Admission Open House Wednesday, November 10, 2021
Welcome to St. Mark’s School of Texas. After attending tonight’s program, we hope you will better understand why we are so excited about our School. St. Mark’s is a place where boys learn to become good men, a place where, at every level, character and integrity are taught and valued. Please let us know if you have questions, and, again, welcome to St. Mark’s.
Evening Program
Anytime
Watch the “Welcome to Open House” video
5:15 p.m. Arrive on Campus Programs available as you arrive on campus Carillon music courtesy of Daniel Uglunts ’22
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Schedule for Continuous Programs and Tours: 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Science Discovery Tour Opens
(MCDERMOTT-GREEN PHYSICAL SCIENCE CENTER AND THE WINN SCIENCE CENTER) No registration required. Follow the line on the floor from one Science Activity to the next. Open all evening; start and end where and when you like. St. Mark’s School of Texas Science Department Faculty: Mark Adame, Ryan Brewer, Fletcher Carron (Stephen M. Seay ’68 Science Departmenr Chair), Matt Dillon, Stephen Houpt, Wesley Irons, Fred Jackson, Donald Kiehn, Stewart Mayer, John Mead (Eugene McDermott Master Teaching Chair in Science), Jonathan Moody, Dan Northcut ’81, Ken Owens ’89, Doug Rummel (Founders’ Master Teaching Chair), and Zach Smith
5:30-7:30 p.m.
Fine Arts Showcase: Student Paintings and Ceramics
(NEARBURG HALL LOBBY) No registration required. The Showcase will be open all evening. St. Mark’s offers boys a wide range of artistic outlets to explore, including our nationally recognized and award-winning programs in photography, ceramics, woodworking, choir, drama, painting and drawing, debate, band, and orchestra. The Fine Arts Showcase will feature Paintings and Ceramics created by St. Mark’s artists. Marion Glorioso-Kirby—Tony Vintcent Fine Arts Department Chair; Upper School Drama Kate Wood—Middle & Upper School Visual Arts Scott Ziegler—Middle & Upper School Ceramics
5:40-7:30 p.m.
Planetarium Shows Begin
(WINN SCIENCE CENTER PLANETARIUM) No registration required. Explore the universe throughout the evening with shows starting about every 15-20 minutes. Paul Hoehn—Leonard M. (Doc) Nelson Master Teaching Chair; 8th Grade Physical Science
5:15-7:15 p.m.
Lower School Tours Begin
(FOJTASEK FAMILY LOWER SCHOOL) Guests will meet grade level teachers in their rooms. Tours will continue throughout the evening, ending at 7:15 p.m. Sherri Darver—Head of Lower School Faculty and Staff of the St. Mark’s Lower School ~3~
Campus Highlights At a Glance SESSION 1 ~ 5:30–6:00 P.M. Student Leadership Panel Discussion
NEARBURG HALL 104
Far from the Things of Man: The St. Mark’s Wilderness Program
CENTENNIAL HALL 211
Scholastic Journalism: Initiating Important Conversations
HOFFMAN CENTER 109
And the Answer Is: The St. Mark’s Academic Team
WINN SCIENCE CENTER Science Lecture Hall
Middle School Humanities: Jamestown
CENTENNIAL HALL 216
SESSION 2 ~ 6:15-6:45 P.M. The St. Mark’s Writing Conference
CENTENNIAL HALL 209
Community, Inclusion, and Diversity at St. Mark’s
NEARBURG HALL 104
Special Operations Post World War II
CENTENNIAL HALL 227
Free Verse: English 9 Discussion of Poems by Walt Whitman
CENTENNIAL HALL 211
SESSION 3 ~ 7:00-7:30 P.M. On the Path to Manhood: Character & Leadership in the Middle School Upper School Student Life
WINN SCIENCE CENTER Science Lecture Hall
DECHERD PERFORMANCE HALL
Lion Pride: The St. Mark’s Athletic Program
CENTENNIAL HALL Graduate Hall
In addition to scheduled programs, several School administrators will be stationed across campus throughout the evening to answer your questions. ~4~
Campus Highlights Session 1 ~ 5:30–6:00 p.m. Please choose one of the following:
Student Leadership Panel Discussion NEARBURG HALL 104 Opportunities for leadership and service abound at St. Mark’s. The St. Mark’s Student Handbook states, “In addition to the formal structures such as the Student Council, the Discipline Council, the Chapel Committee, four campus publications, Lion and Sword Society, and the Community Service Committee, students are invited to consult with or to serve on ad hoc faculty, administration, or trustee committees.” In this session, four of our student leaders will discuss leadership and service in a panel discussion format moderated by the President of the Class of 2000. Korey Mack ’00, Moderator—Admission Officer PANEL: Alex Geng ’22—President of the Student Council Owen Simon ’22—President of Lion & Sword Society Aadi Khasgiwala ’23—Junior Class President Enoch Ellis ’22—Senior Class President
