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Reminder: TEDxYouth at St. Mark's Tomorrow Night, February 24
St.Marks is holding TEDxYouth@StMarksSchool, and we invite you to join us tomorrow, February 24, at 7:30 p.m. in the Putnam Family Arts Center. Brought to you by the student organizers and TEDx committee, the event will feature big ideas and great student speeches by Liam Childs '25, Diya Bhaireddy '25, Karry Kim '25, Delin Liu '24, and Darius Wagner '23. Attendees will receive a goodie bag with custom gifts! Check out our official website on TED.com TEDxYouth@StMarksSchool and RSVP here.
St. Mark's Saturdays Classes Will Meet February 25
The final SM Saturday for the trimester is this Saturday, February 25. As a reminder, Saturday classes meet from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m., and School Meeting begins the day at 8:40 a.m.
Groton Day This Saturday, February 25
This Saturday, the Lions take on the Zebras at Groton! There will be a fan bus to the games. See Mr. Chiasson's email from today, and sign-up for transportation tonight. You can view the Groton Games schedule on our website here.
Seated Meal and Evening Chapel This Monday, February 27
A reminder that seated meal and evening Chapel will take place from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. this Monday, February 27. Chapel dress is required. The remaining seated meal and evening Chapel dates for the year are: April 27 and June 7.
Quad Games Begin Monday, February 27
It's the end of February, which means it's time for the all-school Quad Games! Next week, St. Mark's is sponsoring a series of campus-wide events to keep a majority of students engaged in the afternoon and to boost the morale of the student body. This will be our 10th year running this signature community-centered event—a week-long, Hogwarts-esque, Olympics-based intramural competition.
The entire School community has been split into four teams: Fearing, Large, Thayer, and Phoenix. Student leaders will organize the events of the week with faculty assistance, and students and teachers will then compete at a variety of levels. Contests in basketball, chess, volleyball, squash, backgammon, math, spelling, tug of war and the like will be scheduled in the afternoon throughout the week, and points for the winning teams will be tabulated and posted every evening. On Friday, the last day of competition, the Quad Games will culminate with an announcement of this year's winner! Can Team Thayer capture victory for a second year in a row?
Theses games are all about cooperation and School spirit, so wear your team colors and get ready for some fun and unique challenges!
Give Blood This Tuesday, February 28
St. Mark's is hosting a blood drive this Tuesday, February 28. To explain more about the event, a representative from the Rhode Island Blood Center made an announcement during yesterday's School Meeting.
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️Please note that if you’re under 16, you will NOT be able to donate.️
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If you’re 16, your guardian will have to fill out a permission form before the event. It can be found here.
- If your guardian is local: you can also pick up a physical copy of the permission form from Ms. Kosow’s office.
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If your guardian is not local: they can sign the form online and email it to Ms. Kosow.
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Please take a couple minutes to watch this video.
For more information for this event, check the instagram account @smpawsforcause! You can also click here to see what your experience will be like the day of donating.
Academics
Course Registration for Next Year Begins Monday, February 27
The 2023-2024 course catalog is now available. Course registration for 2023-2024 will open on Blackbaud on Monday, February 27, and it will conclude on Monday, March 6. Students will complete the course registration process with their advisors.
Window Three Closes on Friday, March 10
A reminder that Window Three will close on Friday, March 10. We encourage students to keep up their efforts over these next few weeks as they work towards a well-deserved Spring Break!
Spring St. Mark's Saturdays Course Guide
Parents, check out the Spring SMS Course Guide! St. Mark's faculty are always iterating, improving, and designing new courses—and this spring, there are 11 brand new options for students! Registration took place last week, from February 16 to February 22, so all students have made their spring SMS selections. Please note: V Form students are automatically enrolled in the College and Service Learning programming. Questions? Please email them to jilliannicks@stmarksschool.org.
Admission
Reminder: Re-Enrollment Contracts Will Be Issued in March
Dear Parents of current III, IV, and V Formers: student re-enrollment contracts for all returning students in 2023-2024 will be issued online beginning next month. New this year, contracts will be accessed via our new St. Mark’s SchoolAdminOnline enrollment portal. An enrollment portal email invitation will be sent to both parent email addresses for each household, if applicable. The email addresses which will be utilized are the primary emails listed for each parent currently in our database (unless you share an email, in which case these will be sent to only one). If your email for contract purposes has recently changed, please use our online form (https://www.stmarksschool.org/admission/update-email-address) to update your email address on file with the admission office.
Re-Enrollment Timeline:
- Beginning March 13: re-enrollment contracts will be sent out online from info+stmarksschool@schooladminonline.com (with a unique invitation link). Please make note: the subject line of the email you will be receiving for this is "Accessing St. Mark’s School’s Online Enrollment Portal." Contracts will go out in waves over a two to three- week window from that date, and will be sent to your family only if not 'On Hold' by any of the school's departments.
