Preparing to Welcome Boys Back
Five months after St. Mark’s campus closed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, life is slowly returning to 10600 Preston Road. The 2020–2021 school year kicked off in unique fashion during the week of August 21, with two days of online orientation followed by the start of remote learning. Many teachers have returned to host class from their offices and rooms, bringing a familiar, excited energy back to campus.
“Physical separation during the early days of school certainly hasn’t dampened the spirits of our boys and our teachers,” Eugene McDermott Headmaster David W. Dini said in an email to parents after the first week of remote classes. “As I wander in and out of classrooms and offices, it is obvious how much love, care, and dedication our teachers are investing in the experiences of their boys.”
Following Labor Day Weekend, St. Mark’s will welcome Marksmen back for on-campus instruction. Over the week of September 8, each Division will gradually return for a series of orientations and meetings focused on health and safety protocols, traffic patterns, logistics, and other changes that will be part of the new normal of campus life. These include myriad changes to the layout of classrooms, daily navigation of campus, and traditional interactions. However, St. Mark’s remains dedicated to fostering the special bond between students and teachers that thrive best in the classroom.
Among the changes being made to campus life:
- The daily schedule will be staggered to minimize campus traffic and carpool crowds.
- Hundreds of pieces of signage have been added across campus, indicating one-way hallway traffic directions and reminding community members to social distance, wear their masks, and wash their hands.
- In every classroom and teaching space on campus, desks have been rearranged to maintain a five- to six-foot radius between students and face the same direction. Furniture has been removed or rearranged in common areas and new signs indicate how students can gather while maintaining social distance. Larger areas, including the Great Hall and libraries, have been reconfigured to serve as additional student spaces.
- Touchless water fixtures have been installed in all bathrooms, and water bottle fill stations have been added to water fountains.
- All air filters on campus have been updated to MERV-13, one of the highest filtration ratings.
- All faculty and staff receive regular COVID-19 testing, and students were given the option to receive a COVID-19 test in early September.
- All students, faculty, and staff will take a daily online health check via the SchoolPass smartphone app before coming on campus.
Visit this webpage to learn more about all of the precautions being taken to welcome students, faculty, and staff back to campus. Parents and students can also check the Back-to-School Basics tab on the Resource Board for the most up-to-date information and announcements from their Divisions.
St. Mark’s School of Texas
10600 Preston Road
Dallas, Texas 75230
214-346-8000
Dallas, Texas 75230
214-346-8000
About Us
St. Mark’s School of Texas is a private, nonsectarian college-preparatory boys’ day school for students in grades 1 through 12, located in Dallas, Texas. St. Mark’s aims to prepare young men to assume leadership and responsibility in a competitive and changing world.
St. Mark’s 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.
St. Mark’s 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.