Far from the Things of Man: The St. Mark’s Wilderness Program CENTENNIAL HALL 211 Confronting some of life’s basic problems in the wilderness under the guidance of skilled and caring adults can help boys learn to cope with uncertainty while gaining selfconfidence and self-reliance. The St. Mark’s Wilderness Program begins in Middle School and culminates in a ten-day trip to the Pecos Wilderness in New Mexico for rising freshmen, one of the School’s most honored traditions. Mr. Hillier and Mr. Slingerland will share details of the program and answer your questions. ameron Hillier ’13—Director of the Wilderness Program C Eric Slingerland—Assistant Director of the Wilderness Program
Scholastic Journalism: Initiating Important Conversations HOFFMAN CENTER 109—The Hersh Journalism Suite Join student editors from The ReMarker newspaper and Marksmen yearbook as they give an overview of how student publications serve the community by reporting on important issues and events of the day. You will also get a broad look at the journalism program and how it prepares students for leadership roles in the future. Ray Westbrook—Gene and Alice Oltrogge Master Teaching Chair ~5~
Session 1 (continued)
And the Answer Is: The St. Mark’s Academic Team W INN SCIENCE CENTER—Science Lecture Hall The St. Mark’s School of Texas Academic Team will demonstrate their winning form in this fast-paced session of quick wits and amazing skill. Coaches Paul Mlakar and Dr. Bruce Westrate will also discuss their strategies for helping the team operate at peak performance. Paul Mlakar—Director of Academic Information Systems; Mathematics Teacher; Academic Team Coach Bruce Westrate, Ph.D.—Nancy and Jeffrey Marcus Master Teaching Chair; Academic Team Coach
Middle School Humanities: Jamestown CENTENNIAL HALL 216 Consider the British experience at Jamestown, Virginia: “Of the 6,000 colonists sent to the settlement between 1607 and 1625, about 4,800 died …” (Witze 6A). How would a Middle School Humanities class approach this topic in a meaningful and memorable way? See students in action as they demonstrate a comprehensive humanities unit that emphasizes geography, cannibalism, history, arsenic, research, assassinations, collaboration, fecal contamination, artistry, drought, presentations, cultural clashes, and composition. Visit a humanities classroom to see how students learn to think in a divergent way that captures the complexities of what appears to be a single-issue topic. Greg Crook—Thomas S. Adams Master Teaching Chair, Seventh Grade Humanities
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Campus Highlights Session 2 ~ 6:15-6:45 p.m. Please choose one of the following:
The St. Mark’s Writing Conference CENTENNIAL HALL 209 All English students at St. Mark’s will have the opportunity to meet at least quarterly with their teacher in one-on-one writing conferences on major papers. During these 20-30-minute sessions in the teacher’s office, students receive and discuss feedback on the content, structure, and mechanics of their writing. David Brown, a longtime proponent and practitioner of the model, will conduct an actual conference with an Upper School student. David M. Brown—Victor F. White Master Teaching Chair in English
Community, Inclusion, and Diversity at St. Mark’s NEARBURG HALL 104 Inclusion and diversity are fundamentally important to educating and helping every Marksman reach his full potential. Creating a sense of belonging, knowing, and loving every boy, and fostering a climate where respect, empathy, and compassion are central to building and sustaining community. As a school, we must continue to strive for improvement to support and care for every boy, knowing full well that the work is never complete, and that each day brings new challenges and new opportunities. In this session, the Director of Inclusion, Diversity and Human Resources along with the Head of the Upper School and the Co-Chairs of the Inclusion and Diversity Leadership Council will discuss diversity and inclusion initiatives at St. Mark’s and answer questions. Lorre Allen—Director of Inclusion, Diversity and Human Resources Colin Igoe—Head of Upper School Enoch Ellis ’22, Samuel Eluemunoh ’22, Tomek Marczewski ’22, Zach Stone ’22— Co-Chairs of the Inclusion & Diversity Leadership Council Akash Raghunathan ’23 and Zane Wallace ’23—Vice-Chairs of the Inclusion & Diversity Leadership Council
