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JANUARY 1

WELCOME

The Christmas Tree Lighting at Saint Mary Mother of God Church was beautiful. Caroling and family fellowship was followed by a visit from Saint Nick!

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Dear Saint Mary School Alumni,

This month’s President’s Message will serve as both the last of 2025 and first of 2026. I am extremely grateful for all that’s taken place during the past year and excitedly look ahead to 2026 and all the great things God has in store for Saint Mary School!

As always, Advent was jam-packed with events and fun as we made our way to the New Year. These included gingerbread house building, Breakfast with Santa, a visit by St, Nicholas, the Christmas Pageant, Lessons & Carols, Christmas Tree Lighting, and more! And, if that isn’t enough to make your head spin, SMS raised large sums of money to donate to different charities while providing items and gifts for local families who have recently fallen upon hard times and could use financial, material, emotional, and spiritual support. We accomplished all this while still upholding the academic excellence expected of Saint Mary School and its students. It was a wonderful time to be a Saint!

The coming year should be one full of activity, achievement, and success for the students and staff of Saint Mary School. The next few weeks you will see us celebrate Catholic Schools Week Mass and Winter Open House on 1/25/26, Catholic Schools Week from 1/25-1/30, and the Polar Plunge for Catholic Education on 2/1. This is just the beginning of what promises to be very busy and exciting Winter and Spring seasons for all at SMS! Feel free to join us or invite friends to attend any or all these events as we love to share our experiences with alums and the parish at large. Finally, sharing our weekly school masses with the parishioners, alums, and community of St. Mary has, and will continue to, bring our faithful community together in the worship of our Lord Jesus Christ and celebration of the Eucharist.

Please check our website, Facebook page and the Church bulletin for updates and upcoming events that you can enjoy with us. We ask you to continue to pray for our school, its staff, students and families, and our clergy as we strive to provide an education that is “Academically Excellent and Passionately Catholic” while being caring to others and respectful to all.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Craig E. Palmer

School President

Saint Mary School
cpalmer@stmaryes.org

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who participated in our Giving Tuesday campaign!

I’m thrilled to share that, thanks to your incredible generosity, we raised over $17,000 to support scholarships and tuition assistance. Your support is truly making a difference in the lives of Saint Mary School students.

BOARD CORNER

Eric Youncofski

Board Member

A seasoned professional in the sports marketing industry, Eric Youncofski brings years of experience to Saint Mary School. During his career, Mr. Youncofski has held leadership roles at both the University of Connecticut and the University of Rhode Island. A proud native of Middletown, he has deep ties to the Saint Mary community. He is inspired by the Catholic Classical Liberal Arts Education offered at the school, where his son is currently enrolled. Mr. Youncofski is committed to helping the school grow and advancing the parish mission.

FAMILY CORNER

The Cunha Family

Choosing Saint Mary School for Keira has been one of the most meaningful decisions we’ve made as a family. From the very beginning, it felt like more than just a school—it felt like a place where she could truly grow into who she is meant to be, both academically and spiritually.

Keira’s faith journey has really taken shape at Saint Mary. She has been given the space to ask questions, to think deeply, and to discover her faith in a way that feels genuine and personal to her. Rather than being told what to believe, she has been guided with patience and love, allowing her to form a real connection to her faith. Seeing her become more comfortable talking about God, prayer, and what faith means to her has been incredibly special for us as parents.

Academically, Saint Mary has helped Keira find her footing and her confidence. The teachers truly know her and care about her growth—not just her grades, but her mindset and self-belief. She feels supported and encouraged, and that has made all the difference. We’ve watched her become more focused, more engaged, and more proud of her accomplishments in the classroom.

What we appreciate most is how naturally faith is woven into everyday life at Saint Mary. Prayer, Mass, and Catholic traditions are simply part of the rhythm of the school day. Because of this, Keira does not see faith as something separate from learning or life—it is something she lives and carries with her.

Saint Mary School has given Keira a strong sense of belonging, purpose, and direction. She is growing into a confident young person with a solid academic foundation and a faith that feels like her own. We are so grateful for the teachers, the community, and the environment that have helped shape her journey, and we truly feel blessed to be part of the Saint Mary family.

