Marymount Magazine Spring 2016

arymount MARYMOUNT INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL ROME

spring 2016

A Warm Farewell

to our departing faculty & staff I

t’s never easy to say goodbye, particularly after many years of friendship and sharing, but we wish our departing faculty and staff our best wishes for their future projects and plans!

Ms. Maria Castelluccio Ms. Lucy Alexander Ms. Jennifer Belcher Ms. Nina Catalano Ms. Claudia Cerboneschi Ms. Phebe Cosentino Mr. Jose Costa Ms. Monica Costa Ms. Gabriella Di Lorenzo Ms. Megan Hallam Ms. Stephanie Klein Ms. Federica Kurera Ms. Brittney Schaner Mr. Owen Schaner Ms. Michelle Scherrer Ms. Carmen Rojas

Head of School, 7 years spent at MMI IB Coordinator (sabbatical leave), 18 years spent at MMI 3rd Grade Teacher, 2 years spent at MMI Elementary School Librarian, 10 years spent at MMI Aide, 4 years spent at MMI Art Teacher Elementary School, 2 years spent at MMI 5th Grade Teacher, 2 years spent at MMI Learning Support Elementary School, 2 years spent at MMI Elementary School PE Teacher, 15 years spent at MMI School Psychologist (sabbatical leave), 3 years spent at MMI Elementary School Religion Teacher, 2 years spent at MMI Villa Secretary (sabbatical leave), 4 years spent at MMI 1st Grade Teacher, 2 years spent at MMI Mathematics Teacher Secondary School, 2 years spent at MMI Secondary School Science Teacher, 1 year spent at MMI School Nurse, 4 years spent at MMI

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Greetings from the Head of School Mission Zambia e Wall of Kindness A Special Mass International Mother Language Day Kindergarten takes care of the Earth Early Childhood Events Elementary School Events Animal and Wax Museums Carnevale e Benefits of Children’s Yoga Traffic Education Class Science in Action A Visit with Patricia Lakin Libremiary” Elementary School Artworkr Elementary School Sciencer Literary Competition March Math MadnessrrlementSittinMiddle School Happeningst MS Science & English Projects Freak the Mighty MS Model United Nations

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spring

2016

9th Grade Retreat English Language & Literature Movie-making Class IB Italian Visits IB Art Vernissage NHS Induction Ceremony Spring Concert Choir & Voices Instrumental Spring Concert MAIS Choir Festival in Lisbon Willy Wonka Jr. Musical e Wiz ISTA Festival Rome Varsity Basketball Varsity Soccer/Track & Field MS Sports Festival in Lisbon Faculty News Smile Olympics Marymount Mural Parent Organization Events Migrant Lives Matter Catholic Mass at Marymount Our School Chapel Alumni News Departing Faculty & Staff

ON THE COVER Photograph of the “Wall of Kindness” painted by Marymount students, March 2016.

Marymount magazine is published by the Development Office for the Marymount community.

Designed and edited by Vivian Barsanti. All articles/photos by Vivian Barsanti unless otherwise noted. © 2015-2016 MARYMOUNT INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL ROME

Greetings t Maria Castelluccio Head of School

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e 2015-2016 school year is quickly coming to a close. My heart is heavy as I say goodbye and prepare to face the new challenges that lie ahead.

I will remember fondly my seven school years at Marymount. I will cherish the way the Marymount community and this incredible city that I have had the pleasure to call home has enriched my life.

I am proud of what Marymount has achieved in these last years, and the way in which our community continues to incorporate the school’s Mission in so many facets of our curricular program and beyond our school walls. Just this year, we have come together to participate in several charity events, including Operation Smile and Race for the Cure, and continue to increase social responsibility among students through our Zambia connection, the creation of the Wall of Kindness, contribution to refugees centers, volunteering at the food kitchen and a recent meeting with a delegation from the Italian Union of the Blind, just to name a few.

I am excited to leave behind the Marymount FabLab, the first structure of its kind to be hosted in an international school in Rome. is state-of-the-art facility will provide students the opportunity to participate in learning activities that will allow them to develop new ways of thinking and problem solving, foster creativity and innovation and empower them to create a successful future.

I will carry the memories of my time at Marymount in my heart always. I wish the school continued success for many years to come.

