THE
MARKER
OUR MISSION
Innovative and full of heart, Mark Day School nurtures each child to pursue their curiosity, think critically, embrace challenge with courage and joy, and work in partnership with others to build more caring and inclusive communities.
FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL
Dear Mark Day School Community,
Reflecting on what he heard from CEOs at the 2025 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, McKinsey partner Daniel Pacthod focused on leadership and uncertainty. One CEO pointed out that a decade ago, they held five percent of their calendar ready for surprises, challenges, things that were not planned—and that that number ranges from 20% to 30% today. Pacthod went on: “I come back from this week and I say…the leadership teams that are going to win in this environment will be the ones that will be tech savvy, that will build resilience, that will create learning culture, but frankly, will create a factory that builds leaders at scale—because that is the limiting factor of any organization to thrive in this environment. That learning bar and leadership development bar just keeps going up.”
Those take-aways struck me as exactly right. And as soon as I heard Pacthod say, “a factory that builds leaders at scale,” I also was struck by the direct line between what kinds of skills, competencies, and mindsets leaders need in uncertain times and what students learn here at Mark Day. Transforming teaching and learning leads the way in our 2022 strategic plan, including the goal of nurturing habits and mindsets that students need to be agents of their own learning.
The rationale is clear: “At Mark Day School, teachers work alongside students to help them discover who they are, the passions that drive them, and the myriad possibilities that exist for them as learners. We know that from a very young age, students are curious and capable of building skills that enable them to pursue their learning with increasing depth, nuance, and perspective. At the same time, as the world grows ever more complex and volatile, advances in technology and unprecedented access to information continue to rapidly expand the world open to our students. Those changes only accentuate the importance of students’ building the capability to navigate their own paths.
The value of the skills and agency that students develop as durable habits at Mark Day School has never been more important for the world they occupy now and the ways that they will pursue their learning and their professions in the future. Mark Day was founded to challenge students; we will continue to shape that challenge to serve students in pursuing and applying their own learning in a world marked by complexity, volatility, and change.”
It is worth noting that GenAI tools such as ChatGPT had not reached viability when we wrote the 2022 plan—but the focus of our teaching and learning goals aligns well with the world as it has developed. What follows in this year’s issue of The Marker will give you insight into how we continue to improve the academic program at Mark Day, including the faculty’s work on assessment, how we are approaching GenAI tools in our approaches to teaching and learning, some recent highlights from professional development, and more.
Of particular note are touchpoints with Mark Day alumni. Getting to talk with alumni on admission panel discussions for prospective parents always leaves me in awe of the ways in which our graduates have taken what they learned at Mark Day and, through their good work, have amplified and multiplied its impact in their careers and communities. Seeing Jack Conte ‘98 and our 8th graders working together as the Class of 2025 approached Media Literacy Week was another watershed moment. These interactions only increase my excitement for the work that is happening all around Mark Day School—every day, every hour, in every classroom.
Sincerely,
Joe Harvey Head of School
NEWS FROM CAMPUS
Students Enhance Spanish Speaking Skills in Costa Rica
This spring, a group of 7th and 8th grade students traveled to Sámara, Costa Rica, for an immersive Spanish language experience at Intercultura, a local language school. This was the first trip back to Costa Rica since COVID. Students spent four hours each day in small, level-appropriate classes that focused entirely on spoken Spanish. They played games, engaged in interactive activities, and participated in real-life conversations. Their language skills were tested not through written exams, but through speaking—an approach that challenged students in new ways. Outside of class, students stayed with local host families who spoke only Spanish and had a glimpse into daily life in a rural beach town.
Beyond language learning, students participated in meaningful service projects in partnership
with Crear, a nonprofit organization dedicated to community development, and explored Costa Rica’s rich landscape and traditions through a variety of activities, from cooking and dance classes to surf lessons and ziplining.
Spanish Teacher Caton says, “It’s amazing to see how each student has grown in fluency, comprehension, confidence, and comfort with Spanish after their experience in Costa Rica. Engaging with the language in real-world settings has deepened their skills in a way that goes beyond the classroom. As a teacher, it’s incredibly gratifying to see the shift in how they approach the language and to know they had this invaluable opportunity to connect, communicate, and grow.”
As a teacher, it’s incredibly gratifying to see the shift in how they approach the language and to know they had this invaluable opportunity to connect, communicate, and grow.
- Tracy Caton, Upper Division Spanish Teacher
Chess Championship
The Mark Day School 45th Annual All-School Chess Championship was a huge success! A record-breaking 217 students across all grades participated.
Flag football team makes playoffs
Our flag football team finished the season with a strong 6-2 record, competing in an 8th grade league despite having a team composed of mostly 6th and 7th graders. This year marked the inaugural playoffs for our league, and our team qualified for them. Throughout the season, players put in remarkable effort during practice and games.
Spring Fundraiser: “The Greatest School on Earth”
Step right up and celebrate! “The Greatest School on Earth” spring fundraiser and gala on March 8 was an unforgettable evening under the big top. Thanks to the generosity of our community (bidders, donors, sponsors, and volunteers), we raised an incredible $300,000, with $160,000 going toward our Fund-a-Need to amplify learning with new classroom audio systems, permanent amphitheater speakers, and Creativity Lab equipment.
Adopt A Family
In the fall, students made the holiday season brighter for families served by Adopt A Family of Marin. Students made decorations and cookies and raised funds to purchase and wrap special items on families’ lists. This year, Mark Day adopted 12 families in total and raised more than $13,000 across all grades.
Running For Fun—And eSibonisweni!
Students, parents/guardians, faculty/staff, and friends came together this past fall for the annual Fun Run, a multi-course costume race that raises money for eSibonisweni’s Girls’ Scholarship Program, one of our partners in South Africa since the early 2000s. This year, we raised $9,400. Thank you to all who attended, dressed up, ran, and ate pancakes!
Hour of Code
In December, our Media, Technology, and Innovation (MTI) department celebrated Hour of Code, an international Computer Science coding event organized by code.org. Students in 2nd through 8th grade gathered in the Creativity Lab for coding activities. Younger students had fun with Bee-Bots, a unique robot tool for teaching counting, sequencing, directionality, problem-solving, and estimation.
TEACHER FEATURE
DANA KIRK
8th Grade English Teacher & Mentor
Now in her 15th year teaching at Mark Day, Dana Kirk has taught three grades and held multiple roles during her tenure here. Let’s get to know one of our most beloved Upper School teachers.
What are the different positions you’ve held at Mark Day since you started?
I started in 6th grade humanities and 10 years later, I moved into solely teaching English in grades 6 and 7. In 2022, I moved to 8th grade. I also am part of the Lits Block team and teach an arts elective each trimester.
What’s kept you at Mark Day for so many years?
Being part of a community of teachers who are down-to-earth, kind, and deeply committed is one reason I am proud and joyful to be a faculty member at Mark Day. I would also credit the supportive parents and guardians, the playful, receptive students, and the global partnerships that make this community special and one-of-a-kind. I am confident that there are other schools where I would be happy— I’ve taught in some of them—yet at Mark Day I am certain I can grow, which has always been important to me as a teacher. Having administrators who believe in me means that I can experiment and take risks.
What is your favorite part about teaching English?
It’s impossible to answer this question because I love teaching all aspects of this subject area. When a student, unsolicited, tells me that they genuinely enjoyed a piece of literature I’ve taught, I am over the moon. When I’m working one-on-one with a student writer, I know I’m exactly where I need to be. I am fortunate to be in a unique position of knowing students through their written work, which offers me new perspectives, new insights. Even an analytical essay can reveal a great deal about who a student is. I relish getting to know how students think and learning from their wisdom.
What is your favorite project, lesson, unit, or activity?
If I had to boil down all the fun into a distilled moment, it would be during a Shakespeare lesson. Picture this: a few students are “on stage,” books in hand, struggling, perhaps, with reading lines some of the most skilled actors can’t handle. There is a plastic crown on someone’s head and a cheap sword meant for
an eight-year-old in another’s. I am playing an amateur director, and the students are patiently listening to me and their fellow actors, perhaps adjusting their performances. The rest of the class is helping with the notes on the left side of the page. The learning feels palpable and exciting.
