From The President of the Parents’ Association
Dear Second-Grade Parents,
On behalf of the Parents’ Association, I would like to welcome your entire family to the St. Mark’s community. We are so glad you chose St. Mark’s and cannot wait to meet you!
As a parent of a Marksman, you are an automatic member of the St. Mark’s Parents’ Association. We are an active group of volunteers partnering with the Faculty, Staff, and Administration to support the boys’ education and development and to build a strong community. Our parents participate on campus in a wide range of areas including the libraries, cafeteria, student store, and Lions’ Closet. There is a volunteer position for everyone to get involved!
The St. Mark’s PA also organizes events throughout the year. A few to put on your calendar right now are:
Lion Pride Night - an All-School Spirit Night, complete with a cookout and a DJ before our home football game on Friday, August 28. This will also be a Lower School Spirit Night where all new Lower School Marksmen will be invited to run onto the football field before the Varsity football game!
Fun Day - a school carnival held with Hockaday for Daisies and Marksmen in grades one through four scheduled on a Fall date TBD.
To get involved in these and many other events, you will volunteer through Sign-Up Genius. Please mark your calendar for Monday, July 14 after 12 pm to log on to the St. Mark’s website and click on the “Volunteer Here” button on the Resource Board. You will see many opportunities listed along with the activity description. When class lists are released in August, please return to the Resource Board for more class-specific volunteer opportunities. Throughout the year, your Grade Reps will update your Class Pages with information specific and helpful to your class.
Finally, if you have any questions during the summer months or the school year, please contact the following parent volunteers:
Class of 2037 – 2nd Grade Representatives:
Allison Plutko atplutko@gmail.com
972.989.6484
Kari Powell kreitan@gmail.com 214.578.2984
SMPA Athletic Liaison (2nd & 4th grades):
Jory Caulkins (2nd & 4th grade) hjcaulkins@gmail.com 914.393.6416
Again, welcome to the St. Mark’s community. Allow me to be a resource on this one-of-a-kind adventure. I look forward to meeting you soon.
As ever, Go Lions!
Rita T. Han
St. Mark’s Parents’ Association President 2026-2027 rita@loreservices.com 214.236.4988
• Contact Mrs. Glorioso-Kirby or Mrs. Mallick with any questions. Mrs. Glorioso-Kirby can be reached at 214.346.8216 or gloriosom@smtexas.org. Mrs. Mallick can be reached at 214.346.8210 or mallickk@smtexas.org.
• Uniforms can be purchased at Culwell & Son, 6319 Hillcrest Avenue, Dallas, 75205, 214.522.7000. Lion Tracks (in the Directory and online) lists all details about school uniform requirements for all grades. Please use a permanent marker to label your son’s uniform shorts, shirts, and sweatshirts.
• P.E. uniform must be purchased in the Student Store. Please use a permanent marker to label these as well.
• Backpacks are necessary for all students and may be purchased anywhere. The Student Store carries backpacks, as well. No wheeled backpacks are allowed in Lower School. Be sure to display your son’s name on his backpack.
• Classroom supplies and books are provided for Lower School students.
• Back-to-School events begin the week before the first day of school. While these events are not required, your son will want to be in town to participate. There will be a back-to-school party for each grade in Lower School and yearbook photos will be taken that week, as well. In August, a “Back to School Basics” tab will be on the SM website Resource Board. First and second grade back-to-school parties are scheduled for Monday, August 17. Third and fourth grade parties are scheduled for Tuesday, August 18.
• Yearbook Photos are taken at School the week before classes begin. Boys should wear a dark sports jacket and any appropriate tie with their white uniform shirt. Jacket and tie are available from the photographer if you are unable to provide these items for your son. Photos are from the waist up. Dates and times will be posted on the “Back to School Basics” tab on the SM website Resource Board.
• The Directory & Lion Tracks is distributed at Lower School Mini-School, scheduled on Thursday, August 20. You should familiarize yourself with Lion Tracks which is the guide to the School’s policies. Lion Tracks can be accessed on the SM website Resource Board, as well.
• Mini-School Parents’ Night is for parents only. This is an opportunity to meet your son’s teachers and receive an overview of curriculum for the school year. Mini-School is scheduled for Thursday, August 20, at 6 p.m.
• Class Lists will be posted on Class Pages in early August.
• Lion Pride Night is an all-school community picnic held the evening before a varsity home football game. This year, Lion Pride Night is scheduled for Friday, August 28, at 5:30 p.m. The Lower School grades will picnic together, and the new boys will be invited on to the football field before the 7 p.m. game.
• Fun Day is our annual Hockaday/St. Mark’s carnival. St. Mark’s boys in grade 1 – 4 and Hockaday girls in pre-K – 4 will meet on the St Mark’s campus this year for an afternoon of fun and games. Fun Day is on a Fall date TBD.
• Chess Club is open to all Lower School boys and meets throughout the year on Thursday mornings at 7:00 a.m. in Great Hall. A sign-up form will be in the summer email with more information about dates and club meetings.
• Cub Scouts is open for Lower School boys in second, third, and fourth grades. Detailed information about scouting and joining Pack 730 will be sent in the summer.
• Carpool information, including information regarding SchoolPass, will be distributed at MiniSchool. Morning carpool drop-off is 7:35-7:50 a.m. Class begins promptly at 7:55 a.m. Boys are expected to be in class and ready to work at 7:55 a.m. Afternoon carpool pick-up is 2:50-3:10 p.m.
