Dear St. Mary’s Families,
Busy days are ahead of us at St. Mary’s. Please be sure to mark your calendar for:
- Math Literacy Night – November 13 📐
- Capital Campaign Kick Off Weekend – November 15 and 16
- Food Drive to help the Food Bank all November 🥔
- 8th Grade Shadow Day at BK
- November 24-28 – Thanksgiving Break 🦃
Fr. John reminded us today in the homily the power of being thankful. After Jesus healed the 10 lepers, only one returned to say “thank you”. While all of them were more than likely thankful, it was only one of them who saw the importance of expressing their thanks in person. We are all encouraged to be like the one and go out of our way to say “THANKS”
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.
Food Drive – Month of November
Each Wednesday during the month of November, we will be gathering food for the St. Mary’s Foodbank. The foodbank is trying to keep up with the demand, which has changed in recent weeks. Thank you for your contributions.
Math Literacy Night – November 13 at 6:30 pm
Mrs. Russell is hosting a Math Literacy evening for families with students in grades PreK to 5th. It is an excellent opportunity for parents to develop an understanding of ways to reinforce math lessons while at home. In addition, parents have the opportunity to ask questions about how math instruction works and establish a common vocabulary. Please see the linked document which provides a greater explanation and a schedule for the evening.
Idaho Tax Credit –
Last weekend, students read from the pulpit at Mass about the great things St. Mary’s Catholic School has been and continues to do. They shared the need for ongoing financial support from the community which helps us keep tuition reasonable and meet our operating expenses. The Idaho Tax Credit provides a tax credit for individuals, families, and corporations that are able to donate to the school. Below is additional information about the tax credit. You can also find information on our website at : Idaho Tax Credit
Bishop Kelly Football –
The Bishop Kelly Knights Football team is in the State Semi-Finals this Friday evening. They will be playing Skyline HS at 7:00 at Bishop Kelly – Go Knights!
Corpus Commons is Boise’s only day shelter, providing essential services and hospitality to people experiencing homelessness during daytime hours when overnight shelters are closed. Through meals, showers, laundry, mail services, genuine relationships, and more, Corpus Commons helps restore dignity and hope to 1,000+ individuals annually.
Corpus Commons is holding a community-wide Great Gingerbread Build to raise funds to provide meals, showers, laundry, and other essential services for their 200+ daily guests. Please see the link above for more information about how you can get involved and participate.
Building of Future: Together in Faith – Capital Campaign
St. Mary’s is kicking off the public phase of our capital campaign during the weekend of November 15th and 16th. Our students will be participating this weekend at masses as readers, lecturers, gift bearers and greeters. You should be receiving more information about the specifics of this endeavor soon.
Book Fair
Thank you to Mrs. Beason and all the volunteers for organizing an incredible book fair. Thank you all for your support and purchases of books for our students. Reading is fundamental to growth and development for all of us, no matter the age.
Go Reading!
Imagine If – St. Mary’s Gala – January 31, 2026
Make sure your calendar is marked for the greatest social event of the year. The St. Mary’s Annual Gala is being held
Saturday, January 31, 2026. Many in the community are working hard to make this an incredible event again this year.
Right now is a great time to share your time, talent, and treasure to make sure the event is wildly successful. If you are able to help, volunteer opportunities are available through the Parent Quick Links and Track it Forward – Contact Kristen Colter.
Tuition Raffle
Only 250 tickets will be sold at a chance to win $5000! – Winnings can be used for tuition at any qualifying school including St. Mary’s, Bishop Kelly or colleges and universities. Click here for more details and a chance to enter – Imagine If Gala Tuition Raffle
DIY – Thanksgiving Centerpiece
For over a decade, Georgia White, owner of Boise at its Best and St. Mary’s Parishioner, has hosted the ever popular “Make Your Own Thanksgiving Centerpiece” party at her floral shop as a fundraiser for St. Mary’s School.
