Academics News
NEW: Important Updates from the Dean of Academics Nat Waters
Preliminary course listings were sent via email to parents and guardians on Friday, August 6th. A letter from the Academics Office accompanied the communication, including updates on the scheduling process, a description of the add/drop period for course changes, and a reminder of our community summer reading and viewing. If you have not received this information, please be sure to check your inbox and spam folders, or reach out to the Academics Office: deanofacademics@stmarksschool.org.
One important Academics Office transition to note for the coming year: Associate Dean of Academics and Scheduler Kinne McBride will be on a well-earned sabbatical in 2021-2022! Casey Bates '09 will serve as Associate Dean of Academics this year, including support for our III and IV Form students, and the important work of academic scheduling. Casey's experience in the Athletics Office, her ongoing work as assistant director of experiential learning, as well as her experience as a teacher and coach make her a great fit and a tremendous asset for our Academics team. Casey looks forward to partnering with students and families to help our St. Markers reach their academic potential in the year ahead!
Summer Reading
Getting Ready for the School Year
UPDATED: Getting Ready Website
ACTION NEEDED: Advisor Information Form
Working as closely as we do with students, the more we understand about a student's background, expectations, and potential areas of difficulty, the better prepared we can be to work effectively in supporting the student's success at St. Mark's. This information is primarily for the faculty advisor but will be made available in the Deans' Office to other adults who work closely with the student. We invite you to share whatever information will enable us to better understand and assist both you and your child. Please complete the Advisor Information Form found here.
NEW: New Student & Returning Student Orientation
Schedules for both New Student Orientation and Returning Student Orientation are now available.
NEW: Mask Policy
Due to the number of students receiving the vaccine from the St. Mark’s Health Services team after arrival on campus, as well as the increased risks associated with the Delta variant, our entire community will wear masks when indoors to help mitigate the risk of transmission of the virus. Masks will be worn by students, faculty, and staff when indoors, regardless of whether or not they are vaccinated. Students, faculty, and staff will also wear masks while traveling on buses to athletic competitions and other events. After consultation with EH&E, the School has determined that masks will not be required while eating in the Dining Hall or while students are in their residential houses. We will reassess the need for this protocol at the beginning of October.
NEW: PCR Test
All students, faculty, and staff will have an initial PCR test after they arrive on campus. For the students, this test will be administered beginning the week of September 7 by St. Mark’s Health Services staff. There will not be a quarantine period while waiting for test results.
NEW: Chapel will be Held in PFAC for 2021-2022 Academic Year
After consulting with EH&E, the School has determined that Chapel services will be held in the Putnam Family Arts Center’s Class of ’45 Hall (PFAC) for, in all likelihood, the entire 2021-2022 academic year. The Class of ‘45 Hall offers a greater number of air exchanges per hour and mechanical ventilation with bipolar ionization, which mitigates the risk of virus transmission.
The PFAC is number 12 on the Campus Map found here.
NEW: Fall 2021 Visitor Policy
Visitor Parking
Due to the construction of the new Residential Hall Building, we ask that all visitors park in our visitor lot adjacent to the Chapel and if additional parking is needed, the parking area on St. Mark's Street across from our main entrance on Marlboro Road is also available. Thank you for your help with this.
NEW: Dress Code Reminder
Academic Day
Dress during the academic day (starting at 8:00 a.m.) must be neat, clean, and modest (business casual).
- Pants/slacks, khaki/chino pants, corduroy pants, or Bermuda-length dress shorts with crew neck sweater, collared shirt, or turtleneck.
- Blouse, shell sweater, or turtleneck with dress slacks, corduroy pants, khaki/chinos pants, dress, Bermuda-length dress shorts, or a skirt.
- For dresses, shorts, and skirts, the length needs to be four inches below one’s fingertips. Sleeveless tops are acceptable, but not tops with narrow (i.e. spaghetti) or no straps.
- Tops must be long enough to meet the tops on one’s skirt or slacks without skin showing at the midriff and may not have any writing other than a logo.
- Shoes (including sneakers and sandals) must be worn on feet and closed-toe shoes must be worn for science labs.
During the academic day, students may not wear sweatshirts other than official St. Mark’s sweatshirts. Students may not wear hats or head coverings, except for religious reasons. T-shirts, low-cut tops, visible underwear, blue denim, athletic clothing (including spandex, yoga pants, or sweatpants), pajamas, robes, and slippers are prohibited. Clothing may not be ripped, torn, stained, or frayed. Underwear is not outerwear.
