May 20, 2021 

Dear Members of the St. Mark’s Community:

Today, May 20, St. Mark’s changed its Campus Operational Phase Level from Yellow to Green. The School has not had any positive adult or student COVID-19 tests within the last week. We will remain in the Green phase as long as we do not have any new positive test results within our community. As the Green phase description notes, “All campus operations continue to run as per the current plan.” All members of the School community will continue to maintain a high level of awareness about ensuring all baseline health and safety protocols are in place.

I would like to thank everyone for their continued attention to our safety protocols, including mask-wearing and social distancing, and I would like to extend special thanks to our Facilities team for all of their work to keep the campus clean and safe, and to the Health Services staff and other staff for administering tests to members of the community twice each week. 

Sincerely,

John C. Warren ’74, Ed.D.

May 6, 2021

Dear St. Mark’s Community:

I am writing to inform you that St. Mark’s became aware of a case of COVID-19 in our community yesterday (May 5). The individual is a member of our adult community and is in isolation.

Contact tracing is complete. If you have not been contacted by St. Mark's, you are not a close contact of the individual. Close contacts will quarantine for 14 days. We will continue with our ongoing cleaning protocols.

As a result of this case, the School will remain in our campus operations phase level of Yellow. We will reassess the phase level approximately one week from today.

Sincerely,

John C. Warren ’74, Ed.D.

April 28, 2021

Dear St. Mark’s Community:

I am writing to inform you that St. Mark’s became aware of a case of COVID-19 in our community today (April 28). The individual is a member of our adult community and is in isolation.

Contact tracing is complete. If you have not been contacted by St. Mark's, you are not a close contact of the individual. Close contacts will quarantine for 14 days. We will continue with our ongoing cleaning protocols.

We have moved our campus operations phase level from Green to Yellow. We will reassess the phase level approximately one week from today. 

Sincerely,

John C. Warren ’74, Ed.D.

Dear Members of the St. Mark’s Community:

Today, April 21, St. Mark’s changed its Campus Operational Phase Level from Yellow to Green. The School has not had any positive adult or student COVID-19 tests within the last week. We will remain in the Green phase as long as we do not have any new positive test results within our community. As the Green phase description notes, “All campus operations continue to run as per the current plan.” All members of the School community will continue to maintain a high level of awareness about ensuring all baseline health and safety protocols are in place.

I would like to thank everyone for their continued attention to our safety protocols, including mask-wearing and social distancing, and I would like to extend special thanks to our Facilities team for all of their work to keep the campus clean and safe, and to the Health Services staff and other staff for administering tests to members of the community twice each week. 

Sincerely,

John C. Warren ’74, Ed.D.

Constant Contact Link: https://conta.cc/2Qq6Pi7

April 13, 2021

Dear St. Mark’s Community:

I am writing to inform you that St. Mark’s became aware of two positive cases of COVID-19 in our community today (April 13). One individual is a faculty member and one individual is a staff member. The individuals are in isolation.

Contact tracing is complete. If you have not been contacted by St. Mark's, you are not a close contact of the individual. Close contacts will quarantine for 14 days. We will continue with our ongoing cleaning protocols.

We have moved our campus operations phase level from Green to Yellow. We will reassess the phase level approximately one week from today. 

Sincerely,

John C. Warren ’74, Ed.D.

Constant Contact Link: https://conta.cc/3uAU96Y (Deans' Weekly)

April 9, 2021

Fall Return Update
St. Mark’s is in the early stages of planning for a return to in-person school this fall. While there will be some modifications to large gatherings, dining, and other operations, it is our hope and plan to return to a St. Mark’s experience that resembles pre-pandemic life to the greatest extent possible. More details about the fall will be shared in the weeks and months to come.  

Vaccine Information
As part of our goal to support students and families, St. Mark’s is working to assist our boarding students whose families do not live locally to become vaccinated for COVID-19. Massachusetts eligibility for students ages 16 to 18 begins on April 19, 2021.