What is something the Mark Day community might not know about you?
Because of my avid participation in Fun Fests (a biennial talent show to raise money for our partner eSibonisweni in South Africa) over the years, many—but not all—know how much I love to act. I pursued professional acting fresh out of college, but sadly discovered I did not have the correct personality for that profession. I’m grateful I figured it out early, though! My parents were both teachers: my father a professor, my mother a kindergarten and 1st grade teacher. One might argue it was my fate —if one believed in fate, that is. . .
What are your favorite things to do outside of school?
As much as I’d like to dismantle the English teacher stereotype with, “Yes, I ponder bearer bonds and follow the NFL season on weekends,” my interests lean toward the arts: live music, museums, and fantastic theater are on the top of my short list. My mom was a wonderful entertainer, and I love cooking for others. Not surprisingly, I love reading, too. And I write, inspired by my reading life and ideas I stumble across. I try to avoid the baleful stare of my piano and have found myself lost on Duolingo for hours at a time. Of course, living in idyllic Marin offers me regular opportunities to walk and hike. Most of my family lives near me, so I regularly trek over to Walnut Creek and San Francisco to enjoy the beautiful Bay Area at large.
P.E.E.R. MEMBER PROGRAM
Upper Division Students Foster Growth and Connection as Lower School Mentors
This school year, a new P.E.E.R. (Partners in Education, Empathy, and Reflection) Program launched to give 7th and 8th grade students the opportunity to enhance their roles as leaders of the school. The program was built on the belief that students—as supporters, mentors, and role models—can help guide their peers toward social and emotional success. “The P.E.E.R. Member Program provides the structure for younger students to receive support and guidance from Upper Division students who have been through similar challenges,” says Heather Rael, one of Mark Day School’s counselors. “The goal of the program is to expand our supportive campus community and forge deeper student-to-student connections.”
Co-led by Upper School Counselor Heather Rael and Lower School Counselor Danielle Javadi, the P.E.E.R. program welcomes any 7th and 8th graders to apply to participate. Students must engage in a formal application process and commit to a two-year requirement starting in 7th grade. The first year is dedicated to bonding as a group and learning how to teach Social Emotional Learning (SEL) tools and lessons to Lower School students, while the second year focuses on designing lessons tailored to the needs of grade-level-specific concerns. Currently there are 20 P.E.E.R. members in the 7th grade pilot program who will continue in 8th grade.
“We meet weekly during lunch, and meetings are mandatory,” Heather explains. “Training includes reviewing SEL ToolBox Tools so they understand what the younger students are already learning, so they can help reinforce those skills.” Upper Division P.E.E.R. students will also plan to introduce new SEL tools and activities using long established SEL-based curricula including Zones of Regulation and Kimochis, ultimately designing lesson plans for Lower School students. Heather says, “We’re
teaching Upper Division students how to be SEL teachers. They’re learning about classroom management, how to facilitate a successful read-aloud, the developmental stages in kids ages five to nine, and the most effective approaches for different ages.” Once Upper Division P.E.E.R. students are sufficiently trained, they visit K-4 classrooms with thoughtful SEL lessons.
As P.E.E.R. Leaders, 7th and 8th graders also have an identifiable and present role beyond the classroom. Their responsibilities on campus will include presenting SEL tools and advice at assembly through humorous and impactful skits, attending recess on the Lower School playground to engage with younger students or to help with conflict resolution, and other projects.
Heather reports, “The P.E.E.R. students are all very responsible and engaged. They show up where they need to be and are eager to get into the classroom. One recent example of their work is designing a lesson to teach the idea that it is okay to be mad, but it isn’t okay to be mean. They taught Kindergartners and 1st Grade students several ‘cool-off’ techniques to help when they are upset. For 2nd and 3rd graders, they taught a similar lesson with a more age-appropriate activity.”
“Having run a P.E.E.R. member program before, I can attest to the fact that this is an untapped resource that I believe will become indispensable to our Mark Day community,” says Heather. “The power of learning from your older peers and passing along wisdom and guidance to the younger ones is mutually beneficial and honestly beautiful to witness.”
1ST GRADE SCIENCE
Building Knowledge Through Cross-Disciplinary Experiences
First grade teacher Lisa Becker has been teaching 1st grade at Mark Day School for 35 years, and she plays favorites—but only when it comes to curriculum. She explains, “For me, science has long been my favorite part of the first grade curriculum.”
Each year, Lisa, in partnership with retired 1st grade teacher Geneva Conway and now with current 1st grade teacher Tatiana Chestohin, has been developing, shaping, and strengthening the lessons and projects in 1st grade science. “Our philosophy is based on nurturing and fostering curiosity that leads to inquiry, which then leads to discovery,” says Lisa. “Students in 1st grade are building foundational scientific thinking, engaging in project-based learning, and using voice and choice to start taking ownership of their own learning. We want them to explore and play.”
Early in the school year, Lisa and Tatiana ask their students: “What does a scientist look like doing science?” Students are given a piece of paper and are instructed to draw their perception of what a scientist looks like. This school year, they were pleasantly surprised by what the students came up with; rather than the stereotypic male in a white coat, many students drew themselves, women, and other figures who weren’t simply holding a beaker.
Once students explore different definitions of what it means to be a scientist— and that they will all step into the role of scientist themselves—they dive into
“
Experiential learning gives students a deeper understanding of scientific concepts and encourages deeper connections with the real world.” - Lisa Becker, 1st Grade teacher
hands-on, project-based learning experiences that combine literacies and skills. For example, during their unit on redworms, garden teacher David St. Martin shows students how to harvest redworms in the garden, art teacher Karen Klier works with students to help create realistic illustrations for the educational books they write about redworms, and Director of the Learning Commons Anna Gonzalez teaches students what it means to be an author.
A growth mindset also plays a significant role in students’ scientific learning. Lisa and Tatiana explore with students what it means to have a growth mindset versus a fixed mindset. Together,
they read books like Bubble Gum Brain by Julia Cook and The Power of Yet by C.J. Luckey so they can learn that they are capable of stretching and growing without limits. Students also keep a science log to note their observations; all of this work helps them to feel empowered to become scientists.
Throughout the year in science, 1st graders study myriad topics, including colors and rainbows, redworms, states of matter, endangered mammals, plants, metamorphosis, and more. On the following pages are a few of the projects students pursue on their journey to becoming young scientists.
Animal Classifications, Marine Mammals, and Endangered Mammals
To start this unit, students work together to examine the characteristics of various animal figurines. “They lay them out, and we start sorting them into groups,” says Lisa. “This activity helps students practice their observation skills and understand what the term ‘classification’ means.” Then, 1st graders read books and watch videos on the six groups of animal classifications—mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds, fish, and insects. They select one of the animal classifications to dive deeper through research. Among other questions, they consider: what makes a fish a fish or a mammal a mammal? Using their research, conducted via books and on the iPad app PebbleGo, students create a poster they present to the class. Lisa says, “Much of my role in these science lessons is answering students’ questions with questions to help them dig into their own brains and think.”
After students learn about animal classifications, they move on to marine mammals. In the past, students have visited the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito and welcomed alum Ava Salmi ‘11 to talk to the class about her role as a marine biologist.
As they begin to learn about endangered mammals, the students read Don’t Let Them Disappear: 12 Endangered Species Across the Globe by Chelsea Clinton and discuss different animals’ level of endangerment, geography, and habitat. To culminate their learning, students choose an endangered mammal and conduct research on that mammal. They can choose to work by themselves, with a partner or small group, or with a teacher. Students then create a “What Am I?” riddle with realistic illustrations that they publish to help educate others. “All of our lessons are differentiated for challenge and for support,” says Lisa. “What I love about the research phase is that the materials are really tailored to each student’s learning needs.”
The Human Body
The Human Body Unit in 1st grade has been taught at Mark Day School for decades. The teachers reworked the unit using the high-quality instructional practices guided by the Buck Institute, and it is now solely centered around project-based learning. The driving question for this project is: “How do we teach others how to keep our bodies safe and healthy?”
