Principal's Weekly: Christmas Break

Dear Families,

When I looked beyond today's ice cream parties, festive pajamas, and Christmas movies, I noticed something very special at school today: a family. If you ask our teachers and students, they will tell you that the students were radiating cheerfulness and gratitude today. Of course, some of the joy comes from the fact that they are thrilled to go on Christmas break, but I can also see the great joy from the authentic friendships they have formed this year. This newsletter highlights the many Christmas festivities the school took part in this week.

In addition, our middle schoolers voted today on the school's 3 student council members and the student president. First, I am honored and excited to share that Skyler will be taking on the great responsibility of Student President! Also, I am proud to announce that Emilia, Brandon, and Kennedy have been elected as the 3 student council members. Beginning in 2024, they will join together to take a leadership role in the school, bridging the students with the staff. We are very excited to begin working alongside them!

Have a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Thank you to all who have generously contributed to our annual appeal! Leading up to the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6, 2024, we are offering St. Mary's Swag in gratitude of your generosity!

Gifts $250 and above will receive a St. Mary's insulated travel mug

Gifts $500 and above will receive a St. Mary's embroidered fleece

Gifts $1000 and above will receive a St. Mary's swag basket

We hope that you will consider a donation of any amount starting today. Please help us reach our goal this Christmas season.

Please visit us at Our Online Giving Page to donate today.

With gratitude,

Mrs. Patricia Salic and Dr. Nadjarian

December 15th

• EDP Available Until 4:30 p.m.

December 18th - January 2nd

• No School - Christmas Break

January 3rd

• Welcome back to school!

January 8th

• Baptism of the Lord School Mass at 8 a.m. (K2-8)

January 15th

• No School - Martin Luther King Jr. Day

January 25th

• Progress Reports Released (K2 - 8)
• Report Cards Released (PreK - K1)

January 26th

• No School - Parent-Teacher Conferences (PreK - K1) and Professional Development (K2 - 8)

To help your family have a healthy Christmas break, we've decided to put together a list of adventures around the Boston area. We hope this will allow your family to stay physically and emotionally well over break!

• ICA Boston: (Institute of Contemporary Arts/Boston) is located in the Seaport neighborhood of Boston. It is not too far from the Boston Children’s Museum. This museum is beautiful and the neighborhood is fun to explore. The ICA/Boston is free on Thursday nights from 5 pm-9 pm and children under 18 are always free.

• Martin’s Park: A beautiful park for children of all ages and abilities. t is spread out so there is plenty of room and play structures for children to enjoy. It is also decorated for the Christmas season. It is located on Sleeper Street not far from the Children’s Museum and next to the Harborwalk.

• Looking for something to do this weekend? On 12/15 & 12/16 Longfellow House/Washington Headquarters 105 Brattle Street Cambridge is having a Holiday Open House. It is free to all! The National Park Service’s website has all the information you need to attend. https://www.nps.gov/index.htm

• Find things to do with kids in Greater Boston with these jam-packed event calendars, interactive maps, and email highlights. You can even narrow down your search by region.
  https://communitykangaroo.com/

• Check out this schedule for storytime, crafts, and breakfast with Santa.
• Stone Zoo
• Franklin Park Zoo
• Museum of Science (highly recommended by St. Mary’s 3rd graders)
• Boston Children's Museum
• New England Aquarium
• Mystic Aquarium
• La Salette Christmas Lights
• Snowport 2023
• Winter Lights at the Bradley Estate

• First Night Boston! Check out the schedule of events for plenty of family-friendly activities on New Year's Eve. https://www.firstnightboston.org/

• Mommy Poppins is a great website for fun things to do. This website is updated regularly and always has great ideas. https://mommypoppins.com/boston-kids/kids/free-holiday-activities-for-boston-families
• Boston and Brookline Public Libraries have free or reduced tickets for movies, museums, and events in the area. Stop into your local branch and see what they have available.

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Enjoy your break!

“Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.”

-St. Francis De Sales

Our 5th graders quoted the exhortation above as they led this week's Parking Lot Prayers. This Monday, we lit the 2nd candle on the Advent wreath, which symbolizes peace. Soon it will be Christmas, but for this time of Advent, we can practice a peaceful longing for the coming of Christ. When we return from Christmas break, our 4th graders will lead the next virtue of the month - humility.

After hours of planning and effort, the St. Mary's Christmas Pageant on Tuesday was fantastic! All of our students sang and performed beautifully. We'd like to send a huge thank you to our music teacher, Mr. Lynch, our band director, Mrs. Hawes, our drama teacher, Ms. Whitten, and our Grade 5 teacher, Mrs. Palmer, for preparing our students so well!

Since the beginning of the year, Mr. Raymond, the St. Mary's French teacher, has awarded the students with "currency" based on their performance and participation in class. The students collected those "French Rewards" over the year and Tuesday was the time to cash in their prizes! The French students enjoyed this Early Christmas with their wide variety of prizes, from remote control cars to mini gumball machines.

A special thank you to Ms. Porcello, Ms. Crapo, and their room parents for hosting and organizing a Christmas celebration with all of the families of our amazing Pre-K students!

This Wednesday, our middle schoolers helped brighten the mood of elderly parishioners in the area by singing Christmas carols outside their homes. This time of singing, initiated by two of our 8th graders, proved to be a very joyful and peaceful moment not only for our elderly friends, but also for each of our students!

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/