Arrivederci amici miei!

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COMMUNITY / SERVICE

Zambia Sleepover

By Ann Haring Photos by Ann Haring/Megan Hallam

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ed by the Student Zambia Committee, a team of 10 teachers and 25 middle and high school volunteers organized this year’s Zambia Sleepover for over 101 enthusiastic participants from grades 1-4. Activities included sports, drama, arts and crafts, an obstacle course, carnival games, a dance party, a night walk, and all the pizza you could eat. is was not only a great event for the Elementary School, but also provided an excellent opportunity for many of our Secondary School students to sacrifice their time and take leadership roles in serving others. We even had three students who left the sleepover in the morning, exhausted, but still headed to Caritas to volunteer at the Soup Kitchen.

We raised over Euro 3,300 to help defray the cost of sending two teachers and six high school students to Zambia this summer. is student trip is a great way for members of our school community to respond generously to the needs of our world by assisting at the RSHM missions, most especially at St. Mulumba School, which serves children with disabilities. e trip also serves to strengthen our connection to the RSHM sisters in Zambia, identify fundraising needs, and change the lives of all who participate. Our outreach to the RSHM missions in Zambia remains at the heart of our school’s Catholic mission to respond to the needs of our world and work for justice. is student trip is an integral part of this work, and would not be possible without the support of the larger school community. anks to everyone who supported his fundraiser in big and small ways. e Student Zambia Committee would like to thank all the volunteers, the parents who generously contributed, and most of all, the students, who made this the best Zambia Sleepover yet.

High school students serve pizza to the hungry ES students at this year’s Zambia Sleepover.

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Leo Savelli makes his way across the rope bridge as he works to complete the obstacle course at this year’s Zambia Sleepover

HELPING OUR MISSIONS IN ZAMBIA Dance for Zambia

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n January 22nd, Ms. Antonia Ciuffreda and Ms. Prue Conlon’s Fourth Grades organized a dance party to raise funds for Marymount’s missions in Zambia. Students paid a small fee to join the dance party, and from Kindergarten through 5th grade each class prepared a choreography to dance to when professional duo “DJ Ernest & Frank DJ” (Mr. Ernesto Furstenberg Fassio and his friend Mr. Bruno Porcaro) played their chosen song. e event started off with free-style dancing, and then each class put on a show that was judged by a jury panel consisting of four faculty members.

Ms. Ciuffreda’s Fourth grade won due to their superb choreographic moves that allowed a 360 degree view of the dancers which impressed the judges in addition to the fact that each dancer had a chance to shine. Over Euro 660 was raised and all students went home having had a wonderful time (even those who thought they couldn’t dance)!

Special thanks go to Mr. Furstenberg for making Marymount’s Auditorium become a fantastic disco for our Zambia Fundraiser!

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WALL OF KINDNESS & EARTH DAY ITALIA

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ome’s first “Wall of Kindness” was inaugurated on March 19th at Via Cassia 1761 (La Storta) where the Ama S.p.A. headquarters are located. Many Marymount parents and students, teachers and staff showed up to support this exceptional project, in addition to representatives from Rome's Municipio XV. is special wall was painted by Marymount students using their own original mural designs. On the wall are coat hangers and hooks which offer a dignified space for people to leave clothes and other things they no longer need so that they may be used by others. is exceptional project is yet another example of the way in which Marymount carries out its school's mission to "respond generously to needs of our world", starting with our own local community.

In order to sponsor the purchase of the necessary paints, brushes, and other materials to make the “Wall of Kindness”, Ms. Giovanna Iorio organized a fundraising Bake Sale and on this occasion 9th Grade students and IB Art students presented their mural designs to a panel of experts including street artists Mr. Mario Damico and Ms. Barbara Linardi, as well as representatives of the Comune di Roma Municipio XV, Mr. Daniele Torquati, President of Municipio Roma XV, and Mr. Marcello Ribera, President of the Commissione Ambiente, as well as to Gruppo Scout Agesci Roma 2’s Mrs. Maria Pia Masi. e final design for the mural painted on March 19th was chosen to be an ensemble of all the students’ designs put together, with elements drawn from every single one of them in the true spirit of inclusion and kindness.

