October is an enjoyable time of the year in New England. The autumn season manifests itself with wonderful fall foliage and the temperatures are cooler. It is perfect for outdoor activities, nature walks, and apple or pumpkin picking.

At St. Mark School, October brings us to the mid-way point of the first quarter. New this year, progress reports will be sent home via backpack mail to students in grades 1-8 no later than Friday, October 16th.

Depending on grade level and teacher, your child's progress report may provide a status update on classroom skills or any number of academic subjects or a combination of the two.

After progress reports have been distributed, Parent PlusPortals will open. PlusPortals is the Diocesan Student Information Web Portal System available to all parents grades K-8. PlusPortals provides parents access to student grades, attendance, announcements, and notices.

For our new families and Kindergarten families, you will receive an email from PlusPortals with an activation link to the primary email address provided to the Main Office by Friday, October 16th. For any returning family that needs PlusPortals activation resent, please email Mrs. Huben at [email protected] beginning on Friday, October 16th.

As we continue on in this school year with theme of gratitude, let us be grateful that God has protected our students, and ask for his continued blessings on our families.

You may have noticed members of the Stratford Police Department Traffic Division observing our parking lot during drop off on Thursday, October 8th.

We received valuable feedback on our traffic patterns, and have implemented the following changes for the safety of all our students and families and we ask for everyone's cooperation:

In the weeks to come, you will see additional safety measures implemented including reflective safety vests for staff and volunteers and traffic stop signs in the parking lot.

As a reminder, please check for the following before sending your child to school every morning:

1.Does your child have any of the following symptoms?

If the answer is Yes to any of these questions, Do Not send your child to school. Instead, begin quarantine of your child and contact your healthcare provider.

Click here for a printable daily screening tool for parents.

Please email Wendy Frate, School Nurse at [email protected] with any COVID 19 related questions or concerns.  

In addition to weekly fogging of classrooms with a disinfecting misting machine, each classroom is thoroughly cleaned and sanitized every evening by our contracted nightly janitorial crew. This includes (but is not limited to) cleaning and sanitizing of surfaces such as desks, chairs, tables, shelves, etc.

When teachers arrive in the morning, they are greeted by a sign placed on the outside of their classroom door, further confirming that "This room has been sanitized".

Congratulations to our 3rd grade class for receiving the sacrament of First Holy Communion. Students and families have been patiently waiting for this blessed day, which was postponed from the spring due to the pandemic. May you always be united with the Holy Spirit at the Lord's table and may Jesus bless you as you walk through life's beautiful journey.

This week, our Kindergarten and Grade 1 students enjoyed reading a story about Kindness with Ms. Flynn, school counselor. Students in both grades created a Kindness Tree with acts of kindness printed on leaves. Grade 1 students added two of their own acts of kindness to their trees!

St. Mark School's Kindness Quilt is complete and displayed proudly in our school hallway! In Art classes, PK through 8 students listened to the story, We Don't Eat Our Classmates and created their own Kindness patch to add to our quilt. It is a colorful and dynamic reminder that at St. Mark School, we are a team of friends who look out for each other!

Our Kindergarten friends also read Spookly, The Square Pumpkin this week. Students learned the life cycle of a pumpkin and read a non-fiction book about a pumpkin growing in a pumpkin patch. Their learning was enriched by identifying what shape pumpkin they would be and what they'd look like. Students also created a flip chart of the life cycle of a pumpkin!

This week, Grade 8 students learning in person and distance learners participated in a demonstration and mini experiment on chemical reactions using yeast, sugar, and dishwashing soap during Science Lab.

Grade 8 also took advantage of the comfortable autumn weather and took English/Language Arts class outside for some independent reading and journaling.

At St. Mark School, our teachers are always finding innovative and fun ways to keep students excited and engaged in reading. In Grade 3, students used spooky fingers to track their reading in class. So fun!

A little wet weather didn't stop our 5th Grade students from enjoying P.E. class. Students enjoyed working on their soccer skills, socially distanced!

Second Grade took their writing lesson outside the week. Students used their five senses to describe the neighborhood and enjoyed working outside under the tents and having a mask break!

If you have a prayer intention, please submit your request to St. Mark School's prayer line by clicking here. Your intention will be remembered during our Morning Prayers and Announcements.

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.