The class day dress code applies whenever classes are in session, regardless of whether a particular student has a scheduled class. Students are expected to be in proper dress during lunch and free periods until classes are over for everyone for the day.
In general, dress during the academic day should be neat, clean, modest, and in good repair. Students can expect to be told to change when they are wearing articles of clothing or a style of dress that fits the letter but not the spirit of the dress code. As in any community, there are appropriate ways to dress for different occasions. We expect students to understand and demonstrate this in the ways that they dress for class, chapel, and leisure activities.
Chapel Dress
- A sport coat, blazer, or suit with a collared dress shirt and tie or turtleneck, dress slacks, dress shoes, and socks. Shirts must be tucked in.
- Blazer or cardigan sweater with a dress, or blazer or sweater with dress blouse, and appropriate skirt or dress slacks.
- Dress shoes.
Low-cut necklines that reveal cleavage or short skirts are inappropriate for chapel. Students may wear Bermuda shorts with a collared shirt, tie, blazer, shoes, and knee-length socks. (Bermuda-style formal wear).
Dress Code After Classes
Dress must be clean, appropriate, and decent. In the dining room, shoes must be worn and hats may not be worn. Neither bare feet nor cleated shoes are allowed on the first floor of the Main Building, and underwear should never be visible. Slippers, pajamas, and robes may only be worn inside the houses.
NEW: St. Mark's Terminology & Technology Platforms
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Google - At St. Mark's we utilize Google for student email, G-Suite applications, and electronic file storage. New students received Google account confirmation details on August 26. Please contact admission@stmarksschool.org with any questions regarding your student's account. Students will start to receive important emails and access to St. Mark's Community Hub news this week.
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Lion Card - The Lion Card serves as the official identification card as well as a prepaid spending account for all students. New families received an email on August 30 with registration information. New students will receive their physical cards on September 8.
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Parent Portal - The Parent Portal is used to access student information including grades, schedules, and advisor letters when available. The portal also offers access to directories and personalized calendars. New families will receive an email on how to set up their accounts in the first week of September.
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Orah/Boardingware - Orah/Boardingware is used by students and families to sign in/out of school and for parent permissions.
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Canvas - Canvas is the Learning Management System (LMS) for all class materials at St. Mark's School for students.
NEW: Lion Card Registration
The Lion card is the official identification card for all students and grants them access to the main buildings. The Lion Card comes with a prepaid spending account feature called Lion Cash that is the student incidental accounts. Students can use their cards to operate student washers and dryers, buy textbooks, and other items from the bookstore as well as eat at the Lions' Den. There are no fees to use the Lion Card and you can add as much value to your card as you would like.
Incoming families received an email on August 30 with registration details. If you did not receive this email, please contact Stacie Allen by email at stacieallen@stmarksschool.org.
Laundry Services
St. Mark’s School will once again work with E&R Laundry to provide laundry services to all interested students to better meet our community’s needs. To view available services, select this link. Laundry machines are also available to students in each house. Machine charges can be made by both Lion cards and coins (quarters).
Messages from Head of School John C. Warren ’74
UPDATED: Summer Updates
In case you missed it, below is a link to important messages from Head of School John C. Warren ’74:
Bookstore News
NEW: St. Mark's School Online Store by Tommy Hilfiger Sale
The St. Mark's School's online store by Tommy Hilfiger is 15 percent off August 30 through September 5! Select this link to access the store. Use code 15OFF08300905 at checkout.
Please note: St. Mark's School does not have a School uniform, only a dress code (page 30 of Student Handbook). The uniform language is used by Tommy Hilfiger and cannot be edited. This partnership allows for families to purchase Tommy Hilfiger apparel with the St. Mark's School branding.
Parent Association News
NEW: Parent Speaker Series: The St. Mark’s Student Experience
Monday, September 13, 7:00 p.m. EDT
Please join us for the first all-parent virtual gathering of the 2021-2022 year. We will celebrate the arrival of our students on campus and discuss what they will experience in their first few weeks. Head of School John C. Warren '74, and Parents' Association Chairs, Marisa and Robert Randazzo '88, P '24 will begin the presentation, and then other administrative leaders will join the discussion. There will be time for a parent Q&A as well. Further details will be emailed to all parents in the next few weeks. Register here.
