Bhutanese Exchange Experience

by Urgyen Wangmo

Almost a month ago, several St. Markers had the chance to host students from Desi High School in Bhutan, which they visited last summer as part of the Lion’s Roam experience. I invited sixth former Urgyen Wangmo to write about her experience, and here’s what she had to say:

“In April, I had the awesome chance to host Yeshi for a week and a half. She had just graduated from her high school. Though we only spent half a day at Desi High, they provided an amazing showcase for us last summer. The students sang and danced traditional Bhutanese songs as well as “Watch Me” by Silentó. As a response, ten St. Markers dressed in traditional Bhutanese garments sang the National Anthem and St. Mark’s favorite, “Sun of My Soul”.

Prior to the exchange students’ arrival, students and faculty who went to Bhutan were worried. What would they like? Are they going to feel sick? Will the culture shock be too much? Needless to say, their arrival day came, and we found ourselves greeting ten Bhutanese citizens in the front circle. We knew our first words in Dzongkha, the national language of Bhutan: “Kuzuzangpo-la”, which it means hello . Holding a reception in the faculty room, we learned that it was their first time flying. We all laughed as they recalled details and frights of the long, bumpy 16 hour journey.

One thing we did not anticipate was that the Bhutanese exchange students and faculty were vegetarian. After three days, Yeshi was quick to say that she missed red rice, potatoes, cheese, and most importantly, spicy foods. All staple Bhutanese foods that Flik could not provide. To help them accommodate to our dining hall service, Flik prepared rice every lunch and dinner.. Funnily enough, Sriracha sauce helped them satisfy their cravings for spicy food at home. They put the sauce into every meal they had at St. Mark’s.

During her stay, Yeshi shadowed me to classes and sports. Since I participate in Recreational Tennis this spring, Yeshi had gotten the opportunity to play tennis for the first time ever! She loved it! However, after shadowing three days of my classes, Yeshi had grown tired of my classes. Granted, my classes were in full swing and almost all were involved in group projects at the time.

Yeshi’s best memory was her visit to Boston. I was at a college visit then, but Yeshi raved about how big Boston is compared to Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan. She was amazed at the vibrancy of the city, cars honking at red light, a swarm of people rushing across the sidewalk, dog owners walking their dogs in the Boston common. This was completely different from her home. Thimphu had much less cars on streets and a lot more green. It was much quiet than Boston.  I joked to her, “Good luck in New York.” After a week and half at St. Mark’s, the Bhutanese exchange students stayed in New York for a couple of days before their long flight back home.

To me, the most unforgettable memory was the day before the Bhutanese exchange students left when Jamie’s exchange student, Tsering, broke her collarbone. Thursday morning around 5 AM, I awoke to a loud sound of something dropping onto the floor. My instinct was not wrong. One of the girls had just fallen from the top bunk onto my hard dorm room floor. Holding her shoulder, she groaned in agony and could not stand up. Afraid, Yeshi and I assumed that she had dislocated her shoulder and that it should be popped back into place. However, since Yeshi and I both lacked the ability to perform such a maneuver, I called Ms. Behan, the Thayer Dorm head. Ms. Behan quickly rushed into my room to assess the situation before calling health services. The health services nurse had called 911. Less than an hour later, my room was filled with police officers, ambulance workers, and firefighters. What can I say, it was an unforgettable experience. As Tsering was wheelchaired out, Yeshi and I laughed. There was only 24 hours before they would depart from the St. Mark’s campus, yet Tsering, as clumsy as she was, had managed to find her way to the hospital. When Tsering returned from the hospital with X-rays determining that she had broken her collarbone, she rested in Health Services. When Yeshi and I visited Tsering, she laughed at how embarrassing the whole situation was. We joked that since St. Markers visited a Bhutanese hospital (due to food poisoning), it was only fair that they had a chance to visit an American hospital.”

Needless to say, both the Bhutan students and the St. Markers benefited a lot from this experience. We can’t wait to learn more from being a global citizen!

