St. Mark School E-Newsletter

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.

April 8, 2022

Dear St. Mark Families,

This Sunday, called Palm or Passion Sunday, is the first day of Holy Week. Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday are called the Triduum, the three most important days of the Church year. During this week, we prepare ourselves for Easter through prayerful reflection upon the events of Jesus' passion and death.

Throughout Holy Week, our school community will continue to reflect on the events of Jesus' passion and death. As we meditate on the cross, we ask again and anew what it means to make the statement of faith that Jesus, in his obedient suffering and dying, revealed himself to us as God's Son and brought to fulfillment the Kingdom of God. © Loyola Press Sunday Connection

I wish you all continued good health and Easter blessings.

Yours in Christ,

Mrs. Warner

Please do not reply to this email. If you ever have any questions and/or concerns, please feel free to reach out to me at any time.

Save the Dates

May Crowning of the Blessed Mother will be presented by Grades 2 & 8 on Wednesday, May 11th in our church. All parents are welcome to attend.

Grandparents & Special Friends Day will be held on Thursday, June 2nd. Stay tuned for more details!

Spring Uniform

Please review the spring uniform dress code below for Grades K-8. Please note: students have the option during this time to wear their winter uniforms (long pants, jumpers, plaid skirts, and plaid skorts).

K-8 Boys

Pants or Shorts

Navy blue walking shorts or navy blue pants (elastic waistband pants or shorts suggested for Kindergarten)
Black or brown belt (Kindergarten boys do not need a belt)
No shorts with flaps, snaps, or cargo pockets
Excessively loose or baggy pants are NOT permitted

Shirts

White, short sleeve polo shirt with the school logo
Grade 8 students have the option of wearing pastel blue, yellow or pink polo shirts with the school logo.

Shoes/Socks

Regular school shoes (Sperry, Merrills, black or brown dress shoes)
NO sneakers or Ugg Moccasins
White or navy blue socks (covering the ankle)
Low white socks are not permitted

K-8 Girls

Pants or Shorts

Pants, Shorts, Skorts
Navy blue walking shorts or Navy blue skort (elastic waistband pants or shorts suggested for Kindergarten)
A black or brown belt (Kindergarten students do NOT need a belt)
No shorts with flaps, snaps, or cargo pockets
Excessively short or tight shorts/skort are not permitted for girls

Shirts

White, short sleeve polo shirt with the school logo
Grade 8 students have the option of wearing pastel blue, yellow or pink polo shirts with the school logo.

Shoes/Socks

Regular school shoes (Sperry, Merrills, black or navy Mary Jane dress shoes)
NO sneakers or Ugg Moccasins
White or navy blue socks (covering the ankle)
Low white socks are not permitted

K-8 Boys & Girls PE Uniform

PE uniform for boys and girls remains unchanged from the winter. However; navy blue athletic shorts with the school logo is added as an additional option for spring uniform.

If you have questions about the uniform policy, please email Mrs. Mannino cmannino@stmarkschool.org.

Summer Learning Program

St. Mark School has partnered with Catapult Learning Services to offer an Extended School Year/Summer Learning Program to students currently in Grades K-5. The summer learning program will be offered July 5th-29th, Monday-Friday, 9am-12pm. Please click here to read program details. Program registration form can be found here. Click here to read program FAQs.

Important Reminders

Because students were required to wear their winter uniform an extra day today, a free dress down has been announced for Tuesday, April 12th for students in Grades K-8.

Students in Grades K-8 are required to be in spring uniform on Monday, April 11th. No dress down passes will be accepted, as students will be attending the solemn and poignant portrayal of the Living Stations of the Cross.

If you have not ordered a hot lunch, please send your child to school with enough to eat for snack and lunch. Additionally, please ensure your child has a water bottle with them. Water fountains are available for bottle filling only and not individual drinking at this time.

We have been informed by some parents that phone calls from St. Mark School have been filtered or blocked as spam by some cell service providers. Please save the St. Mark School phone number (203) 375-4291 in your cell phone contacts to ensure you receive phone calls and voice mail messages.

Parents are asked to please adhere to the 5mph speed limit in the parking lot during drop off. Our fellow parishioners on their way into daily Mass appreciate your attention to the speed limit.

Quarter 3 Report Cards and Parent Teacher Conferences

On Monday, April 11th, St. Mark School will issue Quarter 3 Report Cards for students in Kindergarten through 8th Grade. A PDF copy of Quarter 3 Report card can also be downloaded from the e-locker found in parent's PlusPortal. 2022 Iowa and CogAT testing reports for students in Grades 1-7 will be sent home in the report card envelope.

Spring Parent/Teacher conferences will be offered to parents of students in Grades K-8 on Tuesday, April 12th, from 2:30-5:30pm and Wednesday, April 13th, 12:30-3:00pm. Preschool parents will have the opportunity to request a conference with Mrs. Zefi (PK3) or Mrs. Larracuente (PK4) during these times.

Please note there is no After School Program on Wednesday, April 13th.

Conference sign-up forms have been sent by K-8 classroom teachers. Please be sure to indicate your preference of in-person or virtual conference when you sign-up.

St. Mark School Playgrounds

I'm so happy to see our children enjoying the playground after school once again. However; it has been brought to my attention that some of the preschool playground toys are being broken. Therefore, we will no longer be unlocking the preschool portion of the playground for after school use at this time.