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Session 2 (continued)
Special Operations Post World War II CENTENNIAL HALL 227 Michele Santosuosso, a member of the Upper School’s History and Social Sciences faculty, will showcase a lesson from her extremely popular senior elective, The History of Special Operations Since 1945. The course’s focus on recent military history and contemporary politics engages the imagination and interest of many St. Mark’s boys. Since the course demands that students follow contentious current events and comment knowledgably on international affairs and military interventions around the world, “Spec Ops” provides boys with an ideal opportunity to discuss, trade opinions, and learn from each other in a respectful, collegial manner. Michele Santosuosso—History Department Faculty; 9th Grade Class Sponsor
Free Verse: English 9 Discussion of Poems by Walt Whitman CENTENNIAL HALL 211 Most English classes at St. Mark’s meet around a seminar-style Harkness table, where students have the opportunity and responsibility to speak to and with each other about language and literature. In this session freshmen will discuss two poems by Walt Whitman; under the guidance of their teacher, they will strive to construct a shared understanding of the poet’s sense of freedom in verse and in life. Michael Morris—Chair, English Department
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Campus Highlights Session 3 ~ 7:00-7:30 p.m. Please choose one of the following:
On the Path to Manhood: Character & Leadership in the Middle School WINN SCIENCE CENTER—Science Lecture Hall Middle School boys are full of enthusiasm, ambition, and curiosity. They equally crave the responsibilities of young adulthood and the nurturing guidance of their parents, teachers, and coaches. As each boy progresses along his own Path to Manhood, the Middle School seeks to instill essential concepts, habits, and skills to foster the development of each boy’s character and capacity for leadership. At this session, the Head of the Middle School and the Assistant Head of Middle School will discuss the Middle School Character and Leadership Program and answer questions. Dean Clayman—Head of the Middle School Jason Lange—Assistant Head of Middle School
Upper School Student Life DECHERD PERFORMANCE HALL In the Upper School, robust academic and co-curricular programs ensure development of the whole boy. The comprehensive academic curriculum ensures that students gain breadth and depth in all areas of study, to develop keen analytical and problem-solving skills. Boys engage in athletic, artistic, and extracurricular opportunities that deepen and enhance the ideas and concepts they are learning in the classroom. The Head and Assistant Head of the Upper School, and current students will discuss life in the Upper School and answer your questions about being an Upper School student at St. Mark’s. Colin Igoe—Head of Upper School Jason Leneau—Assistant Head of Upper School
Lion Pride: The St. Mark’s Athletic Program CENTENNIAL HALL—Graduate Hall The interscholastic sports program teaches boys the value of competition, cooperation, perseverance, and hard work. St. Mark’s fields more varsity boys’ athletic teams than any other school in the Southwest Preparatory Conference. Come meet the Directors of the most successful athletic program in the Conference. Along with several of our current athletes, the Directors will discuss the program and answer your questions about athletics and physical education at St. Mark’s. Sean Lissemore—Director of Athletics Josh Friesen—Associate Athletic Director ~9~
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Albert G. Hill Tennis Center (Reconstruction) Thomas O. Hicks Family Athletic Center (Reconstruction) Nearburg Hall Fine Arts Wing H. Ben Decherd Fine Arts Center Arthur P. Ruff Field Grandparents’ Courtyard
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Mullen Family Fitness Center W.W. Browning, Jr., Great Hall Perot Family Quadrangle St. Mark’s Chapel D. Gordon Rupe Amphitheater Decherd Performance Hall Fojtasek Family Lower School
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Norma & Lamar Hunt Family Stadium Montgomery Field Silcock Field Morris G. Spencer Gymnasium Ralph B. Rogers Natatorium Robert K. Hoffman Center Ida M. and Cecil H. Green Commencement Theater
