Dear St. Mark Families,

The season of Easter concludes with this Sunday's celebration, the feast of Pentecost. On Pentecost we celebrate the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles gathered in the upper room in Jerusalem; this event marks the beginning of the Church. Jesus fulfilled his promise to send to his disciples a helper, an advocate, who would enable them to be his witnesses throughout the world.

In the context of the feast of Pentecost, we are called to reflect on the integral connection between the gifts of peace and forgiveness and the action of the Holy Spirit. Jesus greets his disciples with the gift of peace. Jesus then commissions his disciples to continue the work that he has begun, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” As he breathes the Holy Spirit upon them, Jesus sends his disciples to continue his work of reconciliation through the forgiveness of sins.

This Sunday's Gospel reminds us that the Church is called to be a reconciling presence in the world. In situations of conflict, we are to be agents of peace and harmony among people. © Loyola Press Sunday Connection

I wish you all continued good health and God's blessings.

Yours in Christ,

Mrs. Warner 

School Safety

Lastweek, I met with Lieutenant Eller, Director of School Services for the Stratford Police Department who personally walked through our school, in addition to our yearly safety reviews to ensure all of our protocols that are in place are the best possible measure in place to delay an intruder while we wait for police response.  In our discussion, Lt. Eller was pleased with our protocols and the proper measures are all in place.

These security measures include:

• Steel exterior doors
• Thick, translucent polyethylene film was applied to windows to hold the glass together even if penetrated 
• Electronic lock/buzzer system at school entrances
• Routine unannounced fire and lock down practice drills
• Security cameras for all entrances 
• Walkie talkies for all faculty and staff 
• Upgraded classroom door handle/lock systems

The purpose of security upgrades in school facilities is to delay an intruder and improve notification to police so their response time is as quick as can be.   

National Junior Honor Society

On Thursday, May 27th, students in Grades 6-8 were inducted into the St. Mark Chapter of the National Honor Society. In addition to meeting academic achievement criteria, members embody the 5 pillars of the honor society, service, leadership, character, citizenship and scholarship. Congratulations to all honorees.

Grandparents and Special Friend’s Day 



Yesterday was one of the happiest school day of the year, Grandparents and Special Friend's Day! The faculty and I were thrilled to welcome our Grandparents and Special Friends back into the building for the first time since 2019!  Yesterday was truly a day of tradition, love and sharing. Thank you to Cathy Huda, chair for organizing such a wonderful event.  Thank you to all our volunteers and Grade 8 students who helped make the day run smoothly. 

Knights of Columbus Spelling Bee

Congratulations to Fourth Grader, Stella Jass, who won Second Place in the 2022 Knights of Columbus Regional spelling bee.  We are very proud of you Stella!

St. Mark School Website

We have been experiencing some technical difficulties with our St. Mark website.  Please bear with us as we work with the Diocesan IT department to get it repaired so we can keep you updated.

Field Day

St. Mark School's traditional Field Day was held outdoors on Friday, May 27th. A fun time was had by all! I would like to sincerely thank Ms. Anderson, P.E. teacher, our HSA leadership including Mrs. Christoffersen and Mr. Baird for all of the hours spent planning the day's activities, and all our parent volunteers who came out to make the event such a success!  A special thank you to Liam Blake, Class of 2022, for his expert tech support!

Models In Christ

Models in Christ is a social and emotional learning program that is based on the Catholic Theological Virtues of faith, hope, and charity. Students in grades K through 8 are recognized for demonstrating the character trait that is highlighted each month such as respect, kindness, citizenship, perseverance, and trustworthiness.

The goal of our program is to teach students the value of strong moral character and to recognize the positive impact of their actions. Our faculty and staff would like to recognize students who embody the ideals of St. Mark School through actions and attitude; those students who go above and beyond inside the classroom and school community to show they are models of Christ.

The following students were recognized by having their name announced and presented with an award and commemorative gold cross pin in the month of May.

2021 CT Governor’s Reading Challenge

On Tuesday at 10:30am, students throughout the school tuned in to a special virtual presentation given by the CT Department of Education and Governor Ned Lemont. 

St. Mark School was awarded a certificate of excellence for exceptional participation in the Governor's Reading Challenge 2021.

I am so proud of our students and look forward to how many books they will read this summer!

HSA Board Election Results 

I am excited to announce your 2022-2023 Home School Association (HSA) Officers and Board Members:

HSA Officers:

Co- Presidents, Atty. Robert Rosati & Pete Baird

Vice President, Lisa Christoffersen

Secretary, Cath Huda 

HSA Board Representing Lower School:

Derek Masterbone

Jaime McEnaney 

Andy Tsichlas

HSA Board Representing Upper School:

Veronica Caserta

Steve Flaig

Michele LeMoine 

Father's Club Representative:

Michael Aloi

The School Advisory Board and I look forward to collaborating with the HSA for a productive and successful school year.

Faculty Updates



Steven Cheeseman, our Innovation teacher, has made the decision to not return to St. Mark School for the 2022-2023 school year. Please join me in wishing Mr. Cheeseman all the best in his future endeavors.

Parish News

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.

• Saturday, June 4th: HSA Bottles and Cans Drive, 10A-2P

• Wednesday, June 8th: HSA Snack Shop, $1

• Thursday, June 9th: HSA Dress Down Day, $1

• Wednesday, June 15th: Last Day of After School Program

• Thursday, June 16th: Last Day of PK3 & PK4

• Thursday, June 16th: Early Dismissal, 11:25A

• Friday, June 17th: Last Day, K-7, Early Dismissal, 11:25A