Marymount's WALL OF KINDNESS project, created by Ms. Giovanna Iorio together with her students and a team of parents and faculty members, won Earth Day Italia’s first prize as the best project for the environment in the #IoCiTengo “Amo la mia Città, immagino la Terra del Futuro” (#Icare “I love my City, and imagine the World of the Future”) contest for schools. is contest is created by Earth Day Italia, the Italian branch of the Washington-based non profit organization “Earth Day Network” (which promotes the United Nation’s International Earth day). “e Wall of Kindness’ ” simple yet powerful message of hope for the future of the planet and dignity for mankind was recounted in Sabrina F.’s video (11th grade), which was sent in to the competion showing the various phases of the project (to see the video please visit the News section on Marymount’s website). e video was created with the photographic and multimedia contribution of all the participating students.

On April 22nd, forty two Marymount students from ES and HS represented Marymount at Earth Day Italia’s event in Villa Borghese to receive the prestigious award, which included tickets to the special Jubilee Mass for Youth held by Pope Francis on April 24th (which was attended by a small group of students, parents and teachers).

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“A little bit of mercy makes the world less cold and more just.”

By Stephanie Klein/Charlie Zoffoli Photos by Charlie Zoffoli

n this Holy Year of Mercy, as declared by Pope Francis, many of the faithful are receiving blessings by attending special masses in their home parishes and by walking through designated Holy Doors. Recently, two Marymount students and their teacher were recognized for their works of mercy by being invited to a very special mass.

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e three tickets guaranteed seats in the first section (no standing!), front and center, in front of the main altar, giving them VIP treatment. e Holy Father’s homily focused on love, and the students received the Holy Eucharist consecrated by Pope Francis himself. After the Mass, the Pope passed by the three and waved at Lorenzo and Edoardo twice from his Popemobile.

Lorenzo F., Edoardo P. and their mentor and Italian teacher, “Mr. Charlie” Zoffoli, got an up-close-and-personal blessing message of mercy from Pope Francis on Sunday, April 24, 2016 at Piazza San Pietro in the Vatican City because of their hard work and dedication in launching the Wall of Kindness Project sponsored

by MMI.

“Lorenzo and Edoardo, close to tears, expressed that they would never forget this day. eir true and deep happiness really made my day,” Mr. Zoffoli confessed.

e two fourth grade MMI students, who are also good friends, were chosen when their names were selected randomly in a drawing for the two available tickets. Mr. Zoffoli received the third ticket as the students’ chaperone for the “magical” Mass. “e three of us had such an incredible time,” said Mr. Zoffoli.

“Seriously, it was magical! We were so close to the altar!”

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As described by Mr. Zoffoli, the parents and families of the two boys were also very happy. ey were grateful that the boys had this opportunity to truly live out their faith, and have it officially recognized by the Vatican. “ank you for everything! Edoardo is incredibly happy and told me everything about today”, “ank you for this beautiful day!

Lorenzo loved it!”, are some of the comments expressed by the two boys’ families.

International Mother Language Day Celebration

By Laura LoBianco and Magdalena Arias-Duval

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n February 26th we celebrated International Mother Language Day with a Whole School Meeting for the Early Childhood and Elementary School in the Auditorium.

International Mother Language Day is not only about promoting our diverse student body’s native languages, but also about celebrating our cultural identities.

As we did last year, we had an International Fashion Parade where students were invited to speak in their mother tongue and dress in their traditional clothes.

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EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER

K Kindergarten Green takes care of the Earth!

Text and Photos by Mersedeh N. Cerasoli

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n the weeks leading up to Earth Day, April 22nd, Kindergarten Green learnt about Materials, Waste and one easy way to help take care of our Earth.

Students began by reviewing properties of materials during Science. ey used their sense of sight and of touch to discover what Metal, Plastic, Paper and Glass look and feel like. Protected by gloves, students examined the contents of the classroom wastebasket. What material is this? Is this plastic? Is this paper? Is it trash? ere were many questions.

One afternoon, accompanied by Ms. O’Connor, Ms. Mersedeh and Mr. Andrea, Kindergarten Green took a trip into the park outside the gates. Using our detective eyes we began our dismal discovery: ice cream wrappers, tissues, cookies, tape, water bottles, cigarettes and even a lawn chair sitting in the middle of the pond at the end of the park!

