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Mission and Values

St. Mark’s School educates young people for lives of leadership and service.

Mission Statement

St. Mark’s School educates young people for lives of leadership and service. Founded in 1865 as an intentionally small residential community, the School challenges its students to develop their particular analytic and creative capabilities by both inspiring their academic and spiritual curiosity and kindling their passion for discovery. We value cooperation over self-interest, and we encourage all members of our community to explore their place in the larger world beyond our campus.

Diversity Statement

St. Mark’s School seeks to reflect the increasingly diverse world in which our students presently live and will live in the future. We intend to provide our students with a superior education in a community of students, parents, faculty, and staff that represents a variety of racial, ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds. We strive to ensure respect for all regardless of sex, gender, gender identity, race, religion, sexual orientation, ability, family structure or economic background.

In support of our objective, St. Mark’s School:

  • will continue to give special importance to the inclusion within our student body, our faculty, and our staff of persons from all groups within our society – particularly those that have experienced prejudice and disadvantage.
  • will provide all members of the school with a range of appropriate opportunities to develop skills for living in a diverse community and integrate diversity initiatives throughout the school program.
  • will empower all members of the St. Mark’s community to share their differences as well as their common experiences to enhance their education.

St. Mark’s promotes awareness around cultural difference and provides affinity opportunities for students whose social or identity needs are not reflected in the dominant culture at St. Mark’s through Community and Equity Affairs.

Sustainability Statement

In valuing cooperation over self-interest and recognizing our role as global citizens, St. Mark’s School actively fosters environmental stewardship and sustainable development in its education, planning and practices.

Our Episcopal Identity 

At St. Mark’s, we have values that we trace directly to our Episcopal identity:

  • We value life in common, believing it is strengthened by honest and respectful dialogue across lines of disagreement and difference.
  • We value time for spiritual reflection and the intentional teaching of wisdom, compassion, and humility.
  • We value human reason used critically in the pursuit of knowledge.

We also have community-wide practices that relate directly to these values:

  • All-School Chapel twice a week, interfaith/ecumenical in style
  • Required academic study of Religion/Philosophy/Ethics, two semesters
  • Regular, all-School engagement in Community and Equity programming 
A bright yellow flower blooms in the front of St. Mark's School.