St. Mark's School

On Saturday, June 8, 100 St. Markers received diplomas at the School's 154th Prize Day exercises. Diplomas with distinction were awarded to 57 graduates, 18 were members of the Cum Laude Society, and 10 earned Classics Diplomas, having mastered both Greek and Latin, entitling each to wear a laurel wreath at the ceremony. Alumnus Kevin Tang '85 delivered the keynote Prize Day address, while graduating VI Former Colin Capenito was the traditional Valedictorian.

On the Friday of Prize Day weekend, athletic honors were announced for the spring season and for the 2017-18 school year overall.

On Friday, June 7, on the eve of St. Mark's 154th Prize Day ceremony, the traditional Baccalaureate Service was held in Belmont Chapel. Jason Eslick—a longtime member of the St. Mark's English department—was this year's speaker, elected by vote of the VI Form.

Prize Day Week got underway on Wednesday, June 5.

In its third year, Lion Term continued to provide St. Markers with positive, enriching opportunities, outside of the traditional classroom and schedule. The two-week Form-based experience included team-building, community service, and experiential learning. Approaching a single topic through the lens of interdisciplinary and experiential education, students were able to take appropriate intellectual and academic risks, pursue and cultivate new interests, tap into resources within the local and global communities, and prepare to be active and engaged participants at the university level and beyond.

At the 2019 New England Interscholastic Rowing Association (NEIRA) Regatta on May 25, five St. Markers once again wore gold, as the SM girls' varsity crew 3rd boat came in first place. With a time of 6:18.351 over the Lake Quinsigamond course in Worcester, the Lions defeated Choate, Taft, Winsor, Nobles, and Deerfield in their Grand Final race. It was the sixth championship finish for St. Mark's girls' crew program in its 41 year history. That same day, the SM girls' varsity 4th boat placed second in their Grand Final race, earning the 18th medal in the history of the program.

For the third year in a row, all St. Markers are actively participating in Lion Term: a two-week Form-based experience. Each Form has its own theme and schedule of activities, with students getting involved in team-building, community service, and experiential learning. In addition, the Lions Roam program provides a global experience for its participants.

Next year, 23 members of the St. Mark's Class of 2019 will participate in college and university athletic programs. On Monday, May 20, these VI Formers were recognized in a ceremony hosted by Director of Athletics John Levandowski in the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning.

The first-ever St. Mark's Arts Fair delighted a large crowd of students and adults on Saturday evening, May 18. The inaugural event was organized and hosted by the Monitors.

Daniela Martinez, a VI Former from Chicago, was recently named the recipient of a Chick Evans Scholarship grant. With her scholarship award, Martinez will be attending the University of Illinois tuition free for four years.

On Saturday, May 11, the St. Mark's community gathered to celebrate the public launch of Lives of Consequence: The Campaign for St. Mark's School. The spectacular event—held under a giant tent on Belmont Field—was part of Reunion weekend and drew alumni, trustees, parents, faculty and staff members, and friends from many generations.

Reunion classes from 1949 to 2014 gathered to celebrate and to rediscover the St. Mark's experience from May 9-11. This year's Reunion weekend was packed with opportunities for returning alumni. Usually held separately, the spring Trustee Weekend, the 50th Reunion, and the general Reunion events were combined, as St. Mark's celebrated the public launch of its Lives of Consequence campaign.

St. Mark's Women in STEM (Science-Technology-Engineering-Mathematics) organization hosted a special event on Thursday evening, May 16. Alumnae Maeve McCuine '17 and Riya Shankar '18 returned to campus to help lead a discussion about their experiences studying STEM subjects in college.

Matthew Walsh '19, a day student from Southborough, was named a National Merit Scholar. Head of School John C. Warren '74 announced the honor at school meeting on May 15.

On the afternoon of Saturday, May 11, during Reunion Weekend, veteran SM art teacher Aggie Belt and several of her students hosted the annual Empty Bowls sale to help the hungry.

Over the weekend of May 3-4, 2019, seven St. Markers—all participants in the School's Taft STEM Fellowship program—competed in the annual Massachusetts State Science and Engineering Fair at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Out of more than 200 high school competitors from all across the Commonwealth, four St. Mark' students placed and were recognized with awards.

On Friday, May 3, at the 27th Annual John P. Garrahan MetroWest Community Prayer Breakfast, Yujing (Jenny) Tang '20 (pictured center) was one of a dozen-plus local high school students honored with the John P. Garrahan Leadership in Diversity Award by the Alliance for MetroWest Unity. Each was recognized for fostering "greater communication and harmony in school communities" and promoting "understanding between people of diverse backgrounds."

On Tuesday evening, May 7, the St. Mark's chapter of the Cum Laude Society held its annual induction ceremony. The entire school community attended the event in the Putnam Family Arts Center's Class of 1945 Hall.

On Friday, May 10, and Saturday May 11, the St. Mark's Theater Department will present performances of the Spring Play, The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh.

On Friday, May 3, the St. Mark's Classics Club held its annual banquet in the Parkman Room.

St. Mark's III Formers participating in this year's Global Seminar have been working on collaborative projects focusing on the impact of globalization and a variety of other factors on the spread of infectious diseases. Mentored by V Form biology students, the III Form students have worked for several weeks on the research and writing involved in this project. On Monday evening, April 29, the groups presented the results of their research in the form of a poster presentation, similar to poster presentations given at science fairs and academic conferences.

