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 1, 2022

Dear St. Mark Families,

The Gospel for the fifth Sunday of Lent continues to offer lessons about God's mercy and forgiveness. Last Sunday we heard the Parable of the Prodigal Son from the Gospel of Luke.

This Sunday, we will hear not a parable, but the report from John's Gospel of an encounter among Jesus, the scribes and Pharisees, and a woman caught in adultery.

Sunday’s Gospel begins by reporting that Jesus is again teaching the crowds in the vicinity of the Temple. The scribes and the Pharisees approach Jesus, bringing a woman who has been caught in the act of adultery. They put to Jesus the question of what ought to be done in this case. He addresses those who stand before him and suggests that the one without sin cast the first stone.

Jesus' response to those who accuse the woman is more than a caution to us about making judgment of others. It is a profound lesson in divine mercy and forgiveness. As sinners, we are all unworthy to judge the sins of others and we would stand convicted by God for our transgressions. Yet Jesus, the one without sin and thus our judge, offers us who are sinners his mercy and forgiveness. Redeemed by Jesus' compassion, we are sent to sin no more and to live in God's love and peace. © Loyola Press Sunday Connection

I wish you all continued good health and God's 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

Spring Parent/Teacher conferences for Grades K-8 will be offered on Tuesday and Wednesday, April 12th & 13th. More details to follow.

Living Stations of the Cross will be presented by the Class of 2022 on Monday, April 11th, 2022 at 12:45pm in our church. All parents are welcome to attend.

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!

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. More details to follow.

Spring Uniform

As a reminder, Spring Uniform began today, Friday, April 1st. 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 [email protected].

Important Reminders

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.

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 March.

St. Mark School Pet Policy

We understand that Spring weather brings an opportunity for families to walk to school for morning drop off and afternoon pick-up. As a gentle reminder, families are asked to adhere to St. Mark School's pet policy to ensure student and staff safety. Pets and non-service trained domestic animals are not permitted on school grounds during school hours and during school events, except when in a vehicle. Pets are not permitted to leave a vehicle without prior permission of school administration or parish officials.

Easter Basket Collections

St. Mark School will be collecting Easter items to fill Easter baskets for the Sterling House Food Pantry.

Items we are collecting include: Easter grass, candy, chalk, jump ropes, bubbles, plastic eggs, stickers, small toys and gift cards to purchase Easter baskets. All items can be sent to the Main Office. Donations will be accepted until April 4, 2022.

Service

Earlier this week, students in Grades 2, 3 & 4 stayed after school to participate in a service project making Easter cards and spring chicks to be delivered to area nursing home residents. We were blessed to have some of their younger siblings join in this special project, too!

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 [email protected]

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 1 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 Celebration will be 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

St. Mark Parish Youth Group Cookie Sale

St. Mark Parish Youth Group is hosting a cookie sale after all the Masses this weekend at the main entrance of the church. The Youth Group, with the help of volunteers, baked cookies from scratch and decorated them in the colors of the Ukrainian flag. All proceeds will be donated to Al’s Angels, where 100% of donations will go to help Ukrainian refugees, especially children.

Are You in Need of Food?

Anyone in, or out, of the Parish, who needs food assistance, should contact Deacon Paul at [email protected] 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.

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

For important information and updates on COVID-19, 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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