Our mission became clear: turn the sad pond into a happy one.

Students worked in pairs carrying Recycle boxes and trash bags, each calling out their discovery “plastic bag over here..... wrapper over there”. Teachers armed with gloves were there ready to pick up what the students found.

We brought back boxes and bags full of litter for closer examination. In the classroom, students reviewed a slideshow on the effects of litter in and around the pond. “ e plastic ring is stuck in the bird’s mouth, he cannot breath”, noticed one student. Kindergarten Green learnt how to properly identify materials as plastic and paper to be recycled in our Early Childhood Recycle areas.

It was obvious the students were proud of their work. So I asked “What can teachers do in this science project to make your work better, safer and more fun? ere was a long pause. One student reflected: “We should go again”.

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Wake Up the Bear Day!

EC2

By Laurie Berry Photos by Sally Cameron

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pring has arrived and many of the hibernating animals are waking up from their long winter sleep, many - except for the super sleepy bear in EC2. He was still snoozing, so the children and teachers decided that he needed some ‘help’ to wake up. A plan was made and a day was set… On Friday April 8th each child (and each teacher) arrived with a bear. During morning meeting the children told the rest of the class a special fact about their bear. After having a snack we got together, children, teachers and bears, and woke up a very sleepy member of the class.

All bears then got to participate in the rest of the day’s activities. ey were measured and put in a line ranging from biggest to smallest. ey sat while their owners drew their portraits and then they told us something that bear and child like to do together. e bears also watched while the children made some delicious sandwiches to have later in the afternoon. e day ended with a teddy bear’s picnic with bear-shaped sandwiches, crisps and gummy bears, and then, because it was Friday, there was also ice-cream. Children, bears, and teachers had a fun day and our sleepy class bear decided it really was Spring, and he would stay awake.

A Scientist’s Visit!

EC1

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t he beginning of March, Mr. Zinzi, Marymount’s longstanding High School Science teacher, visited Ms. Finan and Ms. Colucci’s EC1 class, dressed in his white scientist coat. He brought microscopes and an array of glass-enclosed insects, sea creatures, and other fossils to show to the children who asked many questions and thoroughly enjoyed his visit.

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ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day!

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he Elementary School gathered on Friday January 29th in a General Assembly celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day in which the First Graders made a presentation on Martin Luther King Jr. One class gave a presentation of MLK Jr.’s life, one class recited the “I have a dream” speech and the other class sang. ey also created an art display in the Elementary School lobby for all to see.

Harry Potter Book Night

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n occasion of International Harry Potter Book Night, Marymount hosted its own night of wizarding activities.

At 3:30 p.m. the festivities began in the Elementary School library.

Students dressed up as their favourite character and the young wizards, witches and Muggles enjoyed an evening of games, activities, readings and quizzes. e Sorting Hat decided who was to be in which House, and the evening's challenges added to each House’s points. Activities included a Harry Potter fancy dress competition, readings from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and a fiendish Harry Potter Trivia Challenge! At 5:00 p.m. everyone gathered in the Auditorium to watch a Harry Potter film, voted for by the students.

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Animal Museum

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econd Graders presented their multimedia animal projects in February in the Elementary School computer room and the library. Parents were invited to attend and listen to the students as they explained their creations.

Wax Museum

by Andrei Enii, 3R (“Leonardo di Caprio” in the photo).

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n 24th March 2016, third grade held a Living Wax Museum in Marymount International School of Rome. It was attended by third grade parents and children from other classes.

For some weeks we studied biographies. We learned all about important people from history and culture, for example from modern days like Barack Obama and Leonardo di Caprio to scientists like Albert Einstein and Marie Curie. We also dressed up as the people. We had to freeze until somebody said “Who are you?” and then we would start our speech.

In conclusion, we had fun learning about these famous people and sharing what we learned with the visitors of the Wax Museum.

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CARNEVALE Marymount’s Early Childhood and Elementary School classes get into the Carnevale spirit!

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The Benefits of Children’s Yoga

By Bonnie Swesey

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hildren derive enormous benefits from yoga. Physically, it enhances their flexibility, strength, balance, coordination, and body awareness. In addition, their concentration and sense of calmness and relaxation improves. Some children may be challenged with balance, coordination and the strength to imitate the yoga asanas, or postures.

