▁team ▁won ▁the ▁National ▁Academ ic ▁Qu iz ▁Tourn aments ’ ▁Small ▁School ▁National ▁Championship ▁for ▁char ter ▁and ▁private ▁schools . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁the ▁Upper ▁School ▁team ▁was ▁ranked ▁ 2 nd ▁nation ally ▁among ▁private ▁schools . ▁Both ▁the ▁Upper ▁School ▁and ▁the ▁Middle ▁School ▁qu iz ▁bow l ▁teams ▁won ▁Texas ▁state ▁champion ships ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 7 . ▁The ▁middle ▁school ▁team ▁also ▁finished ▁ 2 nd ▁nation ally ▁at ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁National ▁Academ ic ▁Qu iz ▁Tourn aments . ▁ ▁St . ▁Mark ' s ▁math ▁and ▁science ▁( ST EM ) ▁teams ▁have ▁also ▁won ▁national ▁compet itions . ▁ ▁For ▁ 4 ▁consecutive ▁years ▁( 2 0 1 5 - 2 0 1 8 ), ▁the ▁St . ▁Mark ' s ▁fourth ▁grade ▁class ▁has ▁finished ▁ 1 st ▁in ▁the ▁nation wide ▁Word Master s ▁Challenge . ▁Over all , ▁about ▁ 1 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁ 4 th ▁grad ers ▁take ▁this ▁test , ▁which ▁focus es ▁on ▁voc ab ul ary , ▁analog ies , ▁and ▁word ▁usage . ▁ ▁St . ▁Mark ' s ▁students ▁won ▁the ▁S cri pp s ▁National ▁Sp elling ▁Be e ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁and ▁ 2 0 1 9 . ▁In ▁the ▁more ▁recent ▁competition , ▁a ▁ 7 th ▁gr ader ▁tied ▁for ▁first ▁after ▁having ▁also ▁won ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 8 ▁national ▁sp elling ▁be