Principal's Weekly Update

Dear Families,

Thank you for all your support of this Saturday's Black and White Gala. The joy and love were palpable. For those who were unable to join the event, below you will find a glimpse of the excitement through pictures and a wonderful video showcasing the school that we premiered at the gala.

Thank you to all the families and businesses that donated to our auction. It was a great success with financial gain towards our scholarship fund and curriculum development.

Thinking back to our days planning the event, there was one mission we had in mind: To bring our community together to celebrate our achievements and rejoice in our students, teachers, and staff. We are thrilled to receive such positive feedback towards that goal. I hope you will join us in the years to come for more exciting events such as this.

With sincere gratitude,

Patricia

Dr. Nadjarian with Damien Leigh - the Gala Honoree - and family.

Some of the St. Mary's administrative team members.

St. Mary's staff pause their dancing to take a picture!

Thanks to our DJ, the energy of the night was nonstop!

Mrs. Salic - the director of the Gala - announcing winners of the silent auction.

Our wonderful and dedicated parents and community members enjoying the evening

Fr. Jonathan, the pastor of St. Mary's, beginning the night with an opening prayer

April 15th - 19th

• No School - April Break

April 27th

• 5th Annual Southern Massachusetts Catholic School Honor Band Concert: 1 p.m. at Quincy Catholic Academy

May 3rd

• Progress Reports Released (K2 - Grade 8)

May 7th

• World Language Celebration: 1:45 p.m.

May 9th

• School Mass: Ascension of the Lord: 12:10 p.m. (PreK - Grade 8):

May 10th

• Family: The First School Talk & Discussion (Session 4): 8 a.m. in the cafeteria

May 13th

• Crowning of Mary Procession: 8 a.m. (PreK - Grade 8)

May 17th

• No School (PreK - Grade 8): Professional Development Day for Staff

May 21st

• Spring Concert (PreK - Grade 8): 8:45 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. in School Auditorium

May 31st

• International Family Festival: 4-5:30 p.m.

June 3rd

• Field Day

June 5th

• Commencement Mass for 8th Grade Students: 10 - 11 a.m.
• Reception to follow for students and their families

June 7th

• Paul Effman Band Concert: 8:30 - 9:15 a.m.

Seasonal allergies: Please make sure your student receives their seasonal allergy medication before coming to school. Symptoms Of seasonal allergies are red itchy watery eyes, sneezing, coughing and runny nose. The non-drowsy type is best for the school day. Zyrtec or Claritin work well. You can also ask your child’s doctor what medication they recommend.

April vacation: The weather next week looks pretty good. If you are looking for some fun things to do in and around Boston check out the following websites for some fun ideas

Getyourguide.com and Boston-discovry-guide.com

You can get information about the Swan Boats in the Public Gardens. Isabella Stewart Gardner museum is a great place to visit. In addition to the famous still unsolved art heist it has a beautiful courtyard with an amazing garden to enjoy. Children under 17 are free every day.

You can book a guided tour of Fenway Park. Tickets start at $25.00 per person. Or you can take a walk or ride a bike or scooter around the Esplanade or the Greenway in Boston.

I hope everyone has a fun and safe vacation.

Keep an eye out for the 8th grade bake sale on April 23rd, 24th, and 25th after school at both entrances to the school. Buy a tasty treat to support the fundraising for their 8th grade adventure trip!

Thank you to the families who joined Mr. Antonacci and Dr. Nadjarian on Tuesday in the cafeteria to chat about the difference between true leisure and entertainment, especially considering the upcoming break. One tip Mr. Antonacci gave is "Let your children be bored from time to time." It can be tempting to automatically think that boredom is something you need to fix. Rather, your child's boredom can serve as an opportunity for them to be launched into creativity, imagination, playfulness, and childlike innocence.

The final session will be held May 10th at 8 a.m.!

On Monday, students of all ages were captivated by the solar eclipse! In their classes, they learned about the positioning of the sun, moon, and earth during the event. Then, they got to experience this first-hand after school!

K1 students blasted off into space as they learned all about the solar system. Some of the exciting parts of this unit included measuring space aliens, learning about space vocabulary in their journals, and learning the details of outer space!

Mrs. Creamer's class built marshmallow constellations and then gave them a special name. They also pretended to be astronauts in a spaceship and painted a picture lying on their backs just like Michelangelo!

Students in K2 concluded their weather unit by going on a field trip to The Puppet Showplace Theater! They saw the show entitled “The Four Seasons” by Drama of Works. This charming, wordless show featured brightly-colored puppets that transform as the seasons change.

Students in Mrs. Fragola’s second grade class presented their biographies on historical figures such as Mahatma Gandhi, Rosa Parks, Neil Armstrong, Jackie Robinson, Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, and Jane Goodall. Parents, peers, and teachers asked students questions about their books. Great work authors at your Publishing Party!

This week, students continued to work with each other on developing their projects for underwater robotics. Each week, students combine the skills of craftsmanship and design to understand how to convert energy into motion. They are hard at work preparing for the regional competition on May 11th!

Students in grades 3 - 5 cultivated a sense of wonder, awe, and imagination as they explored the numerous exhibits in the Museum of Science! Between natural mysteries, geological structures, mathematical puzzles, and modes of transportation. We hope that students feel inspired as they make their way into April break!

To continue the celebration of the Easter season, grades 4-5 met with Father Bobby to learn more about the significance of the resurrection of Jesus. They learned about the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and built a model of the tomb (with donuts and munchkins!) and finished with a prayer together led by Fr. Bobby. Happy Easter! He is risen!

Crew practice began this week! Students were out on the water for the first time and they are already counting down the days until the next practice!

In this week's health class, the boys focused on healthy sportsmanship. Three student-athletes from Harvard gave students examples of what it looks like to strive to be men of virtue and faith on the field by the way they interact with teammates, discipline themselves, and handle difficult moments. They shared that just one person encouraging their teammates and being humble on the field can lead to the entire team being transformed. Thank you to Ian, John, and Dante for inspiring our students!

Middle school students started learning about making ground plans for theatrical design and stage management. 7th and 8th grade measured the perimeter of the gym and the stage and drafted a ground plan by hand. After April break, they will input the numbers into a computer drafting software. With this math and engineering component in drama class, students are understanding all of the different elements to make a show run smoothly!

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/