December 15, 2022

Holiday Celebrations at St. Mark's

Our St. Mark's community has been getting into the holiday spirit these past couple of weeks with several festive and fun School traditions. From the annual song fest and tree lighting to ornament decorating at Choate House and the Service Lessons & Carols, St. Markers have enjoyed opportunities to celebrate and spend time together before the Winter Break. Special thanks to the many families who spread cheer with a treat-filled Tuesday—what an amazing array of sweets this week at the annual Exam Bake! Wishing you all a safe, happy, and healthy holiday season. See you in 2023!


Read on to learn what is happening Inside the Pride.

Photos by Mia Overbye '24, John Warren '74, and Jenna Nastri.

Enjoy Winter Break!

Students may depart for Winter Break following their last scheduled commitment today. Houses will close tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. We look forward to seeing boarding students back on campus by 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 3. Classes for all students will resume with a special schedule on Wednesday, January 4.


Schedule for Wednesday, January 4

Please note that Wednesday, January 4, our first day of classes following winter break, will begin with a special Wednesday Chapel at 8:00 a.m. to regather and reconnect the community.


Reminder: Winter St. Mark's Saturdays Classes Begin January 7

Winter SM Saturdays classes will begin after Winter Break in January. Classes will meet five times throughout the trimester: January 7, January 14, January 28, February 11, and February 25.


Casino Night Volunteers Still Needed on January 7

We hope you can join us and volunteer at one of the most memorable events of the year: Casino Night on Saturday, January 7, 2023, from 7:00 to 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 work as dealers at the various tables (all training will be provided by the vendor an hour before the start of the event, so no previous knowledge is necessary!). 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 to volunteers, we are looking for donations of prizes for the event. Ideal prizes include gift cards (preferably cards that boarding students can easily use like Amazon, Target, Starbucks, etc.) as well as snack baskets and items from the bookstore. Donations can be mailed to the School c/o Caitlin Kosow or dropped off when students come back from Winter Break. Thanks for considering and for your support!


Satisfaction Survey for Flik Independent School Dining

Dear St. Mark’s Community,

As the first semester comes to a close, Flik Independent School Dining is looking to conduct a brief, anonymous, satisfaction survey. 

Click here to fill out the survey. The goal of the survey is to enhance the customer experience and gain guidance for future programming. Survey results will be housed in LENZ, an insights database, and will be shared with you. Students will be emailed this survey as well. Please contact Sarah Enterline, Director of Institutional Research, at sarahenterline@stmarksschool.org if you have any concerns about the survey or your child's survey participation. 

Thank you,

Philip Juaire

Vice President of Operations

Flik Independent School Dining


Admission


Reminder: Financial Aid Applications Due January 15

Financial aid applications are due by January 15, 2023 for all returning students reapplying for financial aid. This is an annual process, and applications must be completed each year to be reconsidered for FA.

Please reach out to Director of Financial Aid Channing Weymouth at channingweymouth@stmarksschool.org if you have any questions.


College Counseling


Reminder: Feedback From VI Form Parents and Guardians

Class of 2023: The College Counseling Office, in partnership with the Office of Institutional Research, seeks feedback from VI Form parents and guardians about our office and work. The survey has been sent to your email. We are excited to learn from your feedback.


Reminder: V Form Parent and Guardian Zoom, January 18

Class of 2024: A reminder that the V Form Parent and Guardian Zoom will take place on Wednesday, January 18, at 7:30 p.m. Join us in welcoming admission officers from Davidson College, Johns Hopkins University, and Rice University for a panel discussion on the current landscape in selective college admission. 


Community Life and Student Engagement


Thank You for the Exam Bake!  

The Dean of Student Engagement Office would like to offer our thanks to all of the volunteers who made delicious treats for our students this week! The Exam Bake was a huge success, and our students were thrilled. We appreciate your help and partnership.


Campus Building Access

As students depart for break, student access cards will be deactivated until Tuesday, January 3. Please make sure your student takes all the essentials with them when they depart campus, as they will not be able to enter campus buildings over the break.