For our more distant boarders, it may be impossible to obtain vaccination in their home country or in other states. We think it is important to prioritize these students as we search for available vaccine appointments. We will do this by enrolling them in the Commonwealth’s pre-registration system. We will also prioritize any students with a health condition as listed by Massachusetts guidelines. If an appointment is available in the upcoming weeks, we will provide transportation to and from the vaccine site. We will also require parent/guardian authorization in advance.

Please understand that we have no control over which vaccine may be available as we search for appointments. Currently, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines can only be administered to individuals 18 years of age and older. If Pfizer vaccine happens to be available, it may be possible to secure appointments for 16 and 17 year olds as well.

As per previous communications, we expect parents of day students and local boarders to plan their vaccination appointments. We will support students by excusing them from classes or other commitments, since we understand that there is little or no choice in the timing of these appointments. We view these vaccine appointments as medical appointments; therefore, local boarders should sign out through Health Services.

We will be in touch with families about next steps for authorizations.

April 2, 2021

Today, April 2, St. Mark’s changed its Campus Operational Phase Level from Yellow to Green. The School has not had any positive adult or student COVID-19 tests within the last week. We will remain in the Green phase as long as we do not have any new positive test results within our community. As the Green phase description notes, “All campus operations continue to run as per the current plan.” All members of the School community will continue to maintain a high level of awareness about ensuring all baseline health and safety protocols are in place.

Thanks to everyone for their continued attention to our safety protocols, including mask-wearing and social distancing. Special thanks to our Facilities team for all of their work to keep the campus clean and safe, and to the Health Services & entire testing team for administering tests to members of the community twice each week. 

Dear St. Mark’s families,

As I reflect on the past three months and think about what has taken place over that time, it is hard to believe. The heinous killings of black Americans have brought the issues of police brutality and systemic racism into laser-sharp focus. COVID-19 has claimed the lives of more than 400,000 people around the world, with nearly a quarter of those deaths here in the United States. The U.S. unemployment rate increased 10 percent in one month. To say that the spring of 2020 has been a challenging time would be an enormous understatement.

And yet, as I look at the work that St. Markers have done this spring—faculty and staff members and students alike—I cannot help but be inspired. The pivot from in-person to remote learning happened at St. Mark’s, as it did at schools around the world, very quickly. At St. Mark’s, this transition, though not seamless, was made with thoughtfulness, creativity, attention to detail, and most importantly, with the needs of our students at the center of every decision we made.

Some of the results have been outstanding. From virtual collaboration among engineering students to inspired takes on the traditional chapel talk, our students showed that they were more than ready to meet the many challenges brought about by remote learning. Our faculty members, faced with teaching students spread over 17 time zones, developed strategies for both synchronous and asynchronous learning that yielded some truly great work. Our Prize Day Week, though not what any of us would have wished for, was a memorable time that brought our community together, and on Prize Day, the Rt. Reverend J. Clark Grew, Class of 1958, gave a speech that no one present will soon forget.

While we have not been able to process the recent killings and the recent violence as fully as we would have been able to do if we had been together physically as a community, I am proud of the deep reflection and sharing of perspectives that took place in early June and continues, led both by students and by faculty. St. Mark's believes that Black Lives Matter, and in keeping with our Episcopal values, believes that we must work ever harder to promote thinking by our students about what constitutes a just society. I look forward to the opportunity for our students and faculty to unpack the complexities of this topic in respectful dialogue this fall.

Over the course of the spring our COVID-19 Task Force, led by Ken Griffin, chief technology officer and director of emergency planning, and our Return to School Task Force, led by Samantha Brennan, dean of faculty and assistant head of school, have met regularly to address current concerns and future plans for St. Mark’s. As we look ahead to the 2020-2021 academic year, I have developed a third group—the Campus Opening Task Force—that is focused specifically on the details of opening the 2020-2021 academic year in a way that prioritizes the health and safety of our entire community and takes guidance on reopening procedures from local, state, and national guidelines and recommendations. I am personally chairing this task force, which meets weekly.