Getting to Know the St. Mark’s Class of 2018 a Little Better

by Paige LaMalva '20

At St. Mark’s, it is a long-standing tradition to have Prize Day. The day is specifically designated to present the hard work of the graduating VI Form class and to guide the new alumni into the real world. Prize Day originates all the way back to 1866, a year after the school was founded. Like most schools, St. Mark’s holds the tradition of the Valedictorian, but what’s different here is that VI Formers vote for the student representative for Prize Day. Anthony D’Angelo ‘18 was elected by his classmates as the Valedictorian and to address faculty and students on Prize Day. Anthony is the epitome of a St. Marker: he succeeds in the classroom, on the athletic field, and in the community.

Students at St. Mark’s are challenged in every way. For many of us here, the hardest idea is to find time to balance academics, athletics, and extra-curriculars. Anthony strives to be a successful student who can do it all. Academics is vital to him; Mr. Lubick, Director of Financial Aid, a leader in the Admissions Office, and a VI Form English teacher, has been a true role model for him. Not only is he intuitive, according to Anthony, but he’s also compassionate and caring, and it is a faculty member who Anthony aspires to be. During his time at St. Mark’s, Anthony has succeeded in integrating himself into the community. He has taken on multiple leadership positions, including captain positions and Peer Discussion Leader (PDL). PDL’s are V Formers who help to guide a designated group of III Formers through their first year at St. Mark’s through Peer Discussion Groups (PDG), by answering their question and helping them become comfortable in the new environment. I had two PDL’s, and one of them was Anthony. He truly lead by example and reflected some true values of a St. Marker upon my group.

Football is an important aspect of his life. What stands out about Anthony is his positive energy and attitude towards everything. He devotes 110% on the football field; his commitment and passion for the sport is unteachable, as it is something that must come from within. A St. Mark’s memory that is most prominent for him is his Groton game his junior year. Although not a lot of people go to the football games, he said, this one in particular was mobbed. It was a close game all of the way through, and St. Mark’s came through victorious. All of the fans were decked out in blue and white everything, especially face paint.

Anthony exemplifies true leadership qualities on the field and for the underclassmen. I asked some of his fellow football teammates how they perceive him. These words were those of a true leader, being that he is a “thumb guy”, “mentally strong”, “a fountain of energy”, and “the best leader I have ever known”. While interviewing his teammates, I learned that Anthony has inspired his teammates to always work their hardest and be their best. This isn’t the only sport he displays. Being a tri-Varsity athlete, he is able to demonstrate his attributes on St. Mark’s Varsity Wrestling and Baseball teams. He has become the heart of these teams, according to his underclassmen teammates, and his presence will not be forgotten next year.

If Anthony had to give one piece of advice to the younger St. Markers, it would be to stay true to yourself. When times are stressful, do not let others try and change you. Allow your strong values to shine to the world. Trust yourself and how you communicate with the world every day. By being real, you will develop a stronger connection with yourself and others around you.

Endowed Faculty Chairs 2018

by Sanjna Patel '19

On January 19th, 2018 the ceremony of the Endowed Chair Installation took place. This ceremony awarded the Trustees’ Chair to John Camp, Associate Director of The Center, Student Enrichment and English Teacher, and The Mrs. William Greenough Thayer Faculty Chair to Heather Harwood, Classics teacher. The entire St. Mark’s community gathered to honor and congratulate both Mr. Camp and Dr. Harwood for their incredible achievements.

The Trustees’ Chair is a “fully endowed faculty chair established by the St. Mark's Board of Trustees and by the generosity of an anonymous challenge gift.” When asked if Mr. Camp expected this award he said: “No! When I earned the Kidder Faculty award on Prize Day in 2012, I didn't expect that, either. I will say, though, that I work diligently to be the best teacher and colleague that I could be so that I could be considered worthy of an award. As a teacher, however, I would never expect an award. I'm happy when my students get awards!” Receiving the award of this Chair is an incredible honor and is extremely prestigious. Faculty vote upon these chairs and it is apparent that the St.Mark’s community appreciates Mr.Camp’s contribution to the school as a teacher. When asked what this Chair means to him personally, he responded: “The Trustees Chair is probably the most important honor that I will get in my career. St. Mark's isn't a stepping stone job for me--rather, I would like to be an important stone for the school for the remainder of my career; the chair honor makes me feel that part of the school, which is a great feeling.” Colleagues and students have been very supportive of the well-deserved award, as Mr. Camp says, “I sincerely appreciate the comments and support that I've received from my colleagues. Each congratulation or comments that I got are really important to me. Immediately after Mr. Warren made the announcement at school meeting, Colin Boylan emailed me to say congratulations. That was an awesome message to get!” As a community, we are all very proud and pleased with the honor that Mr.Camp has received.

