[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 34 (Friday, February 27, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E276]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       RECOGNIZING ST. MARK'S SCHOOL, SOUTHBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS

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                      HON. RODNEY P. FRELINGHUYSEN

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, February 27, 2015

  Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the St. Mark's 
School for its dedication to academia, guidance, and personal growth.
  St. Mark's School, located in Southborough, Massachusetts, serves 
high school students from across the globe. With a dedicated faculty 
and a motivated student body, St. Mark's School is a model for high 
schools throughout the nation. St. Mark's School lays a foundation for 
young men and women, emphasizing a well-rounded education to spur 
creativity and analytical thought. With its roots in the Episcopalian 
tradition, the school values cooperation over self-interest, and 
encourages every student to explore their place in the world after high 
school.
  For 150 years, the St. Mark's School has educated students in order 
to prepare them for adulthood. Joseph Burnett, St. Mark's founder, 
sought to create an institution that offered high-quality education. 
With this goal in mind, St. Mark's began with a single two-story 
building, painted with yellow and green blinds. This modest campus then 
started to grow, with the additions of a large schoolroom and dormitory 
in 1866. This growth continued through the 1890s until the campus grew 
to fill 250 acres. Today, St. Mark's is still expanding, with recent 
additions including a new athletic center, dormitory, and performing 
arts center within the last two decades. Joseph Burnett's dream 
currently benefits a class of 350 students from 19 states, the District 
of Columbia, and 15 nations.
  Though St. Mark's began as an all-boys school, it currently educates 
both young men and women. In the 1970s, St. Mark's reached an agreement 
with the Southborough School to offer coordinated education for all 
students. The faculty and staff of St. Mark's understood the importance 
of spreading Joseph Burnett's dream so that all types of students could 
benefit from the educational opportunities offered by this 
establishment. St. Mark's continues to include students and faculty 
with diverse backgrounds, particularly those who have experienced 
prejudice or disadvantages. The St. Mark's community embraces all types 
of students, which empowers every St. Marker.
  The St. Mark's motto, Age Quod Agis, or ``Do and be your best,'' is 
instilled in every St. Marker. These students are challenged every day, 
but receive constant support. Students do their best by receiving the 
best training in the most ideal academic setting. With a student to 
teacher ratio of 6 to 1, the classroom forms into a personal setting, 
tailored to the needs of the students. St. Mark's encourages students 
to do their best in the academic arena, on the athletic field, and in 
their campus community. St. Mark's school week traverses six days a 
week to instill personal discipline and academic excellence. The school 
week compliments the fact that St. Mark's is a boarding school. 
Students attend class together, work together, and live together, 
creating a school culture and community important for personal growth 
and socialization.
  I commend the trustees, faculty and staff of St. Mark's School for 
spending their time and effort ensuring that their students achieve 
success. St. Mark's School has consistently demonstrated a dedication 
and commitment to helping these students receive a proper education to 
prepare for the future. The St. Mark's faculty and staff inspire both 
students and professionals, and I am happy to recognize them today for 
all of their hard work.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask you and my colleagues to join me in congratulating 
the St. Mark's School in serving such an important role in the lives of 
generations of high school students, both past and present.

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