This summer, our faculty members will spend time in professional development sessions to prepare for an academic year that could unfold in a number of ways, the most likely being a hybrid of remote and in-person learning. We have listened carefully to the feedback we gathered from students, families, and faculty about this spring’s remote learning. Based on that feedback, our summer work focuses on planning that will leverage the very best of our relational, in-person approach, drawing on guidance from experts in the field about design for deep and active engagement. We are also making important updates to the design elements of our learning management system, Canvas, to ensure that online elements of our coursework are consistent and easy to navigate, and support the planning and organizational work students will do with the support of their faculty mentors. 

Colleen Worrell, our director of the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning, is overseeing this professional development work, drawing on her deep experience with online and hybrid learning. Colleen’s expertise, our attentiveness to what we heard about the spring, and the commitment of our faculty to do right by our students will ensure that in 2020-2021 St. Mark’s provides a best-in-class learning experience Monday through Friday, in our Saturday program, and in our advisory work. For our faculty, the care for, commitment to, and connection with our students makes a St. Mark’s education special, and this dedication will continue in the fall, no matter the mode of our teaching and learning program.

We are working diligently to reopen the campus fully, guided in all aspects of that effort by the advice of experts. In the meantime, I am confident in our ability to provide a high-quality education in whatever format is necessary.

The character and leadership skills we foster at St. Mark’s have never been more important than they are today. At St. Mark’s, we are committed more than ever to prepare our students to lead lives of consequence. That effort starts with an intentional promise from the St. Mark’s adult community to encourage and model a commitment to intellectual curiosity, character development, leadership, and service. Rest assured that our faculty members remain committed to delivering on this promise too, no matter what scenario or scenarios may unfold during this coming year.

COVID-19 has forced creativity on us at St. Mark’s, stretching us in positive ways. Innovations we have developed will continue in the months and years to come. COVID-19 has also called upon resilience, creativity, and self-discipline in ways that have made our students and our faculty and staff stronger. As a result, St. Mark’s is a stronger school as a result and will be a stronger school once we are all back together physically.

I am working closely with the Campus Opening Task Force on a detailed plan for the opening of the St. Mark’s 2020-2021 academic year. We all look forward to returning to our in-person community as soon as it is appropriate to do so. I look forward to sharing with you on or before July 15 our plans for the fall. I also hope to have some details to share then about the Fall 2020 athletic season. In the meantime, I thank you once again for your patience, your support, and your belief in St. Mark’s.

Sincerely,

John C. Warren ’74, Ed.D.

• The remote approach to how we “do school” will continue through the week of June 1. The goals for that approach are continued academic engagement and continued community building.
• We will hold a virtual Prize Day on June 6, and we will hold as many of the other end-of-year traditions as the virtual format allows. Also, we will hold an on campus ceremony to honor the Class of 2020 at a time that is safe and logical.
• We will be in touch with boarding families about how to ensure that student belongings are returned home or are safely stored.
• We have communicated to boarding parents the offer to refund the room and board portion of tuition for the weeks of the Spring Term when St. Mark’s is not, physically, in session. We are also asking boarding parents to consider donating some or all of that refund to the Annual Fund.

John C. Warren ’74, Ed.D.

• Later today, you will receive an email from Dean of Students David Vachris that will include details regarding how and when students can access the houses to retrieve essential items. Students will have access to their rooms for a brief period of time. This will not be a comprehensive move-out process. The email will include a form through which families can sign up for a time slot to come to campus.
• As I noted last week, specific details about our program of remote teaching and learning, which will begin Monday, March 30, will be shared no later than Friday, March 27.
• As a reminder, no St. Mark’s athletic practices or games will take place until students return to campus. More details regarding our spring athletics season will be shared as soon as they become available.

