St. Mark School E-Newsletter - January 28, 2022

St. Mark School

A 2009 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.

January 28, 2022

2022 Catholic Schools Week

January 30th-February 5th

Due to scheduling conflicts with the special surprise presentation, Student Appreciation day needed to be rescheduled. Any grade level with PE class on Wednesday may dress down in PE appropriate clothing. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Please make note of the revised schedule below:

Schedule of Events:

Monday, January 31st: Silly Sock/Silly Hat Day

Wear a silly hat and/or socks to school with your uniform
Special Event from Mrs. Warner (Grades K-8)

Tuesday, February 1st: Community Service Day

Catholic Schools week is a celebration! We will be collecting boxed cake mix, brownie mix, frosting to be donated to local food pantry

Wednesday, February 2nd: Student Appreciation Day

Free Dress Down Day *
No homework
Special Surprise Presentation

Thursday, February 3rd: Faculty/Staff Appreciation Day

Thank a teacher and staff member day. Please feel free to make a card, send in a flower or little treat for your teachers and/or staff.
Faculty/Staff Appreciation Lunch
1960’s Themed Dress Down Day in honor of St. Mark School, founded in 1964
Faith-based Service projects

Friday, February 4th: Color Wars

Free color war dress down
Classes will be paired up and assigned a color

PK3--any of the colors: blue, green, yellow, red, purple

PK4 & Grade 2 -- Green

K & Grade 8 -- Blue

Grade 1 & Grade 6 -- Yellow

Grade 3 & Grade 5 -- Red

Grade 4 & Grade 7 -- Purple

The group with the most “color” spirit wins!
Grades K-8 will attend First Friday Mass. Students will be asked to remove any Color War accessories prior to Mass. Accessories can be added back on after students return to their classroom.

Please note, due the ongoing pandemic and current mitigation best practices, the Grade 8/Faculty volleyball game and HSA PJ party have been postponed to the spring.

Professional Development Day

In accordance with the Diocese of Bridgeport Office of the Superintendent for Schools, a Personal Professional Development Day for faculty and staff has been added to the 2021-2022 School Calendar on Monday, March 14th, 2022.

Please be advised that school will be closed for students. There will be no virtual learning on March 14th. This will not add an additional day to the end of the 2021-2022 school year calendar.

2022-2023 School Registration

St. Mark School returning student registration is now open. Please check your child's backpack for registration information and forms.

For the safety of our visitors, faculty and staff and in an effort to ensure we have a successful Open House; we have made the difficult decision to reschedule our Open House to Sunday, February 6, 2022 from 10:00-12:00 pm.

Dress Code Reminders

We have noticed that students are not adhering to the Dress Code in regard to shoes. Sneakers, moccasins and boots are all violations of Dress Code. Please ensure that your child wears appropriate shoes to school. If your child needs to wear snow boots, please send in a change of shoes.

Students K-8 may wear plain black, brown or navy shoes. They must be conservative, substantial shoes with ties, buckles, or Velcro. Slip on shoes such as loafers, top-siders (like Sperry), and Merrell shoes are also permitted. Heel height may not exceed 1½". Sneakers may only be worn on physical education or dress down days for students K-8. Clogs, backless shoes, ballerina -style slip on shoes, sandals, flip-flops, boots, moccasins, slippers, and work shoes may not be worn.

Repeated violations of the dress code may result in disciplinary action.

Supply Reminders

Headphones/Earbuds

Please check with your child or his/her teacher to ensure they have properly working headphones/earbuds for use in school. Many of our digital learning tools require headsets for online use.

Water Bottles

Recently, there has been an increase in student visits to the nurse's office for a cup for drinking water. Please send a water bottle to school with your child daily. Water bottles can be disposable or reusable. No glass bottles, please.

100th Day of School

Wednesday February 9^th, 2022 will mark the 100^th Day of School.

will be a free dress down day, for all students, faculty, and staff that choose to dress in the theme “I’m 100 years old”. It was lots of fun last year and I hope everyone enjoys the fun again this year!

Morning Drop Off Procedure Reminders

We ask that the following protocols be followed by our school community for the safety of our students.

Please pay close attention to which driveway you use to enter the parking lot. Using the wrong entrance creates a risk for an accident!

Parents utilizing the Drop and Go Car Line are to enter using the driveway adjacent to the Blessed Mother Statue.

Parents utilizing Parish Center entrance for Preschool and Goodbye Zone are to enter using the driveway across the street from the farm.

Doors will close promptly at 7:45am in order for classes to be on time for 8am daily mass.

Speed limit is 5 mph in the parking lot.

The Nemergut Drive entrance is the ONLY EXIT during arrival and dismissal times. Do not use any other driveway to exit the parking lot.

Please note: If someone other than yourself is dropping off, please relay this important information.

Faculty Update

I am pleased to announce that Mr. Alex Kennedy has accepted additional instructional responsibilities. In addition to teaching Middle School science, Mr. Kennedy will also be teaching Middle School Innovation. He will begin teaching Innovation to students in Grades 5-8 beginning on Monday, January 31, 2022.

Quarter 2 Report Cards

Quarter 2 report cards will be sent home via backpack mail to Kindergarten through Grade 8 parents on Friday, February 4th, 2022.

As reminder, please sign and return your child's report card envelope to school no later than Friday, February 11th, 2022.

PlusPortals is the Diocesan Student Information Web Portal System available to all parents grades K-8. PlusPortals provides parents access to student grades, attendance, announcements, and teacher emails.

A feature has been added to parent's PlusPortal dashboard this year: e-locker. Parents of students in Kindergarten through Grade 8 can find a PDF copy of the 21-22 Quarter 2 Report card in the e-locker.

Any family that needs PlusPortals activation resent, please email Mrs. Mannino at cmannino@stmarkschool.org.

Athletics Update

Basketball Tournament Sponsorship Opportunities are still available! Please consider sponsoring the St. Mark 2022 Basketball Tournament which attracts hundreds of families in and around Fairfield and New Haven counties. It’s a great way to promote your business in our school gym! Click here for more information.

St. Mark School Athletics Mask Policy for Home Games

Masks must be worn at all times by spectators and student athletes in the gym and restroom areas. Masks must be worn above the nose and cover the mouth area.

Click here to read the complete Connecticut Interscholastic Conference 2021-2022 Winter Sports COVID-19 Guidance (Updated Jan. 11, 2022)

Models in Christ

Models in Christ is a social and emotional learning program that is based on the Catholic Theological Virtues of faith, hope, and charity. Students in grades K through 8 are recognized for demonstrating the character trait that is highlighted each month such as respect, kindness, citizenship, perseverance, and trustworthiness.

The goal of our program is to teach students the value of strong moral character and to recognize the positive impact of their actions. Our faculty and staff would like to recognize students who embody the ideals of St. Mark School through actions and attitude; those students who go above and beyond inside the classroom and school community to show they are models of Christ.

The following students were recognized by having their name announced and presented with an award and commemorative gold cross pin in the month of January.

For Parish information, visit: https://www.saintmarkchurchstratford.org/

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

Diocese of Bridgeport Catholic Schools website

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.

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