Family Weekend

By Serena Lin ‘28

Photograph: Adam Richins. Copyright Adam Richins Photography, Inc.

At the time of writing this article, we are in the sixth week of school, and a lot has happened since the school year began. It has been interesting to observe the transformations students have undergone on campus: new students adapting to an unfamiliar environment and returning students adjusting to new policies. During the first week, there are always freshmen struggling to find their classrooms (particularly the hidden history wing), and there are always returners trying to resist the urge to pull their phones out of their pockets to check their schedules. But now, people stroll through the hallway to their classrooms with no problem, and I rarely see people in the hallway with their phones.

While significant progress has been made in building the St. Mark’s community over the past few weeks, people are in need of a short break from the overwhelming environment, social pressures, and assessments. Compared to past years, when family weekend was held in early October, this year’s family weekend has been moved to October 23-24, meaning that students have to go two months non-stop doing school. The student community is really looking forward to the break, accompanied by the weekend, taking time to get fully replenished and get a good rest.

Family weekend is an event that occurs several times a year during which parents get to meet with their children’s advisor to discuss academic performance, progress, and any potential concerns. Often, the two days before or after the weekend are designated as days off, which is likewise this year. Twenty-minute mini classes will also be held by faculty in classrooms, giving parents a chance to experience what their children do in class each day (Or maybe relive their own high school days! Though attendance is not taken for these mini-classes). This year, the mini-classes will be held on Saturday, October 24th, and most conferences will also be held the same day.

Family Weekend 2025

The conferences will be slightly different from those in past years. In past years, only the parent and the advisor had to attend the conference. But this year, the conference will be student-led, meaning that the student talks to their parents and advisor about their school life. In particular, I have been listing out the things that I am proud of since the start of the school year to prepare what to explain in the conference in case of panicking during (not so) public speaking. In the following weeks, as my advisor spoiled a bit, we would be listing out other aspects of school life, such as fallacies and techniques of improvement. Personally, I feel intimidated attending such a conference, particularly not knowing whether I am being overly modest or arrogant. While it is hard to talk about oneself in a completely objective way, this conference could be a good chance for students to take another look at themselves: what have they done successfully in the past weeks, and what is their area of improvement?

Being pushed by the conference, the first round of grades will also be released before family weekend so students, advisors, and parents will have a chance to comment on it and look for spaces to work harder. By this time, most courses have gone through at least one summative assessment. Though the current grades cannot fully represent the performance of the student, but it sets a good benchmark for the start of the school year.

3rds, JV, and Varsity sports will also be hosting games during the family weekend, giving parents a chance to cheer on their children.

While the student-led conferences might seem a bit pressing right now, the whole school is looking forward to Family Weekend to reconnect with loved ones and recharge. Until then, let's push through this final stretch together. Most importantly, Halloween is coming up right after Family Weekend. So GET! DRESSED! UP!

First of Many: September Evening Chapel Welcomes New Faces

By Rose Huang '29

Copyright Adam Richins Photography, Inc.

That night, the best seats belonged to people who’d just joined our community. Right under the lectern sat St. Mark’s new faculty, and, for that night, the whole school came to welcome them.

Afternoon sports started early and ended early, at 5:00, rather than the usual 5:30, and people began scrambling. For an hour, students locked themselves in their dorm rooms or teamed up, caught in the rush of getting ready: suits and dresses pulled from closets, rounds of “trying on”, matching them with the perfect shoes and sweaters, and one last look in the mirror. By 5:55, some of the dorm pictures looked like floral gardens, filled with bright, flowery dresses, while boys' dorms featured mostly suits and ties. By 6:00, students were walking to an advisory dinner.

Over chicken stew and the standard cookies and vegetables, students caught up with their advisors, eating quickly to beat the 6:45 call. By then, the hallways of the main building became a runway. With the weather turning cold, many floral dresses were layered with white knit sweaters against the chill.

The theme of this September’s Evening Chapel’s was welcoming St. Mark's new faculty. New teachers took the seats on the right side of the chapel and closest to the lectern, for a night that was in every sense about them. Inside, as music played and the buzzing quieted down, Si Ah Jang ‘27 marked the commencement of the first Evening Chapel with an opening song. Rev. Solter led the processional crossway down the aisle, and Mr. Gammons took the lectern to read from The Lord of the Rings, the first in a series of readings built around the evening's welcome. The new teachers were presented with gifts, handed out by the monitors, and the evening went on with more prayers and speeches.

By the time chapel service ended, at 7:38, students poured out of the chapel and reached for their phones. Everyone had dressed for it, and they took the photos to prove it; by nightfall, friends' shots flooded Instagram stories with many captioned "First of many."

Overall, the night felt tightly scheduled. Between the early release, an hour to get ready, dinner, changing, and removing makeup, Evening Chapel carves a tangible dent out of a Thursday. Still, for the newest faces at St. Mark's, faculty and students, it was a first of many.