It’s amazing to see that the end of the school year arrived so quickly. I want to thank you all for the support and patience shown these past 10 months. We had successes and some challenges, yet despite all, we continued the work that had to be done to ensure the safety and educational needs of our students. There are countless people to whom I owe an expression of gratitude and hope that we continue working together in the coming years. We had the opportunity to work with Jennifer Flynn of Catapult Learning who helped with our Social Emotional Learning Program. An expression of special thanks goes to Wendy Frate, Room Parents, St. Mark School Advisory Board, HSA, volunteers, Mr. Carlos, and Ms. Anna. Their presence and support made a stronger working community to achieve our goals and helped ensure our students were and always are our top priority.

I would like to thank our hard working and caring faculty and staff who have made a huge difference to our students. Their commitment is outstanding and our students are the beneficiaries. Thank you for providing rich and engaging, well-rounded experiences for our students and knowing that education is about wonder and fostering curiosity, along with development of social skills so needed to succeed. For these, and a million other things, I am truly grateful.

As we look forward to Fall 2021, please take a moment to watch this update from Dr. Steven Cheeseman, Superintendent of Schools for the Diocese of Bridgeport, on what to expect in the fall.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate St. Mark Class of 2021! You have learned and grown so much this past year. May God guide you and direct you to a bright and blessed future. We will miss you!

I wish the entire St. Mark School Community a happy, safe and enjoyable summer. Please be sure to take time as a family to talk, pray and READ together.

I look forward to seeing you in September!

Yours in Christ,

Melissa Warner

St. Mark School's Models in Christ social and emotional learning program 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, responsibility/accountability, citizenship, perseverance, and trustworthiness.

Our vision is that this program will teach students the value of strong moral character and the positive impact of their actions do not go unnoticed. 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.

Today, the following students were recognized by having their name announced and presented with an award and commemorative gold cross pin.

On Monday, June 14th, students and faculty may dress down in Red, While, Blue in honor of Flag Day as an optional, free dress down day. Regular uniform is required for those who chose not to participate in the theme.

Thursday, June 17th will be a free dress down day for students and faculty.

This spring, we were fortunate to be invited to participate in the Diocesan Track and Field program. I am thankful to the coaches for all all of the time and effort the put into preparing our student athletes. A special thank you to Mr. Jim Markland for organizing the team. Unfortunately, due to high temperatures, the Diocese made the decision to cancel the track meet, but I am still proud of the effort and dedication our students have shown in preparing for competition. We look forward to next year's season.

Studies show that when students don’t engage in learning activities over the summer months they could lose up to two months of math and reading skills. Keeping students engaged in fun learning experiences over the summer months will set them up for success the following school year.

Classroom teachers in Kindergarten through Grade 7 will share information with parents for recommended summer work to maintain students' academic skills over the summer including:

Rising Kindergarten and Grade 1 students will be provided recommended practice and activities of foundational reading and mathematics skills.

This weekend, our School Counselor, Ms. Jennifer Flynn is getting married! We wish Jennifer and her husband joy, love, and God's blessings as they begin their new life together.

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

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.