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By April 20: completed re-enrollment contracts and deposits are due by the end of this business day. Reminder: deposits are separate from tuition.
Arts
The St. Mark's Theater Department is Proud to Present...
Shakespeare in Love by Lee Hall, March 2, 3, and 4
St. Markers, reserve your tickets for next week's performance of Shakespeare in Love, based on the screenplay by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard. Choose from one of three shows on March 2, 3, or 4 at 7:00 p.m.
in the Black Box Theater. There is limited seating available for 100 lucky patrons each night, and preference will be given to those who reserve seats in advance. To reserve tickets, please fill out this ticket form. Students, please also remember to sign out via Orah and alert your Dorm Head/Duty Faculty before you attend. NO LATE ADMISSION. Please arrive on time. All visitors should adhere to the St. Mark’s visitor policy. Questions? Please email Mr. Kent: christopherkent@stmarksschool.org
What's the story?
A comedic stage adaptation of the award-winning film. Young Will Shakespeare has writer's block. The deadline for his new play is fast approaching, but he's in desperate need of inspiration. That is, until he finds his muse... the determined, brilliant and beautiful Viola. This young Noble Woman is Will’s greatest admirer and will stop at nothing (including breaking the law) to appear in his next play. Against a bustling background of mistaken identity, ruthless scheming and backstage theatrics, Will’s love for Viola quickly blossoms, inspiring him to write Romeo and Juliet, one of his greatest masterpieces.
St. Mark's School Symphony Orchestra and Recital Featuring Jason Hwang '18 and Jeremy Chan, March 2 and 3
This is your chance to hear current Juilliard senior and St. Mark's graduate Jason Hwang ’18, a baritone, perform with pianist Jeremy Chan.
On Thursday, March 2, at 2:20 p.m. in the Putnam Family Arts Center's Class of ’45 Hall, Hwang ’18 and Chan will perform works by Mozart, Rossini, Morricone, J.S. Bach, Ungar, and Strauss for students, faculty, and staff.
On Friday, March 3, at 7:30 p.m., you can hear them perform works by Schubert, Schumann, Bizet, Ives, and Tosti. Friday's recital is free and open to the public. For more information, please see the Thursday flyer and the Friday flyer.
Community and Equity
Weekly Reflection
In light of Black History Month at St. Mark's, Rick DaSilva and Lizzy Jones invite the community to participate in a more focused exercise utilizing the weekly prompt.
As the St. Mark's community celebrates Black History Month in direct and subtle ways, the C&E Office has been introducing selections from people of color who represent the spirit of this annual celebration. May their words and perspectives inspire self-reflection, empowerment, and meaningful conversations.
This week's prompt: Renowned Black American astrophysicist and author Niel DeGrasse Tyson noted, “In the end, it’s the people who are curious who change the world."
Reflecting on his profound and simple statement, in what ways does your curiosity lead you to thoughtfulness, action, and change? And if you aren’t currently doing anything, what possibilities do you think exist for you to inspire change using that with which you are curious?
Community Life and Student Engagement
Protocols for Inclement Weather
When inclement weather occurs, our emergency administrative team meets to assess the conditions and forecast. We then inform the community of any schedule changes by 6:00 a.m. on the morning of the changes. These updates are shared via email and text though the RAVE system. No communication means our classes and activities are scheduled as normal.
Last night, a reminder of these protocols was sent to the all School email list, along with a message to let students, faculty, and staff know that St. Mark's planned to open without delay for all classes and activities today.
Weekend Activities
Want to know what's happening this weekend? Check out the Weekend Activities Google Doc for on-campus events and trips to off-campus locations.
Spring Break Transportation Information
Please see this form for St. Mark's Spring Break transportation information and bus schedules to and from Logan Airport and Connecticut/New York. The deadline to sign-up for transportation is March 3, 2023 at 4:00 p.m. Questions? Email Jeanmarie Morey: jeanmariemorey@stmarksschool.org
Submit Your Orah Passes for Spring Break 2023
Students may begin submitting their Orah passes for Spring Break now. Please use the “Spring Break” pass (purple). Spring Break Orah passes are due on Monday, March 6, 2023 at noon. Reminders:
- Students may depart after their last commitment on Friday, March 10.
- Houses remain open until 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 11, but there are no classes that day.
- Houses reopen on Monday, March 27, and students should be back by 7:00 p.m. for study hall.
Reminder: Leadership Selection Process for 2023-2024
Believe it or not, it’s time to begin thinking about the leadership selection process for the 2023-2024 academic year. Last Monday, students were invited to attend an information session with Ms. Caron and faculty advisors of five leadership positions: Monitor, House Prefect, Pathways Prefect, Peer Discussion Leader, and Student Discipline Committee. A record number of students attended this session, which was required for leadership applicants and the first step in this exciting process.