Students begin to explore the systems and parts of the human body through different stations while also reading books and watching videos. For each system, students write researched facts on sticky notes, post them on a large cutout of the human body, and then choose how they want to present their information from a list of options, including an informational poster, booklet, or video.
Alum Indigo Prasad ‘21 and her dad Dr. Che Prasad, who is a pathologist, visit the classroom with real human body parts, including a brain, lungs, and heart. Students discuss the sensitive nature of these items and can, if they choose, touch them and inspect them more closely.
Individually or with a partner or small group, students pick a system to dive into more deeply and design their project. They must consider the facts they are including, visual components, and legibility. Once completed, students present their projects to their peers, students in other grades, and adults.
Principles of 1st Grade Science
The following principles, or philosophies, help create a science curriculum that is engaging, developmentally appropriate, and fosters a love for learning. Science isn’t just about memorizing facts but about understanding how the world works through exploration and discovery.
Inquiry-based learning: Children are naturally curious, and science education should tap into their sense of wonder about the world. Inquiry-based learning emphasizes asking questions, making observations, and discovering through exploration.
Hands-on learning: 1st graders learn best by doing and building knowledge through direct experience. Constructivist philosophy in science encourages students to actively participate in experiments and activities.
Experiential learning: Students gain a deeper understanding of scientific concepts when they can connect them to real-world experiences. This approach is closely related to inquiry-based and hands-on learning, but emphasizes real-life connections.
Exploration and play: Play is a central part of learning for 1st graders, and incorporating play into science fosters creativity and problem-solving. This philosophy encourages exploration without fear of “right or wrong” outcomes.
Cross-disciplinary integration: Science learning for 1st graders can be integrated with literacy, math, and art. Learning across disciplines allows students to see science as a part of the broader world.
Growth mindset: Instilling a growth mindset encourages 1st graders to see themselves as capable of learning through experimentation and persistence. This philosophy emphasizes that making mistakes is part of scientific learning.
BEYOND THE STORY OF THE GIVER:
Active Reading and Critical Thinking in 6th Grade English
Literature has the power to entertain, to challenge, to illuminate, to learn more about ourselves, to see new perspectives; studying literature can help young readers understand both themselves and the world around them. The Giver, written in 1993 by Lois Lowry, can be particularly meaningful for 6th grade English students because it arrives at a moment when they are frequently questioning the rules and structures that shape their lives. The Giver encourages students to think deeply about individual identity, the true meaning of happiness, and the price of conformity. These themes resonate strongly with middle schoolers who are themselves navigating the journey from childhood to adolescence, increasingly making independent decisions, and starting to form their own world views.
Set in a dystopian society where emotions and memories are suppressed in the pursuit of sameness and control, The Giver tells the story of 12-year-old Jonas, who is selected to be the “Receiver of Memories,” a role that exposes him to the pain and joy of the past. As Jonas learns about the true nature of his society, he becomes determined to enact change and challenge the conformity that governs his world.
It’s a complex novel that brings up several difficult topics, and because of that, at Mark Day School, it’s a book students read together in class, with discussion driven largely by students’ inquisitiveness.
“There are some heavy topics addressed in this novel, and I want to be able to guide them and discuss these topics together as a group,” says Deb Pannell, 6th Grade English teacher. “It’s important for students to discover significant moments in the story themselves and respond out of their own curiosity and intrigue. They ask a lot of questions, and as much as I can, I like to answer their questions with more questions.”
Students start the unit by reviewing and practicing active reading strategies: they have a pencil in hand and make notations as they read. Research and our experience reveal that this approach leads to greater comprehension and analysis. “Active reading helps students more deeply engage with and understand the text,” says Deb. “It also forces them to stop, think and become more excited about their journey through the novel, especially for more reluctant readers.” Students are encouraged to make inferences as they read, particularly about words and references that will become clearer throughout the book. For example, the word “Release” is capitalized in the novel and students gradually come to understand what it really means in the context of the story: euthanasia.
During their reading of The Giver, students are asked to consider questions like: Where else have you seen a society with one ruler or one small group that controls all others? What is necessary for a powerful figure to achieve power? Can a powerful figure retain power
without the consent and support of the ruled? How can those who are ruled change the power structure? Deb explains, “Students will often bring up Adolf Hitler and cults, prompting deeper consideration about what power is, who has it, and what are the benefits and costs of having it.” They then compare these historical and societal examples to the community in which Jonas and his family live.
Through the reading and analysis of The Giver, students learn to question authority and leadership in a thoughtful and curious way, rather than simply accepting what they are told. That practice of thoughtful inquiry is an underlying lesson in other disciplines as well. It’s this type of critical thinking that students will need to make informed choices and stay true to themselves throughout their lives.
In the story, as Jonas comes of age, he starts to do something that is forbidden: question leadership and imagine a better community and existence as an individual. Although Jonas
is met with enormous resistance from his family, community, and peer group, “it’s really about the process of growing up, of young people coming into their own individuality, thoughts and opinions,” says Deb.
In addition to discussion, students write personal responses to each chapter, which offers an opportunity to practice grammar, punctuation, and writing skills. These assignments help prepare students for more complex writing opportunities later in the year and long into the future. By studying The Giver early in the school year, students also have the opportunity to practice critical reading and writing skills they will expand on later in the year. This unique and challenging book gives them a full range of thought-provoking topics that directly pertain to their own lives, which is one of the greatest benefits to studying literature.
TRANSFORMING ASSESSMENT AT MARK DAY SCHOOL A Path to Student Agency and Growth
At Mark Day School, an evolution in how student learning is assessed is taking shape, guided by the school’s 2022 Strategic Plan and a vision of students as active participants in their own education. This change in assessment practices represents both a continuation of the school’s innovative approach to education and a deliberate step toward even more effective ways of supporting student growth.
In our 2022 Strategic Plan, two of the main objectives we set out to accomplish were:
• Adopt mastery- and standards-based practices to improve student learning across a broad range of skills and competencies. Pilot and select assessment tools that enable students to see and reflect on their own growth, areas of strength, and areas for development.
• Advance everyday use of data to inform student learning and teacher decisions about curriculum.
“Assessment is really about determining what students have learned—what they know, understand, and can do with their learning,” according to Bonnie Nishihara, Assistant Head of School and Director of Educational Design & Innovation. “While traditional assessment often meant end-of-unit tests or papers, Mark Day School has long embraced a broader vision. In drama, students might perform monologues. In math, they might design and fabricate a game based on probability principles,” she notes. “The projects and performance assessments that students participate in demonstrate learning in much broader ways.”
The school’s current initiative in advancing our assessment system aims to advance our practices further by focusing on three key aspects of assessment:
Assessment of learning: Teachers use evidence of student learning to measure achievement against outcomes and standards, usually at the end of a unit or project.
Assessment for learning: Teachers utilize evidence about students’ knowledge, understanding, and skills throughout a unit or project to inform their teaching and guide what happens along the way in the classroom.
Assessment as learning: Students act as their own assessors, reflect on their own learning, ask questions and use a range of strategies to determine what they know and where they can grow.
This three-pronged approach helps nurture habits and mindsets that students need to be agents of their own learning, while using assessment data to challenge every student and improve teaching practices.
Perhaps the most significant shift is in the third aspect, “assessment for learning,” which makes students more aware of their progress throughout the learning process. “This happens on a daily basis; it’s just part of good teaching,” Bonnie explains. “What we’re doing is taking that to the next level, helping students have more agency and be more self-directed in their learning. It’s not just the teacher who knows how their students are doing in relation to the learning goals, the students themselves are aware of that progress along the way.”
Head of School Joe Harvey reflects on the longer arc of students’ paths out through high school, higher education, and beyond: “We are experiencing a sort of perfect storm: first, access to educational resources is multiplying. Second, the quality of information is more variable than ever, which in turn requires more critical thinking and research skills from learners than ever before. And third, the rise of generative AI and other technologies means that our students (and we) will need to continue to learn throughout their careers and lives. This potent combination underpins our emphasis on ensuring that all Mark Day students grow the skills to assess their own learning—a process we know they will continue long after leaving as graduates.”
