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*Photo above of a class in session captured by Adam Richins
New Residence Hall Update
Earlier this week, Head of School John C. Warren '74 sent an update on the new residence hall. Here is the letter, in case you missed it.
Spring Break Travel Program for Choir/Orchestra
We have added a Choir/Orchestra travel program to our Spring Break Offerings March 11—18, 2023: Orchestra and Choir in Montreal and Quebec City. Working with a travel company that specializes in music programs, St. Markers will spend an educational and immersive week in beautiful Montreal and Quebec City, Canada. In addition to concerts in churches, schools, and other venues, students will have the opportunity to spend time with their peers at Canadian schools. Time will also be spent exploring the beautiful city of Montreal with stops at Olympic Stadium and "Vieux Montreal." In Quebec City, students will again participate in concerts in various venues and will experience the wonder of this quintessential French Canadian City founded in 1608. Quebec City is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The deadline for this program is November 1. The final price is TBD, updates to come!
Global Travel Applications for VI Form Students
VI Form students who are interested in the Lion Term global travel programs have been asked to submit their applications by October 5, 2022. More information can be found here. Travel dates are May 28—June 5, 2023.
St. Mark's Saturdays Classes Continue September 24
The fall season of St. Mark's Saturdays continues this Saturday, September 24. School meeting starts the day at 8:40 a.m., and classes run from 9:00—11:30 a.m. The remaining SM Saturdays are: October 1, 8, and 22; and November 12 and 19.
All School Photo Rescheduled for Thursday, September 29
Due to weather, the School photo has been rescheduled. It will now take place next Thursday, September 29, at 1:00 p.m. on the VI Form Quad.
Advisor Information Form Due September 30
Working as closely as we do with students, the more we understand about a student's background, expectations, and potential areas of difficulty, the better prepared we can be to work effectively in supporting the student's success at St. Mark's. This information is primarily for the faculty advisor but will be made available in the Dean's Office to other adults who work closely with the student. We invite you to share whatever information will enable us to better understand and assist both you and your child. Please complete the Advisor Information Form found here by Friday, September 30.
Community Life and Student Engagement
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.
Safety and Security at School
Please be sure to remind your child to use their room key and keycard. We have been reminding students to lock their rooms when they are not there. In addition, we have available combination locks that conveniently fit the top drawer of the students' dressers. If your student would like a lock, please have them swing by the Dean of Student Engagement Office. As a reminder, it is not necessary for students to have large amounts of cash or other valuables on campus; however, if students have valuable items in their rooms, they can ask the Dean of Student Office to place their items (passport, money, etc.) into the school's lockbox, or discuss ideas to secure such items using the available combination/pad locks offered by the office.
The "Exception" Parent Trap
In the second week, we are seeing an uptick of exemption requests and special permissions in the Deans’ Office. Understanding that life goes on beyond the SM “bubble,” we ask that parents are judicious when requesting to pull their child out of the SM framework (academics, athletics, activities, study hall, etc.). Numerous requests for exemptions impact our program as well as the ability of the Deans’ Office to manage these exemptions and other aspects of the school.
When in Doubt, Sign Out!
Anytime a boarding student leaves campus in a car, even with parents or an advisor, we ask that students go through the proper sign-out procedure. Students need to get permission from a faculty member to leave, check their riding permission status, and sign out properly using Orah. We truly appreciate your support in this matter.
Overnight Permissions Due by Noon on Thursdays
Please complete overnight permissions by noon on Thursdays. Although we do realize that plans can sometimes change, the school will approve late requests only on a case by case basis. If it is necessary to request an overnight after the deadline, you must contact the administrator on duty at (508)380-8667.
Special Permissions Require Advance Notice and an Email
If you are requesting "special permission" to miss a school commitment, we ask that you give us a number of days heads-up to complete the process. All special permissions should be emailed to deanofstudents@stmarksschool.org or to Dean Margaret Caron. Thank you for your help with these deadlines.
Important Orah and Special Permission Reminders
By now, all families should have received an invitation from Orah inviting you to connect to your child by creating a username and password. If you have not received this email, please check your spam folder and then contact the Dean of Student Engagement Office for assistance. Returning families may use the same username and password from previous years. For an explanation of Orah passes, see this helpful guide.
As a St. Mark's family, you will most often submit the following leave requests:
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Overnight - signing your child out for a regular Saturday overnight returning for study hall on Sunday by 7:30 p.m. Signing your Burnett student in to stay overnight with a boarder. The person listed as "host" will approve the request to acknowledge they will be chaperoning the student(s). In addition to the host, this request must also be approved by the parents/guardians and the Dean of Student Engagement Office.
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Special Permission - to request permission for your child to miss a required school commitment (classes, athletics, chapel, seated meal, study hall, etc.). This permission must be approved by the Dean of Student Engagement Office, and students will need to talk to a Dean in addition to the Orah request. Please note there is the "Special Permission" for missing daytime commitments and "SP Overnight" for being away overnight on a regular school night.
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Medical: If your child needs to be away for medical reasons, please contact Health Services directly at (508)786-6373.
Sleep and Student Wellness
If your child tells you we made them go to bed, it is true, and here is why: the St. Mark's schedule is demanding, and expectations are high. For that reason, we require the following:
- III Form students to be in their own rooms at 10:00 p.m. with their lights out at 10:30 p.m.