Peter and Amber Cunha

EVENTS

Super Bowl Raffle Drawing, 8 PM, SMS Cafeteria

JANUARY 14

Catholic Schools Week

JAN 26 - JAN 30

Dedication: Memorial Hall bleachers for Colin Casey

JANUARY 26

Saint Mary School Mass & Open House, 11:30 am–1:30 pm

JANUARY 26

AOH Polar Plunge, 1:00 pm Sea Bright Municipal Beach

FEBRUARY 1

FUNDRAISER

EVENTS

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Victoria Walker '19

I graduated from Saint Mary School in 2019. During my time there, I participated in the basketball team, tennis team, Theater Works, Student Ambassadors, and band. My favorite teacher at Saint Mary was Mr. Michael Kabash, our music teacher and the head of the Theater Works program for most of my time there. He helped cultivate my love for music and instilled a dedication to work hard on the things I am passionate about. Some of my favorite memories from Saint Mary stem from Theater Works, such as the time spent during tech week leading up to the school plays. Spending time with my friends while prepping for the plays brought me so many laughs and fond memories to look back on. Overall, I was a very involved student, which I have continued to be throughout high school and college. Saint Mary helped prep me to apply for and be accepted into the Marine Academy of Science and Technology (MAST), where I was heavily involved in the NJROTC, varsity tennis, and junior EMS.

I am currently wrapping up my third and final year at the University of Maryland (UMD), majoring in Public Health Sciences. At school, I am heavily involved in Terp Thon, the largest student-run philanthropic organization in the state of Maryland. We raise funds year-round for Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C. We just had our Day of Miracles, a 24-hour fundraising push, where we raised over $44,000, a 70% increase from the past year. In this organization, I directly oversee all parts of event planning, including our Dance Marathon in February. Additionally, at UMD, I serve as a Public Health Student Ambassador, which allows me to mentor freshmen about the various opportunities UMD offers. I am also a member of the Public Health Honor Society.

This past summer, I had the privilege to intern for Congresswoman Madeleine Dean on Capitol Hill. It was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had, and it allowed me to contribute to making a positive change in our world. After college, I will be applying to law school, and this internship opened my eyes to how the legislative branch of our government truly works and the impact different policies can have on society. I wouldn’t be able to accomplish any of this if it weren’t for the foundation Saint Mary School helped build. I will be forever grateful!

Victoria Walker

SMS Class of 2019

Our Class of 2025 Graduates

SAINT MARY SCHOOL

Help transform Saint Mary School with Traditional Sacred Art

Four years ago, Saint Mary School joyfully adopted a Catholic Classical Liberal Arts philosophy—an educational approach rooted in the rich intellectual and spiritual tradition of the Church. This model forms students not only in academic excellence but in virtue, beauty, and truth, integrating faith with reason across all subjects. Students encounter the great works of Western Civilization, explore Scripture and Church teaching, and learn to see all knowledge as flowing from and leading back to God.

To further support this sacred mission and ensure that the physical environment of our school reflects our Catholic identity, Saint Mary School is embarking on a new project to purchase Traditional Catholic Art. These sacred images—of Jesus, Our Lady, the saints, and moments from salvation history—will help lift students' hearts and minds to the divine as they walk through the school halls each day. The atmosphere created by such sacred art can profoundly influence the spiritual and intellectual formation of our students.

We are inviting parishioners and alumni to join us in this beautiful endeavor by sponsoring a piece of Catholic art in memory of a loved one—a family member, teacher, priest, or alumnus. Each piece costs approximately $1,000 and will serve as a lasting legacy within our school.

If you would like to support this project and reserve a piece of art, please contact our school president, Mr. Craig Palmer, at cpalmer@stmaryes.org or call 732-671-0071 x221. Thank you for helping us form the next generation of saints.

A STUDENT'S GRATITUDE

Dear Mary, Mother of God Parishioners and Alumni,

I am a new student at Saint Mary School this year. Thank you for donating to the Ave Maria Fund at weekend Masses. Your donation has allowed me to attend Saint Mary School through the scholarship fund. I love being at Saint Mary because I get to learn about my faith along with my regular classes. The Saint Mary School community is so great, and I've made many new friends. Being in a Catholic school allows me to learn in a more peaceful atmosphere where the distractions are a lot less than in other schools. The classical philosophy is also more in line with the way I learn as I am able to ask questions, discuss topics, and respectfully disagree with my classmates when I must.

God bless you,​​

Bobby

7th Grade