A Thoughtful Approach to Change
The school has approached this evolution in assessment carefully, drawing inspiration from the work of Joe Feldman, who has worked in education for over 20 years as a teacher, principal, and district administrator, and is the founder and CEO of Crescendo Education Group. In his research, Feldman identifies three pillars for assessment that we have adapted:
Accuracy: Our grading must use calculations that are mathematically sound, easy to understand, and correctly describe a student’s level of academic performance.
Bias-Resistant: Assessments should be based on valid evidence, not based on evidence that is likely to be corrupted by a teacher’s implicit bias or that reflects a student’s circumstances.
Growth Mindset: The way we assess should motivate students to achieve academic success,
support a growth mindset, and give students opportunities for redemption.
Bonnie elaborates, saying, “Our journey toward improved assessment practices has been influenced by Joe Feldman’s work, which challenges us to rethink how we evaluate student learning. By embracing these three pillars, we center our work on the knowledge that assessment isn’t just about measuring learning, it’s about creating opportunities for all students to demonstrate their understanding in ways that are mathematically sound, evidence-based, and motivationally empowering. We’re not just assessing fairly, we’re building a foundation for lasting academic success.”
A Collaborative Mindset and the Role of Technology
Another key element in researching and updating our assessment practices has been collaborative partnerships with leaders in the education field, including Mount Vernon School, a K-12 independent school in Atlanta that underwent a similar assessment evolution in recent years, as well as the Mastery Transcript Consortium, a global nonprofit organization that helps make mastery learning—or competency-based education—available to all learners.
At Mark Day, a dedicated faculty and administration committee, known as DARTS (Documenting, Assessing, Reporting Tool Selection), has conducted in-depth research into online platforms that could support these enhanced assessment practices.
Our goal is not to adopt new tools or change software platforms. Our goal is to improve our
assessment practices, and we’re carefully considering the best tools to support that. The committee initially tested five different platforms, evaluating each for its ability to support the school’s vision for assessment. Those five tools were narrowed down to two, one of which has been in the pilot phase during the spring of 2025.
“When I was pursuing my Master’s degree in curriculum and instruction, I focused on formative assessment and differentiation. So, when I got the chance to join the DARTS committee, I was thrilled,” says 5th grade teacher Mike Sinclaire. “It was exciting to research the companies that are making the most innovative learning management systems. Even though we haven’t officially adopted one yet, my assessment practices have evolved since I started using competency-based assessment and instruction. For instance, in math, I’m now measuring students’ ability to learn procedures, pay attention to details, and communicate their mathematical understanding. I create assignments that focus on these competencies, give students specific feedback, and then give them multiple chances to practice and improve.”
Sixth grade math teacher Beth Bonzell, who also participated in DARTS, says, “What I enjoyed the most about being on the committee was seeing how there are tools available that better provide feedback to students and track
students’ progress in more meaningful ways. These tools don’t simply give a letter grade; they allow us to enter specific information on the skills students demonstrate, along with their growth in these skills.”
Changes are visible in many other classrooms at Mark Day as well. In upper grades, traditional grade book categories like homework and tests have evolved into skill-specific categories. For example, in science, students are now assessed on elements like key information and concepts, application and analysis, communication, and preparation and engagement.
For younger students, this approach builds naturally on existing practices. Lower school report cards are already mastery-based in their fundamental nature. They list skills and indicate where a student is in relation to learning each skill, whether they’re developing it or have met expectations. Our young learners can engage with this approach through “I can” statements —clear articulations of learning goals that help students understand their progress.
Teachers have been actively engaged in this evolution through attending regular professional development workshops, examining current practices, and learning new approaches. These collaborative discussions and activities ensure that changes are thoughtfully implemented across all grade levels and subject areas.
The transformation of our assessment practices at Mark Day School reflects a deep understanding of how students learn best: when they’re engaged, self-aware, and actively involved in their educational journey.
The Next Step: Parent/Guardian Outreach, Education, and Engagement
While the first phase of this project—teacher engagement, research, and learning—has been critical to providing a foundation for this important work, the second phase of this process—consistent, ongoing parent/guardian outreach and education initiatives—will ensure that families are equipped for the evolution of these assessment practices. This strategic advancement in assessment has a simple goal: to enhance academic challenge and excellence. “This work is ultimately in service of challenging every child,” Bonnie says. “It’s about making students more active agents of their own
learning while ensuring they’re appropriately challenged.”
The transformation of our assessment practices at Mark Day School reflects a deep understanding of how students learn best: when they’re engaged, self-aware, and actively involved in their educational journey. By making our assessment processes more transparent and meaningful for students, the school aims to foster not just greater academic achievement, but the development of more confident, selfdirected learners fully prepared to take on the challenges of high school, college, and professional life.
Professional Development in Action
What happens during a teacher professional development day at Mark Day School? A recent collaboration with the Exploratorium’s Tinkering Studio team offers an illuminating example of how our teachers continually refine their practice.
“At Mark Day School, we believe that every teacher is a tinkering teacher,” explains Bonnie Nishihara, Assistant Head and Director of Educational Design & Innovation. “It’s not just our specialists in the Creativity Lab. This mindset applies across all subjects. We know that hands-on, inquiry- and project-based approaches have deep and durable impacts on student learning.”
This past January, the Exploratorium’s Tinkering Studio team, who helped shape Mark Day School’s design and tinkering program from its inception a decade ago, returned to campus to lead an afternoon of experiential learning. Teachers participated in carefully designed activities such as “scribbling machine” building and balance explorations that united art and science while developing skills in collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity.
The workshop’s unique structure had teachers alternating between two roles: active participants and observant educators. While one group engaged in hands-on tinkering activities, the other group analyzed the teaching techniques being employed everything from material selection and room setup to the precise balance of instruction versus discovery.
When teachers had their observation hats on, they were analyzing how the activity was designed, how materials were set up, how much information participants were given as instructions, and how much was held back. They looked at when to tell participants something directly and when to guide them through questions instead.
This dual perspective experiencing activities as learners while also analyzing them as teachers helps faculty develop new approaches they can apply across all subject areas, demonstrating how professional development days translate directly into enhanced classroom practices.
THE ROLE OF GEN AI IN EDUCATION
A Conversation with Bonnie Nishihara
With the rapid development and adoption of generative artificial intelligence (gen AI) tools in recent years, Mark Day School recognizes the importance of preparing students to live and work in an AI world. What does the rise of gen AI mean for schools? This is the question Mark Day teachers have been asking and will continue to ask in this swiftly evolving landscape.
Since becoming the Director of Technology at Mark Day School in 2000, Bonnie Nishihara, who currently holds the title of Assistant Head and Director of Educational Design and Innovation, has played a pivotal role in shaping our school’s media literacy, technology, and design and tinkering programs. Her leadership has driven the development of our Creativity Lab and Learning Commons, spaces that foster hands-on, interdisciplinary learning experiences. In this article, Bonnie—who holds a master’s degree in Education from Harvard and has done coursework at the MIT Media Lab— discusses the school’s philosophy and approach to gen AI and other emerging technologies.
Q: How did your academic journey from Harvard Graduate School of Education and MIT’s Media Lab influence your approach to designing educational programs?
A: My time at Harvard, particularly in the Technology, Innovation, and Education program, gave me a deep understanding of how humans learn and the ways technology can play a role in that learning. Coupling that with coursework at the MIT Media Lab, especially in the “Lifelong Kindergarten” group led by Mitchel Resnick, was instrumental in shaping my approach, which is rooted in constructivist learning theory. Constructivism is the idea that humans actively construct knowledge through experience and through doing. The late Seymour Papert was still at MIT when I studied there. He took constructivism one step further and promoted the idea of constructionism, which is the idea that students not only learn through doing but through making things, particularly through making tangible or digital artifacts. These ideas underpin my belief in the power of hands-on and experiential learning and in using technology for creation and for making thinking visible. This is where the refrain you often hear around Mark Day of “using technology as fingerpaint” comes from.
Q: How do you see the rise of gen AI fitting into this approach?
