By: Clarice Kwasnieski
Director of Admissions
Saint Mark’s High School
ckwasnieski@stmarkshs.net

Dedicated to the holistic education of each student,  Saint Mark’s offers a diversified curriculum that not only prepares our students for admission to the college or university of their choice, but also ensures that they meet with success when they get there. As national attention remains focused on the importance of strong science and math skills at the high school level, Saint Mark’s continues to integrate new and challenging course offerings into our departments, helping our students achieve high performance both on standardized tests as well as in challenging classes at the collegiate level.

Beginning with freshmen year, students are placed on an accelerated learning track. All ninth-grade students are required to take biology courses, and all tenth-grade students are enrolled in chemistry courses. Junior and senior year, students are offered a wide selection of full-credit electives including Environmental Science, Human Anatomy, Physics and Forensic Science. A number of half-credit electives are also available, including Introduction to Engineering, Astronomy, Introduction to Organic Chemistry and Aquatic Biology. For students wishing to earn college credit, Saint Mark’s offers the largest advanced placement program in the state of Delaware, including AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Physics and AP Environmental Science.

Because of the large number of courses available, students from all academic levels are offered the opportunity to take a number of science electives. In fact, more than 25 percent of students register for two or more science courses in their senior year. The dedication of our 13-member science department faculty – four of whom have earned PhDs – ensures small classes, allowing laboratory experience to stand as an integral part of all classes. Recent experiments conducted by Saint Mark’s students include the effect of oil spills on the environment; animal dissections; and the construction of a weather balloon. In all laboratory work, analytical reasoning, reporting and writing skills, and the value of teamwork are emphasized.

Through all of our academic offerings—whether in the analytical or creative fields—our students learn to be confident leaders and active participants, fully prepared to meet success in the college classroom as well as throughout their careers.

We invite you to come to Saint Mark’s and experience all of our extensive academic offerings by scheduling a “Spartan for a Day” visit. To set up a date for your son or daughter to spend a day with us, please call 302.757.8721.

For more information, please visit our website at www.stmarkshs.net.

What Our Graduates Say:
During my Physics class junior year, we had a class competition to make a bridge out of straws and then we tested them to see whose bridge could hold the most weight. I was always a Lego kid, but never knew how to apply that passion to the real world. My physics class helped me find a field I may have ignored. I was one of three girls who graduated with a civil engineering degree in 2007 from the University of New Hampshire. I now work as a Bridge Engineer in Boston where I design, inspect, and rate bridges. I love bridges and I love my job – and I owe it all to my Physics teacher from St. Mark’s for introducing me to such a fascinating field.
- Christine Urban ‘03
Bridge Engineer, TransSystems

I was fortunate enough to have worked with teachers who encouraged and inspired me to choose the sciences for my career path. They challenged me to take advanced courses and demonstrated the connection between science and a medical career by using practical, real world examples. With a strong foundation in science from St. Mark’s, I majored in Biology at the University of Notre Dame, entering as only the fourth class of women there. The study habits that I learned and the knowledge that I gained at St. Mark’s went a long way at Notre Dame, and contributed to my career choice as an internist and geriatrician. I will be forever grateful for the foundation that St. Mark’s gave me and I know that my daughter is getting the same type of rich experience at St. Mark’s 34 years later.
Patricia Curtin ‘76, MD, FACP, CMD.   Section Chief, Geriatric Medicine Christiana Care Health SystemClinical Assistant Professor, Jefferson Medical College

My Biology classes laid the foundation of my anatomy education, and by layering on an exercise component  – participation in three varsity sports (hockey, gymnastics, and track) – I gained a powerful combination of skills that has served me well in my successful career as a physical therapist. I am forever thankful to St. Mark’s!”
-Kathy Krippahne Kassai ‘74, PT, CES.  Owner, PRAXIS PHYSICAL THERAPY, Inc.