Weekly Newsletter – Week Ending May 23, 2025
Dear Parents,
Welcome to summer break. This will be the last newsletter until August. I am sure some of you are saddened to know that you will not be able to read my newsletter for 3 months. ????
Thank you for all of your support and encouragement during the past school year. St. Mary’s is doing many great things. It is exciting to see where we will take our community in the future.
Please join us on Thursday, May 22nd for our end of the year celebration. You are welcome to join us for Mass at 8:30. We will be recognizing Christian Leaders, Honor Roll and other special achievements. While school will end at noon, the PTO is sponsoring a party from 10:00-2:00 including food and activities. We are looking forward to seeing everyone there as we say our summer good-byes.
Boise State vs. Notre Dame – October 4, 2025 – St. Mary’s PTO is raffling off 4 tickets to the Boise State vs. Notre Dame football game on October 4, 2025. Raffle tickets are $50 each.
Raffle Details:
- Entry: $50 per ticket
- Prize: Four (4) premium tickets — Section L:2, Row 23, Seats 1–4
- Raffle Open: May 16 – June 15 (closes at 11:59 p.m. on Father’s Day)
- Winner Notification: Tickets will be emailed to the winner on September 27th
- Proceeds: All proceeds benefit important programs, events, and resources at St. Mary’s School
Use the Raffle Link or the QR code on the linked flyer to purchase your chance to win!
FACTS – Enrollment, Fees, and Tuition Plans- As you may recall, St. Mary’s delayed the collection of school fees until May/June in order to provide some space between the Gala and the registration fees. We are attempting to bill fees for the upcoming school year. If you have not set up a FACTS payment plan, we are unable to bill you. Please take a few moments to set up your plan to complete the registration process.
Medication Pick up – If you have medication at the school, please plan on picking it on or before May 22nd.
Summer Math Games – Mrs. Russell has recruited help to put together summer math games for fun and interesting Math activities during the summer. Some of you have requested workbook type material. Please use the following LINK to access on-line materials for pre-K through 8th graders.
Congratulations to Elizabeth Olmos – Elizabeth Olmos, current 5th grader – future 6th grader, was awarded the 2025 Chief Antonio Azul Scholar Award. The award was presented to Elizabeth by the Tribal Education Department and the Gila River Indian Community during the annual banquet. Congratulations to Elizabeth and her family.
Technology and Social Media – Last month, I sent the linked letter to our families about some of the struggles we have experienced using technology, social media, or even gaming. As we approach summer, it may be 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.
***If you have had a chance to do this, I would love any feedback you might have. We are always trying to be better partners and provide relevant information.
Volunteerism – Research proves that when parents actively partner with the school and are engaged in their student’s education, the students achieve higher grades and test scores, have better attendance and homework completion, display more positive attitudes and behaviors, obtain higher graduation rates and greater enrollment in post secondary educational programs. The gain for families includes: improved understanding of their student’s development, improved ability to parent, enhanced ability to assist their student(s) with school and learning, and improved relationships among all community members.
As we wrap up this school year and begin to think about next, please consider opportunities for you and your family to be engaged. Please see the linked document to spark ideas about being engaged and involved at St. Mary’s.
TVCS Middle School Students – Treasure Valley Catholic Schools (TVCS) is an opportunity for our 6th through 8th graders to compete as teams against local competition in activities such as football, volleyball, track, wrestling and basketball. In addition, there are clubs to join including lacrosse, mountain biking, cheerleading, and ski and snowboarding.
Some of the activities are limited to 7th and 8th graders, while many are open to 6th, 7th and 8th graders. Please take a look at the TVCS website to explore opportunities for your students to participate.
Special Events Calendar – St. Mary’s has many special events during the year. Please see the attached listing of our special events including a description and date. All of these dates and events can be found on the school calendar.
Our first event of next year will be a swimming night on July 27th at the Natatorium – Please mark your calendars and look for more information coming before the big event.
School Uniforms – There will not be any changes to the current St. Mary’s school uniforms. We have a plethora of gently used uniforms at the school. I highway encourage you to visit the closet downstairs to start your shopping adventure for next year.
St. Mary’s is proud to partner with Educational Outfitters and Lands’ End for your school uniform needs. It is often better to order earlier instead of waiting until late summer or next fall.
BK Summer Sports Camps – Bishop Kelly High School offers summer camps for a variety of sports and activities including, but not limited to: Volleyball, Basketball (Boys and Girls), Wrestling, Softball, Baseball, Football, and Lego Robotics. Please check the link above to see specific opportunities. Go Knights!
There are so many good things happening at St. Mary’s. If you know of a family looking for an incredible Catholic school community, please encourage them to contact us.
St. Mary’s Talking Points
School Choice Frequently Asked Questions – From the Diocese
Please mark your calendars for important dates:
- May 21 – Bowling and Field Day
- May 22 – Last Day of School – Mass and Celebration – 12:00 release (Celebration goes from 10:00-2:00) Please join us! Everyone is welcome!
- July 17 – Family Swim Night at the Natatorium
Other Important Announcements and Events:
- Boys Summer Camp Information – Find attached information flyer for Camp Montfort Idaho 2025. – Please note the camp will be split into two groups this year. The older boys, ages 15-18 will attend August 3rd – 6th and the younger boys, ages 9-14 will follow August 6th – 9th. – Linked is a video about the program from 2022
- Catholic Jr. High Summer Camp – The Diocese is sponsoring a Jr. High summer camp in Stanley, ID in June. This is a great opportunity for our Jr. High students to grow in the faith and enjoy the great outdoors. Please see the linked flyer 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
God bless.
Kevan Grant
St. Mary’s Catholic School- Principal
Other Items of Interest
- 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