A: When ChatGPT launched in November 2022, it became clear almost immediately that the big ideas and guiding principles that we have followed through decades of technology integration at Mark Day, including laptop and iPad adoption, media production, and design and tinkering program development, remain highly relevant in the age of AI. The first thing we did that spring was get students making things—creative digital artifacts–using gen AI. In March 2023, Design, Tinkering, and Technology Integrator Tatian Greenleaf taught the first of many elective courses for 7th and 8th graders focused on using gen AI to produce creative works. In the class, students not only used gen AI tools to create text, generate images, and write code, but also examined how gen AI is trained and the ethical, legal, and environmental issues it raises.
Q: What are some of the challenges and risks associated with generative AI tools in a K-8 school?
A: Another refrain you hear around Mark Day is that “A tool is a tool is a tool is a tool.” We believe that technology is a tool that can support student learning. Sometimes it’s the right tool for a learning task; sometimes it isn’t. Either way, technology is always just a tool being used in service of a larger educational goal, and we are careful about how we use it. For students in K-8, gen AI is rarely the right tool because students at this age are still mastering foundational skills such as reading, writing, research, and mathematical and critical thinking. A risk in introducing the use of gen AI tools too early is that students may rely on the AI to do the thinking for them and then never learn essential skills.
Q: How, then, do you prepare students to live and work in a world with gen AI?
In part, we do what we have always done, which is focus on nurturing students who are curious, creative, critical thinkers, who are resilient with a strong growth mindset, and who know how to
productively and creatively work with others. I love the work of author, professor, and researcher Ethan Mollick who describes the “Jagged Frontier” of AI: AI’s performance on different types of tasks is remarkably variable, or jagged. ChatGPT can score in the 90th percentile on the bar exam but gets basic algebra problems wrong a third of the time. With that variability in mind, Mollick argues that gen AI tools need a skilled “human in the loop”—a user who can assess the reliability of output, apply human judgment, and make informed decisions throughout the process. Training the “human in the loop” is something Mark Day is perfectly positioned to do, something we have been doing for a long time.
In addition, I believe that students will be expected to be, as Mollick writes, “co-intelligent” with gen AI in the not-too-distant future. As students get older, it is increasingly important to work with them explicitly on gen AI skills and topics. There is evidence that explicitly discussing gen AI issues with students reduces inappropriate use of AI tools for schoolwork.
Q: Are Mark Day teachers prepared to work with students on issues related to gen AI?
Yes! The gen AI field is evolving quickly, but Mark Day teachers have been thinking about gen AI in education for a couple of years now. For example, in the fall of 2023, Mark Day teachers in grades 5-8 participated in a series of workshops designed to deepen their understanding of gen AI. Through hands-on use of gen AI tools, teachers began learning firsthand about gen AI’s capabilities. At that time many schools were focused on banning access to gen AI. At Mark Day, banning access is what we call a “guardrail” solution. Guardrails are important; Mark Day’s content filter blocks many gen AI tools by default, too. Mark Day teachers, however, were also asking the deeper question of how teaching and learning in the classroom may need to shift to ensure we are also acting as “guides” for students. For example, we teach writing as a multi-step process to guide students to develop essential, durable skills. We are exploring how we can strengthen that approach in a manner that is
more resistant to overreliance on AI than a guardrail solution alone. Further, what role, if any, should gen AI tools play in skill development?
In August, Mark Day hosted a four-day summer institute on campus titled “Teaching, Learning, and AI in the K-8 Classroom,” attended by teachers from Mark Day and other independent schools. Led primarily by GOA (Global Online Academy), the Institute combined keynote speakers, hands-on workshops, and design time during which teachers developed plans for this school year. Participants learned how to use gen AI to support their own work—particularly in differentiation and assessment—while wrestling with our core “a tool is a tool” questions about how they might thoughtfully incorporate gen AI into their teaching in age-appropriate ways to meet educational goals.
Q: What excites you the most about AI’s potential in education over the next decade?
A: I can’t even begin to imagine where gen AI will be in 10 years. It is a field that is moving remarkably fast. What excites me most about gen AI now is its potential to support teachers by automating routine tasks, freeing up more time for deep, one-on-one engagement with students. If we can make teachers’ simple tasks easier, it will allow us to offer our students greater complexity and depth in learning. Another exciting aspect is AI’s potential to offer differentiated learning experiences, adapting to individual student needs, while ensuring that teachers remain central in guiding the learning process.
Q: What is the key message you want people to take away regarding AI in education, particularly our students’ parents and guardians?
A: At Mark Day School, the core idea around gen AI is balance. We’re not taking a reactionary approach—neither banning gen AI outright nor encouraging unfettered use. Our goal is to ensure students develop essential skills first, so they can use AI responsibly and effectively in the future. Ultimately, we are preparing our students to be the “humans in the loop”— critical thinkers who can navigate an AI-driven world with confidence and ethical awareness.
ECOLOGICAL DISCOVERY:
Reviving a Living Classroom Through
Student-Led Design
Mark Day School’s Butterfly Garden has been a much-loved feature of our campus ever since it was completed over 16 years ago. Since its inception, the Butterfly Garden has been a teaching space, complete with a wide variety of native plants and butterfly-attracting flowers, all labeled with their botanical names. There were log and bark piles to shelter insects, habitat paths created with stepping stones, and of course, the namesake butterfly benches.
These days, the butterfly benches remain, as do some of the more hearty plants. However, over the years, the ground settled, creating drainage issues and shallow planting areas. The trees aged and decayed, limiting ground-level plant and shrub growth. And, as the science around Monarch butterflies has advanced, some of the species of plants were no longer recommended and needed to be replaced to truly support the butterflies that we all cherish. In short, our Butterfly Garden was ready for a major refurbishing!
Three-Year Garden Project Blooms into Living Science Curriculum
Over the past three years, faculty and students have been working hand-in-hand to develop a vision for the Butterfly Garden, piloting curriculum and experimenting with plants that work in our California microclimate and stand up to the rigors of kids at play. According to Tinkerer and Garden Teacher David St. Martin, “To truly be useful in a curriculum, plants must flower at the right time of year to attract the butterflies and native bees when classes are in session. We now have a substantial and compelling ecoliteracy curriculum in 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades that will effectively utilize the space. Like the Butterfly Garden itself, this curriculum will grow and evolve as improvements are made to this living ecosystem.”
This year, 2nd and 3rd graders were involved in the care of native plants, becoming highly aware and increasingly sophisticated in their knowledge of the bees and butterflies within the Butterfly Garden. Utilizing the rehabilitated garden bed corner, students were able to identify and observe the behaviors of native bees just outside their classroom doors.
Additionally, students have been involved in the maintenance of native milkweed planted
by our 3rd and 4th graders all around campus, a project designed to replace non-native plant species with new experimental plantings. Across campus, these constantly evolving environments provide highly effective outdoor classroom experiences to learn about the lifecycle of the Monarch butterfly, the current plight of Monarchs, and why they are important to our ecosystem.
With a spark from last year’s Ecological Literacy Club, many students have taken an active role in bringing our Butterfly Garden back to life, unanimously voting to begin an effort to rehabilitate this beloved space. Since then, these students have consistently shown interest in planting and propagating plants in the highly visible gardens.
The corner section of the garden that students planted last year is now populated with plants and blooms that also act as a natural barrier to students who might otherwise run through it. We know that this type of “service-learning” that restores and maintains the spaces we inhabit is consistently compelling for students, and the Butterfly Garden, along with other spaces on campus, will continue to provide opportunities for it.
Tech-Savvy Students Plan and Design Tomorrow’s Butterfly Garden
This school year, 4th grade students engaged in an interdisciplinary curriculum focusing on native plant identification, garden design, ecological interactions, and computational thinking. According to Remy Mansfield, MTI Staff and Ecoliteracy Lead at Mark Day School, “Rather than bring in a professional landscape company to design the garden space, the students themselves designed it. They learned about native plants and the different inhabitants and interactions in the Butterfly Garden ecosystem.”
The students sketched the space and created low- and high-fidelity landscape drawings that incorporated all elements of their research. Then they coded creative animated stories about the interactions in the garden, along with digital maps that show anticipated plant-insect interactions.