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Cecil & Ida Green Library Lower School Playground McDermott-Green Physical Science Building Winn Science Center Centennial Hall A. Earl Cullum, Jr., Alumni Commons
Upcoming Admission Events November 17, 10:30 a.m. (Virtual) Spiritual Life at St. Mark’s December 1, 10:00 a.m. (Virtual) Science and the Makerspace at St. Mark’s December 8, 10:00 a.m. (On-Campus - Parents Only) Greetings from the Headmaster December 15, 10:00 a.m. (Virtual) Fine Arts at St. Mark’s January 12, 10:00 a.m. (Virtual) The St. Mark’s Admission Decision Process January 19, 10:00 a.m. (On-Campus - Parents Only) Health and Wellness at St. Mark’s January 26, 10:00 a.m. (Virtual) Alumni Relations at St. Mark’s April 13, 10:00 a.m. (On-Campus - Parents Only) Greetings from the Director REGISTER ONLINE AT SMTEXAS.ORG/VISIT
Application Deadlines November 19, 2021 ~ Grades 2–4 December 13, 2021 ~ Grade 1 January 7, 2022 ~ Grades 5–11
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Did You Know? ~ The National Merit Scholarship Program honored 55 seniors in the Class of 2022, naming 22 members of the class National Merit Semifinalists and another 33 Commended Scholars. In each of the past 10 years, more than fifty percent of all St. Mark’s seniors have been named as Finalists, Semifinalists, or Commended Scholars. ~ Dr. Alan Stern, an alumnus from the Class of 1975, is the Principal Investigator of NASA’s New Horizons Mission, which successfully flew by Pluto in July 2015, returning the first surface images of the dwarf planet. On New Year’s Day 2019, the spacecraft flew past Ultima Thule, a Kuiper Belt Object that is now the furthest object explored by man. ~ The mean SAT score for the Class of 2022 is 1,476 on a scale of 1,600 points. ~ St. Mark’s has the highest faculty salaries among independent schools in the Southwest and is in the top 10 percent among schools with enrollments of 500 or more nationally. ~ The Master Teaching Chair program allows St. Mark’s to attract and retain the very best teachers from across the country. Currently, there are 22 endowed faculty positions, including 16 Master Teaching Chairs. ~ The Science Center Project was completed in early 2019 with the construction of the Winn Science Center and the renovation of the McDermott-Green Physical Science Building. Together, these two facilities add 75,000 square feet of state-of-the-art learning space, including a planetarium, makerspace, and Lower School science classroom. ~ Ty Montgomery, an alumnus from the Class of 2011, currently plays in the National Football League for the New Orleans Saints.
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Did You Know? ~ For 14 of the last 15 years, the St. Mark’s photography program has been named the “Top Program” in Texas by the Association of Texas Photography Instructors. ~ Members of the Class of 2022 and 2024 both earned Boy Scouts of America’s rarest award, the William T. Hornaday Silver Medal. Since 1975, there have been only 168 awarded nationwide. ~ The Class of 2029 was named the national champion in the Gold Division of the WordMasters Challenge—an annual national vocabulary competition involving nearly 125,000 students. ~ Victor Vescovo, an alumnus from the Class of 1984, has completed the Explorer’s Grand Slam, summiting the highest peaks on all seven continents and reaching both the North and South Poles. In 2019, he completed the historic Five Deeps Expedition, which involved diving to the deepest point in each of the five oceans. Just weeks after breaking the deep-sea diving record in the Mariana Trench, Vescovo returned to St. Mark’s to deliver the Class of 2019’s Commencement Address. ~ St. Mark’s has received the Athletic Directors’ Trophy for the best overall boys’ athletic program in the Southwest Preparatory Conference for 12 of the past 14 years. In the past decade, St. Mark’s has won 28 SPC Division I Championships and 16 State Championships. ~ In fiscal year 2021, alumni, parents, and friends helped the St. Mark’s Fund surpass $4 million for the fifth consecutive year. Accounting for eleven percent of the School’s annual operating budget, the St. Mark’s Fund helps ensure everyday excellence for every Marksman. ~ In 2016, Steve Miller, an alumnus from the Class of 1961, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, joining a class of new inductees that included Cheap Trick, Chicago, Deep Purple, and N.W.A.
