Lessons and Carols
The beloved St. Mark's tradition of Lessons and Carols took place yesterday evening, December 9, in the Putnam Family Arts Center's Class of '45 Hall. The School community gathered together in person, wearing festive formal dress, to enjoy sacred music and readings from Hebrew and Christian scriptures in celebration of Christmas. The service included the traditional lessons as well as music with harp from Britten's "Ceremony of Carols" and pieces by Rütti and Joubert, as well as an original work by Director of Music James Wallace.
You can find a recording of the performance here.
Photograph by Sarah Eslick
NEW THIS WEEK
Health & Safety News
NEW: St. Mark's Returns to COVID-19 Green Phase
In this letter to the School community today, Head of School John C. Warren '74 announced a return to the Green Phase at St. Mark's and reminded all of the current mask protocol.
NEW: *ACTION ITEM* Students Eligible for COVID-19 Boosters
Students who are 16 and 17 years old are now eligible for a COVID-19 booster. You can access appointments here or through your primary care physician. We encourage you to make appointments for eligible students while they are home on winter break.
Admission Office News
NEW: Important Financial Aid and Admission Office Updates
The Admission team would like to share the following important updates:
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Devin Worthington has been promoted to associate director of financial aid and is the new point person for all things financial aid. Laurie Kalapinski remains the financial aid coordinator, and Anne Behnke will be overseeing the entire financial aid process as acting director of financial aid. They look forward to working with you and continuing to support your family and your child.
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The Admission Office has a new hire! Steven Vo has recently joined the Admission team as their new interim admission counselor. Many St. Mark's adults and students are already familiar with Steven, as he was a LEO last year for the School and also coaches varsity boys' squash. We are so excited to have him as part of our team!
Athletic News
NEW: Important Letter from the ISL Heads of School
Families, Head of School John C. Warren '74 asks that you please read this letter from the ISL Heads of School to the ISL School Communities regarding sportsmanship at ISL athletic competitions. Thank you.
NEW: Team of the Week: Thirds Boys Basketball
The thirds boys’ basketball team had a thrilling win against Governor's Academy on Saturday. Down by seven points in the second half, the Lions made a comeback and found themselves down 31-28 with 10 seconds remaining. Eager to give the team a win on the home opener, Janier Rodriguez '25 pushed the ball up the court just in time to swish home a floater from three-point range to send it to overtime. Vir Sidhu '25, Liam Childs '25, and JC Chen '24 helped the Lions secure the victory with their lockdown defense. In the overtime period, Dylan Zaterka '25 hit two big threes to seal the win over Governor’s 37-32.
Check out the video of the play here:
Thank you to Mia Overbye ‘24 for writing the Team of the Week!
NEW: Student-Athlete of the Week: Jackie Wright '25
The varsity girls’ ice hockey team returned to the ice this past Saturday against Deerfield Academy and skated to a 2-2 tie with Jackie Wright '25 making her St. Mark’s debut between the pipes. In her first career game, Jackie rose to the occasion by making 24 saves for the Lions. The St. Mark’s scoring was highlighted by Molly Lefebvre '23, who made a shifty move around the Deerfield goaltender for the Lions' second goal of the game, which was assisted by Riley Perkins '24 on a play started by Carlisle Brush '23. SMGVH returns home this Saturday, December 11, to take on Winchendon for a 5:00 p.m. start at Gardner Rink.
Check out the video of the play here:
NEW: Athletic Alumni Spotlight: Laquan McKever '18
Laquan McKever '18 wrapped up his decorated Sprint Football career at UPenn this past season, highlighted by his All-College Sprint Football League First Team honors. This is the second time that Laquan picked up First Team All-CSFL honors, as he got the same accolade in 2019. In his career, the running back finished with 1,538 yards and 18 touchdowns. At St. Mark’s, Laquan was a workhorse for the Lions and led the team to a 5-3 finish during his senior season, earning ISL All-League and All-New England accolades. Read more about Laquan here.
NEW: Highlights
Varsity Girls Hockey, 2-2 tie against Deerfield
Varsity Boys Basketball, 83-39 win against Berwick
Thirds Boys Basketball, 37-32 win against Governor’s
Wrestling, 36-33 win against Brooks
Varsity Boys Hockey, 3-2 win against Winchendon
JV Boys Hockey, 3-1 win against St. George’s
Varsity/JV Boys Squash, 11-0 win Williston; 5-2 win over BB&N; 4-3 win over Brooks
Dean of Students News
UPDATE: Today is the Last Day to Book Winter Break Transportation!