Rather than bring in a professional landscape company to design the garden space, the students themselves designed it. –
Remy Mansfield, MTI Staff and Ecoliteracy Lead
Bringing Local Nature into Student Spaces
Another goal of this project was to bring local plants and geologically significant rocks into a space students interact with frequently. New rocks in the Butterfly Garden represent rocks local to Marin, which will be important teaching assets in 4th grade geology.
During the rainy season, students roll up their sleeves and make their vision come to life through weeding, planting, and construction activities in the Butterfly Garden. Similarly, 3rd graders enjoy the opportunity to plant
milkweed seedlings into the space, while 2nd graders add native bee habitat features as they prepare for the spring, hoping to see the tiny native bees they’ve come to admire.
Having our students thoroughly engaged with and enjoying hands-on learning in the Butterfly Garden Rehabilitation and Redesign project helps connect our ongoing Ecological Literacy curriculum to service-learning right here on campus. It’s a win-win-win project, fostering student engagement, ecological awareness, and interdisciplinary learning.
We now have a substantial and compelling ecoliteracy curriculum in 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades that will effectively utilize the space. Like the Butterfly Garden itself, this curriculum will grow and evolve as improvements are made to this living ecosystem. – David St. Martin, Tinkerer and Garden Teacher
BACKSTAGE PASS
INTO THE WOODS
Photos by Ethan Kaplan and Jessica Lifland
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
Have you ever been curious about the whereabouts of your classmates? Or wondered what career path your Kindergarten playmate chose? We reconnected with five alumni—some recent, some from decades ago—to discover how their lives have unfolded since they graduated from Mark Day School.
ALEX SIM CLASS OF 2011
From countless hours exploring the bookshelves of Mark Day School’s library as a self-described “obnoxiously curious kid,” to navigating complex questions of intellectual property law in the age of AI, Alex Sim ‘11 has built a career around his drive to explore and understand.
After graduating from Branson in 2015 and Duke University in 2019, Alex channeled his intellectual curiosity into law school at NYU, where he discovered that the same inquisitive spirit that drew him to the Mark Day School library would serve him well in navigating intricate legal challenges.
Today, as a second-year associate at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in Palo Alto, Alex applies that curiosity to commercial litigation and contractual disputes, while developing a particular interest in the emerging questions surrounding creative rights in the rapidly evolving digital landscape.
About his work, Alex says, “Professionally, I’m in a very cool spot. What’s great about practicing law is that it’s always changing. Even when cases are similar, you have to think critically and be on your feet. I’m working on commercial litigation, contractual disputes, civil suits, business-related fraud, responding to governmental requests for information. I’m in a great environment to stay curious and explore what’s out there. I’m interested in getting into ‘soft IP’ [Intellectual Property] and copyright law. I’m very interested in the arts, and with AI on the rise, people are questioning what authorship even means, and how to recognize creators’ rights.”
In his spare time, Alex plays tennis and basketball, and he has a lifelong love for reading, a passion he attributes to the encouragement he received at Mark Day School. He says, “When I think back to my time at Mark Day, I was always in the library. The teachers did such a good job of nurturing my curiosity.”
Alex says he has especially fond memories of Upper Division English, saying, “I was already really interested in reading, and I was so lucky to have teachers who were really invested in getting me to be my own thinker. They opened up a new way of looking at something I already enjoyed. The critical thinking I used in college
and law school stems directly from what my teachers at Mark Day School gave to me.”
Beyond academic studies, Alex says that his time at Mark Day had a profound impact on his social-emotional skills: “By the time I graduated, I had spent so much time with the same relatively small group of students, they really did feel like family. We had been thinking things through and learning life lessons together for nine years. Some of my closest friends today are the ones I made at Mark Day School. It was a safe place to explore who I was going to become. Academically and socially, I learned how to interact with others, and I had the safety to let loose and truly be myself. That confidence in just being myself has been invaluable throughout my life.”
The critical thinking I used in college and law school stems directly from what my teachers at Mark Day School gave to me.
Throughout her life, Alison Savage-Brooks ‘15 has forged a path that combines a passion for mathematics with a commitment to environmental sustainability.
After graduating from Mark Day School, Alison attended Lick-Wilmerding High School in San Francisco, where she excelled in math, athletics, and dance. Her journey then took an adventurous turn as she embarked on a gap year, working at a Boston startup and hiking the Camino de Santiago in Spain.
At UC Berkeley, Alison pursued applied mathematics with a focus on energy systems, driven by her dedication to addressing climate challenges. Her leadership skills flourished as president of the Bay Area Environmentally Aware Consulting Network (BEACN), a student-run environmental consulting club that works with nonprofits, public organizations, and Fortune 500 companies to develop environmentally impactful and socially responsible business solutions. Alison’s academic journey was enriched by a semester abroad in Taiwan, an experience that leveraged her Mandarin studies at Mark Day School.
Today, Alison works as an electricity consultant at The Brattle Group in New York City, where she focuses on grid resilience and wholesale market modeling. “The Bay Area will always be home, but I wanted to move somewhere that would challenge me, and New York has done that in the best way,” she reflects. “My job is super interesting and rewarding. I care deeply about energy justice, and my current role is helping me understand the energy system more completely.”
Alison believes that the foundation for her success was laid during her years at Mark Day School, particularly in mathematics and language studies. “The academic preparation I had at Mark Day, particularly in math, was key to helping me succeed in high school and eventually led me to studying it in college,” she notes.
But it’s the enduring relationships with other students and teachers that Alison cherishes most from her Mark Day experience. She maintains close friendships with several classmates that have now spanned nearly two decades. “My
teachers at Mark Day were like family to me,” she says, “and every time I’ve visited campus since graduating, it feels like being welcomed home.”
A touching example of these lasting connections came at her former PE teacher Mr. Orwig’s retirement party. “I remember walking into the gym at Mark Day, four years after graduating 8th grade. Mr. Orwig came up to me and the first words out of his mouth were ‘5:10? Nice PR,’” she recalls. “I had run that mile time just a week prior. I love this story because it is so representative of how enduring the support from the Mark Day staff is. Mr. Orwig had been keeping tabs on me simply because he cared.”
Alison Savage-Brooks visiting a wind farm in rural Taiwan while studying abroad.
ALISON SAVAGE-BROOKS CLASS OF 2015
ERIC LEE CLASS OF 2004
Eric Lee ’04 has built an impressive career as a federal litigator specializing in immigration law, recently achieving the remarkable milestone of arguing before the U.S. Supreme Court. He credits his time at Mark Day School for developing his intellectual foundation, emphasizing how the school’s rigorous academic challenges prepared him for future professional and intellectual pursuits.
Eric says, “I loved my time at Mark Day School. It was a wonderful climate in which to learn, socialize, and come into young adulthood. I was extremely lucky to have met so many of my friends and to have learned from so many fantastic teachers, especially Mrs. Toland, Mrs. Kertsman, Mrs. Scott, Mr. Evans, Mr. Fargo, Mr. Pincus and Mr. Kerby. I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to attend such an exceptional school.”
As a teen, Eric also gained diverse work experience that shaped his perspective. His early jobs ranged from childcare and fast food to serving as a bat boy for the San Francisco Giants. After Mark Day School, he attended Marin Academy and UC Davis, before earning his law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School.
As a Senior Attorney for Diamante Law Group since 2016, Eric has focused his legal practice on federal immigration cases, and in particular appellate advocacy at the Ninth Circuit and Board of Immigration Appeals. He is the recipient of American Immigration Lawyers Association’s 2024 Jack Wasserman Memorial Award for national litigation.
A defining moment in Eric’s career came in April 2024 when he argued Department of State v. Muñoz before the U.S. Supreme Court. The case addressed whether a U.S. citizen has a constitutional right to have their non-citizen spouse admitted to the United States. Though the court ruled against Eric’s client, he found the preparation for oral argument both intense and rewarding.
Continuing his commitment to immigration justice, in 2023 Eric founded the Consular Accountability Project, a litigation non-profit dedicated to challenging wrongful visa denials by the State Department. The organization works to bring accountability to the consular process, which affects hundreds of thousands of mixed-status families seeking to regularize their immigration status. To learn more about the work Eric is doing as President/Executive Director of the Consular Accountability Project, visit www.consularaccountability.org.