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~ A senior from the Classes of 2019 and 2020 were named a United States Presidential Scholar in the Arts, one of only 20 graduating seniors in the country to receive the honor each year. ~ A junior from the Class of 2022 was named state champion of the 2021 Poetry Out Loud recitation competition. ~ A senior from the Class of 2019 was named the National High School Journalist of the Year by the Journalism Educators Association and National Scholastic Press Association. He is also the seventh consecutive St. Mark’s senior selected as the Texas High School Journalist of the Year. ~ In 2021 the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) recognized 22 Pacemaker award finalists from St. Mark’s student publications, far surpassing the Schools previous record of six. The Pacemaker award is the highest national award given by the NSPA. ~ Eleven members of the Class of 2021 made commitments to play college athletics representing University of California — Santa Barbara, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Middlebury College, Oberlin College, Southern Methodist University, Santa Clara University, Sewanee: The University of the South, Stanford University, United States Merchant Marine Academy, and Yale University. ~ A junior from the Class of 2023 was selected to represent Team USA in an international robotics competition. ~ In 2021 the Upper School Academic Team won the Small School National Championship Tournament (Open Division). This is St. Mark’s second national title, the other occurring in 2017.
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Lower School Faculty
Head of Lower School Sherri Darver
First Grade
Second Grade
Teri Broom Kay Carrio
Susan Morris Laura Pigg
Third Grade
Fourth Grade
Erica Hershner Tracey Pugh
Lee-Ann Graham Shannon Nadalini Lauren Fischer
Lower School Art — Suzuko Davis Lower School Library — Barbara Kinkead Lower School Music — Mary Ann Livengood Lower School Spanish — Emma Noble Lower School Drama — Shannon Schnaible Lower School Science — Matthew Dillon Lower School Computer Science — Aimee Whitaker Lower School Counselor — Bridget Redondo-Doan
Administrative Assistant Kathy Mallick
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Office of Admission
David P. Baker Director of Admission & Financial Aid 214.346.8171 baker@smtexas.org
Kerry Schneidewind Assistant Director of Admission & Financial Aid 214.346.8270 schneidewindk@smtexas.org
Korey Mack ’00 Admission Officer 214.346.8197 mackk@smtexas.org
Alicia Alvarez Admission Office Coordinator 214.346.8702 aalvarez@smtexas.org
Jennifer Jackson Admission Office Administrator 214.346.8248 jacksonj@smtexas.org
St. Mark’s School of Texas does not discriminate in the administration of its admission and education policies on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin.
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NOTES
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NOTES
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Statement of Purpose St. Mark’s School of Texas is a nonsectarian, college preparatory, independent day school for boys in grades 1 to 12. In accordance with its Charter, the School aims to afford its students well-rounded physical, intellectual, and spiritual education. The School is a diverse community of teachers and students who share a love of learning and who strive for high achievement in whatever they undertake. Challenging studies in the sciences, arts, and humanities form the basis of a St. Mark’s education. Teachers work to instill an enthusiasm for learning, to encourage independent and critical judgment, and to demonstrate the methods for making sound inquiries and for effective communication. To complement this academic experience, St. Mark’s offers boys a rich variety of opportunities for involvement and leadership in the School community, rewarding those who strive as well as those who achieve. St. Mark’s aims to prepare young men for assuming leadership and responsibility in a competitive and changing world. To this end, the School professes and upholds certain values. These values include the discipline of postponing immediate gratification in the interest of earning eventual, hard-won satisfaction; the responsibility of defending one’s own ideas, of respecting the views of others, and of accepting the consequences for one’s own actions; and an appreciation for the lively connection between knowledge and responsibility, privilege, and the obligation to serve.
St. Mark’s School of Texas 10600 Preston Road Dallas, Texas 75230-4047 214-346-8000 www.smtexas.org