Dr. Harwood was awarded The Mrs. William Greenough Thayer Chair. This Chair was created in the memory of Violet Otis Thayer who was the wife of the sixth St. Mark’s Headmaster. It was created in 1962 and stands as the second longest faculty Chair. Dr. Harwood said that she “never expected it to be me” when asked about her thoughts on receiving the award, she called it a “big surprise!” Her hard work as a teacher has been recognized by the community and she has received positive remarks about the award. Dr. Harwood mentioned how “colleagues have been so generous and kind with their comments and congratulations. That outpouring has been the most moving for me. It makes me feel very appreciated and known by my colleagues which is pretty special.” Even after receiving this award Dr. Harwood wants to keep doing more for her students and to better herself as a teacher, she believes that she still has a lot to learn. “ A teacher is someone who is always learning. I think a teacher is paradoxically by definition someone who both wants their students to learn and also wants to learn more themselves. I feel I am engaged in teaching as an art form and am always practicing and trying to improve upon that art.”

Dr. Harwood and Mr. Camp are well-deserved recipients of the Chairs and highly respected teachers of the St. Mark’s community.  We are excited and proud of their accomplishments and hard work.

Full speeches by Dr.Harwood and Mr.Camp from the Endowed Chair Installation ceremony:

https://www.stmarksschool.org/academics/faculty/endowed-chairs/heather-harwood

https://www.stmarksschool.org/academics/faculty/endowed-chairs/john-camp

Teaching Innovation

by Laura Drepanos '19

Recently, students at St. Mark’s have been noticing changes in the way classes are taught. More than ever before, we are noticing many similarities between our different classes. For example, it has become typical for a student to notice similar project rubrics in an English class and in a Math class. The situation has left many of us to wonder if there has been a change in the way that teachers at the school communicate with each other.

At the installation of new faculty chairs, Mr. Camp discussed how teaching at St. Mark’s is far more collaborative than competitive. He mentioned how teachers have the opportunity to learn about elements that other teachers use in their classes to incorporate these into their own classes. To those of us who have noticed these similarities between classes, this piece of information made sense. Many of us were even impressed that teachers worked so hard to make our classes better. However, this left many of us to wonder– have teachers always been this collaborative?

To try to find some answers to this question, I discussed with Mr. Wells and Ms. McColloch– a Physics teacher and French teacher respectively. These two teachers represent different perspectives of the school, so I expected to find vastly different answers to my questions. While both offered unique perspectives, I was surprised to find that both teachers have always seen St. Mark’s as a place where teachers work together on class structure. However, there has been change and general innovation in the way teaching is viewed here.

When Mr. Wells first arrived at St. Mark’s, the discussion of the “craft of teaching” was far less frequent and teachers did not reach out as much to try new class activities and software as they do now. The only direction he received from the head of the math and sciences department on his first day was a grade book, a pad of paper, a red pen, and the instruction to “maintain order.” However, he sees the change in teaching as a gradual change that has improved over time rather than a recent revolution.

Ms. McColloch’s perspective seemed to support Mr. Wells’ idea that the faculty have been consistently working to enhance the learning experience at St. Mark’s for a while now. Since Ms. McColloch began teaching here, she has always worked closely with the other French teachers to share ideas and implement new teaching strategies into her classes to benefit the students' learning. She mentioned that the longer professional development meetings that have occurred on a few Wednesday mornings this year have provided more opportunities for teachers to share the work they have done in their classes. While the forty-five-minute block on Thursday mornings is typically only enough time for a presentation or a discussion, this longer block on Wednesdays allows for more collaboration. For example, Ms. McColloch got the opportunity during one of the Wednesday meetings to go to a workshop that Mr. Dolesh and Ms. Brown ran that focused on the team-based learning idea that Algebra II students practice.  Ms. McColloch found this inspiring: “Hearing how other teachers have really interesting ideas and how they use them, it gets you all excited to figure out how you might use these cool ideas in your own classes.” 

