January 5, 2023

Happy New Year

Welcome back to St. Mark's! We hope your Winter Break was restful and restorative. Now that we are together again on campus, there is much to look forward to in the new year. Here's to 2023!


Read on to learn what is happening Inside the Pride.

The first St. Mark's Chapel service of 2023, which took place on Wednesday, January 4, included a special blessing of the new Patterson-Sculley House. Photo by Sandra Levandowski.

This Week


Winter St. Mark's Saturdays Classes Begin January 7

Winter SM Saturdays classes will begin this Saturday. Classes will meet five times total throughout the trimester: January 7, January 14, January 28, February 11, and February 25. As a reminder, Saturday classes meet from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m., and School Meeting begins the day at 8:40 a.m.


Please Help! Volunteers Still Needed for Casino Night, January 7

We are thrilled to announce that our 2023 Casino Night will take place in the lobby of the new Patterson-Sculley House this Saturday night, January 7, from 7:00 to 10:30 p.m.! Please note: we need many more volunteers to make this event a success. (Right now, we only have 12 volunteers out of a hopeful 36.) No experience, no problem! Our vendor will be conducting a training session from 6:00-7:00 p.m. and will remain on site all night to help answer any questions you may have. Email Director of Student Life Caitlin Kosow at caitlinkosow@stmarksschool.org if you are able to help this Saturday night, and she will provide you with further information. Thank you!


Unable to volunteer for Casino Night? Please consider donating a raffle prize from your family. From snack baskets to gift cards (Amazon, Target, Starbucks, etc.), all donations are greatly appreciated. You can send prizes in with your student, deliver them to the front desk, or share them electronically by reaching out to caitlinkosow@stmarksschool.org. Thank you in advance for your support!


Order Your Student's School Retake Portraits

On December 15, Coffee Pond Photography sent St. Mark's families information about ordering your student's school retake portraits. If you did not receive this information by either mail or email, please contact Coffee Pond's Customer Care Department directly for assistance at:

1-800-632-2323 ext. "0" or Lifeguards@coffeepond.com.

(Please also be sure to have your spam blocker set to accept emails from Lifeguards@coffeepond.com.)


Complete the Flik Independent School Dining Satisfaction Survey

Dear St. Mark’s Community,

As the first semester comes to a close, Flik Independent School Dining is looking to conduct a brief, anonymous, satisfaction survey. 

Click here to fill out the survey. The goal of the survey is to enhance the customer experience and gain guidance for future programming. Survey results will be housed in LENZ, an insights database, and will be shared with you. Students will be emailed this survey as well. Please contact Sarah Enterline, Director of Institutional Research, at sarahenterline@stmarksschool.org if you have any concerns about the survey or your child's survey participation. 

Thank you,

Philip Juaire

Vice President of Operations

Flik Independent School Dining


Admission


Reminder: The Admission Application Deadline is January 15

If you have a younger child or family friend applying to St. Mark's for the 2023-2024 school year, the admission application deadline is January 15, 2023. If they have not yet scheduled an interview, please contact our admission support staff at admission@stmarksschool.org or (508) 786-6118 to book an appointment. As we approach the deadline, we are processing a high volume of application materials with about a one-week backlog. If you see an item has been submitted on your Gateway/SAO application portal, you should assume it is complete unless our support staff has been in contact with you. To help us expedite the processing of these items, we ask that you please be patient and wait to hear from us regarding the status of your application materials, rather than reaching out for an individual update. As we approach our February "reading season," we are very excited to review our candidate applications and learn more about each prospective student!


Reminder: Financial Aid Applications are also Due January 15

Financial aid applications are due by January 15, 2023 for all returning students reapplying for financial aid. This is an annual process, and applications must be completed each year to be reconsidered for FA.

Please reach out to Director of Financial Aid Channing Weymouth at channingweymouth@stmarksschool.org if you have any questions.


College Counseling


Reminder: Feedback From VI Form Parents and Guardians

Class of 2023: The College Counseling Office, in partnership with the Office of Institutional Research, seeks feedback from VI Form parents and guardians about our office and work. The survey has been sent to your email. We are excited to learn from your feedback.


Reminder: V Form Parent and Guardian Zoom, January 18

Class of 2024: A reminder that the V Form Parent and Guardian Zoom will take place on Wednesday, January 18, at 7:30 p.m. Join us in welcoming admission officers from Davidson College, Johns Hopkins University, and Rice University for a panel discussion on the current landscape in selective college admission. 


Community and Equity


Keynote Speaker Announced for C&E Day, January 23

The Community and Equity Affairs Office is excited to announce the keynote speaker for our annual C&E Day: Darryl Bellamy!


Darryl is an international speaker, author, husband, and father who uses his experience as an entrepreneur and past student leader to help students have more fearless moments. He's collected more written student fears

than anyone in the world. He's a TEDx speaker, featured on multiple news programs, and is the owner of Fearless Inside, which has inspired thousands of students to act beyond their worries, fears, and anxiety.


