Global Theme

For many years, St. Mary's has made a conscientious effort to unite the school community in activities that help our students see their place in the larger world. In 2013, administration decided to be more deliberate and appointed a global coordinator, social studies teacher Linda Boza, to coordinate an annual theme for the entire school to study.

Global Theme Goals:

·To help our students develop an understanding and appreciation for their place in the global community

·To expose our students to different cultures and environments

·To educate our students on areas of the world with which they may interact

·To create building blocks of world peace and health through understanding other cultures

·To unite the school through an annual theme of study

Global Coordinator - Linda Brown Boza

Appointed: 2008

Food for Thought 2020-2021

Here’s some food for thought: Next to love and water, what is most important to our survival? FOOD! What we choose to eat, as well as how it is grown, transported, packaged, prepared, protected and shared, affects not just us individually, but it has an impact on the world. Countries are connected through food sources. We depend on our environment for our food, and our environment is depending on us, too. Throughout the 2020-2021 school year, students, as well as faculty and parents, will have numerous opportunities to explore the topic of food.

Spain 2019-2020

During the 2019-2020 school year, St. Mary's will celebrate Tampa's Spanish roots through an exciting school-wide study of Spain. During the summer of 2019, Mrs. Linda Boza and Miss Katie Rief, as well as multiple SMEDS families visited Spain. Their experiences will be shared with the SMEDS community throughout the school year. We look forward to learning about the rich history, varied geography, changing economics, and lively culture of España.

India 2018-2019

During the 2018-2019 school year, SMEDS students will celebrate the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and feelings of the rich and beautiful Indian culture. We anticipate the bright and colorful lights of the Diwali Indian New Year celebration in November as the music of the sitar fills the air. Students will have the opportunity to breathe in the rich scents of Indian spices, such as turmeric and cumin, and the beautiful fragrances of tuberose and jasmine. We look forward to the stretch of yoga and the crack of the cricket bat. Together our senses will weave an awareness and appreciation for the vast and vital country of India.

India Facts and Pictures

Canada 2017-2018

The global theme for the 2017-2018 school year is our northern neighbor Canada, including a school-wide study of the vast region, its plethora of resources, and its interesting culture. Several St. Mary’s families are from Canada and offer our community a personal view. Mrs. Boza, Mrs. Lockhart, and Mr. Schifeling visited the province of Alberta in July and together will lead this school-wide theme during the 2017-2018 school year. Middle school students and intermediate families will explore the province of Quebec from May 30 to June 3, 2018. These ambassadors from St. Mary's to Canada will assist in leading the Canada theme.