Monday Morning Memo

Winter uniform begins today!

This Thursday, we will be celebrating Halloween at SMA. All students are welcome to dress out of uniform in costume for Halloween. Students are encouraged to wear costumes that allow free movement and play. No masks may be worn over the face, but can be worn on the top of the head. Carried props are not permitted. Students in grade PK through 3rd grade will participate in a Halloween Parade at 2 p.m.

Registration is required for viewing the Halloween Parade. Spectators must be Virtus Certified. Please sign up here: https://forms.gle/cWc9AscJ5v6TFzzd6. If you are unsure if you are attending, please still sign up. We will not be "taking attendance", but we will only be letting people on campus that have pre-registered so we can confirm their Virtus status.

Because we utilize all exterior parking lots for the parade, the campus will be closed to any incoming or outgoing traffic from 1:45 p.m. to 2:20 p.m. that day. Any early pick-ups or other business where access to the school is required should be scheduled before 1:45 p.m. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

This Friday is All Saint's Day and is a Holy Day of Obligation. Please consider joining us for Mass at 10:00 a.m. in the gym. Students may dress out of uniform if they are dressed as a Saint (St. Teresa, St. Joseph, etc.). This is NOT a dress down day. Students not participating must be in school uniform. Here is an article with ideas for how to dress as your favorite Saint: https://catholicallyear.com/blog/20-easy-saint-costumes-made-of-t-shirts/

Please read the attached letter from Superintendent of Schools, Kelly Brannaman. This letter will be read aloud to students in grades 3-8 today. Please take a moment to speak with your child about the importance of choosing our words carefully and the consequences of making threats to self and others in school.

If you have not been receiving text message alerts from St. Mary of the Assumption, please try texting "Yes" to 301-281-4314. If you do not see a message saying that you are now subscribed, please contact alewis@stmaryum.org. This is where we will send emergency closure alerts, so it is important that all parents are subscribed.

You are invited to join us for our annual Grandparents Day Mass on Wednesday November 27th at 10:00 a.m. You do not need to be Virtus to attend this event.

Due to the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, the Mass scheduled for Friday December 13th will be moved to Monday December 9th, as will 8th Grade Confessions. The Monday and Friday schedule will be completely flipped that week, so 8th, 4th, and 3rd grades should wear their PE uniform on FRIDAY that week.

St. Mary of the Assumption School is celebrating 100 years of educational excellence. For the Centennial, we are sponsoring this Brick Fundraising Project to benefit the school. Proceeds from this project will give back to the school and to our families through teacher development, school infrastructure, and student scholarships.

At St. Mary's, we have started a school wide initiative to reduce and sort recyclable trash during lunch. Although we are still in the beginning steps, we will be learning about how our choices impact the environment and steps we can take to become better stewards of God's creation. During the month of September the lunch garbage weighed 1,205 pounds! The lunchroom is an area where we can see the most change. Please consider using reusable containers when packing your lunch.

Gala tickets are now on sale! The event has sold out the last two years, so please get your tickets as soon as possible.

Unable to attend? You can still participate by bidding on the silent auction. More items are being added daily! https://www.32auctions.com/SMA2025

Look for information soon about class basket themes!

The St. Mary of the Assumption School Girl Scouts are participating in the Box of Joy program sponsored by the Knights of Columbus. There is a large box labeled with "Boxes of Joy" by the Main Entrance to the school for all completed boxes. Boxes are to be turned in no later than the 3 PM car line on Friday, November 1. Any remaining boxes not yet turned in may be delivered to the church during any Mass on the weekend of Sunday, November 3.

Tuition Assistance for the 2025-2026 school year opens today! Please begin your application ASAP to ensure you are part of the first (and largest) aid distribution for the 2025-2026 school year.

We are looking for a parent with a pick-up truck to assist with hauling a refrigerator and freezer to the dump in exchange for service hours. Please contact Howie Douglas hgdouglas@gmail.com if interested.

We are looking for sponsors for our handbook and folders for the 2025-2026 school year. Please see the attached flier for more information.

You can add the School Calendar to your Google Calendar by clicking here

Thursday October 31st: 2:00 p.m. Halloween Parade; Costume Dress Down

Friday November 1st: 12:30 p.m. Dismissal; Dress as a Saint; Report Cards Released

Monday November 4th: Joe Corbi's Pick Up at Dismissal

Tuesday November 5th: No School; Virtual Conferences for Families A-M

Friday November 8th: 10:00 a.m. Mass; Honor Roll Ceremony

Monday November 11th: No School; Virtual Conferences for Families N-Z

Friday November 15th: 10:00 a.m. Mass

Friday November 22nd: 10:00 a.m. Mass

Wednesday November 27th: Grandparent's Day Mass 10:00 a.m.; 12:30 Dismissal

Thursday November 28th-Monday December 1st: No School

Email: office@stmaryum.org
Website: stmaryum.org
Location: 4610 Largo Road, Upper Marlboro, MD, USA
Phone: 301 627 4170