February 2021
St. Mary's School Alumni Association
A Catholic Preschool, Elementary and Middle School
600 Veirs Mill Road, Rockville, MD 20852
(301) 762-4179
The St. Mary's School Alumni Association (SMSAA) is dedicated to supporting the school in the fulfillment of its mission by enlisting support from our proud alumni and parents of alumni. We seek to provide St. Mary's alumni locally, nationally, and internationally with meaningful social, professional, and spiritual opportunities.

If you are interested in becoming more involved in the Alumni Association, please contact us by emailing alumni@smsrockville.org
2021 St. Mary's Annual
Auction and Awards Gala
Our annual Gala was held online, 2/3/21 through 2/6/21.

The St. Mary's School Alumni Association worked with the Gala Committee to provide a live virtual experience for the final evening of the Gala using the gather.town platform. Many alumni families attended the evening or contributed sponsorships for the event. It started at 7 pm and the last people left just before midnight.

"Kudos to all for a very creative, fun event. Congrats on finding ways to turn lemons into lemonade." - Mo Stiles 'P12, 'P15, 'P17
Alumni of the Year
Fr. Mark Smith - Class of 1979
On February 6, 2021 at the virtual gala, Fr. Mark Smith '79 was given the 2021 Alumni of the Year Award. Fr. Mark was honored in recognition of his years of service in preaching the Gospel, sustaining the people of God, and celebrating the sacred rites of the Church. Fr. Mark is currently the pastor of Holy Redeemer Parish in College Park, Md.

Due to the pandemic, the certificate that accompanies the award was presented on February 12 at Holy Redeemer Parish. Pictured above is Fr. Mark (left) receiving the award presented by Dinis Camara '91 (right) on behalf of St. Mary's Parish.

Fr. Mark Smith is truly humbled to receive the Distinguished Alumni of the Year Award for 2021. He jokes that in his early days at St. Mary’s, he distinguished himself only by low grades and poor behavior. But all that drastically changed, which he sees as living proof of the grace and goodness of God.
Kelley Christine Bula
Memorial Scholarship
SAVE THE DATE!
Winner will be announced Friday, May 28, 2021
(after 9 a.m. Student Mass)
The Kelley Christine Bula Memorial Scholarship is awarded each year to one child who demonstrates the same qualities and attributes that Kelley had (a love of God, of life and of fellow man; a strong faith; happiness, courage, sensitivity and caring). The Scholarship recipient will receive a full tuition scholarship to St. Mary’s School for the 2021-2022 school year.  This year the award recipient will be announced after the school mass on Friday, May 28, 2021.
Unfortunately due to the pandemic, the school has had to cancel the Annual Kelly Bula dance which is the largest fundraiser for the scholarship. Other fundraising events will occur in the school. Please consider making a donation online to support this scholarship.
Summer Jobs
Shout Out...
jobs_and_careers.jpg
If anyone's business is looking for High School or College students to fill summer jobs or internships for 2021, please email your information to alumni@smsrockville.org.

We will post your business and share them with St. Mary's Alumni.
Strengthening the Catholic Identity
and Purpose of a Parish School
“The Catholic School on the Threshold of the Third Millennium”
by: The Congregation for Catholic Education.
 
The Vatican Congregation describes five defining characteristics of a Catholic school:
 
  1. A school is Catholic if the hiring and professional development processes at the school focus on recruiting and forming teachers, leaders and support staff who are skilled at teaching the Catholic Faith by their words, deeds and the model of their life.
  2. A school is Catholic if the educational process facilitated by these highly qualified educators seamlessly integrates religion with every aspect of the curriculum and school program.
  3. Partnerships with parents are the third defining characteristic of an authentically Catholic school. Through partnerships with parents, educators engage in the formation of youths for their future responsibilities in the Church and the world.
  4. The active and effective participation of clergy and religious in the school is the fourth defining characteristic.
  5. The fifth is that the school has the financial means to accept all families who want to enroll their children at the school. And while this particular defining characteristic is challenging in our current context, recall that the Vatican Congregation for Education called the decision to operate an authentically Catholic school “prophetic.” At the same time, the call to pastors is not to attempt to finance a school on their own, but rather to develop partnerships with parents, clergy, religious, local leaders and political leaders.
 
NOTE: To determine how documents, programs and curriculum at your school are already aligned with the five characteristics of a Catholic school described by the Vatican Congregation for Catholic Education, ask yourself this question: To what extent does our school mission statement already include the five characteristics of a Catholic school?
 
Basic achievements: Our graduates will:
  • Actively practice their Catholic Faith.
  • Integrate religion with all aspects of their life.
  • Prioritize family life.
  • Actively participate in neighborhoods and communities.
  • Discern their vocations.
  • Support the school community.
Celebrating Catholic Schools Week
Alumni Favorite Scripture Passage
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
Philippians 4:13
- Sarah-Anne Hodges '20