Living Stations of the Cross

It is a long-standing tradition at St. Mark School for the 8th Grade class to present the Lenten devotion of The Living Stations of the Cross. The Living Stations of the Cross is a reverent enactment of the Passion and Death of Jesus, performed with students acting out a still scene for each of the 14 Stations of the Cross, while the story is told through songs and narration.

Living our Faith

Today, the Most Reverend Bishop Frank Caggiano celebrated Mass for our St. Mark School community. Students in Grades K-8 participated reverently. Bishop Caggiano asked students to continue to pray for him, daily, as he prays for each of them and their families.

Yearbook Orders

It’s time to order the 2021-2022 yearbook! The yearbook includes students from Preschool - Grade 8, class photos, individual student photos, as well as photos from our school events and much more! The yearbook will arrive in early June. Orders must be received by 2:00 pm on April 15, 2022.

To order online please click here

If you would like to order through school, please contact the Main Office if you need an additional order form. If you have any questions, please contact the Yearbook committee yearbook@stmarkschool.org

End of Year Dates

With the approval of the Diocese of Bridgeport Catholic Schools, Office of the Superintendent for Schools, the last day of the 2021-2022 school year for Grades Kindergarten through 7 will be Friday, June 17th, 2022.

Early Dismissal Days in June

Thursday, June 16th, 11:25 Dismissal

Friday, June 17th, 11:25 Dismissal

Little Lions Preschool Program (PK3 & PK4)

The last day of Little Lions Preschool (PK3 & PK4) Program will be Thursday, June 16th, 2022. Please note that the day is an early dismissal at 11:25am and there is no After School Program. We will celebrate our PK4 students moving up to Kindergarten with a Graduation Celebration on the last day of the program, Thursday, June 16th.

Kindergarten

Kindergarten Graduation will be celebrated on Friday, June 17th. Please note that the day is an early dismissal at 11:25am.

After School Program

The last day of St. Mark School's After School Program will be on Wednesday, June 15th, 2022 for all grades, PK3-8.

Parish News

Easter Egg Hunt

St. Mark Parish Easter Egg Hunt is back this year! All children ages 2-10 are invited to join the parish on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 24, after the 9:00am Mass to hunt for Easter candy and prizes in each age group. Children will even be treated to a visit from the Easter Bunny!

Hosted by St. Mark Parish Youth Group, there is no charge for this event, though donations will be accepted to benefit Al's Angels, a local charity helping local youth and families as well as Ukrainian refugees.

Reconciliation Monday

Each year the Diocese of Bridgeport conducts Reconciliation Monday, allowing parishioners an extra day to observe the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Reconciliation Monday will be Monday, April 11, 2022. Churches and times are listed in the bulletin, found here.

Are You in Need of Food?

Anyone in, or out, of the Parish, who needs food assistance, should contact Deacon Paul at pkurmay45@optimum.net or call him at 203-378-8025. You may also leave a message at the rectory office 203-377-0444. Discretion and confidentiality are a priority. Please don’t be nervous to reach out to us.

Palms and Pancakes

St. Mark Parish Knights of Columbus, St. John Paul II, Council 8 are hosting their traditional Palms and Pancakes Sunday! Please join the Knights for a free breakfast after all the masses on Palm Sunday, April 10th in the Parish Hall. If you wish to make a donation to defer expenses, you may do so at the breakfast.

Faculty Update

Join me in welcoming Donna Kern, Catapult Learning School Psychologist, to St. Mark School. Mrs. Kern is a school psychologist with over twenty-two years of experience serving students. She has worked in a variety of Connecticut towns including New Haven, Hamden, Clinton, Milford and West Haven.

She holds an M.S. and a 6th Year degree from Southern Connecticut State University in School Psychology and an M.S. degree in Developmental Psychology from Columbia University. She has Connecticut certifications in School Psychology and Education Administration.

Mrs. Kern is devoted to working with students and families to ensure that children's educational needs are appropriately assessed and that roadblocks to their academic success are removed----to helping students identify and resolve issues that may be impeding their ability to focus adequately on their studies. Within the St. Mark school community, she is committed to working with students, teachers and administrators to improve academic performance and/or social and behavioral functioning. Further, she is passionate about offering guidance and support to children so that they flourish academically and develop as faith-filled, sensitive, creative, inquisitive, and confident learners. In her spare time, Mrs. Kern enjoys gardening, photography, and caring for her two very energetic dogs.

In Our Classrooms

Today, students in Grades PK3-through Grade 4 were treated to an Easter Egg hunt sponsored by our HSA. A special thank you to our parent volunteers, especially Mrs. Kristen Johansen and Mrs. Sarah Scalzo for chairing this event. A huge thank you to our Easter Bunny!

Class of 2023

Notre Dame High School, Fairfield is offering a practice entrance exam for current Grade 7 students on Saturday, May 1st at 8:30am. The pre-HSPT is a seventh grade edition of the HSPT. Students will still need to take the exam again in the fall. Click here for more information from ND, Fairfield.

Students and parents are welcome to visit the Notre Dame, Fairfield campus for Spring Open House on Wednesday, April 27th at 6:30pm.

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.

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