Sincerely,

John C. Warren ’74, Ed.D.
Head of School

• The week of March 23 will serve as an extension of spring break for students. Over the course of this week, faculty members will participate in professional development sessions to prepare for the launch of a remote learning model.
• St. Mark’s will temporarily shift to a remote learning model beginning on Monday, March 30. We are thinking very carefully about the implementation of this temporary teaching and learning model and about maintaining academic continuity during this time, and will share more specific details in a separate communication no later than March 27. If students need any support in regard to technology or equipment, they should be in touch with the Help Desk at helpdesk@stmarksschool.org. We are very fortunate to be able to call upon the expertise of faculty and staff leaders in the Academics Office as we develop our specific plan for online teaching and learning during this time.
• We will make a decision by Friday, March 27, regarding the resumption of in-person School activities. As we have seen, it is impossible to determine how quickly or broadly COVID-19 will spread in the coming days and weeks. It may be necessary to extend our period of remote learning.
• As of today, we plan to welcome asymptomatic/healthy students back to campus beginning on Sunday, April 5. Traditional, in-person classes are scheduled to resume on Monday, April 6. As this situation is rapidly changing, these dates could shift. Families will be asked to complete a survey regarding recent travel before students will be allowed to return to campus. Students who have traveled to an area designated by the Centers for Disease Control with a Level 1, 2, or 3 advisories, have traveled on a cruise, or have been in contact with a person being tested for or diagnosed with COVID-19 should self-quarantine for 14 days before returning to campus. Students who do not feel well or who are at increased risk for complications from COVID-19 should contact Director of Health Services Adria Pavletic to discuss their return to campus.
• No athletic practices will take place until students return to campus. The ISL heads agreed on March 12 that ISL schools will not hold practices when their schools are not in session. The ISL heads also agreed to remain in close communication over the coming weeks to develop an approach toward the Spring 2020 athletic schedule. That schedule will clearly need to be adjusted due to delayed student returns at a number of ISL schools.

Boarding students who are in need of living accommodations before they return to campus on April 6 should contact the Dean of Students Office. We have been fortunate to have local families and faculty and staff members volunteer to host students during spring break, and I will be sending a message later today to ask for volunteers from the St. Mark’s community (families, faculty, and staff) to host students during the extension of spring break and the period of online learning.

Please know that students will receive full credit for coursework that takes place online. VI Form students who fulfill all requirements will graduate as planned on Prize Day on June 6. We are considering options for virtual community experiences, including chapel, for students during this time , away from campus, and will share details next week.

We will share additional details on next steps for your child as soon as they are finalized. In the meantime, I encourage you to visit this website for the latest updates and resources. In the coming days, we will be supplementing this website with a list of frequently asked questions for families. There are a number of questions for which we do not currently have answers, but that we will be thinking carefully about in the coming days. For example, how will St. Mark’s Saturdays and Lion Term be impacted by our approach to COVID-19? We will communicate additional details about these and other items as they become available.

I am well aware that the changes we have identified, up to this point, for the spring term will cause frustration for many, inconvenience, and a certain sense of loss. I wish, as much as anyone, that circumstances would allow us to resume normal operations on March 24 in just the way we had anticipated when spring break began.

I am well aware, too, that uncertainty exists for all of us about what will happen at St. Mark’s in April, May, and June. Regrettably, we are at the mercy of factors beyond our control. What I can promise is that every adult at St. Mark’s is committed to providing a valuable learning experience for every student, and that the decisions we make moving forward will ensure the highest degree of safety and well-being possible for every member of our School community.

At St. Mark’s we are resilient, we are adaptable, we are innovative, and we are deeply caring. I know that these qualities, which are part of what makes our School so special, will carry us through these challenging times.

Sincerely,
 

John C. Warren ’74, Ed.D.
Head of School

All spring break domestic trips have been cancelled. This includes three scheduled athletics trips and one domestic Global Citizenship trip. There will be no athletics activity (on or off campus) over spring break. 

• As students look ahead to the start of spring break on March 7, we will respectfully ask that families follow the official recommendation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and avoid all nonessential travel to China, South Korea, Italy, and any other identified areas. As this situation is changing rapidly, the number of countries on this list is likely to grow in the days and weeks to come.
   
