October Newsletter  

   

The Month of the Rosary  

From its earliest beginnings, the church has held Mary, 

the mother of Jesus, in great esteem. She is called the 

Mother of God, Mother of the Church, and our own 

Blessed Mother. Catholics can show their devotion to 

Mary by inviting her to pray with and for them. One 

way of doing this is by using the rosary and thinking 

about the events in her life and the life of her son.  

For many centuries people have kept a count of 

prayers by moving their fingers over a string of beads or knots. In early days it helped 

people remember prayers that they knew by heart. Today it is an aid to counting repeating 

prayers. It often brings a sense of quiet and peace that helps people to reflect on the 

mysteries of the rosary. ( Jeep, Elizabeth. Blessings and Prayers through the Year, 2004.) 

October 7th - Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary  

Our 4th grade students have prepared the presentation of the Living Rosary for this Friday, 

October 11th at 2 p.m. Students will present the rosary with song and incorporate 

intentions in between prayers. Students from K5 - 6th grade will be in attendance. 

Community members are welcome as well. We thank our 4th graders for preparing this 

very special time for us.  

 

 

  

Following the presentation of the rosary, we will begin our participation in the network of 

Virgen Peregrina. Our families will be invited to receive the Blessed Mother to their home 

where she will remain for 3 days. The objective is to promote prayer within the family 

through the rosary and devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe. Information about this 

program may be found at http://www.virgenperegrina.org/home.php 

Also, as we continue through this school year and look to Mary as our model of faith,. This 

month our virtue is : Humility. LIving in a “me-centered” society, the practice of thinking of 

others first will be highlighted. Being humble is a call to be Christ to one another. The bible 

leads us to a life of humility that is blessed with God’s grace.   

May we continue to walk together in our faith journey.   

Mary Our Good Mother, Pray for us! 

Mrs. Ana E. Gomez, MEd.  

Principal  

Building Leadership - Student Council 2019 -2020  

Last month, our students in 3rd - 6th grade were able to cast their vote for this year’s 

leadership. Students were given a taste of the democratic process of a campaign and 

voting process.   

First, students in 6th grade qualified to run for office, prepared a speech describing their 

goals for the year and created posters. They campaigned for a week and students in 3rd 

-6th cast their votes. Votes were electronically counted and winners announced. Class 

Representatives were selected by their peers within their homerooms the following week.   

On Wednesday, October 2nd, our executive board and class representatives were sworn in 

by Mr. Luis Saenz, Cameron County District Attorney. He shared a few words of 

encouragement and stressed the importance of making the right decisions for the good of 

all and to always be of service. We congratulate our Student Council and look forward to 

their support of the school promoting unity, service and spirit!   

President: Paola Teran  Secretary : Carmina Gonzalez  

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Vice President: Luisa Montelongo Parliamentarian : Letty Salazar  

Treasurer : Alejandro Gonzalez  Historian: Mireille Varela  

 

Classroom Representatives  

3rd Grade : Fernanda Garcia, Jose Javier Ibarra, Fernanda Loya, Miguel Solis, Abel Duran 

and Romina Tovar  

4th Grade: Elisa Magallanes, Jose Eduardo Santos, Andres Cordero, Hugo Rodriguez 

5th Grade: Juan Pablo Martinez, Regina Martinez, Cesar Aponte, Natalia, Aponte 

6th Grade: Andre Cristiano, Daniela Flores, Sarah Magallanes Carlos Luna, Eduardo Lash, 

Karoleva Hinojosa 

 

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Volleyball- Our Girls ready to Score- ACE!   

Our BANSA season is well on its way! Team sports has always been a part of St. Mary’s. 

The volleyball season is upon us and the opportunity is open to our students in 3rd - 6th 

grade.   

Volleyball is a challenging sport but learning the basics early is good for our girls. Being part 

of a team also allows the girls to develop skills such as cooperation, commitment, 

responsibility and good sportsmanship.   

Our teams compete against other private 

schools locally. The season allows them a 

chance to grow and learn. We appreciate 

the work of our coaching staff and 

volunteers who assist.   

The girls enjoy this opportunity and 

represent our school to their best!  

All are welcome to catch a home game 

this month.  

 

Digital Citizenship- A Great Responsibility!   

Today’s society is fast paced and 

twenty-four seven! It seems that 

the world is always on. Much of 

this has to do with our connection 

to technology. It is our job to 

teach our kids how to use 

technology to assist the learning 

process and how to use devices 

and the many applications 

responsibly. We also need to 

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teach etiquette and proper use. This includes a healthy approach to technology and the 

balance in life to know when to power-off, engage with the actual world around them and 

rest from the screen. There are many ways families can work together to create the limits 

and boundaries needed to create a healthy engagement for all! I have been interested in 

the different things happening in our SMS households already such as : one charging spot, 

devices off limits in bedrooms, a no technology zone in the house, curfews etc.   

In school, students in kinder -6th grade receive lessons annually per grade level in 

computer class and special presenters have been brought on campus for students, 

teachers and parents. All efforts are to help all of us know what is new and to guide us 

when using any form of technology.   

