Spartan Spotlight – Week Ending September 6, 2024

Weekly Newsletter – September 6, 2024

Dear Parents,

Each month, the staff and students of St. Mary’s focus on one of our School-Wide Learning Expectations (SLE). For the month of September, we are emphasizing the importance of being friends. Each day we will spend time at Prayer Square talking about what it means to be a friend and to have friends. I encourage you to continue the conversation at home.

No School September 6 – Teacher Inservice 

Spirit Wear – Thursday, September 5

MAP Testing – St. Mary’s will be completing our Fall MAP testing for grades 1st through 8th between September 9 and September 20th. MAP tests are used by the school and teachers to guide instruction for the betterment of the entire class. Individually, we assess how a student is growing in the areas of Math, Language Usage and Reading. Our older grades also take a Science assessment – Quick Article about MAP Testing – If you would like to learn more about the MAP testing , please refer to the Family Toolkit

Thank you to the parents for attending the brainstorming session on Tuesday, September 3rd.

The first grade was well represented. Another session is scheduled for Monday, September 9 at 3:30. We are very interested in your ideas and perspective – Club Spartan (Aftercare) is available. .

Peach Sale – The PTO is leading the charge on the annual peach sale to benefit St. Mary’s School. Orders are due September 13th, pick up September 18th. Please see the flier for details.

Volunteerism – We cannot operate the school without the support from our parents and families. Please take some time to read the document about volunteerism.

Mexican Dance – Last week, Gloria Munoz, parish office, held the first Mexican dance class. She is so gracious with her time and expertise. Even if you missed last week, students of all ages are welcome to attend on Wednesdays. This group has had the privilege of performing for the school, the parish, and at community events, such as Dia De Los Muertos at JUMP. It is an excellent opportunity to learn about Mexican dance. Please see the flier for more information.

Calling all Alumni – We want to keep our alumni invited and informed of all happenings around St. Mary’s. If you are an alumni or know any alumni, please fill out the form – St. Mary’s Alumni Information

Building Committee – Planning Sessions – The St. Mary’s community is investing in our future. Please see above to find a description of the strategic planning initiative on behalf of the St. Mary’s community. As part of the process, Erstad Architects team is hosting our second session for our families on:

September 9, 2024 at 3:30 pm – **We will have after-care available for those of you attending on September 9th

Please use the following form to sign up: Parent Brainstorming Session Signup

Please mark your calendars for important dates:

• September 6 – Teacher Inservice – No School
• September 9 – Parent Building Brainstorming Session – 3:30 pm
• September 9 – 20  – MAP Testing
• September 13 – TVCS Middle School Dance (7th and 8th grade only) – Hosted by St. Mary’s
• September 25 – Picture Day 
• September 23-28 – BK Homecoming Week
• September 29 – 75th Anniversary Kickoff celebration at 8:30 Mass – Reception to follow
• October 20 – Parish Ministry Fair

Important Announcements and Events:

• Cheer Camp – Bishop Kelly Cheer is sponsoring a cheer camp for September 18 and 19. Participants will have the opportunity to join the squad at the game and perform at halftime. Registration form
• TVCS/High School Girls Wrestling Information night – October 1 at 6:00 pm
• Partnership Page – Thank you to everyone who has shared their business information on our partnership page. It is our objective to provide support and awareness to the families that support us.  I would encourage you to mark the page as a favorite and check back often. If you are interested in having your business highlighted, please submit your information to Ms. Mandy @ amcampanella@stmarys-boise.org
• St. Mary’s Special Events – Please read the document to discover information about our annual special events, including times dates, and volunteer opportunities.
• 75th Anniversary – This year we are celebrating our 75th anniversary as a school. St. Mary’s School has been an important part of the Boise and Catholic community since 1949. A celebration event is scheduled for Sunday, September 29 at 8:30 mass with a reception to follow.
• Calling all Alumni – We want to keep our alumni invited and informed of all happenings around St. Mary’s. If you are an alumni or know any alumni, please fill out the form – St. Mary’s Alumni Information
• TVCS Athletics – St. Mary’s has a number of students participating in TVCS activities. This is a schedule of our Fall 2024 athletic events.
• Return to School policy – If your student is unwell, please follow the review the policy before they return to school.
• September is Lice Prevention Month – Please use the preceding link to find articles and information

God bless.

Kevan Grant

St. Mary’s Catholic School- Principal

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Other Items of Interest

• Bishop Kelly Athletics – Bishop Kelly has a plethora of athletics happening throughout the Fall. The BK website has a link to team pages with game schedules. Whether you enjoy soccer, volleyball, cross country, there is something for everyone. Home football games are an experience.

Home Bishop Kelly Football Games

• • August 30 – vs. Bonneville (win 28-20)
  • September 6 – vs. Minico
  • September 20 – vs. Nampa
  • September 27 – vs. Columbia
  • October 11 – vs. Vallivue
  • October 25 – vs. Emmett
• 5 Attitudes Your Kids Need When They Go to School – This is a quick, informative article about helping students approach their school day with a positive attitude.
• St. Mary’s & Niche – Niche is the top online school search platform in the country. St. Mary’s subscribed to the platform in October of 2023. Each month Niche has a $1000 sweepstakes to families, alumni, or students willing to complete a review of the school. Click here to leave a review and enter the sweepstakes.
• 13 Reasons to Send Your Kids to Catholic Schools – If you are out and about and want to share with friends and family reasons to send your child to a Catholic school, here you go…
• Get your Uniforms and Spirit Wear from Educational Outfitters