The 2020-21 school year is in full swing!

This week, students in grades K-8 participated in Safe Environment training provided by the Diocese of Bridgeport. The Think First & Stay Safe and Netsmartz workshop is delivered by a trained counselor in age appropriate groups and teaches students important safety skills to help children recognize and safely respond to early warning signs of unsafe situations in their environment. Our first Fire Drill, executed with the assistance of the Stratford Fire Marshall's Office, was a success. All students followed safety guidelines and expectations, and we are very proud of how well they performed during this important safety drill.

As we transition into fall, I encourage our school community to focus on how fortunate we are to be together again and how blessed we are to attend school in-person on a full week's schedule. It is undoubtedly going to be a very different school year. Let us not focus on what traditions, celebrations, or school events we cannot hold this year or what will be changed due to COVID 19. Rather let us be grateful that God has protected our students, and ask for his continued blessings on our families.

Finally, let us not grow complacent, but remain diligent in adhering to CDC and state COVID 19 protocols in school and in public. It is this diligence that will ensure we can continue with in-person instruction. Our Diocesan and school leadership are closely monitoring positive cases that are being identified in and around Stratford. Please be mindful that what we all do in public can affect our ability to continue to keep our school open consistently for in-person instruction. And, we ask that this year in particular, you consider the flu vaccine for your family.

St. Mark School faculty and staff are excited to host a virtual Back to School Night for the 2020-21 school year on Tuesday, October 6th for grades K-5 and Specials teachers and Wednesday, October 7th for grades 6-8. Back to School Night will begin at 6p.m. on both evenings, and multiple sessions will be held to accommodate families with multiple children. More details to follow.

On behalf of our school community, I would like to thank Dr. Maria Silva Chuecos and Mr. Guillermo Suniaga for volunteering to check temperatures of our students arriving daily in the "Goodbye Zone" area. I'd also like to thank Mr. Steve Flaig and Mrs. Christine Flaig for volunteering to safely crossing students from the Goodbye Zone and directing traffic. We are truly grateful to them, and all of our parents, who selflessly give of their time in support of our community.

For the safety of all, please continue to drive slowly in the parking lot. This is especially important by the Parish Center and playground, as our Little Lion's Preschool families are crossing 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.  

Edmentum Diagnostic testing has begun for students in grades 1-8. This computer-based, adaptive assessment provides teachers with performance data on students' individual Math, Reading, and Language Arts skills. This data is just one piece of information that teachers use to develop small group and personalized instruction in the classroom. Additionally, teachers in grades 1-5 are administering individual student Developmental Reading Assessments (DRA). The DRA is a standardized reading test used to determine a student's instructional level in reading by analyzing a student's reading fluency, rate, and comprehension.

This week, our Kindergarten students enjoyed reading the classic children's story Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and identifying the characters in the story, the uppercase and lower case letters of the alphabet.

Multiple hand-on, sensory-based, and engaging learning activities followed including building a Chicka Chicka Boom Boom tree with the letters of their name and practicing fine motor skills to dig through individual rice containers to find letters and sort them into upper case and lower case groups.

I'd like to take this opportunity to connect with our students and families who are learning from home. We hope that your school days are going well, and we are trilled to stay connected with you. Please send pictures to [email protected] to share with our school community.

I am excited and fortunate to announce Mr. Jack Kelly will be joining our St. Mark faculty as the 6-8 History teacher and Grade 6 homeroom teacher.

Mr. Kelly joins us from St. Gabriel School and Trinity Catholic High School, both in Stamford. He will bring to us a strong belief in Catholic education, vibrant energy, and fresh perspective.

The Class of 2021 put on a great family movie night on Friday night to raise funds for their end of year class trip. Congratulations on a job well done!!

On behalf of our entire St. Mark School Community, I would like to express our sincere gratitude to two of our current families who generously and selflessly contributed to the capital improvement of our school building.

Brand new bathroom stall divides were installed in the boys' bathroom of the Parish Center.

Additionally, 3 outdoor tents were donated for outdoor class and lunchtime use. Our students and faculty are fortunate to utilize these tents during the mild fall weather!

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.