New This Week
Academic News
NEW: Final St. Mark's Saturdays Classes This Weekend
St. Mark's Saturdays classes are scheduled to meet this Saturday, May 21.
These are the last Saturday classes for the spring season.
NEW: Adjusted Schedule This Monday and Tuesday
To support the conclusion of Monday—Friday courses, we will run an adjusted academic schedule on Monday, May 23 and Tuesday, May 24. Each color block will meet once for 60 minutes during the course of these two days. Chapel and other school activities will meet as usual, and there is space built into the day for advisor conferencing and extra help as needed.
NEW: Let's Celebrate! Spring Concert and Ice Cream on Tuesday!
Students and faculty will gather for the Spring Concert and Ice Cream Social on Tuesday evening, May 24, to celebrate the close of semester two and mark the transition into Lion Term courses.
NEW: You're Invited to the Exhibition of Learning in June
Parents and Guardians, you are cordially invited to this year’s Lion Term presentations, which take place during the St. Mark’s School Exhibition of Learning on June 8 and 9. The Exhibition of Learning is a series of student-driven presentations that highlight unique learning pathways and experiences from participation in Lion Term. All student presentations will take place between 9:15 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. on June 8, and between 9:15 and 11:30 a.m. on June 9. The final schedule of presentations is forthcoming and will be available soon at this link.
Presentations will highlight student experiences in community engagement programs, camping and wilderness expeditions, leadership and social entrepreneurship opportunities, and the interrogation of social and racial prejudice initiatives that faculty and students alike have been developing this year. Each presentation will include time for questions from the audience, so come ready to participate! In addition, please plan to adhere to the procedures for visiting St. Mark’s campus, which you can review here.
Dean of Students News
NEW: Residential Life Update on Housing for Next Year
The housing process concluded with double room house selection for rising IV, V, and VI Form students. Students will be assigned to specific rooms at a later date. As a reminder, those who selected rooms in the new residence hall will be temporarily assigned to rooms in other residential houses at the start of the school year prior to the opening of the new residence hall. Students will be made aware of their specific room assignments (including temporary rooms) when they arrive on campus for "Welcome Week" in the fall.
NEW: Move Out this June
It's time to start thinking about the end of year move-out process. General information can be found in this "Move Out Information" live document, which will be updated with frequently asked questions and more information in the coming weeks.
NEW: Summer Storage
Wondering where to store all of your school stuff for the summer? OnDemand Storage will offer off-campus storage for the summer. Interested families should
see the attached flyer for details and
direct all inquiries to OnDemand Storage; their representatives will be
on campus Thursday, May 26 and Monday, June 6, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. to answer questions and help students sign up for summer storage.
NEW: VI Formers on Probation until Prize Day
Please note that all VI Formers will be placed on a “probationary like” status until after Prize Day. Any Level I, II or III rule violation may jeopardize their privilege of marching at Prize Day and/or possibly graduating from St. Mark’s. This is something that St. Mark’s and other boarding schools have done over the years to set expectations as we approach Prize Day. Some schools set this probation period before graduation for a couple of weeks, others for the whole spring semester. It is not meant to be seen as a punishment for any student, but as a reminder to reduce temptations that inevitably arise when the weather gets nicer and graduation comes closer. Ultimately, we want everyone to graduate and to walk at the ceremony. It has been our experience that this probation period helps with that important goal.
NEW: An Important Reminder About Off-Campus Parties
It is about that time when Deans of Students at private schools in Massachusetts get very concerned and nervous about off-campus parties. With the excitement of the end of the year, some parents host parties and allow alcohol to be served to underage students. While rumors of party plans arise, we need to remind all parents of the Massachusetts Social Host Liability Laws and of the School’s expectations around substance use. Social Host Liability is the legal term for the criminal and civil responsibility of a person who furnishes liquor to a guest. We have all heard the stories of when good kids make bad decisions and well-meaning hosts painfully discover that the parties that they thought were harmless fun turn into catastrophes. We are asking parents to be aware of the social host laws and the liabilities that may result in civil and criminal charges, as well as potential consequences to a student’s college admission. We expect students to obey the rules of the School and the laws of the Commonwealth concerning the use of alcohol and drugs, and we continue to expect our parents to support the health and safety of our students in this effort. Thank you!
NEW: Weekend Activities for May 21—22
Health Services News
NEW: Health Services Closed after June 11
Please remember that once the dorms close for the summer, Health Services closes. Students who cannot travel on June 11 need to make arrangements to stay with a local guardian; they cannot stay at Health Services after Prize Day.
Athletic News
NEW: Do You Know of a Golf Course Where We Can Host Matches?
St. Mark’s Golf is looking for access to a local golf course for hosting matches in spring 2023. If any parents are members of local courses or can connect us to a local course, please reach out to Lauren Ames via email at: laurenames@stmarksschool.org.
Some courses that come to mind include: Framingham Country Club, Marlborough Country Club, Hopkinton Country Club, Charter Oak Golf Course, The Haven, The International, Nashawtuc Country Club, Worcester Country Club, or Whitinsville Country Club. Thank you!
Music News
NEW: Recording from Symphony Pro Musica at St. Mark's
Josef Reznicek of Bostonia Records has kindly shared a recording from the Symphony Pro Musica concert, which took place at St. Mark's on May 15.
It is the Brahms' violin concerto in D, Op. 77. Inmo Yang, violin, found here:
Important Reminders
SALE at the Online St. Mark's School Store!
The online St. Mark's School store is currently having a 20 percent off sale on decals and magnets
for the month of May. Shop the online sale
here.
VI Form Formal, June 9
Details for this year's VI Form Formal on Thursday, June 9, can be found
here.
Save the Date for the 157th Prize Day Ceremony
Prize Day is just around the corner! At St. Mark’s, we are preparing for our
157th Prize Day ceremony on Saturday, June 11. The Prize Day Committee sent an email to VI Form families and students on Wednesday, February 16, that provided preliminary information on our Prize Day ceremony and the schedule leading up to the big day.
Select this link to learn more. We look forward to seeing you next month!
Please Notify Health Services of Health-Related Absences, Symptoms
Parents should notify Health Services (particularly in the mornings)
of any health-related student absences, missed classes, or St. Mark’s commitments by calling 508-786-6372
or emailing healthservices@stmarksschool.org.
Please visit Health Services or contact Adria Pavletic (508-786-6372) if you are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19. It is imperative that all symptomatic students, faculty, and staff take an antigen test before returning to in-person activities on campus.
Parent/Faculty/Staff Book Club Summer Suggestions
The St. Mark’s Parent/Faculty/Staff Book Club met May 11 for its final gathering of 2021—2022. This year did not disappoint! We read varied titles and enjoyed great discussions.
Title suggestions from the group for summer reading include:
The 2021—2022 co-chairs wish to congratulate all the graduating VI Formers and their parents. Happy summer reading!
Essential Dates Calendar
Health and Safety & COVID-19 Updates
Important messages from Head of School John C. Warren '74, as well as additional details pertaining to COVID-19, can be found on our website.
Previous Deans' Weekly Newsletters
All Deans' Weekly newsletters can be found here on our website.
