St. Mark School E-Newsletter - November 4, 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.

November 4, 2022

Dear St. Mark Families,

In this Sunday’s Gospel reading, we will hear about an encounter between Jesus and some Sadducees. The Sadducees were a party of Judaism active in Jesus' time, descended from the priestly family of Zadok.

The Sadducees are described in the Gospel as opponents to the belief in resurrection. In the dialogue presented, we will see an example of the means of disputation that was common in first century Judaism. The Sadducees use the example of Levirate marriage, found in the Law of Moses, to disprove belief in the resurrection.

Jesus argues from the same written Law of Moses to show that there is resurrection. Using the texts from the Book of Exodus Jesus shows that God is the God of the living, not the dead.

More importantly, in this discourse Jesus shows the limits of our imaginations when it comes to eternal life. The Sadducees argued against resurrection because of the limits of earthly existence. They did not imagine another possibility for existence and relationship with God. Jesus proposes that the possibilities of resurrected life are beyond our imaginations. Jesus' conclusion suggests something else as well: To spend time worrying about resurrected life is to miss the point. The point is eternal relationship with God is possible, for God is the God of the living, “. . . for to Him all are alive.” © Loyola Press Sunday Connection

I wish you all God's Blessings and Grace.

Yours in Christ,

Mrs. Warner

Quarter 1 Marking Period

K through 8 Report Cards

Quarter 1 Marking Period ends as of today, Friday, November 4th, 2022. K through 8 Quarter 1 Report Cards will be sent home via backpack mail the week of November 14th, 2022. The hard copy of your child’s report card is yours to keep. Please sign and return the report card envelope to your child’s classroom teacher.

Grades K through 3

Parents are encouraged to review the current template for the Diocesan Standards Based Report Card and marking codes that were sent home with progress updates of student work habits in mid-October.

Please note that the marking code of X indicates that while instruction of the content standard is being delivered, the student is not yet ready to be assessed. Additionally, as this shift in reporting emphasizes what a student has learned, the expectation is that a student will reach mastery (marking code of M for K-2 or marking code of 3 for Gr. 3) at the end of the school year.

Weather Related Emergency Alert System

In anticipation of the winter season, St. Mark School's emergency alert system (which will call, text and email) will be tested on Saturday, November 5th at 12:00P. If you do not receive the test alert, or need to make changes to your contact information, please email Mrs. Mannino at cmannino@stmarkschool.org.

Delayed Openings and School Cancellations

When weather conditions or other emergencies warrant the closing of school, Preschool through Grade 8 families will be contacted by our emergency alert system. When Stratford Public Schools are closed or delayed due to inclement weather, St. Mark School will also be closed or delayed.

If there is a delayed opening, St. Mark School will open at 9:30A with class beginning at 9:45A.

If school closes early for weather related reasons, dismissal will be at 11:25A Parents will be alerted through our emergency alert system. Our After School Program will not be held when there is early dismissal due to weather or emergencies.

Lost and Found

Parents are reminded to please label your child's name on ALL of his or her belongings-especially sweatshirts, sweaters, fleeces, and coats/jackets. Our school Lost and Found has accumulated many items thus far. If your child is missing an item, please contact his or her teacher to arrange a time to check the Lost and Found.

Important Updates

Demographics

Has your family moved? Have you changed your email address or phone number? Please contact the Main Office with any changes. It is very important that we have your most current contact information.

Out of Uniform “Dress Down Days”

Please be advised that the 2022-2023 Parent/Student Handbook states that jeans without holes or tears are permitted on Dress Down Days.

The handbook has been amended to clarify that pajama pants or “lounge pants” are not permitted on Dress Down Days. However, sweatpants in a similar style and structure to our PE uniform pants are acceptable. Thank you for your support and understanding of this policy.

K-8 Boys and Girls Sweaters

There is a typo error in the 2022-2023 Uniform Policy for Grades K through 8 found in the Parent/Student Handbook. Boys in Grades 1-7 are permitted to wear plain navy blue crewneck sweaters with or without the school name. Girls in Grades 1-7 are permitted to wear plain navy blue cardigan sweaters with or without the school name.

Winter Uniform

Winter uniforms began this week on Tuesday, November 1, 2022. Boys in Grades 1-8 are required to wear button down shirts and ties. As a friendly reminder, sweatshirts are not permitted to be worn in class, unless it is a PE day for the grade level.

Please click here to review the Winter Uniform Requirements. If you have any uniform questions, please contact Mrs. Mannino.

St. Mark School

PreK and Kindergarten Open House

November 13, 2022

We are hosting a Fall Open House for PreK and Kindergarten. Click here for more information and please help us spread the word! If you live on a busy road or have a business, consider posting an Open House yard sign. You can stop by the main office to pick up a yard sign or give us the address and we’ll post it for you!

The Open House is from 10A-12P for new families, but we added a special 9A-10A preview hour for our current PreK families. If any of our current Little Lions are interested in attending, reserve your tour by clicking on the link below.

High School Open House and Entrance Exam

Fairfield Prep

Fairfield Prep is a Catholic, Jesuit high school for boys located on the campus of Fairfield University. To learn more about what makes Fairfield Prep unique, families of boys in 7th and 8th Grade are cordially invited to an in-person Open House on Saturday November 19th, 2022 (9:00 or 10:00 am session). To register visit https://www.fairfieldprep.org/admissions/visit-prep and click here for more information.

Notre Dame - Fairfield

On Saturday, November 12th at 8:00 a.m. Notre Dame’s entrance exam will be given. All eighth-grade applicants must take an entrance exam and must complete an online application prior to the exam. Registration information can be found on the school’s website, www.notredame.org.

St. Joseph High School

Take Your Entrance Exam at St. Joes on November 12! The High School Entrance Exam (HSPT) is required of all freshmen applicants. When you take the entrance exam at St. Joes we will include the application and exam fee in one cost ($50). St. Joes will offer the exam on November 12, 2022. This is the last exam before the application deadline! Register at sjcadets.org/apply.

Parents, while your student takes the exam, you're invited to a Morning Coffee & Admission Information Session from 8:15-9:15am! Join us for coffee and an admission overview after you drop your child off for their entrance exam. We can't wait to meet you and learn more about your family's high school goals.

Living Our Faith

On Tuesday, November 1st, our school community celebrated The Solemnity of All Saints. In keeping with our St. Mark tradition, Grade 2 students presented their saint research project and dressed as their chosen saint. Students were recognized by Father Russ during Mass as St. Mark parishioners guessed the names of each 2nd Grade saint.

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

For important information and updates 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.

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

Don't use social media? Not to worry...Our social media posts feed to our school website home page!