St. Mark’s will be providing bus transportation to New York City and shuttles to airports for the winter break. Please see the transportation dates and times below. The deadline to sign up is today, Friday, December 10. If you have questions, please contact Stacie Allen at stacieallen@stmarksschool.org.
Thursday, December 16 - 4:00 p.m. shuttle to Logan
Friday, December 17 - 10:00 a.m. shuttle to Logan
Friday, December 17 - 9:30 a.m. bus to NYC/Conn.
Friday, December 17 - 12:00 p.m. shuttle to Logan (if needed)
Please note: Houses close at 1:00 p.m. on December 17, 2021.
Tuesday, January 4 - 9:30 a.m. bus from NYC/Conn.
Tuesday, January 4 - Noon bus from Logan
Tuesday, January 4 - 3:00 p.m. bus from Logan
Tuesday, January 4 - 6:00 p.m. bus from Logan
Transportation will be charged to the Lion Card: $100 each way to Conn./NYC and $35 each way to Logan Airport. Please provide 24-hour cancellation notice, or you will be charged.
NEW: All-School Photo Available for Purchase through PanFoto
This year's panoramic all-school photo, as well as the Class of 2022 formal and fun photos, are now available for purchase through PanFoto. Click here to view and order these full-color panoramic photographs of the St. Mark's School community. Order before January 15 to receive discounted pricing!
Weekend Activities
NEW: Weekend Activities at St. Mark's School - December 11 & 12
What's up this weekend? This weekend's campus activities include:
- Ornament decorating at Choate House, Coffee House in Hinkle, open skate
- Dean Sponsored Boda Borg Boston, Starbucks, and chair massages
- Trips to Target, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Apex loop, and the Natick Mall
On-Campus Event News
Update: Picture Retake Day, December 14
Picture Retake Day will be Tuesday, December 14, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the Lion's Den for those who were absent.
NEW: Mark Your Calendars for Casino Night, January 8, 2022!
We hope you can join us and volunteer at one of the most memorable events of the year: Casino Night on Saturday, January 8, 2022, from 8:00-10:30 p.m.! Each year, a highlight for our students is the presence of parents at Casino Night. We are looking for volunteers to be dealers on various tables (training will be provided!). Please reach out to Director of Student Life Caitlin Kosow at caitlinkosow@stmarksschool.org if you and/or your spouse are interested in volunteering. In addition, we are looking for donations of prizes for the event. Ideal prizes include gift cards (please choose cards that boarding students can easily use, like Amazon, Target, Simon Mall, Starbucks, etc.) as well as snack baskets. Donations can be mailed to the School c/o Caitlin Kosow or dropped off when students return from winter break. Thanks for your support!
Parents' Association News
Update: Parent Volunteers Needed for Exam Bake, December 14
The Exam Bake will be held this year on Tuesday, December 14, 2021, from 4:00-5:00 p.m. in the Hinkle Room. Students love the opportunity to take a break from tests and studying to enjoy a spread of goodies including sweets and healthy snacks, too! You (the parents) make it happen. Thank you! If you are able to help the Parents' Association in any of the following ways, please sign up via this SignUpGenuis page.
- Provide and deliver selected item(s) to the front desk by 3:00 p.m. on December 14. (Non-perishable items may be delivered starting the preceding weekend; please make sure the receptionist secures the item(s) in the locked closet adjacent to the Admission offices.)
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Don't live nearby? Order a food or beverage donation, and have it delivered to St. Mark's, or we will help you get it to campus! To pursue this option, please contact Whole Foods Framingham at 508.628.9525, Edible Arrangements Framingham at 508.665.5999, or one of the online retailers noted on the SignUpGenius page.
- Help with set up and/or clean up on December 14. Set up will start at 3:00 p.m. and clean up will begin around 4:40 p.m. Feel free to sign up for either or both slots.
Important note about food allergies: We will be offering a selection of gluten-free and nut-free foods. All other donations will be presumed to contain one or more common food allergens (e.g. wheat, soy, dairy, nuts) unless clearly marked otherwise.
NEW: Philanthropy Days a Success!
Thanks to all of the parents who contributed to this important cause on December 7 and 8. Philanthropy Days were a success, and we could not have done it without you.
