Dear St. Mary’s Families,
Thank you for your support and encouragement over the past two weeks. Everyone is settling in nicely. It is amazing how quickly the students are adjusting to the new schedule, new teachers, and the school culture. It takes a concentrated effort by all of us to help our students to feel comfortable, yet challenged and ready to learn.
This month we are emphasizing being a FRIEND in support of our school learning expectations. I encourage you to talk with your students about how they can be a good friend to others.
Working together, we can continuously pursue our mission:
St. Mary’s School is to provide a Catholic environment that instills academic excellence while preparing the whole child for life-long personal and spiritual growth, empowering them to become global citizens.
Thank you to everyone that was able to make it to our Back to School night. It was wonderful to see everyone. If you were unable to make it and have questions, please contact the teacher, staff or me. We are committed to making sure you have your questions answered and we are moving forward together.
Church/School Safety
As I was leaving Mass today, I was made aware of a tragic situation happening this morning in Minneapolis at the opening Mass of Annunciation Catholic School. I ask that you pray for their community and everyone involved.
We were already planning to conduct an evacuation drill of the church this year. This current incident is leading us to do it sooner rather than later. At the completion of Mass on Wednesday, September 3rd, the students and staff will conduct an evacuation drill of the church. We will spend a few moments identifying the nearest exits, discussing how we evacuate and regathering before heading back to class.
In addition, the church doors will continue to be locked during school Masses. We will have someone in the narthex for anyone who arrives late.
Calendar Change – Back to School Bash – SEPTEMBER 6, 2025 – at 5:00 pm
Our annual student-led Mass and Back to School Bash is now scheduled for Saturday, September 6th. We apologize for the inconvenience. Our campus is a very busy place, which is great, but can lead us to overbooking.
The Back to School Bash will begin with a student led Mass at 5:00 on Saturday, September 6th. Afterwards, the PTO is sponsoring the Bash including food, music, games and comradery. If you would like to help out, please let the PTO know. Whether or not you can volunteer, we would love for everyone to be there.
Each year our 8th grade families lead the charge on a peach sale. The peaches are amazing. A box of 25 lbs is sold for $40. The proceeds help with all types of student activities including the 8th grade’s retreat to Cottonwood. Orders are due by September 11, 2025. For those of you who order, you can pick them up at the school on September 16 from 3:00-5:50. Please see the linked flyer for more information including how to order.
OktoberFest – St. Mary’s Foodbank
The St. Mary’s Foodbank is hosting its annual Oktoberfest at Payette Brewery on September 22nd. This is a fun event bringing the parish, the school and the foodbank together in community in support of the foodbank. It is a night full of beer, brats, and friendship. Please see the flyers around the school and parish for more information.
Gloria Munoz at the Parish office graciously donates her time and expertise to our aspiring dancers. The group practices weekly on Wednesdays after school. No experience necessary. The group performs at events at St. Mary’s and throughout the coyote, including Dia de los Muertos, Our Lady of Guadalupe, and Festival of Trees.
After-School Stem Club – Spartaneers – Tuesdays
Jason Jaszkowiak is giving his time and experience to lead students in an after-school STEM program after school at St. Mary’s. Please refer to the link above for more information.
Technology and Social Media
Last year, I sent this linked letter to our families about some of the struggles we have experienced using technology, social media, or even gaming. As we enter into a new school year, it is a good idea to review or establish the necessary controls with respect to home technology usage. In addition to the tips provided in the letter, St. Mary’s has invested in the Social Institute to provide meaningful lessons to our students. The website allows for family access to the vast resources of tips, tricks, settings, and other controls to help families keep their children safe.
To sign up for access, you can use the QR code on the document ( The Social Institute – Family Tool Kit ) or you can access the website directly to sign up to access the family resources. Please use the following school code: Code 3d1bC5B9403C65
The site provides families resources to spark engaging conversations as well as application playbooks, which help you understand and set the necessary controls to restrict usage and/or functionality. 
Nationwide and statewide there are a number of programs supporting families and providing best practices to help keep our children safe. One initiative is Wait Until Eighth. Below is information concerning students in Idaho and nationally with respect to smartphone usage.
We are off to a great start. I am looking forward to traveling this journey with all of you.
Calendar of Events
- August 28 – Lunch Orders for September are Due – Parent Quick Link
- September 6 – Students Led Mass – Back to School Bash – 5:00 pm
- September 8 – 17 – MAP Testing
- September 13 – Altar Server Training – 10:00 am
- September 19 – Teacher In-Service – No School
- September 19 – TVCS 7th and 8th Grade Dance at St. Mary’s
- September 22 – Oktoberfest
- October 6-10 – MOSS 5th and 6th Graders
- October 17 – Spartan Run
- January 31, 2026 – St. Mary’s Annual Gala – Please save the date
God Bless and Take Care
Kevan Grant
St. Mary’s Catholic School – Principal
Go Spartans!
Other Things
- School Counselor Information – St. Mary’s is very blessed to have Mrs. Brooke Maritt join us this year. Mrs. Maritt is actively getting to know the students, teachers, and school. Below is additional information about Mrs. Maritt and what she will be doing during August
- Counselor Corner
- About the School Counselor
- School Counselor Pamphlet
- School Choice – The Idaho Tax Commission is working to educate the public about House Bill 93, the bill designed to help families with the expense of non-public education. The link above will bring you to the Idaho Parental Choice Tax Credit page. It provides information about the bill along with courses to help families understand the finer details.
- Partnership Page – St. Mary’s school initiated a partnership page on our website to share information about businesses that are associated with and support St. Mary’s. If you are looking for something, I encourage you to check out the directory. If you are interested in listing your business, please contact Mandy at the front office. We would love to continue to grow our partnerships and encourage support for our local businesses.
- Return to School Policy – Each year the nurses evaluate and provide a return to school policy to keep us as healthy as possible during the school year. Please be sure to review the linked letter.
- Bishop Kelly Athletics – Bishop Kelly has a plethora of athletics happening throughout the year. The BK website has a link to team pages with game schedules.
- Get your Uniforms and Spirit Wear from Educational Outfitters
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