Dear St. Mark's Families,
We hope that this communication about St. Mark’s plans for
OPTION 2
of St. Mark's Pack-Up/Move-Out 2020 finds you and your families well. Thank you for your continued support as we work our way through this process.
As we have not yet heard back from every family about their preferred option, we are sending information on both options to all families to make sure we reach everyone.
There is much information provided here for you, and we hope that many of your questions will be addressed and covered.
OPTION 2: For those you cannot make it back to campus to retrieve belongings.
Following is information around packing, storage, and shipping, along with a list of frequently asked questions.
Please fill out this survey:
PACKING
As we indicated, those away have the option of having a family friend or a local resident come to campus to pack up one’s House room and possibly store room belongings off campus. If you can arrange this option, then please sign up for a calendar time slot between May 11 and June 13. We will be using a SignUpGenius form.
If not, you have two (2) PACKING options:
St. Mark’s employees, a combination of faculty and staff, will pack up the room with packing materials available from the School. Once we are able to create a schedule, residents and the SM adults will be in contact in order for students to be present via Zoom. This connection between the families and the people packing is important for assistance and security. Roommates will need to be notified of scheduled pack-up times. Packing materials and services will be provided at no cost.
Mark’s Moving from Westborough, Mass., is a local moving and storage company with whom St. Mark’s School has had a 30-year relationship. Families have the ability to work directly with Mark’s Moving, who will professionally pack, provide storage in a climate controlled room, and ship necessary items. Residents and roommates will need to be involved electronically with Mark’s Moving as well. The use of Mark’s Moving for packing rooms will induce charges through the moving company.
STORAGE
There are two STORAGE options:
1. St. Mark’s Campus:
We will be opening the Gardner Ice Rink for storage over the spring and summer. Boxes, refrigerators, and lamps are able to be stored (no furniture). We will be moving all items out of House rooms into the ice rink for summer storage. There is no cost to families for this service.
2. Mark’s Moving
has offered their services to store boxes, furniture, etc. at their local warehouse. Mark’s Moving will pick up packed items from St. Mark’s campus, store the belongings and deliver materials to the student’s House room next year before school begins. The use of Mark’s Moving for storing items will induce charges through the moving company.
SHIPPING
There is one SHIPPING option:
Mark’s Moving will handle all shipping requests. They will ship items through UPS and FedEx and oversee handling and shipping charges. Families will work with Mark’s Moving directly. Mark’s Moving has the ability to ship items to certain colleges and universities. For all questions related to shipping, please contact Ed Ross by email at
[email protected]
.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)
How will the packing up work in terms of family/student involvement?
With both St. Mark's adults and Mark's Moving, students will need to be involved with the actual packing up of rooms. When the packing time is confirmed, students will be asked to be involved in person on Zoom or FaceTime. Students will be able to direct what needs to go in boxes, what can be donated, and what can be discarded.
How do we schedule a packing time?
Once we have the list of families who need St. Mark's or Mark’s Moving packing services, our team will assign packing duties over the course of the next five weeks. After assigning, SM or Mark’s Moving will reach out to families to find a mutually convenient date and time to pack rooms. SM has a small crew of faculty and staff available for packing and for overseeing Mark’s Moving.
What will the School do if St. Mark's adults or Mark’s Moving who are packing my room find substances that violate school rules?
If there are illegal items/substances in your room, we ask that students disclose inappropriate items to the coordinating St. Mark's adult before packing commences. If disclosed properly, students will not face the normal and customary discipline responses. The SM Counseling Office and parents will be informed in the hopes that healthy non-discipline conversations will occur.
If a student does not disclose and inappropriate items are discovered (by either SM adults or Mark’s Moving) he/she will be subject to a disciplinary response. If dangerous, harmful, or illegal (e.g. a weapon) items are in the room, the school reserves the right to proceed to a disciplinary response and to contact the local authorities.
Will roommates be involved? How will the adults know which items are the student’s versus the roommate’s?
Yes, roommates need to be involved. They should be contacted and should be a part of the pack-up via Zoom or FaceTime.
What should I do about items that I have in other School buildings (MFAC, PFAC, packages at the front desk, etc.)?
When your packing time is scheduled, please inform the St. Mark's adult of your other belongings outside your room. We will collect them and bring them to your room for packing, storage or shipping.
Can I ask a specific faculty member to pack up my room?
Since many faculty are not on campus, we ask that you do not reach out to specific faculty members. If you decide to go with the St. Mark's adults packing your room, you will not have a choice of who that employee will be.
Can’t I just leave me stuff in my room and get it later in the summer or in September?
No. We are hoping to have all the House rooms cleared out by June 13 so that we can clean, perform maintenance, provide space for potential summer programs, and avoid confusion in the fall.
Can VI Formers leave belongings at St. Mark’s?
VI Formers will not be permitted to store anything on the St. Mark’s campus. VI form families can choose to store with Mark’s Movers, ship home or directly to their college.
While packing, will St. Mark’s adults or Mark’s Moving be able to go into other student’s rooms to retrieve items?
No. For a variety of safety and security issues, other rooms in the House will remain secured.
Can we ask for St. Mark’s adults to pack and Mark’s Moving to ship (or store)?
Yes.
Can we ask Mark’s Moving to pack and St Mark’s to store?
Yes.
Can Mark’s Moving move and store furniture?
Yes. St. Mark's will not provide storage for furniture.
What is the quickest way to pack up the room and have belongings shipped?
Mark’s Moving. Because we are providing access to campus for local residents to pack up starting next week, we have limited numbers of SM adults to start the packing process. St. Mark's adults may not start packing rooms until late May. Mark’s Moving has the flexibility to come to campus and pack earlier.
What are the charges for Mark’s Moving packing and storage services?
This will be determined based on the number of families that use their services. Obviously if more people use Mark’s Moving process, charges per box/item will change. We are constantly passing along information to Mark’s Moving as data from surveys come in. Fees and payment will go through Mark's Moving directly. Please contact Mark Silverman of Mark’s Moving directly with packing and storage questions at
[email protected]
.
What are the charges for Mark’s Moving shipping services?
Please contact Ed Ross of Mark’s Moving directly with shipping questions at
[email protected]
. As we become more aware of needs and numbers, we will continue to work with Mark’s Moving and share more specific information around shipping.
Will there be financial assistance available for St. Mark’s families on financial aid?
Yes. Support for shipping and financial assistance will be available to help with shipping costs for families receiving financial aid. Resources are limited with how much St. Mark’s can ship per student. Please reach out to Channing Warner at
[email protected]
with questions about financial aid and shipping essential items.
With VI Form families unable to store items on campus, will the school financially support VI family shipping needs?
Yes. St. Mark’s will subsidize a portion of VI Form shipping needs. For example, St. Mark's may cover the first $100 of shipping costs. As we figure out VI Form shipping needs, we will communicate a more specific dollar amount.
What should I do with my room key, lock, and Lion Card?
For those who can’t come to campus, we ask that students mail their room key to the Dean’s Office and to hold onto their locks for the fall. VI Formers should mail in their locks as well. There will be a $50 replacement fee for lost or unreturned keys.
Underformers, please be sure to keep your Lion Card safe over the summer, as this will remain your access card for next year.
Thank you very much for your assistance and your patience as we work through this process.
Sincerely,
Channing Warner
David Vachris
Dean of Students Office