Eric Lee arguing Department of State v. Muñoz before the U.S. Supreme Court, April 2024.
I loved my time at Mark Day School. It was a wonderful climate in which to learn, socialize and come into young adulthood.
JACK CONTE CLASS OF 1998
From his earliest school days at Mark Day to founding Patreon — a revolutionary online platform for more than 250,000 musicians, writers, and other artists — Jack Conte’s path has been shaped by creativity and a dedication to music and the arts.
It was at Mark Day School where his passion for the arts first took root. “At Mark Day, music and drama were my favorites,” Conte recalls. “I took guitar class, and I did all the plays and all the musicals.” Jack’s talent didn’t go unnoticed, particularly by one supportive educator: “I remember Peter Meyers, my drama teacher. He really believed in me and was so helpful. He went to my parents and said, ‘Hey, Jack’s talented. He should get an agent in San Francisco.’” This led to unexpected opportunities: “My mom took me to an agency, and I got an agent. I did commercial work and voiceover gigs. I was kind of a child actor.”
Jack’s creative pursuits continued through high school at Branson and into his university years at Stanford. “In high school, I was in a cappella groups and the big band, and when I got to college, I took filmmaking, I was in an improv troupe, and I played in bands around campus and at house parties.”
These experiences would later inform his perspective on the relationship between creators and technology. “Ultimately, what I realized was that the system the tech industry had designed and deployed globally was built for advertisers, not for creative people,” he says.
This realization led Jack to a vision for change: “I thought, let’s build a platform that isn’t about serving advertisers, but is about serving creators as the ultimate customer. Let’s ensure that creators remain in control and have ownership of their audience and their work. That’s what we’re building.”
Even while running Patreon, a company that now employs more than 450 people globally,
Conte maintains his creative pursuits, including making music with Pomplamoose, a popular duo with his wife, singer-songwriter and bassist Nataly Dawn.
Looking back at his time at Mark Day School, Jack values the foundations that were laid, saying, “I think about how I developed a love of curiosity and skepticism and asking questions. I learned how to learn at Mark Day, which was so valuable. And then the friends, the kids that I played with, made movies with, wrote songs and did plays with. I made the most wonderful relationships.”
Jack recently came back to campus to speak with our 8th graders as they prepared for their Media Literacy project. He spoke about his life, career, and commitment to creativity. He encourages students to “Lean into the things that are different, that make you weird, unpopular, or even odd — that’s the special stuff. Focus on that.”
Looking to the future, Jack is optimistic. “I’m looking forward to living in a world where kids grow up thinking of being an artist as being an option that is available to them, just like being a doctor, a lawyer, or an engineer. I think that world is coming quickly. It’s already here in many ways. I think that’s going to be a really cool place to grow up in.”
Jack Conte recently visited campus to discuss his commitment to creativity with our 8th graders.
LIZ MANASHIL CLASS OF 1998
Independent filmmaker Liz Manashil ‘98, an accomplished director with several feature films under her belt, traces her creative journey back to her time at Mark Day School, where her teachers nurtured her passion for the arts through drama classes and theater productions. Now based in Los Angeles, Manashil balances her work as a producer’s representative with directing her own films, while sharing her experiences through her popular podcast. A true storyteller, Liz recently recalled her memories of her time at Mark Day, and the impact that experience continues to have on her life:
“I recently found my report cards from my time at Saint Mark’s School (as it was called when I was there). I also found my old class projects and playbills and it got me reminiscing. From those report cards, I absorbed a true optimism and support bestowed upon me by my teachers. They cared and treated students with a level of dignity that never felt cloying or patronizing. I also remember having a sense of bravery that must have come from feeling safe and supported. In particular, I remember reading original poetry aloud in class, and knowing I had room to be silly.
It was also at Mark Day School where I found my love of the performing arts. I took drama classes from Peter Meyers and participated in every play I could. I continued working with Peter in high school with his Vector Theater Company. I studied dramaturgy, stage management, acting, singing, and further developed a love for theater.
After Mark Day School, I took drama at Terra Linda High School as well as film classes at College of Marin. It was at College of Marin that I realized that I wanted to work in film, as a director. But I wouldn’t have had that revelation without being drawn to the theater, acting, and the performing arts, a passion that was supported because of Mark Day School.
I went to Washington University in St. Louis, then I received my MFA in Film and TV Production at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. Two years after graduation, I started to make my first feature, Bread and Butter. Bullish and a little naive, I threw myself into making a feature film without ever having stepped on a feature set. It was my life’s dream, and I spent the next
few years fundraising and shooting it. We released the film in 2015 to a fantastic reception. I ended up making my second feature in 2018, Speed of Life, and now, after having two children, I am making my third feature called Best Friends Forever
The pride and joys of my life are my family and my career. My two kids are the best humans on Earth, and I am proud to have carved out my own career in film. I am my own boss and work as a producer’s representative in Los Angeles. This allows me to make my own schedule, choose the clients I want to work with, and stay connected to the industry as I build my own personal film projects.
In 2016, I started working at Sundance Institute, which was incredibly formative. I got to see the machine of independent film from the inside, and was rewarded with many opportunities to travel and educate emerging filmmakers about independent film distribution. It was because of my work at Sundance that I was invited to speak at festivals around the world.
I love making movies and hope I can make movies for the rest of my life. I find it incredibly challenging and that’s why I am drawn to do it. I host a podcast called “Making Movies Is Hard!” and it is. Especially as a female filmmaker who works more in independent film as a writer/ director, the obstacles are aplenty. Funding is a major one. So, I work in the low budget space so I can continue to make work with a low overhead and show my children that I followed my dreams, in spite of the many obstacles.
Looking back at my time at Mark Day School, I participated in a way I didn’t feel the confidence to do so in my later years. I remember wearing a punk rock spiked wig to school for Halloween, going on class trips to be immersed in nature, attending school dances, and seeing the Doobie Brothers perform at Assembly. I remember looking so excitedly to the future, but looking back, I should have enjoyed the present even more. Mark Day is a fantastic school, and I was lucky to be a part of it.”
ALUMNI NEWS
Class of 1989
Susan Barclay lives in Sonoma County where she works in web development for Intuit. When not working, she surfs, dances and spends time with her dog Brie. She recently met up with fellow classmates Kendal Becker Hamann and Wendy Morris Levine for dinner.
Class of 1996
For Johnathan Nakai, it has been nearly 30 years since he last stepped on the Mark Day campus as a student. He, his wife Stephanie, and three children (Luke, Jake, and Emma) currently live in Danville not too far away from the old stomping grounds of Northern Marin. He currently works in the biotech research industry after spending a decade in financial services. John notes, “now as a husband and father of three, it makes me look back on my time as a Skylion and makes me truly appreciate how much the faculty and staff do for the full Saint Mark’s/Mark Day family.”
Class of 1999
In 2010, after performing professionally in Houston and abroad, Lydia (Polhemus) Hance, decided to establish Frame Dance and create a new model for dance creation and performance, one that redefines who dance is for, where it takes place, and how it is passed on to the next generation of art-makers. Most recently, in partnership with Dance Source Houston, Frame Dance has brought innovative, sitespecific performances to Houston. In November, Frame Dance hosted its annual film fest, Frame X Frame, showcasing the best of screendance from around the world.
Class of 2002
Class of 2004
Sophie Shulman and her partner Rob welcomed baby Leo on November 29, 2024. Sophie also recently published the second book, Let’s Pretend, in her Cassidy Archer mystery series this summer and asks the question, how do you find a killer when the world is in hiding?
Bravo to Lara Johnston who we spotted singing background vocals for Gwen Stefani on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon earlier this year.
We had the pleasure of hearing Elizabeth Kamai MSPH, Ph.D. speak in the fall of 2023 at the Skylion Circle Donor Appreciation event. She is an environmental epidemiologist with expertise in environmental toxics, health outcomes during pregnancy and childhood, exposure assessment, GIS, community engaged research, and environmental justice. Current research projects focus on how environmental pollutants affect the health of vulnerable and marginalized populations and she aims to link rigorous scientific research to policies that support marginalized communities and address environmental injustice. The first paper from her dissertation research was among those selected for EHP’s 2022 Editors’ Choice Curated Collection.