So how else have faculty been working to improve classes? One of these ways is by doing research on cognitive science. Andrew Watson, a brain, and education specialist and the founder of the professional development group “Translate the Brain,” has come to numerous faculty meetings to  talk about how learning works so that the teachers could understand it from a scientific perspective. Mr. Wells recalls this is as one of the most memorable faculty meetings he has been to at St. Mark’s. Faculty have also been doing research on their own; for example, Ms. McColloch mentioned that she was part of a group of faculty at St. Mark’s who was able to get a grant to research blended learning. This type of collaborative work is not unusual among St. Mark’s faculty, for Ms. McColloch mentioned that teachers who have common ideas and interests regarding education will often form a group and work together to discover how these concepts can be incorporated in different ways into classes. She clarified that there has not been any push by any faculty at St. Mark’s to collaborate more, it is just that teachers are getting excited and discovering how beneficial this type of work can be. In addition to learning how newly researched concepts can be applied to their own classes, teachers also look at how an element from a completely different class at St. Mark’s could fit in as well. For example, Mr. Wells has found a way to incorporate a version of the learning evaluation infographic in his Modern Physics class that is used in the Advanced Biology course by Ms. Berndt and Mr. Corliss.

To better understand the overall objective of teachers at St. Mark’s, I talked with Dr. Worrell to get her  perspective as the Director of the Center for Innovation or Teaching and  Learning.  In response to my question regarding how the faculty are collaborating and seeking out innovation, she clarified that "Innovation in teaching is both about mindset and practice; it is a commitment to collective learning, a collaborative culture, and iterative practice in order to design the best possible learning opportunities for all students.”

While students often get recognition for their research and  work, teachers are also doing interesting work behind the scenes  to ensure that the teaching strategies used at St. Mark's are as beneficial for us as possible.

SM Global Citizenship in Action:Chilean Exchange

by Kaela Dunne '18 and interviews conducted by Ji Woo Kang '21

As most of you know, the Chilean exchange students headed back to Chile last Monday after a month-long stay at St. Mark’s and, according to Mr. Cifuentes, St. Mark’s Partner School Coordinator,  “they had a great time!” Mr. Cifuentes and Dr. Warren work together to ensure that St. Mark’s global exchange programs run smoothly and that St. Mark’s students are acclimating well to their exchanges- that students visiting us are made to feel at home and welcome in the community. As our exchange students visit a totally new part of the world, they get to experience academic and community life at St. Mark’s, but also learn about American culture beyond campus. In addition to attending classes, the Chileans also got to see the area we live in from a tourist’s point of view. Mr. Cifuentes took them into Boston to experience the city and its history, particularly the Freedom Trail. The Chileans also spent a day in Cambridge. Mr. Cifuentes reports that “they love to shop!” and they particularly enjoyed frequent trips to the Wrentham Outlets and the Mall. Additionally, Ms. Fu took them into Boston to celebrate the Chinese New Year in Chinatown. So, not only did our Chileans get to experience the community and academic aspect of St. Mark’s, but also the sharing of cultures and global citizenship that St. Mark’s works towards. Looking back on their stay, Mr. Cifuentes reflects that, “Overall, I think they liked visits to Boston, shopping and the community feel at St. Mark's.”

Investigation on Michael Flynn

by Anishka Yerabothu '20

On December 1, 2017, Michael Flynn, former National Security Advisor to President Donald Trump, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of lying to the FBI.  He arguably had the shortest tenure of post in U.S. history!  He served in office from January 20, 2017 to February 13, 2017.  Flynn resigned after it became apparent that he misled Vice President Mike Pence about the nature of his conversations with Sergey Kislyak, the Russian Ambassador to the U.S.  On February 13th, the Washington Post reported that the Justice Department informed the White House that Flynn “mischaracterized” the nature of his conversations with Kislyak to such an extent, he had made himself vulnerable to blackmail.

