift of your children. Happy Thanksgiving!

With gratitude and prayers,

Dr. Marie Bordeleau, Principal

I’d love to meet you for a cup of coffee! Whether it’s a quick chat in my office or a coffee on me around town, I’m always happy to hear how things are going for your family. Your stories, questions and ideas help make St. Mary’s the school we all want it to be. Just call or email the office, and we’ll find a time.

Next week I’m excited to share our State of the School with you. After that, I hope you’ll join me at one of our Coffee Talks to talk about where we are, where we’re going and how we’ll get there together. Watch for the sign-up link. I can’t wait to see you!

Dr. B

mbordeleau@stmarysmoscow.org

• Monday, November 2 - Make-up pictures @ 8:30 AM
• Tuesday, November 3 - School Rosary at 7:30 AM. All are welcome!
• Tuesday, November 3 - ELECTION DAY! Prayers for voters across the country.
• Friday, November 6 - Early arrival with All School Mass @ 8:30 AM

ROBOTICS Practices

• Thursday, November 5 @ 3:15 PM - 3-7 Teams Meet
• Friday, November 6 @ 2:30 PM - K-2 Teams Meeting

• Complete the family survey by Nov. 1. If you haven't yet, please take a few minutes to share what you love, what you'd like to see improve, and what you're wondering about: CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE THE SURVEY.

We are so grateful to the students of the Barker Trading Group at the University of Idaho, who spent the whole day serving St. Mary’s. They organized our custodial closet, raked up leaves, installed the privacy slats and cleaned out the basement. Oh, what a difference they made for us!

During a month when we’re focusing on gratitude, please join me in lifting them up in prayer and thanks for their generous hearts and willingness to serve. Thank you, Barker Trading Group. Go Vandals, and #GoLions!

Hello St. Mary's families! Our school is going to have a bookfair this year! The fair will be held in May, during the week we will be hosting our Grandparents. May is a busy month and we will have just completed our auction, so we are hoping to make our plans now. This is such an exiting opportunity for our school and we need a few of you to make it happen!

If you are interested in sitting on the bookfair committee, please reach out to Cassandra Crossler at cassmarie29@gmail.com or (208) 596-0555. We will meet on November 16th or 18th, time TBA, for our first meeting

St. Mary’s is bringing back a strong sports program for our students. More information about Hallissey will be shared next week, so keep an eye out!

Coming this spring: Track & Field! 🏃
We’re excited to be starting a track team for our 6th and 7th graders this spring.

Could you be our coach? We’re looking for a track coach. If you have a love of running and a heart for helping kids grow, please reach out to Dr. B. No elite experience is needed, just enthusiasm and commitment.

Is your 6th or 7th grader interested? Click the button below to let us know. It isn’t a commitment yet. It just helps us plan.