Week in Review:
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The year has begun and I can’t tell you how grateful I am to see all of your children’s shining faces here at school. As I walk through the school, I see teachers actively engaging their students in learning throughout the day. The students are excited to work with each other and be active participants in the learning process. I sent families a lengthy email on Friday with some important information. I know it was long, but please take time to read all of it. This newsletter also has lots of important information. Please look it over to get informed!
Need to Know:
- Back To School Night:
Please see my Back to School Night email for more details. - Important Information from our School Counselor:
Welcome to a new school year! My name is Amaya Eiguren and I am the School Counselor at St. Mary’s. I am very excited to be back at school and to let you know that I will now be at St. Mary’s 2 days per week- Wednesdays and Thursdays. This will allow me more time to meet with students and families to support students academically, socially, and emotionally. It also gives me the opportunity to be in each of our 10 classrooms every month to focus on Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), which I will tell you more about in the upcoming weeks. I am here to help support every student to do their best academically, so if you have any concerns about your child, academically, socially, or emotionally, please feel free to email or call me. I check my email Monday through Friday and can meet either with families or students on Wednesdays and Thursdays. I have many resources I am happy to share if you need help with anything. Again, I am here to help support students and families, so please do not hesitate to reach out!
Music Information from Mr. Peters:
- Choir (open to grades 4-8)
- Choir will begin next week and is on Tuesdays and Fridays from 7:30-8:00 am in the library
- Students do not need to audition, all are welcome!
- Kids should not arrive any earlier than 7:30 and will enter through the door at the bottom of the cement steps leading down to the gym
- Students are welcome to try it out a few times before committing, but once September hits they need to decide whether or not they will stay in Choir through the Christmas Program
- First-Year Band (open to grades 5-8)
- First-Year Band will begin next week and is on Mondays and Thursdays during lunch recess
- Students may play any of the following instruments: Flute, *Oboe (private lessons required) Clarinet, Saxophone, Trumpet, French Horn, Trombone, Baritone, or Percussion (drums)
- We will not be having a Band Night this year due to scheduling issues, but I would encourage you to contact or visit Dunkley Music, Dorsey Music, or Welch Music to get an instrument for your student. They will be able to answer questions regarding renting/buying an instrument better than I am.
- Please be sure to also purchase Accent on Achievement, Book 1 for your student’s instrument for Band, as well as a foldable music stand (something like this)
- Students should also have instrument PPE (mask, aerosol bag, bell cover, etc). Check here for examples – homemade will work just fine as well
- Advanced Band (open to students grades ~6-8)
- Advanced Band will begin next week and is on Mondays and Thursdays from 7:30-8:00am in the library
- Kids should not arrive any earlier than 7:30 and will enter through the door at the bottom of the cement steps leading down to the gym
- Students must have at least one year of prior experience on their instrument to join
- Students in grades 7 or 8 can potentially join with no prior experience
- Students should also have instrument PPE (mask, aerosol bag, bell cover, etc). Check here for examples – homemade will work just fine as well.
School Photos:
Each week, I post a private photo album on my St. Mary’s Google Classroom page. I will include directions on how to access the photo album in my weekly email to families next Friday.
Nice to Know:
- Interested in being a Volunteer:
We are excited to welcome volunteers back into our school this year. There are many opportunities to volunteer this year and I will be sharing those details in my newsletter next week. In order to be a volunteer that interacts with students, you must have a current Safe Environment certification and an updated Background Check with the Diocese. - Idaho Catholic Women’s Conference 2021:
This incredible event starts on Saturday, September 11, 2021, at 08:00 am in Boise. Join us and almost a thousand women, LIVE at the Boise Centre This year’s theme is Beloved. Click the link for more detail:https://allevents.in/mobile/amp-event.php?event_id=200021310191100
PTO Corner:
- Need help with PTO:
In this new school year, our PTO is always looking for help with their various projects. They are looking for a new Vice President and other people to help with the various committees. This is a great way to help the school and get all of your volunteer hours fulfilled for the year. If you want more information, please email our President, Jessica Straughn (straughnjessica@gmail.com). - Next PTO Board Meeting:
Our monthly PTO meetings will be on Zoom for the time being. The next PTO meeting will be on Join us via Zoom on Wednesday, September 15, from 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM. Check future newsletters for the Zoom link.
Important Dates (Right around the Corner):
- August 24 Back To School Night (6:00-8:00 pm)
- August 25 School Mass (Food)
Important Dates (On the Horizon):
- September 1 School Mass (Talent)
- September 8 School Mass (Corpus Christi)
The complete School Calendar can be found on the Home Page or the Parents Quick Links Page. To have an event added to our School Calendar, email us at calendar@stmarys-boise.org.
Strategic Plan Updates
Click here to see the most recent updates on the Strategic Plan Projects, including the West Side Grounds Project, The Interior Project, and the Community Directory Project. We are currently looking for volunteers for these and other key initiatives. Whether you’re interested in helping lead a small project, or just have a few hours to help, please complete this quick form and we’ll contact you shortly about whatever you’re most interested in.
Wisdom from Our Young Scholars:
- In this section, I share the funny, insightful, and sincere comments from our students. They often make me laugh, and I know they will bring a smile to your face. I will be sharing soon, so sit back and get ready to smile and laugh.