Yoga promotes flexibility and physical strength - Children learn to use all of their muscles in new ways. Whether a pose is done standing, sitting, or lying down, each one can challenge various muscle groups while helping a child become aware of his body and how it efficiently functions. Yoga refines balance and coordination - Balance is a key element of yoga. Balancing poses are meant to promote mental and physical stamina, as mental clarity and stability emerge from the effort of trying to hold the poses. Even if a child has difficulty standing on one foot, he or she learns mental and physical balance, while knowing that it is okay to falter! As children learn to improve their physical balance, they will be filled with a sense of accomplishment. Coordination is also closely tied to balance and promotes overall dexterity. e practice of yoga develops focus and concentration – holding the poses encourages children to clear their mind and focus, thus strengthening their mental and intellectual “muscles”. Strengthening these “muscles” is taught through asana practice, as well as through short children’s visualization and meditation activities.

Yoga boosts self-esteem and compassion – e children learn that the practice of yoga incorporates the mind, body and soul. ey learn to persevere, be patient, and work towards their goals. A yoga teacher can only offer guidance; it is the child who has to work to succeed. erefore, when a child masters a pose, it gives him confidence and self-esteem. Yoga stories teaching compassion and kindness are shared with the students as part of their practice.

Yoga helps to instill confidence and compassion while learning something new, and also strengthens the mind-body connection so that children may achieve a sound mind in a sound body by exercising the physical body and calming the mental spirit. Parents want their children to act and behave with mindfulness and with compassion, to be brave, to know love and happiness, and to find inner peace. Since the modern world moves at a very, very fast pace for children, it's not long before they feel all kinds of pressure (personal, parental, social) to keep up with everyone around them. Yoga functions as a release valve that alleviates pressure and as a foundation to nurture and develop a resilient and resourceful body, mind, and spirit.

Parents may notice how yoga benefits their children, but the best judges are the kids themselves! When practicing yoga, they exercise, play, connect more deeply with their inner self, and develop an intimate relationship with the natural world that surrounds them. Yoga brings that marvelous inner light that all children have to the surface.

I will soon be going to a training for Children's Yoga for Special Needs in Florence, and looking forward to that!

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Traffic Education class Photos by Charlie Zoffoli

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any second and third graders participated in weekend field trips to the Parco Scuola del Traffico (Traffic School Park) in Eur this April.

Organized by Mr. Charlie Zoffoli together with several Marymount mothers, the students were given traffic education videos and seminars (including learning about rules and signals) and practical driving lessons. A quick bite to eat and then play time in the park were the perfect way to complete a fun and educational day!

Photo credit: Mrs. Laura Privitera

Photo credit: Mrs. Leonora Niolu

ank you to all the parents who supported this wonderful event, and to Mrs. Leonora Niolu and Mrs. Laura Privitera for all their help.

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After School Italian class ... Science in Action Text and Photos by Charlie Zoffoli

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uring the after school Italian classes, fourth graders have worked on the Elementary School garden and learned the importance of fertilizing, watering, planting seeds and taking care of plants. e garden is really shaping up and the students are very proud and protective of it! is project has also helped them to better understand the concepts covered during Italian science classes, such as photosynthesis, plant respiration, ecosystems, etc. e kids loved this project so much that even those who hated greens are now looking forward to harvesting the salads, onions, basil, rosemary, sage, etc they have planted and worked on in order to eat them!

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Visiting Children’s Author Patricia Lakin Text by Nina Catalano

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n April, Marymount’s Elementary School (Kindergarten through Grade 5) had an exciting visitor: Patricia Lakin, an American children’s author with a wide range of published books, both fiction and non-fiction. Her books range from fiction stories about guinea pigs to biographies of Albert Einstein, Amelia Earhart and Helen Keller for younger readers and a middle grade biography of Steve Jobs: inking Differently.

Ms. Lakin gave a presentation explaining her writing process—from idea to completed story showing the many steps along the way, including where authors get their ideas, persuasive writing, imagery, figurative language, and the revision process.

