Students wearing short-sleeved shirts with crisp blue, white and gray plaid uniforms or navy blue pants went to the school gymnasium for a morning prayer service at St. Mary’s School in Landover Hills, Maryland on Aug. 22, the first day of school. The prayer service marked the beginning of a special day, as students were welcomed back for a new school year and met St. Mary’s new pastor, Father Mario Majano. 

Principal LaSandra Hayes led the school in prayer that morning, as she does throughout the year.

“We begin everything in prayer. We say our school pledge and the Pledge of Allegiance, which is important. It’s also a time to celebrate students…it’s a sense of community. You have that when you gather together in one place,” Hayes said. 

Reflecting on the first day of school, Hayes added, “I want them to take away that they matter, that they are important, that they are special, that we welcome them and that we are excited to have them and that we are going to have an incredible school year.” 

During the assembly, students prayed for patience with one another, being open to making new friends, and guidance in developing their gifts in the upcoming year. 

Students sang the school motto and were addressed by Father Majano, and also by Father Ebuka Mbanude, a parochial vicar at St. Mary’s, and by Kelly Branaman, the Secretary for Catholic Schools and Superintendent of Schools for The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, and by Anne Dillon, the archdiocese’s Assistant Superintendent for School Operations and Student Services.

Emily Kogut has been a first grade teacher at St. Mary’s for seven years and has taught in the Archdiocese of Washington for 13 years. 

“I love the environment here – the students, the faculty, the administration,” Kogut said. 

She has a smaller class than her typical homeroom size, about 10 students, and she hopes this will allow for more attention to each student. Kogut said that her favorite part of the first day of school is getting to know the students and having them start fostering relationships with icebreakers, and she helps students organize all of their new school supplies. 

Eighth graders Amaya Elias and Alex Cuadra said they have mixed emotions as they begin their ninth and final year at St. Mary’s and prepare for high school.

“It’s exciting because this is the beginning of the end. It’s a new chapter in our lives,” Cuadra said.

Elias looks forward to the school’s Spirit Week this year and touring different high schools. 

“My favorite part about the first day of school is seeing all my friends again after summer and seeing what new things we have to do and all the new things in the school, everything new,” Elias said. 

Father Majano said he is excited to meet all the students as he continues to get to know the parish community. Washington Auxiliary Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala served as the pastor of St. Mary’s before Father Majano was appointed there.

“One of the things we are going to do, I told the principal I was going to set up 15-20 minutes with each family at some point. My goal is that at least by halfway through the semester, I will have met with every family to get to know their situation, a little bit of their background, get to know what their story is,” Father Majano said. 

Laurie Maier, who teaches middle school math and science at St. Mary’s, said her favorite part of the first day of school is seeing students' growth. 

“You’re here in the building, and you’re making improvements, but it’s that laughter that just fills the hallways. The joy, even in eighth graders’ faces coming back for another year. That’s a Kodak moment, as they would say back in the day. It’s priceless, you can see it, but when you hear it, you feel it, and that fills the hallways,” Maier said.