Reminder: E&R Laundry Updates

For students living in Patterson-Sculley House, the E&R laundry drop-off and pick-up location is within the laundry room on a student's particular floor. Beginning on January 9, 2023, E&R will be shifting their pick-up and drop-off days to Mondays and Thursdays, respectively.


Athletics


Varsity Boys' Squash Off to a Great Start

The St. Mark's varsity boys' squash team is currently ranked #23 in the first NEISA Prep School Squash rankings. Full rankings can be found here. Coach Steven Vo reports that the team has "met the beginning of the winter season with an epic, undefeated run," which has included wins against Williston and at the Jackson Tournament, as well as an incredible upset against Tabor Academy. Key contributions have been made by Third Former Sungho Yoon '26 at the number three spot, James Sabet '24 at five, Carey Huang '25 at six, and Elgin Zou '23 at seven. "Many of the boys, including some of those previously mentioned, have been putting in a ton of work in the off-season to prepare, and this win is just the beginning of their efforts bearing fruit," shared Vo. Going into Winter Break, Vo is confident that the team can look forward to more upsets when the season resumes.


St. Mark's Shines at the New England Girls' Wrestling Tournament

This past Sunday, St. Paul's hosted a New England Girls' Wrestling tournament, and five members of the St. Mark's Wrestling team participated. Jiayi Yu '23 took home first place in her bracket, while Ife Lawore '25 and Lillia Fisher '26 placed third in their brackets. Go, Lions!


Winter Athletic Tournaments

This weekend, many of our teams will be competing in athletic tournaments before officially departing for Winter Break. Our varsity boys' basketball team will be competing in the Huckins-Rouse Holiday Tournament at Middlesex; varsity girls' basketball will partake in the Ray Brown Holiday Tournament, hosted at Williston-Northampton; varsity girls' hockey will play in the Harrington Tournament hosted by Milton and Nobles; and wrestling will be at the Battle on the Bay, hosted by Tabor Academy. Finally, St. Mark's will be hosting the 51st Annual Barber Tournament, where our varsity boys' hockey team will look to take home the title after falling in a shootout to Hill School at the championship last season. The full schedule can be found here.


Advancement


Speaker Series for Parents: Supporting Student Wellness, January 10

Join us for our next all-parent virtual gathering on January 10 at 7:00 p.m. The event will feature a group of faculty speakers whose work focuses on all aspects of the student experience at St. Mark’s. A Zoom link will be shared the morning of the event.


Around the Quad


Lessons and Carols, A St. Mark's Holiday Tradition

Last week, our School community enjoyed two evenings of the beloved Service of Lessons and Carols, which took place in Belmont Chapel on Tuesday and Thursday, December 6 and 8. As is customary for this St. Mark's holiday tradition, families and the general public were invited to attend alongside students and members of the faculty and staff.

Read the news story here.

View Lessons and Carols photos on SmugMug here.


SALE at the Online School Store

Looking for a St. Mark's gift and can't make it campus? Shop the online St. Mark's School store here. Orders of $50 or more receive free shipping. Happy holidays and happy shopping!


For More on What's Happening Inside the Pride

Check out photos from campus on our School's SmugMug page.

View the latest news stories on our website.

Calendar Highlights:

Dec. 16 Winter Break Begins

Jan. 3 Boarders Return to Campus

Jan. 4 Classes Resume

Jan. 7 SMS; Community Weekend

Jan. 10 Speaker Series for Parents

Jan. 12 Gray Colloquium

Jan. 14 SMS

Jan. 16 Martin Luther King Day; No Classes

Jan. 18 VI Form Parent & Guardian College Zoom

Jan. 19 Winter Trustee Weekend Begin

Jan. 20 Endowed Chair Installation Ceremony

Jan. 21 No SMS

Jan. 23 Community & Equity Day

Jan. 24 Semester Two Begins

Jan. 27 Wick Choral Festival

Jan. 28 SMS; Wick Choral Festival

Jan. 30 Seated Meal & Evening Chapel

Click to View the Online School Calendar 
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