• SchoolPass is the carpool and attendance app used by Lower School. In August, you will be asked to download the most current version of the SchoolPass app.
• Extended Day is our after-school program and is offered to all boys in grades 1-4. Boys are given a snack, complete their homework, and enjoy time on the playground with their friends. Pricing details and registration for the upcoming year will be sent in the summer email. Extended Day registration is by semester only and does not include any drop-ins.
• Student Store will be open during the week of back-to-school parties and yearbook photos. P.E. uniforms and St. Mark’s swag will be available for sale throughout the year, as well. Regular Student Store hours are 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., school days. Our online store is always open at smtexasstore.com.
• Lions’ Closet is a resale shop located on the 1st floor in the north wing of the Green Library. Gently used uniform shorts, shirts, sweatshirts, P.E. clothes, and sportswear are available for sale to all families. Lions’ Closet will be open to new families before the school year begins with times posted on your Class Page and Resource Board.
• Team Sports: Lower School Athletic Liaisons Jory Caulkins and Chris Storey will be emailing information about Lower School after-school athletic options as they become available through the Y and other sports associations. Watch for their emails throughout the summer months.
Uniform Requirements for Lower School
(Found in Lion Tracks, St. Mark’s Student Handbook)
Uniforms may be purchased at Culwell & Son, 6319 Hillcrest Avenue, 75205.
Shirt – White shirt, oxford cloth, button-down collar, short or long sleeves
Pants – Gray shorts or gray long pants
Socks – Plain white socks with shorts. White socks should be worn well above the ankles. Solid dark socks may be worn with long pants.
Belt – Conservative black or brown belt or St. Mark’s branded belt
Undershirts or t-shirts – Plain white t-shirts are acceptable under the school uniform shirt. No logo or writing permitted.
Outerwear – Sweatshirts sold in the SM Student Store or Lions’ Closet, solid-color sweatshirts with no decorations (blue or gray preferred) conservative sweaters, and coats are acceptable. College-branded or team-branded sweatshirts are not permitted in Lower School.
Shoes – Tie shoes only if adept at tying them; otherwise, Velcro closure is acceptable. Shoes should be predominantly or entirely black with no other color except white. No high-top athletic shoes.
Extra Clothing – When the temperature is 32 degrees or below, Lower School boys may wear solid-colored sweatpants (blue or gray preferred) over their shorts.
P.E. Uniform – must be purchased in the Student Store. First graders need a P.E. shirt but do not need to purchase shorts. All other Lower School boys are required to have a P.E. shirt and shorts. Please use a permanent marker to label your son’s uniform shorts, shirts, and sweatshirts.
St. Mark’s School of Texas Summer Reading List for Second Grade
This guide is meant to help your son discover some new books over the summer. One of the best ways to help prepare your son for second grade is to encourage him to read every day. This can be accomplished by his reading silently alone, as well as reading aloud together. Your local library is another great resource for recommendations and appropriate readinglevel suggestions. We look forward to seeing you in the library!
Fiction
Adler, David – Cam Jansen, biographies
Applegate, Katherine – Roscoe Riley Rules, Crenshaw
Barrett, Judi – Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
Brown, Peter – The Wild Robot Series
Bunting, Eve – Fly Away Home
Clements, Andrew – Jake Drake Series, The Losers’ Club
Cowell, Cressida – How to Train Your Dragon Series
Dadey, Debbie – The Bailey School Kids Series
Gutman, Dan – My Weird School
Funke, Cornelia – Ghosthunters Series
Giff, Patricia R. – The Polk Street Mysteries
Gibbs, Stuart – The Funjungle Series, SpySchool
Greene, S. – Owen Foote books
Keats, Ezra Jack – The Snowy Day
Kellogg, Steven – Pinkerton, Folk Tales
Kline, Suzy – Horrible Harry Series
Parry, Roseanne – A Wolf Called Wander series
Patterson, James – The Dog Diaries
Pinkwater, Daniel – Werewolf Club Series
Roy, Ron – A-Z Mysteries
Rylant, Cynthia – Henry & Mudge
Sachar, Louis – Sideway Series, Marvin Redpost
Sczieska, Jon – Time Warp Trio
Sutherland, Tai T. – Wings of Fire Series
Warga, Jasmine – A Rover Story
Watson,Tom – Stick Dog
Yolen, Jane – How Do Dinosaurs… Series, Owl Moon
Other Genres NonFiction
Adler, David – Math & Science books
Shreve, Elizabeth – On an Ocean Journey, The Oddball Armadillos
Tarshis, Lauren – I Survived… Series
Biography
Who Is/Who Was…Series
Mythology
D’Aulaires Books of Greek Myths by Ingri d’Aulaires
Usborne Illustrated Stories from the Greek Myths
Folk Tales and Legends (below are some class-time favorites)
Aesop’s Fables
King Arthur
Robin Hood
Hans Christian Anderson Fairy Tales
Grimm’s Fairy Tales
Anansi the Spider
Pecos Bill
Paul Bunyan
Graphic Novels
Hunter, Erin – Warriors series
Pilkey, Dav – Dog Man series
Reynolds, Jason – Stunt Boy series
Poetry & Verse
Hughes, Langston
Kuskin, Karla
Prelutsky, Jack
Silverstein, Shel