Robert Mueller was investigating the possible collusion of the Russian government and members of the Trump campaign during the 2016 US Presidential Election. Flynn admitted that he had lied to the FBI about the nature of the phone calls with Russian government officials. Later, he agreed to cooperate with Mueller’s investigation.

Barack Obama, President at the time, had just imposed sanctions on Russia for its interference with the 2016 election. Flynn was accused of lying to the FBI about being in contact with Russia right after the Election, attempting to block a UN Resolution condemning Israeli settlements in exchange for removing these sanctions.

Michael Flynn is also suspected of having vested business interests with Russia and Turkey.  According to a whistle blower, Flynn texted a business colleague saying that the plan was “good to go.”   The “plan” in question was to build nuclear power reactors with the Russians in the Arab world, given that sanctions would be lifted. Moreover, he is alleged to have been part of a discussion to kidnap a Muslim cleric wanted by Turkey, since the U.S. refused to extradite the cleric.

Former FBI Director James Comey testified that Donald Trump had asked him to “go easy” on the investigation into Michael Flynn. Trump tweeted, “I had to fire Flynn because he lied to the Vice President and the FBI. He has pled guilty to those lies. It is a shame because his actions during the transition were lawful. There was nothing to hide!”  This tweet is tantamount to admitting obstruction of justice. In response, Trump’s lawyer claimed that he drafted the tweet, not Trump. He claims that the President “cannot obstruct justice because he is the chief law enforcement officer, and has every right to express his views on any case.”

Mueller’s team is investigating potential obstruction of justice when Donald Trump fired James Comey as Director of the FBI.  The role of Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is also being investigated as part of the probe into Russian interference. This is a federal investigation that seems to deepen with each passing week.  Stay tuned for the next update!

Solar Panels on St.Mark's Campus

by Laura Drepanos '19

One of the newest additions to the St. Mark’s Campus is the solar panel field. Situated on West Campus, this solar field is presented in a conspicuous manner. While many St. Marker’s have noticed this addition, very few know its exact purpose.  I spoke with St. Mark’s new CFO, Mr.Robert Kuklewicz who explained some of the facts about the solar panels to me.

The system is a 641.7 kW DC and 480 kW AC set of panels operated by Tesla. While the solar panels do use solar energy to generate usable energy, that is not their primary purpose for St. Mark’s. Unfortunately, St. Mark’s uses far too much electricity to be generated by the solar field alone. The purpose of the solar panels is to lower the electricity cost for St. Mark’s. The savings is estimated to be fifteen to twenty percent of the annual electrical cost. However, this percent is dependent on the amount of sunlight for a given year. In addition to the cost savings, the solar panels are a great leap in sustainability efforts at St. Mark’s as they will generate energy in a manner that is far less harmful to the environment and more efficient than other methods.

An interesting fact about the solar panels is that they are not actually running yet. However, this is soon to change. In order for the solar panel system to be energized, the Southborough Fire Department needs to run a safety check to ensure that the department could turn off the system in the event of an emergency. Additionally, the engineers of the solar field need to give it a final survey for the Town of Southborough Conservation Commission. As these are the only tasks remaining, the solar panels should be running by the end of the month.

Tree Lighting: Drone Footage

Video by Funny Movie Corporation

Article by Rick Sarkar '19

On the first Friday back from Thanksgiving break, St. Markers joined together for the House Cup Holiday Songfest, also known as Deck the Halls, followed by the Christmas tree lighting. The SM jazz bands opened up Deck the Halls with renditions of “Blue Christmas” and “Charlie Brown Christmas.” They were followed by Maple and Pine-Oak with original takes of holiday classics. Gaccon, Marr-Coolidge, Thayer, Sawyer, Coe, and Theriot-North also showed their holiday spirit with performances that included spirited costumes and live instrumental accompaniment. After the songfest wrapped up, the community moved outside to the VI form quad. Below is a video taken via drone of students enjoying the tree lighting. The video was provided by Funny Movie Corporation, a group that has been increasingly involved on campus this year.

Click link for video: https://youtu.be/CHJcJi6Cbbk

Holiday Dorm Decorations Up!

This year is the first year in which all dorms decorate their space for the holiday! We're sharing photos here to give you a sense.