Some student refelctions from Grade 3 (P) on the author’s visit: I learned that when she had writer's block she went out to take a walk and she got the ideas from there. When she was a little girl she didn’t have good spelling, so she used "blah" words. She told us how books get published and she told said she had to print the books and got "Yes" or "No" letters. - Orlando

On April 4th, 2016 Patricia Lakin came to Marymount, Rome. Mrs. Lakin told us about her life and it was very interesting. She is a children’s author and is friend with 3 other writers. Patricia told us write what’s in you’re heart and use strong words. She edits her stories carefully and told us “If you don’t like your writing, change and don’t give up”. - Alex My favourite part was... everything!! - Ebrahem I learned that I never have to use “blah” words in writing and that you have to edit your story after you finish or get an editor-in-chief. - Matteo I think if you can’t spell when you are little, you can still became a writer. My favourite part was when she answered questions and she signed books.

- Alia

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LIBREMIA Text and Photos by Charlie Zoffoli

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hat is your ideal bookstore like? In January and February my students from grades 1 through 4 worked on a project called “LibreMia”.

It is a contest organized by La Feltrinelli where Elementary School students from the whole country compete in imagining, drawing and writing about their ideal bookstore. I enrolled my classes in December and in February I received the kits (with presentation letters and 15% discounts for any of my students who wished to buy books) which I sent home to families. Each grade competed as a team and devised a full-scale bookstore. First, students brainstormed and talked about what would be needed in a bookshop and then, individually, every student worked on one or more rooms that altogether would make a bookstore. e students also worked on explaining why kids need to buy, rent or borrow books and on the importance of reading and learning.

My students came up with wonderful ideas and also many touching concepts, such as: “reading is important because it makes you love your childhood”, “reading is important because it makes who you are”, “a bookshop must have free books for those who cannot afford them”, etc.

It is impossible to write thoroughly about the many incredible ideas the students had: the kids drew and wrote about slides that go through cascades of books, swimming pools filled with books where one can swim (kind of like what Uncle Scrooge does with money), a book hospital where one can take a book that needs some fixing (crumpled or detached pages, etc.), a book tribunal where one can take a book that gave them nightmares so that it can be rated “PG” or “12+”, movietheater rooms where kids can watch movies inspired by books (such as Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, etc.), robots that can assist kids with finding the right book, special rooms dedicated to the most important sagas (Star Wars books, etc,), rooms with “empty books” where kids can write THEIR own books and stories, and so on. Every single student had at least one great idea! I was not expecting anything like this: their work is really superb and I genuinely couldn’t be any prouder!

Although we didn’t win, to be honest, for me all the students had already won because they have been engaged and enthusiastic and have worked hard on this project. Most importantly, this project has helped them to realize how important reading is.

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ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ARTWORK

Grade 1 “Sea World”

Grade 4 “Fall & Winter Impressions”

Grade 3 “Pointillism & Impressionism”

Grade 1 “Winter Collage”

Grade 4 “Symmetry - Positive & Negative Space”

Grade 5 “Scale Drawings World's Tallest Buidlings”

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Science Fair

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ourth Graders held a Science Fair in February and presented their projects to parents and visiting 2nd, 3rd and 5th grade students.

Projects included: “Do other mints react to Coca Cola like Mentos do?”; “What happens when you put an egg in water and another in vinegar?”; “Floating Paperclips”; “Hot Air Balloon”; “What happens when you mix oil, water and food coloring together” and more....

Animal Cells Helen Davico’s Grade 5 students brought in and discussed their colorful Animal Cell model projects!

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VIVI VEIO LITERARY COMPEITION

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n May, two Marymount students were awarded during the Vivi Veio Literary Competition’s Award Ceremony (organized by non-profit organization Vivi Veio Onlus).

Gabriele S. from Ms. Ciuffreda’s 4th Grade won the Grade 4 Section of the competition with his realistic story about a refugee boy and Arna M., 9th grade, who received a highly commended certificate for her great, creative story about Ghaddafi’s grand-daughter (entered to the content as an assignment for Ms. Hardin’s journalism class).

It was a very competitive playing field this year with 85 stories entered by students from various schools. Judges looked at English writing skills, creativity, story-telling skills and originality.

