Dear St. Mary’s Families,
It has been a very busy week. It also shows no signs of slowing up.
Please try not to let the frantic pace prevent you from enjoying the season.
This morning at mass, we crowned Mary. It is a miraculous way to start the month of May, but even more special at St. Mary’s.
Congratulations to the 2nd graders who received their first communion last Saturday. Thank you to Mrs. Osti for all of her work in preparing the students for this sacrament.
Thank you to everyone for recognizing the wonderful, fantastic, incredible teachers at St. Mary’s. They are truly remarkable in their commitment to the students and their learning. Thank you!
Mass next week will be on Thursday, May 14th – Holy Day of Obligation – Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord
When the school and the families work cooperatively, there is nothing we cannot accomplish. Our work helps our students and our community grow.
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.
End of the Year Calendar
The end of the year is a busy and stressful time for all of us. There are many events and activities as we approach the summer vacation. Please be sure to review the school calendar often to make certain you are not caught off guard.
Calendar of Events
- May 6 – Bishop Kelly Music Program
- May 12-14 – 8th Grade Retreat
- May 14 – Mass – Holy Day of Obligation – Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord
- May 18 – Pre-K Celebration
- May 18 – Kindergarten Graduation
- May 19 – 8th Grade Graduation
- May 20 – Bowling (morning) – Field Day (afternoon)
- May 21 – Last Day of School – Mass and Carnival
Last Week of School – Calendar and Events
- Monday, May 18 – PreKindergarten- Come and visit Honeyville with the PreK’ers at their end of the year celebration at 10:00 on Monday.
- Monday, May 18 – Kindergarten graduation – Our Kindergarteners will dawn their caps and gowns to cross over to the first grade. The ceremony begins at 11:00 in the church.
- Tuesday, May 19 – 8th grade graduation – The class of 2026 will graduate on Tuesday evening at 6:30 pm.
- Wednesday, May 20 – Bowling and Field Day – Wednesday is a day of fun and community. We start the day bowling. Permission slips will be going home and we can always use help with drivers. – Following bowling, we will head to the park for lunch and field day.
- Thursday, May 21 – Mass and Carnival – Last day of School – 12:00 dismissal – Thursday starts with Mass at 8:30. Everyone is welcome to attend. We will be recognizing our Christian Leaders and Honor Roll at the end of Mass.
- At 10:00 the entire school is invited to the end of the year Carnival sponsored by the PTO. Families are welcome to join us at 12:00, when school is released for the summer.
Thank Music – Mr. Peters
Thank to Mr. Peters and Miss Gloria for putting on a spectacular Spring Music performance. It is a joy to see our students showcase their talents.
MAP Testing
School Wide – Reading – Achievement – 80% – Growth 62%
School Wide – Language Usage – Achievement 84% – Growth 71%
School Wide – Mathematics – Achievement 75% – Growth 51%
MAP Reports are going home with your student(s) today. Please take some time to review the results. For each test, the student is provided an achievement and a growth percentage. While both numbers are important, our primary focus is on growth.
Growth is not always linear, so the progression may look different for each student. Sometimes they may not show growth in the current testing window. There are a variety of reasons this may happen. They could be struggling with a new concept or idea, they may be having a bad day, or did not feel well. The list could be endless. We do not want to overreact to any one test, but if we see slow or negative growth over time, it would be important to intervene.
For more information, please use the links below.
A Family Guide to MAP Growth – MAP Testing
Medication Pick-Up Reminder
Dear Parents & Guardians,
As we wrap up the school year, please remember to:
Pick up your child’s medications
- Daily medications
- “As needed” (PRN) medications
Deadline: May 21st
For safety reasons, medications cannot be sent home with students and must be picked up by an adult. Thank you for helping us keep everyone safe!
Summer Health Check
Summer is a great time to get ready for the next school year!