Class of 2007
Katie Fitzpatrick married Will Paton in July 2024 at Sugar Bowl, CA.
Jacquelyn Hoffman went on to Marin Catholic and in 2015 received a BS in Human Physiology from University of Oregon. Post graduation she experimented in athletic training before starting her healthcare career at Marin Cancer Care. In 2017, Jacquelyn returned to Oregon, worked in an orthopedic clinic and in 2022 obtained a Masters in Public Health from Tulane University. After graduation, Jacquelyn commenced clinical research at the Knight Cancer Institute at OHSU coordinating clinical trials for gastrointestinal stromal tumors and chronic myeloid leukemia treatments. As all big life transitions go best in threes (including 3 dogs!), Jacquelyn married her husband Chris that same summer joined by friends, family, and some internet famous llamas. The year 2023 brought on more new adventures as Jacquelyn moved out of a patient facing role and into education and training for oncology research staff, moved into a new house and most importantly gave birth to her daughter, Talia Blair Friedel.
Class of 2009
Maria DeSalvo celebrated a personal milestone—she married her high school sweetheart! Together, they volunteer with Guide Dogs for the Blind, helping to support and raise service dogs for individuals with visual impairments. She continues her real estate career with Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty, specializing in helping buyers and sellers navigate the Marin market. With a deep understanding of the area and a client-focused approach, she is dedicated to making the buying and selling process as seamless as possible. In addition to working with clients, Maria is passionate about educating and empowering future homeowners. She hosts quarterly firsttime homebuyer classes, providing valuable guidance on navigating the real estate market, financing options, and strategic ways to achieve homeownership in the Bay Area.
Class of 2011
Ian Berman is a sound artist, working on audio for independent video games and various art projects from his home in Berlin, Germany. On March 19th, Ian’s sound design for the game
Despelote won the “Excellence in Audio” award at the 27th Independent Games Festival (part of the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco March 17-21). Despelote is a slice-oflife adventure about soccer and community, fully voiced in Spanish, which Ian has been working on with his NYU friend and collaborator, Julián Cordero, for over 5 years. For the game, Ian spent a month in Quito, Ecuador, capturing the city’s nature and urban soundscape, as well as thousands of lines of improvisational dialogue. The game was released across all major platforms on May 1.
Ian also works with the Berlin-based artists Holly Herndon and Mat Dryhurst, collaborating on projects and exhibitions that explore Machine Learning audio tools and custom training data. For their latest exhibition, The Call, at London’s Serpentine Gallery, Ian supported the development of generative audio models with research teams in France and the US, led the post-production of a large public dataset of choral recordings, and helped mix and install new compositions for multichannel playback in the gallery. The exhibition will be travelling to other European cities in 2025-26.
Class of 2012
Caroline Carothers graduates this May from University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School with a JD. In the fall, she will move back to the Bay Area to join Freshfields law firm in Redwood City. And Caroline recently got engaged to her college sweetheart!
Class of 2013
Sophia Leswing is currently a 1L at Harvard Law School and will be interning in the Legal Department of the United Auto Workers (UAW) in Detroit this summer. She says, “Before law school I was an Urban Fellow at the New York City Mayor’s Office of Workforce Development, followed by two years at the Service Employees International Union Local 32BJ where I organized low-wage building service workers across NYC. I’m planning on pursuing a career in union-side labor law. Mark Day instilled within me a sense of curiosity to meet people where they are at and learn their stories without making assumptions. I’m grateful for the foundation Mark Day gave me and I’m excited to give back to my community to help work towards a more just world”.
Class of 2016
In May 2024, Frank Lookinland graduated from the USC Thornton School of Music with a degree in Music Production and Technology. He is living and working in Los Angeles where he splits his time working between Shangri-La Studio in Malibu and producing and engineering for various artists.
Class of 2020
Nicholas Hanson is active on the Trinity College men’s rowing team. In addition, he has become involved in the spiritual life on campus and was selected to serve on the Interfaith Council. He is committed to fostering respect and dialogue among people of different faiths, seeking to find commonalities and promote peace.
Class of 2021
Alexander Brook will be attending University of Wisconsin, Madison in the fall to pursue a degree in Chemical Engineering and Business.
Indigo Prasad received the Merit Drawing Award at the Youth in Arts Annual Marin County High School Art Show, which featured exhibitions by over 130 students from 14 public, private, and alternative high schools in Marin County.
Congrats to Taeden Landa and Hugh Ryan for making the U19 Worlds Rowing Team. They competed last summer in Canada and won silver!
Bodie Ransom went to Kliptown Youth Program (KYP) this past summer for a three-week internship. During his stay he participated in tutoring for grades 5 and 6, helped prepare more than 1,500 sandwiches every morning during the week, and served in the kitchen for 7,000+ community members on Fridays. He helped KYP members to practice their English vocabulary by engaging in conversations and taught kids drumming during performing arts rehearsals. In his free time, he
played sports with the students and travelled with Thando. He lived with Thulani and family and enjoyed being fully engaged in the community. Bodie will be heading to Middlebury College in the fall.
Gabby Reichley is headed to UC Berkeley to play Division I water polo starting in Fall 2025! After making a splash at Marin Academy, where she helped lead the team to their most successful seasons ever, Gabby took her game to the international stage, competing with USA Water Polo’s National Team in Hungary and Greece. Now, she’s keeping the family tradition alive at Cal, following in the footsteps of her grandfather, uncle, and cousin. She can’t wait to don the blue and gold and represent the Bears in the pool. Go Bears!
Class of 2022
Khema Klinetobe was recently awarded the Raabe Family Fellowship for the Arts at Branson. She will travel to Cambodia to film a documentary about the long term impact of the Khmer Rouge’s regime on the mental health of Cambodians and talk to people across generations in order to learn their stories, while intersecting the stories with her own family’s narrative. After completing the documentary, she plans on entering the results in film festivals.
Class of 2023
Farah Allen, Maya Gidney ‘24, and Maddie Polsky ‘21 helped Branson win the state cross country championship last fall, with Farah coming in eighth overall.
Last summer Nate Greenberg
Cadet national team roster for 2024 World Aquatics U16 Water Polo Championships - USA Water Polo.
Class of 2024
Alexa Ibershof performed in San Francisco Ballet’s Nutcracker this year, as one of the green dragonflies.
Mark Day Teacher AJ Cheong attended a Branson soccer game and hung out with alums Harper Gidney 7th, Maya Gidney ‘24, & Colette Winslow ‘24,
In Memoriam
Eileen Varin
Long-time Mark Day learning specialist Eileen Varin passed away on June 9, 2024. She worked at Mark Day School for 28 years and was known for her kindness; her warmth and her humor with students and colleagues alike; and her gentle and supportive approach. Eileen could be spontaneous and her offbeat sense of humor was especially appreciated by her mentor groups over the years. She was an intrepid chaperone on many outdoor education trips. Eileen is survived by her husband, Joshua; her parents, James and Mary Varin; and her sister, Jane Varin.
Steve Voss
Steve worked at Mark Day School as Director of Transportation from 2018-2022, lost his life to cancer in November of 2024. Steve was a native San Franciscan who graduated from UC Davis with a degree in physics and spent time as an artist and model maker. After retiring from flying commercial jets, he took great pride in making the school bus community a fun part of our students’ day. He is greatly missed by his wife, daughter, son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter as well as his many friends who cherish the memories of the time they spent with him.
CLASS OF 2025
The Bay School 4
The Branson School 13
Drew Preparatory 1
Marin Academy 18
Marin Catholic 2
Marin School of the Arts 1
Petaluma High School 1
Skylions: The Next Generation:
Redwood High School 3
San Domenico 4
Sonoma Academy 2
St. Ignatius 1
Tamalpais High School 1
University High School 1
The Urban School 1
Share your new baby news with us at alumni@ markdayschool.org, and we’ll send you a Welcome Baby gift.
