Cub Chronicles: January 15

Dear Families,

We are excited to invite our rising PreK 3 and rising PreK 4 parents to a special parent-only “Prepping for PreK” meeting as we begin planning for the year ahead.

These meetings are designed to help you feel confident and informed as your child transitions into the next stage of their early childhood journey. You’ll have the opportunity to meet the teaching teams, visit the classrooms, and learn more about our PreK programs, including what to expect developmentally and academically.

Save the Dates:

Rising PreK 3 Parent Meeting

Thursday, January 29

8:45 AM

*For parents of children who will be 3 years old by September 1, 2026

Rising PreK 4 Parent Meeting

Friday, January 30

8:45 AM

*For parents of children who will be 4 years old by September 1, 2026

Coffee and light refreshments will be available.

We look forward to sharing more about our philosophy, routines, and how we thoughtfully prepare children for success in their PreK years and beyond.
 

Health & Wellness Reminder

As we move through the heart of cold and flu season, we truly appreciate your partnership in keeping our community healthy.

What our school is doing:

• Frequent handwashing and sanitizing throughout the day

• Regular cleaning of classrooms and high-touch surfaces

• Close monitoring of children for symptoms

• Prompt communication with families when illness is noted

How families can help:

• Keep children home if they have a fever, vomiting, diarrhea, or are not feeling well

• Allow children to be fever-free (without medication) for at least 24 hours before returning

• Communicate with us about illnesses so we can support the classroom appropriately

• Reinforce good handwashing habits at home

We know it’s not always easy, but keeping sick kiddos home truly helps protect classmates, teachers, and your own child.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership. 

Warmly,

Whitney Zisman
Head of School

Friendly reminder that there will be no school this Monday, January 19.

Annual Fund Update: The Final Bell (and a Little Mystery…)

Today is the official last day of our Annual Fund, and we are so grateful for the incredible generosity our community has shown. While the campaign formally wraps up today, donations are always welcome throughout the year if families feel moved to give.

And as for the classroom participation competition… the results are in, but we’re keeping them under wraps for just a bit longer. The winning class will be revealed at Parent Coffee Talk on January 23. Stay tuned, and thank you again for supporting St. Mark’s in such a meaningful way.

**St. Mark’s Episcopal Day School is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 74-1473476). All donations are tax-deductible.

January Open House & Sibling Waitlist

We’re excited to announce our next Open House on Wednesday, January 22 at 9:30 a.m. If you know a family interested in joining the St. Mark’s community, please encourage them to RSVP and come see what makes our school special!

Current families: if you have younger siblings who may be ready to join us in the future, now’s the perfect time to join our Sibling Waitlist. Siblings receive priority consideration, and your early interest helps us plan for upcoming school years. 

Re-Enrollment for the 2026-2027 School Year

As we begin planning for next year, we are preparing to open re-enrollment for current families February 3–5. This priority window allows returning families the first opportunity to secure their child’s spot for the coming school year. We will be in touch soon via Brightwheel with detailed instructions and next steps.

Each January, we set aside one Sunday service to celebrate our relationship with our Day School. In some sense, it’s just a normal Sunday service. But a normal Sunday service at 9 a.m. at St. Mark’s is actually anything but normal. This is what I like to call our Family Chaos Service. It is a liturgy designed with families with young children in mind. It’s short (about 45 minutes) and kids take leadership in many roles: Ushers, Greeters, even Readers! There is a special children’s sermon; there are always plenty of crayons; and kids have a big dry erase board where they can list the names of folks they would like to be prayed for that day in the service. We also have a St. Mark’s Children’s Choir which will be performing the offertory song on this Sunday! It is a service designed for you.
 
If you have secretly been thinking you’d like to visit us on a Sunday but have been nervous that you won’t know anyone there, this is the perfect opportunity to come and try. (And of course it’s almost impossible that you wouldn’t know anyone anybody as most of the 9am congregation has gone through the Day School anyway!) Plus, after the service we enjoy coffee and breakfast tacos every Sunday. I’d love to see you there. -Zac

Hot Cocoa Shop- January 29th during Extended Care

On Thursday, January 29th, GreenJay Therapy is excited to host a kid-run Hot Chocolate Shop to give the kids a chance to show off their skills!  All after school kiddos will have the opportunity to visit the hot chocolate shop following rest time.  Fingers crossed for some wintery weather ❄️

Save the Date: Lion's Pride!
February 21, 2026 @ Bouldin Acres

Save the date for our annual Lion's Pride Fundraiser on February 21, 2026 at Bouldin Acres. This year’s theme is Giddy Up and Give, and we cannot wait to celebrate our school community together.

We are looking for parent volunteers to help bring this special event to life. If you are interested in serving on the Lion's Pride Committee, please sign up below. The roles listed include areas where we need the most support from parents.

Lion's Pride Committee Sign Up

Thank you for sharing your time and talents to make this a memorable and successful event for our school.

Another week of fun! We’re growing and learning more every day.

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER

JANUARY:
January 19- MLK Holiday- No School
January 21- Board Meeting
January 23- Coffee Talk
January 28- Prek Vision and Hearing Screening
January 30- 2026-2027 Church Families School Registration

FEBRUARY:
February 3-5- Current Famiies School Registration
February 5- Coffee Talk
February 9- Waitlist Registration Begins