St. Mark School
A National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence
St. Mark School is a Christ-centered learning environment that teaches Gospel values and fosters academic excellence. Aware of the dignity and uniqueness of all students, we are committed to the spiritual, intellectual, moral, social, and physical development of each child.

November 1, 2020
Dear St. Mark Families,

One of the great gifts of our Catholic tradition is remembrance of and prayer with the saints. Every year the Church recalls the example, witness, and prayer of the holy women and men who have been identified as Saints, people who lived the spirit of the Beatitudes as Jesus lived. The Beatitudes can be understood as a framework for Christian living. Today, on All Saints Day, we recall and pray with these saints and we are challenged to model our lives on the spirit and promises of the Beatitudes. It is important to continue to tell these stories of saints and saintly people to the children of St. Mark, to provide ample models of people of faith for their own lives.

One such model is our patron, Saint Mark. Mark was an evangelist, or Gospel writer. In fact, he was the pioneer in Gospel writing. His is the shortest and the oldest of the Gospels. Little is known of Mark except from the New Testament. He was not one of the twelve apostles, but was a member of the first Christian community. Mark’s symbol is a winged lion because his Gospel begins with the story of John the Baptist who, like a roaring lion, called people to repent.

In the Communion of the Saints, we continue to share a relationship with all those who have died. The saints in heaven intercede for us before God. Monday, November 2, 2020 is The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls' Day). In his death and Resurrection, Jesus has conquered death once and for all. On this day, we pray for the souls of the faithful departed. Our prayers for them help speed their journey to full communion with the saints in heaven.
© Loyola Press Sunday Connection

As we continue on in this school year with the theme of gratitude, let us be grateful that God has protected our students, and ask for His continued blessings on our families. Together, let us pray for the souls of the faithful departed, and ask Saint Raphael the Archangel, patron saint of healing, to care for those affected by this pandemic. I wish you all continued good health and God's blessings.

Yours in Christ,
Melissa Warner 

Please do not reply to this email. If you have questions, comments or concerns please email me directly. 
COVID 19 Update

It was inevitable that COVID 19 would touch the St. Mark School community at some point. We have been blessed that our mitigating safety protocols have been successful thus far. We have received no further reports of COVID 19 positive exposures this weekend and we feel confident that contact tracing for our current case is complete. We will continue to inform you of any updates or changes, as well as any resulting actions that would impact in-person instruction.

Again, we continue to be profoundly grateful to our St. Mark families for your proactive and generous cooperation with our safety protocols. Let's continue to follow CDC, state and local health department COVID guidelines, so that we can continue our full time in-person instruction. Please keep those suffering from COVID 19 and our St. Mark community in your prayers.
First Annual Walk-A-Thon

It is with deep gratitude that I announce our St. Mark Walk-A-Thon raised over $8,600 in pledges and business sponsorships! I would like to personally thank the following business sponsors for their support and ask you please consider supporting those that support our school.

A huge thank you to Mrs. Lisa Christoffersen, chairperson, for bringing this event to St. Mark and for her flexibility and understanding with our weather forced changes. I'd also like to thank volunteers, Mr. Brian Christoffersen, Mrs. Alicia Formato, and Mr. Pete Baird. While it was gloomy outside, our students enjoyed the festive atmosphere and excitement in the gym created by our engaging MC, Mr. Pete Baird. To the parents who were planning to come walk with your children, thank you for your understanding about our last minute change of venue.

Just as a reminder, for those that are not on social media, our St. Mark School Facebook posts feed to our school website. Please visit www.stmarkschool.org to keep updated.
Living Rosary

This week, our students let their lights shine bright. Our 8th grade class lead our school community in the Living Rosary. Each decade of the Rosary was announced before students lit their candle and recited the coinciding prayer. The ceremony was live streamed in each of our classrooms with our 8th graders leading from the main hallway of the school. While it looked different this year, it was a beautiful and reverent ceremony.

A special thank you to all those who donated batteries for our candles to shine and to Mrs. Miller for sharing her strong faith with our students and facilitating our ceremony.

Please continue to pray the Rosary with your family during these under certain times in our world.
Morning Arrival

Due changes in our drop off procedures and COVID protocols, we have been accommodating to late arrivals thus far this school year. However, beginning Monday, Nov. 2nd, we will be adhering to our strict start time of 7:45am. Please plan accordingly if you drop off your child at school, as crossing guards and volunteers will be leaving their posts at 7:45am.

Stop! I would like to extend my gratitude to Mr. Brian Christoffersen, for assembling 3 traffic stop signs for use in our parking lot. We have already noticed the improvement in our traffic flow because of these signs.
Preschool and Kindergarten Tours
by Reservation

We are looking for parents who live on busier roads to put our Preschool and Kindergarten school tour signs on their front lawns. You can pick up the sign at school or it can be delivered to your house. Please call Mrs. Mannino at 203-375-4291 if you can help. Many Thanks!
The Power of Prayer

If you have a prayer intention, please submit your request to St. Mark School's prayer line by clicking here. Your intention will be remembered during our Afternoon Prayers and Announcements.
For Parish information, visit: https://www.saintmarkchurchstratford.org/

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

Visit our social media pages for updates on our school community.

  • Monday, November 2nd: Winter Uniform begins
  • Tuesday, November 3rd: No School
  • Saturday, November 7th: Bottle & Can Drive, 10am-2pm
  • Thursday, November 12th: Dress Down Day, $1.00
  • Wednesday, November 18th: Parent/Teacher Conferences
  • Thursday, November 19th: Parent/Teacher Conferences
  • Thursday, November 19th: Early Dismissal at 11:25
  • Monday, November 23rd: Lyman Pie Fundraiser pick up
  • Wednesday, November 25th: Early Dismissal at 11:25, No After School
  • Thursday, November 26th: No School, Happy Thanksgiving
  • Friday, November 27th: No School
St. Mark School | 203-375-4291 | www.stmarkschool.org
500 Wigwam Lane, Stratford, CT 06614
The secret to happiness is to live moment by moment and to thank God for what He is sending us everyday in His goodness.
Saint Gianna Beretta