Interviews: What Was Good About Being Remote

By Diane Oh ‘24

The COVID-19 pandemic at St. Mark’s was a truly unique experience-an experience exclusive only to the year 2020-2021 and an experience that we would never want again. Despite the many drawbacks of online learning, students have managed to gain a positive experience even through times of hardship and isolation. This week, I interviewed students with both remote and on-campus learning experiences and asked them about the positives of online learning. Here are the few positives of the otherwise difficult online experience:

1. Social Circles- Friends and Family

Online learning increased the difficulties of maintaining a social life. With the only means of communication limited to the class laptop screen, it is obvious that many people would be very frustrated about the fact that they could not socialize. However, with frustration comes a solution. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, families became more tightly knit together as they found themselves keeping company with one another. With enhanced family connection came gratitude and appreciation for what many people, in previous years, took for granted. 

Furthermore, new online platforms started to emerge, establishing new ways of socializing. Many remote students all year round gradually became friends with one another, as they shared a common enemy - online school. Although online learning was not the best experience for many people, it connected people who would normally never have interacted with each other in a normal school year. 

2. Academics

With international students from all over the world, St. Mark’s students and faculty members both had a tough time with academics. The time zones were different; the fact that everything had to be turned in and taught online was a pain in the back. One of the remote students last year, Coco Chen’24, had the whole painful experience of living in a reversed time zone from Boston’s time zone. However, despite this fact, she still had some positives to say about online learning. “There’s just more free time than a normal academic day. I could control my academic workload with much more flexibility”. 

Students developed Time management and independence as teachers had a more indirect influence on remote students than in-person students. Furthermore, students had to chase their teachers through email to ask questions as they did not meet each other daily. Many students I interviewed said that they became much more patient and determined in their attitudes toward academic work than before. 

3. Mindfulness

There is a significant advantage to online learning, especially if you struggled with the dress code at St. Mark’s. Throughout the pandemic, students have numerously reported that they had significantly less stress about appearance- whether it may be deciding what to wear or thinking about how you would be portrayed to other people. Amber Lee’24 described her online experience as “stress-free.” “I had no distractions. I could wear whatever I wanted and focus more on academics and the things I liked”. 

The pandemic was also a great time to discover new hobbies and devote energy to exploring what people liked. Because there were no school drama or distractions, people could focus more on what they wanted and shift their attention to the things they needed the most. In that sense, I think online learning was a period in which people opened up to opportunities and explored themselves in a way they never had before. 

Going into the fourth week of school, St. Mark’s has undergone many changes in the span of just a few years. On an ending note, I think we should all be thankful for the situation we are in right now. Whether school may be online or on-campus, the moment we live in right now may be one of the most cherished moments when we look back at our lives. Although challenging, let’s all take a moment of appreciation and start our St. Mark’s school year strong. 

Let's Meet The New Faculty!

By Coco Chen ‘24

Last year, remote and hybrid learning were very challenging or even frustrating for both teachers and students. In particular, student-teacher interactions were very limited to the unsatisfactory medium of Zoom meetings. However, this year, we can finally get to meet and talk with our teachers in person and get to know each other better. Sometimes, even just a few jokes about trivialities can lighten up our day. Before you launch off to banter around, here are the new faculty’s biographies. 

Science - Nathan (Gabe) Armatas

Mr. Armatas joins St. Mark’s after over a decade of teaching at both private and public universities. He earned his Ph.D. in chemistry (inorganic) from Syracuse University, where he researched organic-inorganic hybrid materials, and a B.S. in chemistry from St. Lawrence University, where he developed a mass balance model of mercury in Lake Champlain. Gabe is passionate about bringing science to life in the classroom (ask him about his chemistry magic show!). Outside the classroom, he enjoys basketball, lacrosse in central N.Y., cooking, and hiking with his partner, Kelly, and golden retriever, Sadie.

Assistant Director of Athletics - Luke Chiasson

Mr. Chiasson has taken on a new role as the Assistant Director of Athletics. He rejoined the St. Mark’s community in 2019 as the Assistant Varsity Baseball coach after graduating from the School in 2015. He then joined the residential team as a dorm parent in Coe in January 2020, serving as the Interim Assistant Athletic Director. He served as a member of the L.E.O.S. during the 2020-2021 academic year. Before returning to Southborough, Luke completed his B.A. in communication from Virginia Wesleyan University. He also spent time working in the Athletic Department at Wellesley College post graduation. He will be coaching football in the fall.

Classics - Ryan Davey

Mr. Davey was raised in Nashua, N.H., and spent his formative years in and around the Granite State.  Ryan graduated from St. Paul's School in Concord, N.H., where he lettered in football, ice hockey, and baseball. He received his B.A. from Saint Anselm College in classics before receiving his MEd. in educational leadership from Southern New Hampshire University. While a full-time college student, Ryan finished his athletic career playing junior hockey in the EJHL for the Lowell Jr. Lock Monsters. Since college, Ryan has worked at the Salisbury School, Dexter-Southfield Schools, and Avon Old Farms, serving as a teacher, varsity coach, dormitory head, advisor, and clubhead. Ryan is passionate about the holistic approach to education at boarding schools and was excited to join the well-established community of St. Mark's School. Ryan enjoys playing guitar, creating multimedia projects, podcasting, and spending time with his family in his spare time. He and his wife Ryanne (yes, pronounced the same as Ryan) have two daughters, Quinn and Tess, in addition to their dog, Ogie.