• Consistent with current CDC guidelines, St. Mark's is introducing precautionary health screening questionnaires for visitors to campus who have recently been in countries that the CDC has identified as being at Alert-Level 2 or Warning-Level 3. If you have been to one of these countries in the past month, and are planning on coming to St. Mark's in person, please call Director of Health Services Adria Pavletic at 508-786-6372. This is a fluid and challenging situation, and we will respond accordingly as it unfolds. Our foremost concern, of course, is the health of the students in our care as well as the faculty and staff who work to support our students.
   
• Our Facilities staff is implementing their normal infection control measures by cleaning public surfaces with antimicrobial solutions. Students, faculty, and staff are being reminded of the importance of good hygiene and self-care practices and to report to our 24/7 Health Services at the onset of illness.
   
• For students visiting our Health Services, we will begin to ask screening questions of any student who could be considered a suspicious case of COVID-19. A suspicious case is anyone with fever and respiratory symptoms who has traveled to a country that the CDC has identified as containing possible carriers of COVID-19 within the past 14 days, or anyone with fever and respiratory illness who has had close contact with a person who has tested positive for COVID-19.
   
• We will continue to be in contact with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Bureau of Infectious Disease and Laboratory Sciences as our primary resource for guidance.
   
• If a student has been in an area identified by the CDC as being at Alert-Level 2 or Warning-Level 3, or if a student has been in close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19, they will need to be away from campus and symptom-free for 14 days. They will need to contact Health Services to discuss their status before they return to campus. In addition, they need to contact the Academic Dean to arrange for ways in which to continue to do their schoolwork while away from campus.

While we are relying on the CDC and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health as our primary sources of information and guidance, we are also using the resources of the World Health Organization, International SOS, Johns Hopkins University, and the Global Education Benchmark Group, and we are making decisions that we believe are in the best interest of St. Mark’s and our students based on internal conversations as well as recommendations from peer schools about best practices regarding students and others who are coming to the School from places where cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed.

We will continue to carefully monitor developments with this public health concern, and we will share further updates as they come available. Thank you for your patience and for your support of St. Mark’s during this challenging time.

Sincerely,

John C. Warren ’74, Ed.D.
Head of School

• Session 1: March 8-21
• Session 2: March 15-28

• Session 1: March 8-21
• Session 2: March 15-28

For more information or to sign up for an Envoys spring break program, please contact Mary Ann Ciampa at 508.786.6047 or maryannciampa@stmarksschool.org. The deadline to register for the Envoys programs is Saturday, February 15.

Spring break provides an important mental, physical, and emotional break for our students, and I hope that you will encourage your child to take this time to relax in preparation for the final months of the academic year, whether through one of the Envoys programs or elsewhere. Through our work with Dr. Justin Chen and the MGH Center for Cross-Cultural Student Emotional Wellness, we know that students who push themselves too hard over the break often suffer from illnesses related to stress and fatigue. The Envoys programs are academically aligned and designed to stimulate thought and perspective-taking without being overwhelming.

I am so grateful that you and your child are part of the St. Mark’s community, and I thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate this very challenging time.
 

Sincerely,

John C. Warren ’74, Ed.D.

• Session 1: March 8-21
• Session 2: March 15-28

• Session 1: March 8-21
• Session 2: March 15-28

The administrative team at St. Mark’s is closely monitoring updates about the coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, China, including the latest news and recommendations from the U.S. Department of State and the Center for Disease Control (CDC). 

As Spring Break at St. Mark’s approaches, we are considering steps to ensure the safety of all of our students. We are in the process of consulting with member schools of the Global Education Benchmark Group (GEBG) to offer U.S.-based travel options for our Chinese students over Spring Break through our travel partner, Envoys. While St. Mark’s does not currently have any students from Wuhan, the CDC is now recommending that travelers from the U.S. avoid nonessential travel to China. We will be sharing information on opportunities for our Chinese families soon. 

In the meantime, please know that we are monitoring this situation closely and will be in touch with any updates as this situation continues to evolve.