The following is a link that you may visit to guide you and your family in best practice from 

Netsmartz : https://www.missingkids.org/netsmartz/resources 

We remain partners in supporting and guiding our students to be positive, digital citizens.   

 

The Close of Quarter One - Report Card Day, October 23rd  

The First Quarter will close on Tuesday, October 15th. Report Cards will be distributed on 

Wednesday, October 23rd for students in PK3- 6th grade at the end of the day. Teachers 

will then be available for conferences from 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. in their classrooms that 

afternoon.  

Conferences are held on a first come, first serve basis. Conferences are limited to 10-15 

minutes however, parents are welcome to make appointments during the teacher’s 

planning periods by calling the school office at 546-1805 if they feel more time is needed or 

you are unable to attend that day.   

Parents are asked to review the report card, sign and return to their child’s teacher.  

Honor Roll Recognition will take place on Thursday, October 24th at 7:45 a.m. in the church. 

Students in 2nd -6th are recognized and will receive an invitation to this event.   

 

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The Month of October is Awareness Month 

The month of October is awareness month of many great themes, organizations and 

causes. Our school community will engage in the following:   

 

 

Fire Prevention Week - This began October 6th and is 

observed through the 12th. We had visitors on our campus 

on October 7th. The Fire Marshall and his team visited our 

campus to review our drill procedures.   

We are pleased to announce that we were focused, quick and 

impressive. The Fire Marshall clocked us at .54 seconds! The 

students did a great job! Safety is a priority and working 

together we keep each other safe!  

In observance , our Montessori students will be visiting our neighborhood Fire Station on 

the 17th. It will be fun to visit and tour their home.   

Respect for Life : The Diocese of Brownsville will come together to recognize the sanctity 

of life. An age-appropriate curriculum has been adopted to present various lessons during 

the day with students from October 15th -21st. A letter with more details has been 

attached to this email.  

Unity Day: Together against bullying. UNITED for kindness,

acceptance and inclusion.

This will be observed on Wednesday, October 23rd. Students will sport their Choose Kind 

t-shirts for the first time with their uniform bottom on this day. Students will engage in 

special lessons throughout the day. Students will continue to be allowed to wear every 

Monday with their uniform bottom for this school year. Students who were unable to 

purchase the t-shirt are to use their uniform. If extra shirts become available for purchase, 

families will be informed.   

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Every day we pledge to be Christ to one another...may this message continue to inspire us 

to live united!  

Red Ribbon Week http://redribbon.org/theme/ - Official 

Observance is October 23rd - 31st. Our school once again 

will pledge to live a healthy life -style. We will remind 

ourselves of the importance to take care of our bodies but 

to also help and encourage each other to do the same.   

A healthy life-style helps us all be the best-versions-of 

ourselves. The following will be some activities planned 

for our students during this window of the month:   

Monday, October 28th - Pat on the Back! We celebrate working as a team in our 

community. We will celebrate the success of our style show and teamwork! Any top and 

jeans may be worn to school.  

Tuesday, October 29th - Crazy hat and sock day! Put a cap or sock on unhealthy 

choices/drugs! Students may choose one or both! Caps and socks may be worn with their 

uniform to make a promise to make good choices.  

Wednesday, October 30th - Wear your favorite red! Students will be allowed to wear as 

much red as they can! Jeans are permissible. St. Joseph Academy will join us for a pep rally 

at 1 p.m. in the gym. All are welcome!   

Thursday, October 31st- Halloween - We are dreamers! Keeping an eye on our dreams! 

Making good choices! Students will be allowed to wear the PJ’s (pajamas) to school! 

Slippers are permissible but a change of shoes is necessary for P.E. and recess. Our drama 

club will also have a special presentation at 9 a.m.   

20th Annual Style Show- Adventures in CandyLand  

This childhood favorite will be the backdrop of our night! The excitement, colors, 

sweetness and characters will light up the stage. This night has become a tradition at St. 

Mary’s with it’s purpose strong and evident: the mission of our school. The mission 

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continues to be to provide an educational journey that inspires Christian values and 

academic excellence. The heart of the journey remains Christ.  

The night of celebration highlights our students who remain the focus of all we do. Our 

annual fundraiser supports the our school program and the many initiatives in place. We 

are currently working on a plan to remodel and renovate our student’s bathrooms. This 

much needed project will benefit from the profits of our event.   

We thank the many sponsors of our event. We thank all of our families for their support 

with their participation and excitement. A few dates to remember :  

Tuesday, October 15th - General Ticket Sales  

( Dinner $100.00/ Balcony $25/ Reserved Balcony 

$45) will open  

Thursday, October 24th - Style Show Rehearsal ; 

noon dismissal for St. Mary’s students only. Details 

forthcoming  

Friday, October 25th - Style Show Night : Show 

begins at 8 p.m. No classes this day for Little Saints or St. Mary’s School 

 

● Please remain connected via REMIND for school updates  

● Please refer to School Calendar and Special Activities Calendar for dates   

● If details to connect or copies of calendars are needed contact the office. We will be 

happy to assist you!   

 

 

 

 

 

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