In just two short weeks we will be returning school after a long hiatus! Please spend some time getting your child back into their school routine. Continue to reinforce the value of having good study skills, striving to always do their best, the importance of completing their assigned homework, getting a good night’s sleep, eating a healthy breakfast, reading at least 15 minutes a day and keeping track of all their school supplies.

As always if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. If you have any COVID related questions, please reach out to our COVID Response Team at covidresponse@stmarkschool.org.

I wish you all continued good health and look forward to seeing you soon.

The Diocese of Bridgeport, under the supervision of Superintendent, Dr. Steven Cheeseman, has compiled a diocesan wide FAQ sheet. Please click here to view this very informative FAQ sheet regarding the reopening of Catholic schools in the Diocese. I also invite you to take a moment to hear from our Superintendent, Dr. Steven Cheeseman, with his back to school update to our families found here. "This year will be one like no other, but we will FACE it together!"

As a follow up to my e-newsletter on August 21st, please be aware that our reopening policy now requires face covering for all K-8 students while they are inside the school building, including classrooms. Mask breaks will be provided in such a manner as to maintain the safety of all students.

Gaiters and masks with valves will no longer be permitted per the Stratford Health Department. Please click here to hear from head school nurse, Kim Velazquez, for the Town of Stratford. 

Students in Grades K-8 must be able to take their masks off and properly put them back on without assistance from faculty and staff. Please visit the CDC website here, for tips on safely putting on and taking off masks.  

If you have any COVID related questions, please reach out to our COVID Response Team at covidresponse@stmarkschool.org.

I am excited with the progress that we are making on our COVID protocols and I am happy to invite you in for Supply Drop Off. Please come in and see the updates, meet your child's teacher, and visit their classroom.

In an effort to limit the number of people entering the building at one time, we will have Supply Drop Off on two evenings.

If you have children in multiple grades and do not want to attend both evenings, you may drop off all supplies on either day. However, please be advised that teachers will only be present on their assigned evening. If a teacher is not present, there will be a designated spot outside the classroom to leave supplies.

Please be sure to place all your child's items in a labeled bag and label everything you are dropping off. Students are welcome to come to supply drop off.

Safety guidlines and protocols to follow on Monday, August 31st.

St. Mark School building will be closed on Friday, September 4th to all, including faculty and staff, for sanitation. If you need immediate attention on Friday, September 4th, please email Mrs. Mannino at cmannino@stmarkschool.org.

On Monday, September 7th, the Main Office will be closed in observance of Labor Day.

Only Main Office Administrative staff will be allowed in the building on Tuesday, September 8th to allow our janitorial service crew to complete the building sanitation.

The first day of school is Wednesday, September 9th. It is an early dismissal at 11:25am.

Thursday and Friday, September 10th and 11th are also early dismissal days at 11:25am.

Please join me in welcoming Mrs. Lorie Boveroux to our St. Mark School community. Mrs. Boveroux has joined our faculty as Science Teacher for grades 6-8. She has over 25 years in public school education, three years in Catholic Education including teaching as an adjunct professor at St. Vincent's College and 10 years as a Christian Formation director and holds a BFA from the School of Visual Arts and an MS from Pratt Institute. Mrs. Boveraux has been married for 25 years and has four children, all of whom have come up through the Catholic School education system. She has witnessed the transformation of her own children's learning path when she moved them from public to parochial school and believes that Christ is the center of all things and enjoys being able to express her belief in the Holy Trinity as she teaches.

This year has been a challenging one for all of us and especially teachers. It’s harder than ever to be an educator these days and each and every one should be acknowledged for their contribution to educating our children. On behalf of the entire school community, we thank Mrs. Rabel for her 23 year commitment to St. Mark. The Class of 2020 said it best when they dedicated the yearbook to her “Mrs. Rabel, there are no words that can describe what you mean to us. We know that we were challenging at times, but you stuck with us over the last four years and made us excited to learn and participate in your class. We thank you for inspiring us to work hard and to do our best. We thank you for having confidence in us to achieve our goals and for recognizing our potential. We will never forget all you have done for us and we will never forget you!"

As part of our Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Grant allocation, St. Mark School is participating in a Diocesan shared service model to provide a licensed school social worker on a part time schedule to holistically treat students' needs. This will be a huge benefit to our St. Mark Community.

Additionally, classroom teachers have begun training on Second Step, a research based, teacher informed, and classroom tested Social Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum program to directly support the social-emotional development, safety, and well-being of children from PK through Grade 8.

Teachers in Grades 1-8 will not be able to open food packaging at lunch time due to our COVID guidelines. Please have your child practice opening lunch packaging themselves.

Items that are typically harder to open for our students include: milk cartons, Capri Sun juice pouches, Lunchables (and all the individual pouches they contain inside), yogurt tubes, and twist top drinks.

Items that are easier to open include flip top water bottles, Bento box/Tupperware, Ziploc bags, reusable sandwich bags, and twist off snacks such as GoGo Squeeze applesauce pouches.

Please check the P.E. schedule for gym uniform days. As a reminder, the gym uniform policy is as follows:

PreK

Grade 3

Grade 4

Grade 5

Kindergarten

Grade 1

Grade 2

Grade 6

Grade 7

Grade 8

This year more than ever, it is important to label all supplies including scissors, glue, folders and crayons. Don’t forget to also label sweaters, sweatshirts, jackets, lunch boxes, water bottles and anything else sent to school.

Please speak to your children about the importance of bringing everything home at dismissal. Once students are dismissed from the building, they will not be permitted back into the classrooms. I have instructed the classroom teachers to give a little extra time for packing up at dismissal to help get the students back into routine.

Be sure your child can tie their own shoes. For the safety of all, teachers will be unable to tie shoe laces like in past years. Velcro and slip on shoes will prevent students from touching laces that have been in high traffic areas such as the restroom floors.

As a reminder, the 2020 Governor’s Summer Reading Challenge is coming to an end. All completed Summer Reading Journals for students in Grades 1-8 should be turned in to their classroom teacher by Friday, September 18.

Participants will be acknowledged in the first quarter of the school year. The class that returns the highest percentage of their Reading Journals will receive special recognition. Furthermore, certificates will be awarded to schools with the highest books-per-student count and highest participation. Winning schools will be recognized in a special ceremony by the Governor's Office.

The Class of 2019 generously donated a picnic table for use out back on school grounds. Thank you to Brian Christoffersen for volunteering to assemble the table. Our faculty is excited to have a place to enjoy their lunch outdoors.

For Parish information, visit: https://www.saintmarkchurchstratford.org/

For important information and updates on COVID-19, visit the

Diocese of Bridgeport Catholic Schools website

Please visit our school website regularly at www.stmarkschool.org. Important school updates including copies of notices, newsletters, HSA links, and school calendars can all be accessed on the website.