Please remember to schedule a visit with your child’s pediatrician to:
Update any required immunizations
Review and sign off on important health plans:
- Allergy Action Plans
- Asthma Action Plans
- Seizure Action Plans
- Migraine Action Plans
Financial Aid and Enrollment
If you are in the process or have completed the re-enrollment process and are planning on completing the financial aid form, please do so by May 1. You may apply in the FACTS Family Portal under the Financial tab. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the office.
Sons of St. Joseph
The Diocese of Boise and St. Mary’s Catholic Community is initiating a new program to encourage young men to explore vocations.
The Sons of St. Joseph is a brotherhood for men and young men who are open to the priesthood. Two cohorts: Younger Brothers (13-18) and Older Brothers (19+). Applications are being accepted now and it officially begins May 1st, Feast of St. Joseph the Worker. Based out of Our Lady of the Valley in Caldwell, with options for everyone around the diocese to plug in.
Please use the link above to explore more information.
Preventing Youth Substance Abuse
Central District Health is hosting a virtual seminar to help parents and guardians prevent youth substance abuse. The seminar includes current trends on cannabis, vaping, and kava. Please use the QR code on the linked flyer to sign in on May 11th.
Congratulations to Avery Anton
Avery was awarded “Best in Show” at the State Invention Convention last weekend at the University of Idaho. Avery
was competing against students in all age groups in this state-wide competition. Winning the convention makes her eligible to compete in the national competition in June at the Henry Ford Museum in Michigan.
Calendar of Events
- May 6 – May Crowning
- May 6 – Bishop Kelly Music Program
- May 12-14 – 8th Grade Retreat
- May 18 – Pre-K Celebration
- May 18 – Kindergarten Graduation
- May 19 – 8th Grade Graduation
- May 20 – Bowling (morning) – Field Day (afternoon)
- May 21 – Last Day of School – Mass and Carnival
God Bless and Take Care
Kevan Grant
St. Mary’s Catholic School – Principal
Go Spartans!
Other Things
- State of the School 2026 – An email was sent last week with the State of the School Address. This year I opted to do something different. Instead of a written report or slide show, I asked Krista Holdridge, PTO President, to interview me about the current and future state of St. Mary’s. If I drone on for too long, please feel free to speed up the play back to 1.5 or 2.0. My feelings will not be hurt.
- Bishop Kelly – Summer Sports Camps – Bishop Kelly sports programs offer a number of camps throughout June and July. The ages and grades vary based on the sport. Camps range from football to basketball, to lacrosse and much, much more. Please use the link above to investigate and register.
- Uniform Provider Change (Kind of) – Educational Outfitters has merged with Skobel’s School Uniforms. This is exciting for St. Mary’s. Skobel’s has some great benefits to our families including: increased inventory, guarantee on-time delivery and much more. Please see the linked letter for more information. Skobel’s – On-Line Uniform Store: St. Mary’s
- 2026-27 Re-enrollment and Enrollment – Some of our classes are filling up. Please be sure to complete your re-enrollment to secure your spot for the 2026-27 school year. We are providing tours, shadow days, and fielding inquiries daily. Thank you for supporting St. Mary’s and sharing your experience with others.
- Partnership Page – St. Mary’s supports the businesses that support us. The school has a webpage dedicated to our business partnerships. 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 St. Mary’s businesses.
- Recycled Textiles – St. Mary’s is going to be collecting used clothing, purses, bedding, towels, hats, bags and other used garments for recycling. We are entering into a partnership with Just Porch It to collect and recycle textiles. We will have a bag in the cafeteria beginning in January if you have any items to discard.
- Dress Code – As the weather becomes colder and the first semester comes to an end, it is important we reiterate our dress code expectations with you and the students. Please find the specifics in the link above. Please take a few minutes to review the dress code with your students. We would appreciate your support with:
- St. Mary’s Sweatshirts are the only sweatshirts permitted. All other sweatshirts are to stay at home.
-
- Hair must be trimmed neatly and not fall into the students eyes.
- 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.