Students had an opportunity to learn about the application process and timeline, to hear from faculty advisors, and to ask questions of current student leaders. The written application contains general and role-specific questions, and many roles have in-person elements (interviews) in addition to the written application. The digital application was sent to those who attended the information session on Wednesday, February 15. Applications are due on Sunday, March 5, 2023, at 9:30 p.m. Students can direct application questions to Ms. Caron.
Reminder: Housing for 2023-2024
The housing process for boarding students takes place after the completion of the student leadership application process. Students are encouraged to “hold off” on housing conversations until they return from Spring Break. Housing information and information sessions will be held later in the spring. Stay tuned!
Reminder: Order a St. Mark's School Signet Ring
Here is the order form for the St. Mark's School signet ring by Herff Jones. A representative from Herff Jones was on campus today to accept ring orders in person. For questions, please contact Michael McCann at mamccann@herffjones.com.
Reminder: PanFoto Panoramic All-School Photos Now Available
Dear St. Mark's School Families, a full-color panoramic photograph of the entire St. Mark's School community, as well as VI Form photographs by the PanFoto Team, are now available. Click here to order, and enjoy these memories for years to come! Orders placed before March 5, 2023 receive discounted pricing.
Reminder: Prize Day 2023 is Saturday, June 10
This email was sent to families with important information about our 2023 graduation ceremony, known as Prize Day at St. Mark's. Please read the email, as it contains pertinent information, frequently asked questions, and a list of events scheduled for our closing week of School.
Athletics
New England Tournament News
Congratulations to our squash and wrestling teams on a fantastic weekend in the New England tournaments! Our wrestlers fought hard last weekend in some very close matches. Jiayi Yu '23 finished in second place after earning victories against Choate and Portsmouth Abbey wrestlers. Ife Lawore '25 won against Aby Joyner from Governor's Academy to finish in third place. Ife and Jiayi have qualified for Nationals taking place this Saturday, February 25!
Our girls' varsity squash team had a successful weekend in Connecticut. The girls finished in fifth place overall. Riya Sulur '23 made the championship round at #7, and all of the girls won at least one match, including several comeback victories.
Our boys' varsity squash team also finished in fifth place, fighting hard against a tough Loomis squad and earning a clean sweep of St. George's. The final match for fifth place came down to Oliver Machiels’ '24 match at the #3 position. He won 11-9 in the fifth game.
This weekend, our squash teams will finish their fantastic seasons at the 2023 U.S. High School Squash Championships in Philadelphia. Competition begins on Friday, February 24, and goes through Sunday, February 26. Go Lions!
Summer Opportunities
Summer Job Opportunities at St. Mark's
We are so excited to be launching our new summer day camp program,
St. Mark's Summer, for children ages 4 to 14. Employment opportunities are available for St. Mark's students ages 17+ in positions such as traditional camp counselor, enrichment/sports camp counselor, lifeguard, swim instructor, media manager and more. Our application is now open and interviews are being scheduled. For more information, please visit www.StMarksSummer.org/employment, or reach out to Ms. Jacobi or Mr. Rojee: kristijacobi@stmarksschool.org, bobrojee@stmarksschool.org
Please feel free to share this opportunity with friends or family members!
Reminder: Summer Volunteer Opportunity at Brantwood Camp
St. Mark’s students have been volunteering at Brantwood Camp for over 100 years! Brantwood is a sleep-away camp in Greenfield, NH, serving children who would not otherwise be able to afford a summer camp experience. Any St. Mark’s student who will be 16 or older by June is invited to apply to be a volunteer counselor for one of the following sessions: June 30-July 14; July 17-July 31; and August 3-August 17. There is no cost to the volunteers, but they do have to arrange their own transportation to and from the camp. Parents and students can learn more about the camp at the Brantwood website; please reach out to Rev. Talcott at barbaratalcott@stmarksschool.org with your interest and questions. Continue the tradition!
Advancement
Parent Hot Chocolate, February 27
Please join us for an informal get together in the Admissions Parlor from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Monday, February 27. We will be serving hot chocolate and cookies while all students are in Chapel. This is a great opportunity to connect with others!
Around the Quad
The Search for our Next Head of School
Please stay tuned to this newsletter for future updates on the Head of School search as it progresses. You can also view updates anytime on our School website 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. For the month of February, receive 20 percent off long sleeve tees; for the month of March, receive 20 percent off drinkware. Plus, orders totaling $50 or more receive free shipping. Happy shopping!
For More on What's Happening Inside the Pride
View photos from campus on our School's SmugMug page.
Read the latest news stories on our website.
Watch videos from St. Mark's on our YouTube page.
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