Poetry Week this April featured a plethora of poetic activities and events at St. Mark's, livening the campus this spring with creative competitions and more.

Despite the vagaries of weather this spring, St. Mark's sports are off to a strong start, with 11 teams recording records of .500 or better at mid-season. Varsity teams have posted a .639 winning percentage, going 39-22-3 so far this spring. Overall, counting teams at every level, St. Mark's has won 68 percent of all games played.

On Sunday afternoon, April 28, 10 St. Mark's students were confirmed in Belmont Chapel. One staff member was also presented as a candidate for reception. The Right Reverend J. Clark Grew, St. Mark's Class of 1958, presided over the service.

Six exchange students from Germany—Salma Boushib, Carlotta Havener, Isabella Schepanek, Valentin Fischer, Daniel Seitz, and Georg von Poblotzki—are at St. Mark's for 18 days this spring as part of the Wittelsbacher Gymnasium-St. Mark's School exchange program. This is the 22nd year that students from the Wittelsbacher Gymnasium in Munich have been coming to St. Mark's.

On Wednesday, April 24, the St. Mark's Parents' Association hosted the 13th Annual Faculty/Staff Appreciation Day in the Hinkle Room. Many parents donated wonderful items in a tremendous demonstration of appreciation for the year-round efforts of St. Mark's faculty and staff. There was also a delicious collation set out for staff and faculty.

The St. Mark's Musical Theater Club will present two performances of "Mamma Mia!" this weekend. Friday, April 26 and Saturday, April 27 performances will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Putnam Family Arts Center's Black Box theater.

This April, 12 St. Markers were named recipients of grants for specialized study. The Matthews Educational Fund, the Anthony A. Jones International Studies Fund, and the Thomas H. Kean '53 Fellowship program providing the funding. Mr. John Camp, associate director of the St. Mark's Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning in charge of student enrichment, made the announcement at an all-school meeting.

On Tuesday, April 23, the St. Mark's Orchestra, under the direction of Nathaniel Meyer, gave a concert for the residents of the Highland Gracious Living Retirement Living Community in Westborough, Mass.

Earth Week is here. Monday, April 22 was officially Earth Day, but St. Mark's chose to honor sustainability and the environment with a week of celebration.

Earlier this month, St. Mark's hosted the 26th annual AISNE High School Student of Color Conference. It was attended by more than 400 students and 50 faculty chaperones from 35 schools. The event was co-sponsored by the Association of Independent Schools in New England (AISNE) and the Community and Equity program at St. Mark's.

On Monday, April 15, more than 30,000 runners competed in the 123rd Boston Marathon, among them three intrepid athletes from the St. Mark's community.

On Thursday, April 11, a triumphantly successful second annual St. Mark's Giving Day event shattered its stated goal of inspiring 600 gifts in one day—representing one for every current member of the School community, including student, faculty, and staff—as 812 gifts were made and well over a quarter million dollars was raised in support of the St. Mark's Annual Fund.

At school meeting on Wednesday, April 17, the current Monitors announced the new Monitors for next year at St. Mark's. Current V Form classmates Ashley Batiata and Alex Sumner will be co-Head Monitors for 2019-2020.

This past winter, a number of St. Mark's alumni participated in competitive athletics at the collegiate level.

Biologist and environmental nonprofit leader Dr. Nigella Hilgarth was the April speaker for St. Mark's Gray Colloquium series. On Thursday, April 11, she addressed the entire School community from the stage of the Putnam Family Arts Center's Class of 1945 Hall.

On Friday, April 5, six St. Mark's students (two three-person teams) accompanied science teacher Christopher Roche to New York City, where they participated in the Cornell University High School Computer Programming Competition. In a field of 66 teams from all over the Northeast, one St. Mark's team came in second place, while the other finished sixth.

Thursday, April 11 is Giving Day at St. Mark's. Last year, the School made history, surpassing its goal of 360 gifts in 24 hours, representing one gift for each of St. Mark's 360 students. This year's goal is even more ambitious. St. Mark's is seeking 600 gifts in 24 hours—one gift for each member of the School community: students, faculty, and staff, all in support of the Annual Fund.

On Tuesday, April 16, renowned math historian Dr. William Dunham will speak on campus. His visit is hosted by the St. Mark's Mathematics Department. Dr. Dunham will be speaking on "Euler: the Master of Us All," starting at 7:00 p.m. in the Putnam Family Arts Center's Class of 1945 Hall.

The music was outstanding at this year's Cutler Jazz Festival, featuring two St. Mark's Jazz Ensembles and the renowned Boston-based BT/ALC Big Band.

On Sunday, April 7, the St. Mark's Students for Sustainability organization hosted the 2019 Independent School Sustainability Coalition (ISSC) Conference on campus. The St. Mark's group collaborated with students from Milton Academy and elsewhere.

On Thursday, April 4, Amy Willey, Acting executive director of Brantwood Camp, visited campus and addressed the student body at that morning's all-school meeting. Joined by seven current St. Markers with previous Brantwood experience, Mr. Willey emphasized the long-standing relationship between Brantwood and the School, and encouraged students to volunteer for the upcoming summer.

Over two days in early April, St. Mark's hosted its annual Admission Revisit Days for students accepted to St. Mark's for next year. On Tuesday, April 2, and Thursday, April 4, more than 130 prospective new students and their families revisited St. Mark's.