Science - Andrew (Andy) Fischer

Mr. Fischer joins St. Mark’s after 15 years of teaching in the California Bay Area. He sees the world through a lens of math and physics and is excited to share that perspective with his students. Outside the classroom, Andy is passionate about jiu-jitsu, rock climbing, and games of all kinds. Andy holds a B.S. from Harvey Mudd College and a MA from Santa Clara University.

Math/Science - Kurt Graham

Mr. Graham joins us as a teacher in the  Physics and Math Departments. Before joining St Mark’s in 2021, he worked for 20 years in the financial services industry as a sales executive and key accounts manager for asset managers such as Putnam Investments, Gannett Welsh & Kotler, Lazard Asset Management, and Apex Capital Management/Fiera Capital. His teaching experience includes working in the Science Department at Fay School (2020-2021) and the Science and Mathematics Departments at Avon Old Farms School (1997 to 2000). 

Kurt graduated from Skaneateles High School in upstate New York, where he was the captain of the football and lacrosse teams. Before college, he was a postgraduate at Salisbury School, lettering in football, wrestling, and lacrosse. He attended SUNY College at Cortland, earning a Bachelor of Science in mathematics and physics and being the captain of the lacrosse team. Kurt lives off-campus in Sudbury with his wife, Megan, their children, Brayden and Madelyn, and their yellow labrador Dublin. When not spending time with his family, he enjoys playing lacrosse and competing in triathlons and doing CrossFit.

Modern Languages - Emilie Griffin

Ms. Griffin joins the St. Mark’s community in 2021 as a French teacher in the Modern Languages Department. She has spent the past three years living in Treviso, Italy, where she taught English while studying Italian. Prior to that, she worked for five years at Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, N.H. as a French teacher and dorm head. Emilie holds a B.A. in art history from Columbia University and an M.A. in French language and culture from Middlebury College. She lived in France for three years and earned her diplôme d’aptitude à l’enseignement du français langue étrangère at the Université de Bordeaux III. In her free time, Emilie enjoys doing yoga, reading, baking, and traveling.

Community Wellness Educator - Lauren Martin

Ms. Martin is a graduate of St. Mark’s Class of 1985. She joined the St. Mark’s faculty in 2020-21 part-time and serves as a resource for all faculty and students, with the main focus on supporting students from underrepresented communities as they understand and address the challenges of identity development at St. Mark’s. Lauren also engages actively in the residential life program, including leadership initiatives, wellness programs, and counseling services in their continued work of supporting students from underrepresented communities. Lauren has worked as a wellness educator at the Winsor School for over 20 years. As part of her work, she helped students and adults alike, cultivate deep listening skills and develop the ability to communicate in a manner that leads to a heightened sense of purpose. Lauren also selects and serves as lead chaperone to a delegation of student participants at the annual NAIS Student Diversity Leadership Conference and has presented at the NAIS People of Color Conference. Lauren is now full-time at St. Mark’s and lives on campus with her two sons, Cole and Chance, as well as her daughter Summer, and her four-legged daughter, Moose, a mini labradoodle

Director of Experiential Learning - Jillian Nicks

Ms. Nicks joins St. Mark’s as the Director of Experiential Learning and as a French and Humanities and Social Sciences teacher. She hails from the Pacific Northwest, where her career in education began with coaching varsity sports. While pursuing her M.A. in French studies, Jillian was a national strength and conditioning certified personal trainer. In college, Jillian played Division I soccer and studied abroad in Lyon, France, during which time she played for the Olympique Lyonnais women’s soccer team and made lasting friendships. Jillian believes that individuals learn from direct experience with real issues and actively engage in and hold authentic responsibility for their impacts. Jillian also earned a M.Ed. from Vanderbilt Peabody College, where she dedicated her capstone projects to understanding and promoting experiential learning. Around campus you can find Jillian and her partner, Katie, filling every spare moment in motion. They both enjoy running, lifting, backpacking, climbing, skiing, and caring for plants.

Math - Magdelene (Maggie) Pizzo

Ms. Pizzo joins St. Mark's as a math teacher after serving as a L.E.O.S.  Prior to coming to St. Mark’s as a faculty member, Maggie also worked as the math specialist at Pine Cobble School in Williamstown, Mass. and as a software engineer at Facebook. Maggie has a B.A. in mathematics and computer science from Dartmouth College, where she was also a two-time ultimate frisbee national college champion. In her free time, she loves reading, baking cookies, and losing tennis matches. Maggie lives on campus, where you can find her jogging down Main Street or carrying banana peels to the compost.

Assistant Director of College Counseling - Lin Yang

Ms. Yang made a long road trip in July 2021 to join the St. Mark's community as an Assistant Director of College Counseling and science teacher. Previously, she served as an Assistant Director of Admission at her alma mater, Harvey Mudd College, where she received her B.S. in applied physics. Her undergraduate experience at Mudd allowed her to intern with the Office of Admission and informed her desire to increase diversity, access, and inclusion within the STEM fields. Lin brings her previous teaching and curriculum development experience from Mudd, Explo at Yale, and AstroCamp to teach physics at St. Mark's. She lives on campus and enjoys cooking, reading, and spending time outside.

All students and faculty are thrilled to have all the excellent new faculty becoming part of the St. Mark’s Community. We genuinely hope they have an incredible time teaching at St. Mark’s. Welcome to the Pride!