St. Mark’s Rings in Autumn, Family Fun with Fall Festival

The annual Fall Festival at Altadena’s St. Mark’s School is coming back Saturday and will feature fun and food for the entire family. The festival is a primary fundraiser for the school’s programs and is a the perfect way to say goodby to summer, hello to autumn and mingle with local families.

“It’s our back to school event as well to serve as a ‘welcome back’ to new and returning families. We really like to think of it as a community builder event more than anything,” said St. Mark’s School Director of Advancement Irene Mason.

The Fall Festival has a little bit of something for everyone and is perfect for the entire family. Kids can get lost in their imagination decorating confetti eggs, select the best pumpkin at the pumpkin patch or duel their friends in laster tag while parents make a stop at the wine and beer tavern in the name of keeping the school’ programs thriving for the rest of the year.

“We are focused on making sure that our students have the most up to date technology in the classroom as well as building upon our existing technology infrastructure for the staff and faculty,” explained Mason.

Technology is a priority for the staff and faculty at St. Mark’s. Currently there is a one-to-one tablet program for fifth and sixth graders to receive a tablet at the beginning of the school year and use it through out to optimize learning both in and out of the classroom.

“Our Director of Educational Technology works with teachers to enhance their curriculum,” said Mason about the school’s maker space activities that include photoshop, green screen and other interactive workshops.

Other critical programs that benefit from the Fall Festival fundraiser are the teacher intern program, campus maintenance, staff professional development and the student enrichment program to name a few.

St. Mark’s is also directing its focus providing school wide responsive training for teachers in addition to hiring on fifteen new teachers per year.

“We really focus our attention on educating the whole child that’s not just in academics, but also the social-emotional aspect that impacts their learning,” said Mason.

The Fall Festival features a variety of activities including a chili cook-off, a bounce house, prizes, live music and a Mexican dinner.

Festivities kick off Saturday from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at St. Mark’s School located at 1014 E. Altadena Drive.

For more information call (626) 798-6747 or click bit.ly/2cpCDwM