By Rebecca Wu ‘21
Ms. Verbeek came to St. Mark’s in 2016. She teaches FIT and works as the Executive Assistant and Data Analyst for the Assistant Head of School/Dean of Faculty and Dean of Academics. Her most important role, however, is as the parent of Keelie Verbeek ‘18 and Kerrie Verbeek ‘19.
Q: How does it feel to be both a St. Mark’s staff member and a St. Mark’s parent?
A: I like being a member of the St. Mark’s community as a staff member as well as a SM parent. It works out really well for me! I love getting to teach fitness here because it allows me to spend time with St. Mark’s students, which is absolutely my favorite part of the job. However, I’m not sure that I actually get to hang out with my daughters more than another SM parent since St. Mark’s students don’t usually end up having a lot of free time. But it’s a really happy coincidence when I see my girls passing by in the hallway or dining hall. It is a nice thing.
Q: Is there anything that you like to do with your daughters?
A: My favorite thing to do with my daughters is to watch them play soccer. I get the chance to watch them playing during a lot of St. Mark’s soccer games, and it is nice to be there and support them. That’s past tense for Keelie because she graduated last year, but I am still doing it this year with Kerrie. When we are not at school, say on weekends, we enjoy watching sporting events on television together.
Q: What advice would you give to parents of the new St. Markers?
A: I know that it is a wonderful opportunity for parents to meet with teachers and advisors during family weekend. I would also suggest talking to Mr. Vachris because he gives great parental advice. Those connections are really useful. I also think that St. Mark’s does an excellent job at posting photographs of all the different events on Smugmug. The interesting thing is even though I live in Southborough, I love looking at all those pictures. It makes me happy that no matter where the parents are, they are able to see their children’s pictures. Reading Dean’s Weekly and students’ publications, like The St. Marker and LEO, is also helpful. Parents can read about different events on campus and get to see students’ artwork. I just love all the opportunities that we have to know what’s going on on campus.