- IV and V Form students are required to be in their own rooms at 10:30 p.m. with their lights out generally at 11:00 p.m.
- VI Form students do not have an “official” lights out time, but we ask VI Formers to be in their own rooms at 11:00 p.m. We find that by the VI Form year most students are asleep by midnight.
We understand that St. Markers have a demanding homework and study load, yet we are confident that when students use time wisely, they are capable of completing their work prior to lights out. Periodically students may need more evening time for completing school work. In these instances, we require students to request "late lights" from the faculty member on duty. This allows the faculty member to talk with St. Markers about their work for the evening and allows the house team to track patterns with student work.
Students can often feel pressure to "pull all-nighters"; sometimes this is due to procrastination, but often times it is due to pressure to feel busy. Either way, this is not healthy. The National Sleep Foundation recommends that teenagers get at least eight to 10 hours of sleep, with nine and a half hours being optimal. Please talk with your child about their sleep patterns and their homework load. If you discover your child could use support maintaining a healthy sleep schedule, encourage them to seek support from Health Services and our Academic Support Office.
Athletics
Help the St. Mark's Golf Program Find a Course
St. Mark’s golf is looking for access to a local golf course for hosting matches this spring 2023. If any parents are members of local courses and can help us make a connection, please reach out to Lauren Ames (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.
Team of the Week: Girls' Cross Country
The girls' cross country team opened their seasons by defeating Lawrence Academy 17-45. Led by Captain Andria Bao '23 who won the race, Emma Schillinger '26 and Captain Judy Xie '23 also placed in the top three finishers. Captain Ivy Li '23 finished fifth behind Lawrence’s #1 runner. To round off the scoring runners, Sua Yoo '24, Sita Warner '26, and Jasmine Zhang '26 helped displace Lawrence to secure the victory. Every SM runner saw improvement on their times from preseason training. This week the girls train for a big race on Saturday against Thayer and Nobles. Come out to the XC course to support the team as they host the race with the boys team starting at 2:30 p.m.!
Thank you to Mia Overbye '24 for writing the Team of the Week and the Student-Athlete of the Week!
Student-Athlete of the Week: Channing Brush '25
The varsity field hockey team opened their season against Williston this past Saturday with a 3-1 win. With the game tied at the half, Channing Brush '25 scored her second goal of the game to break the stalemate, and the Lions did not look back. Classmate Ella Lefebvre '25 added an insurance goal for the Lions a few minutes later to seal the victory. The squad opens ISL play on Saturday against Middlesex on the road. Follow SMFieldHockey on Instagram for season-long updates!
Alumni News of the Week: Catie Summers '21
The sophomore forward has played an instrumental role in the early season success for the Brown field hockey team, as they are off to a 5-1 start, including an OT victory over St. Francis (PA). In the OT period, Summers found herself in the right place at the right time and put a rebound into the back of the cage to win it for the Bears. Summers has started in all six games in her sophomore season after making appearances in all games last season, with seven starts. As a St. Marker, Catie was an All-ISL honoree and team captain, as well as a St. Mark’s Scholar who received the Shen Prize in US History and the Coleman Prize in English. Summers and the Bears open up Ivy League play on September 23 against Yale. Check out Summers' GW goal here!
Highlights:
Varsity Boys' Soccer: 1-1 tie vs. Cushing
Varsity Boys' XC: 16-46 win vs. Lawrence Academy
JV Boys' XC: 15-48 win vs. Lawrence Academy
Admissions
Admission Open House This Saturday, September 24
The St. Mark's admission season kicks off this Saturday morning, September 24, with our Fall Open House from 9:00—11:00 a.m. No RSVP is required. This is an informal opportunity for prospective applicants to tour the campus, meet with admission representatives and current parents, and learn more about a St. Mark's education.
Admission Tour and Interview Appointments
Tours and interviews will begin this Monday, September 26, and run through mid-January. Contact admission@stmarksschool.org or (508) 786-6118 to schedule an appointment.
Fall Festival This Wednesday, September 28
On Wednesday afternoon, September 28, prospective applicants are also welcome to attend the Fall Athletic Festival with Admission. No RSVP is required. This is another informal opportunity to meet admission representatives, connect with coaches, and cheer on the St. Mark's teams.
Advancement
Reminder: Family Weekend is October 14—15
Parents and guardians, please join us for Family Weekend! Attend a School meeting, follow your child's schedule, hear from Head of School John C. Warren ’74 at a parent reception, and much more. See the full schedule and register here.
Final Chance to RSVP: Lives of Consequence Campaign Celebration, October 1
All current St. Mark’s parents and guardians are invited to celebrate the close of the transformative Lives of Consequence campaign. Don’t miss this celebratory evening of food, fun, and dancing! Learn more and RSVP here.
Save the Date: Alumni and Parent Tailgate Lunch
Plan to join other parents and alumni for a light lunch on campus before the home games on Saturday, October 22. Details to follow.
Around the Quad
For St. Mark's Swag, shop the SALE at the Online School Store
The online St. Mark's School store is currently having a 20-percent-off sale on everyday essentials for the month of September. Shop the sale here.
For More on What's Happening Inside the Pride
Check out photos from campus on our School's SmugMug page.
View the latest news stories on our website.
*Photo below of the VI Form and Faculty Dessert after Chapel captured by John C. Warren '74
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