Andrea Xu ‘25
The St. Mark’s Board of Trustees conducted its annual visit from October 26th to 28th, overseeing crucial aspects of the school’s operation. The Board of Trustees is responsible for ensuring that all parts of the school function well. The Board makes big decisions that contribute to the school’s development in the long run. One example is the construction of the newest Patterson-Sculley dorm with the support and grateful donations that amounted to over $40 million from the St. Mark’s community. This decision marks an important shift in student life. The Board of Trustees also supervised the installment of our new Head of School Dr. Hills. Overall, the trustees are in charge of continuing the school’s excellence.
A central event during the visit is the trustee meeting, which provides administrators an opportunity to present progress reports in various areas. This meeting is instrumental in giving trustees an in-depth understanding of the school's current status in operation. During this session, Mr. Warren updated the Trustees on the substantial progress made in Saturday classes and the Lion Terms. Both programs belong to St. Mark’s experiential learning, which the trustees initiated five years ago. Ms. Nicks, the director of Experiential Learning, gave several presentations on experiential learning programs. In her presentation, she covered the philosophy and pedagogy of Experiential Learning, particularly the current Saturdays and past Lion Term courses. “I was accompanied by the following individuals who spoke about their personal and professional experiences through Lion Term, sharing photos, videos, and anecdotes,” Ms. Nicks commented. Along with Ms. Nicks, teachers who led those programs spoke about the purpose of each Form’s Lion Term (More information about the presentations can be found here). The trustees highly complimented the progress made in the two experiential learning programs: “Many were encouraged by the changes to the structure and purpose of the Saturday Program. Others are impressed by the incredible educational opportunities that students have through Lion Term, saying that they wished to become students again in order to participate.”
Ms. Agosto, the Dean of Student Life and the co-chair of the School Committee, shared the following: student’s classroom experiences, wellness projects, changes in dress code and attendance, and the goals in the Community and Equity (C&E) Strategic Plans. Specifically, she highlighted how the school strived to support all students, the fourth goal of the C&E Plan. Action Steps include working on translations for families whose native language is not English, the Thrive survey, and the Biased-based & Sexual Misconduct Incident Report Form.
Mr. Cochran, the director of St. Mark’s Communications, also participated in the Trustee meetings and joined student leaders who had lunch with the trustees on October 27th. He believed it provided the trustees with a "peek under the hood" of the School from the students’ perspectives. Additionally, he noted the trustees' positive reception of the ropes course on West Campus, praising its thoughtful design and potential uses within the St. Mark's community and beyond.
The recent Board of Trustees visit reinforced a shared commitment to St. Mark's success. Trustees actively engaged in school activities, demonstrating their dedication. This visit celebrated progress and emphasized a mutual commitment to the school's thriving future.