NEW: Parent/Faculty/Staff Book Club for January
The January meeting of the St. Mark’s Parent/Faculty/Staff Book Club will take place via Zoom meeting on Wednesday, January 12, from 1:00-2:00 p.m. (EST)
The title selected for discussion at the January is The Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson.
Other titles mentioned:
The February book title for discussion will be selected at the end of this meeting by those in attendance.
IMPORTANT REMINDERS
REMINDER: Class of 2024, Practice ACT Exam December 11
Parents and students, please read this form. To provide students with the opportunity to experience the other major standardized test used in college admissions, we will be offering IV Formers a practice ACT exam on Saturday, December 11, at 8:00 a.m. (There is no St. Mark’s Saturdays programming tomorrow, and students who take the practice test will not miss any School commitments.) Giving students an opportunity to experience both SAT- and ACT-style standardized tests at this relatively early stage allows us to help them assess whether one test better suits their learning and/or testing style and to more intentionally guide their testing plans moving forward. Students have received an email with a link to sign up.
REMINDER: Assessment Week December 13-16, 2021
Each December, St. Mark's conducts an assessment period which accommodates the diverse needs of advancing coursework before winter break. The assessment period starts Monday morning, December 13, and runs through Thursday afternoon, December 16. Each student's class has been allotted a two-hour block of time for meaningful academic engagement. Depending on the course, class work may be in the form of a cumulative test, project-based work, writing workshop, or some other activity or assessment. Please also note that we build a reading block into the schedule on Wednesday morning to allow students time for preparation and extra help. Students may depart for winter break following their final academic or athletic commitment.
To view the Assessment Week Schedule, click here.
REMINDER: School Portrait Orders
On November 19, Coffee Pond Photography emailed instructions to families on how to order your student’s school portraits. If you did not receive this information via email, please contact their Customer Care Department directly for assistance by phone at 800-632-2323 ext. 0 or by email at lifeguards@coffeepond.com. Please be sure to have your spam blocker set to accept emails from lifeguards@coffeepond.com.
REMINDER: Ms. Caron is the New Interim Director of Residential Life
Maggie Caron is now serving as the interim director of residential life in the Dean of Students Office. She is taking over this position from Mr. Chiasson, who helped out temporarily in the Dean's Office this fall. Any questions about housing or residential life should be directed to Ms. Caron, and in the same manner, requests or questions concerning permissions should be sent to Ms. Caron at margaretcaron@stmarksschool.org or Ms. Allen at stacieallen@stmarksschool.org. We are happy to have Ms. Caron join the SM Dean Team!
REMINDER: Important Athletics Health & Safety protocols for Winter
On Tuesday, December 1, Head of School John C. Warren '74 outlined the St. Mark's Athletics Health & Safety protocols in an email here. Please take a moment to read this email carefully. An excerpt from this email follows:
REMINDER: VI Form Parents, Purchase a Recognition Ad
Looking for a way to celebrate your graduating VI Former? Purchase a recognition advertisement in the yearbook! They make great birthday, holiday, or graduation presents that last a lifetime. The deadline is January 31, 2022.
Please see this form for more information and to order.
REMINDER: No St. Mark's Saturdays Classes in December
Please note that St. Mark's Saturdays courses do not meet in December, and the winter season will begin on January 8, 2022. Winter St. Mark's Saturdays class dates are: January 8, 22, 29; February 5, 12, 26; and March 5, 2022.
REMINDER: Essential Dates Calendar
REMINDER: Please Notify Health Services of Health Related Absences
Parents should notify Health Services (particularly in the mornings), of any health related student absences, missed classes or St. Mark’s commitments.
REMINDER: Health and Safety & COVID-19 Updates
- Marlborough Hospital is offering free, drive-through PCR testing with a quick turnaround, should your family need a PCR test.
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Important messages from Head of School John C. Warren ’74, and additional details pertaining to COVID-19, can be found on our website.
REMINDER: Previous Deans' Weekly Newsletters
All Deans' Weekly newsletters can be found here on our website.
Upcoming Events
Tuesday, December 14
Exam Bake
4:00-5:00 p.m.
Hinkle Room
See Parent Association News above for details and to volunteer.
Saturday, January 8
Casino Night
8:00-10:30 p.m.
See above On-Campus Event News for details.
Wednesday, January 12
Parent/Faculty/Staff Book Club
1:00-2:00 p.m.
Zoom link will be provided on January 12.
Recent News Stories
To learn more about the first Wellness Day at St. Mark's, click here.
You can read all St. Mark's news stories on our website here.