This year the event will be co-hosted by St. Mary’s moms, Tracy Bresina and Julia Grant. There will be heavy hors d’oeuvres, beverages (including wine) and dessert. You will go home with a beautiful centerpiece for your Thanksgiving day table, mantle, or buffet.
Monday, November 24th from 530-8pm
15 spots available on a first come basis – reserve your spot ($75) by sending Julia a text or email to 208-407-6451 or jkertzgrant@hotmail.com. If you want to reserve a spot for a friend, sister or mother, they are welcome, too.
Toy Collection
THIS CHRISTMAS, ST. VINCENT DE PAUL INVITES YOU TO HELP A FAMILY IN NEED!
St. Vincent de Paul Southwest Idaho believes every child should be able to celebrate Christmas. If you would like to donate an item, we have 2 collection boxes at the school. One is by the main office and one is in the gym. Thank you for your support.
It is never too early to prepare for the Christmas Program – December 16 🧑🎄
- When: Tuesday, December 16th at 6:00pm. Students should arrive between 5:40 and 5:45 and go to their classrooms (Bands and Choir should meet in the church). THE SCHOOL/CHURCH WILL NOT BE OPEN UNTIL 5:40, so please plan accordingly. The program is expected to last about one hour.
- Where: St. Mary’s Church (Free!)
- Who: The program will feature students in Pre-K, Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Grade, as well as our Bands and Choir.
- What (to wear): Students should wear nice clothes – think “going to church with Grandma on Christmas.” Please help students not to wear anything that might become a distraction to others or prove challenging for them to move around in. When in doubt, they are more than welcome to wear their Mass Dress uniform.
- Why: We do this each year to bring in the Christmas Season, gather as a community, and celebrate that Music is a valued and integral part of our students’ education.
If you have any additional questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me and I will try to get back to you quickly – mpeters@bk.org. Thank you for your time and I’m looking forward to seeing you there!
Breakfast with St. Nick – December 6, 2025 – 8:00 am
Please make room on your calendar for Breakfast with St. Nick on December 6th. Starting at 8:00 am, Mr. and Mrs. Claus will be available for pictures while breakfast is being served in the school cafeteria. HO-HO-HO!🧑🎄
St. Mary’s is consistently growing. We are a welcoming community with high expectations for our students, staff, families, and parish. Our reputation as a high quality, Catholic school is becoming more widespread. In the past month, we have added 4 additional students – Welcome new Spartans!
While our growth is remarkable, we are always on the lookout for new students and families to join our community. If you know anyone who might be curious about St. Mary’s – Here is a one page summary highlighting some of the great things about St. Mary’s.
Calendar of Events
- November 13 – Math Literacy Night @ 6:30 pm
- November 15-16 – Capital Campaign Kickoff
- November 19 – BK Shadow Day for 8th Grade
- November 24-28 – Thanksgiving Break
- November 26 – Mexican Dance Group – Festival of Trees at Boise Centre at 10:00 am
- December 6 – 8:00 am- Breakfast with St. Nick – Mr. and Mrs. Claus will be available for pictures – breakfast provided
- December 12 – Mexican Dance Group – Our Lady of Guadalupe at St. Mary’s at 6:00 pm
- December 16 – Christmas Music Program – 6:00 pm at the church
- 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
Dress Code – As the weather becomes colder and the first quarter 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.
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- Hair must be trimmed neatly and not fall into the students eyes.
- 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 a document from the Diocese. You are also encouraged to visit the Idaho Parental Choice Tax Credit page. It provides information about the bill along with courses to help families understand the finer details.
- Mexican Dance – Wednesdays – Open to All Students – 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 city, 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.
- 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.
- Safe Environment – Virtus – Safe Environment training is required for any volunteer that will be around students in the school. Please be sure to keep current with your safe environment. You are asked to complete an on-line training session to renew using Virtus each year. Background checks are scheduled to be renewed every five years. If you have never been through Safe Environment, you will need to attend the in-person class first.
- To find the list of in-person training, please follow the above link to Virtus, create an account and follow the prompts to the available classes.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