Visit fearlessinside.com for more information about Darryl’s inspirational and engaging program.


Community Life and Student Engagement


Close of Semester One Reminders

While our Winter Break is still a recent memory, the close of Semester One is a fast approaching reality for students and faculty. As we near the close of a term, we traditionally see an uptick in workloads and stress, so we want to remind students to make good use of their advisors, teachers, peer tutors, and prefects, as well as the many other support resources available to them here on campus. This year, we are also making a concerted push to remind students of our expectations around academic honesty, and the importance of submitting their own best work.


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.


No Classes on Martin Luther King Day, January 16

There are no classes on Monday, January 16, in observance of Martin Luther King Day. Students who take a weekend overnight (only after their last commitment) are expected to be back in the Houses on Monday by 7:00 p.m. (Please note: there may be varsity practices in the afternoon, which would necessitate an earlier return.) With the regular extended weekend, we remind parents of the importance of attending Saturday classes and participating in the athletic contests Saturday afternoon. Thank you!


Chapel Dress Required for Endowed Chair Ceremony, January 20

Please note that the Endowed Chair Ceremony on Friday, January 20, will begin at 6:30 p.m. Chapel dress is required for this event, and all students are expected to attend.


Wick Choral Festival, January 28 and 29

St. Mark's will once again host the annual Wick Choral Festival on Friday, January 28, and Saturday, January 29, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m in the Putnam Family Arts Center. This festival is free and open to all! Performers this year will include the Marksmen and Royal Blues. More info information to follow.


Reminder: E&R Laundry Updates

For students living in Patterson-Sculley House, the E&R laundry drop-off and pick-up location is within the laundry room on a student's particular floor. Beginning on January 9, 2023, E&R will be shifting their pick-up and drop-off days to Mondays and Thursdays, respectively.


Global Citizenship


St. Mark's Earns GEBG Endorsement

The Global Citizenship Department is pleased to announce that St. Mark's recently earned endorsement from the Global Education Benchmark Group for meeting all of GEBG's Global Education Standards. Way to go! Learn more about GEBG at www.gebg.org.


Athletics


Varsity Teams Show Great Promise in Holiday Tournaments

The winter season is now in full swing! Before Winter Break, five varsity teams competed in holiday tournaments, and all five teams demonstrated great progress in these tournaments, showing promise for the season ahead. Girls’ varsity basketball finished in second place in the Ray Brown Holiday Tournament, hosted by Williston. Girls’ varsity hockey earned an exciting victory in a shootout against Lawrence Academy. Boys’ varsity hockey finished in third place in the 51st annual Barber Tournament, co-hosted by St. Mark’s and Middlesex. Boys’ varsity basketball, a much-improved team from last season, picked up a victory against Brewster Academy in the Huckins-Rouse Tournament hosted by Middlesex. And 11 St. Mark's wrestlers went to Tabor Academy for the Battle of the Bay Tournament, where our girls’ team finished in second place out of nine teams.


Advancement


Speaker Series for Parents: Supporting Student Wellness, January 10

Join us for our next all-parent virtual gathering on January 10 at 7:00 p.m. The event will feature a group of faculty speakers whose work focuses on all aspects of the student experience at St. Mark’s. A Zoom link will be shared the morning of the event.


Virtual Trivia Night for Parents, January 25

Flex your St. Mark's knowledge or learn something new at a special virtual trivia night for current parents on Wednesday, January 25, at 7:00 p.m. The event will be hosted by Amy Frederick P’21, ’26. Get to know other parents in your student's Form by teaming up and challenging other Forms! A Zoom link will be shared on the morning of the event. Register here.


Luncheon in Palm Beach Gardens Florida, February 2

Join Head of School John C. Warren ’74, fellow parents, and alumni for a luncheon in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida on Thursday, February 2, at 12:00 p.m. in the Vineyard Room at Seasons 52. Register here.


Around the Quad


SALE at the Online School Store

Looking for a St. Mark's gift and can't make it campus? Shop the online St. Mark's School store here. For the month of January, receive 20-percent-off performance wear. Plus, orders totaling $50 or more receive free shipping. Happy shopping!


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.

Calendar Highlights:

Jan. 7 SMS; Community Weekend; Casino Night

Jan. 10 Speaker Series for Parents

Jan. 12 Gray Colloquium

Jan. 14 SMS

Jan. 16 Martin Luther King Day; No Classes

Jan. 18 VI Form Parent & Guardian College Zoom

Jan. 19 Winter Trustee Weekend Begins

Jan. 20 Endowed Chair Installation Ceremony

Jan. 21 No SMS

Jan. 23 Community & Equity Day

Jan. 24 Semester Two Begins

Jan. 25 Virtual Trivia Night for Parents

Jan. 27 Wick Choral Festival

Jan. 28 SMS; Wick Choral Festival

Jan. 30 Seated Meal & Evening Chapel

Click to View the Online School Calendar 
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