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MARCH MATH MADNESS

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n March, students from Kindergarten through Grade 5 participated in a weekly math challenge! On Mondays they were given gradespecific problems to solve by the end of each week. Correct answers were entered into a weekly drawing for a small prize and the winner was chosen and announced on Fridays. A fun brain exercise!

Grade 5 Ms. Costa uses the following recipe for crispy rice treats.

2 cups melted butter 24 ounces marshmallows 13 cups rice crispy cereal She decides to make of the recipe. How much of each ingredient will she need?

Write an expression that includes multiplication. Solve by multiplying.

When the crispy rice treats have cooled, Ms. Costa cuts them into 30 equal pieces. She gives two-fifths of the treats to her son and takes the rest to school.

How many treats will Ms. Costa take to school?

Use any method to solve.

Grade 2 Ms. Crossan sorts her socks by color.

She has 4 purple socks, 4 yellow socks, 4 pink socks, and 4 orange socks.

Draw groups to show how Ms. Crossan sorts her socks.

How many socks does Ms. Crossan have in all?

Kindergarten Francesco has 6 stickers.

Sara had 1 more than Francesco.

How many stickers did Sara have?

Draw a picture to show how you got the answer!

Grade 1 Carlo has 6 pennies in a bowl. Nine pennies are in his drawer. î “ere are 2 pennies in his pocket. How many pennies does Carlo have in all?

Explain how you know with a labeled math drawing and number sentence.

Grade 3 î “e bakery had a chocolate cake and a vanilla cake that were exactly the same size. Mr. Chu bought 1 fourth of the chocolate cake. Mrs. Ramirez bought 1 sixth of the vanilla cake. Who bought a larger piece of cake? Explain your answer using words, pictures, or numbers.

Grade 4 Billy has started training for the Operation Smile run, and he has been drinking more water. On Saturday, he drank 2 liters 755 milliliters of water. On Sunday, he drank some more. If Billy drank a total of 4 liters 255 milliliters of water on Saturday and Sunday, how many milliliters of water did Billy drink on Sunday?

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MIDDLE SCHOOL

Chinese New Year Text by Tiziana Briscese

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arymount has over 30 students of Chinese background, so celebrating the Chinese New Year seemed like the best way to honor one of the nationalities that makes up our great school community.

On February 8th, e Middle School Drama Company and seven Middle School students presented an informative and fun assembly under the supervision of Ms. Ferrarin and Ms. Briscese to teach the middle school about the Year of the Monkey and much more! e MS Drama Company ‘e Marymount Spotlights,’ worked for the past few weeks on creating a visual performance based on the story of the Chinese zodiac. ey built a Chinese dragon out of old material, cardboard and coloured paper. e EC2 students helped to decorate the head along with help from Ms. Atwood. Students worked together to create an original performance based on the Chinese zodiac and how the years came to be named after a different animal. ere was no script so coming up with exciting and visual ideas was a challenge but they did well. e students involved were 6th graders Lavinia C., Elisa M., Nada P., Agnese S., Polina B., Giulia D. C., 7th graders Domenica P. and Rebecca B. and 8th grader Riccardo K. Ms. Briscese’s current and former students spent a few weeks outside of school to prepare a presentation that explained the Chinese lunar calendar and the various meanings behind each zodiac animal. It was interesting to see what our animals represent! e students involved were 7th graders Melissa P., Romina H., Federico Z. and 8th graders Silvio G., Debora L., Massimo L., and Luisa Z.

Robert Sills Award by MAIS

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arymount’s own Beatrice M. (7th grade) was awarded as one of the five finalists of the 2015-2016 Robert Sills Student Award! MAIS (Mediterranean Association of International Schools) established the Robert Sills Student Award in 2011 to recognize those exemplary middle school students who model the character traits that we value most in our students: persistence, a willingness to take risks, acceptance of other cultures and points of view, and a genuine interest in a sustained commitment to others in addition to exemplary work and leaderhips skills.

MS Valentine Dance

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he Middle School Valentine’s Semiformal Dance and Carnival took place on ursday, February 11th. After a series of Carnival games the event progressed with a professional DJ. e dance was a success, especially thanks to the MS Student Council for organizing the event, decorating the auditorium and managing the carnival booths, and the supervision and chaperoning of Ms. Pinkerton, Ms. Zarineh, Ms. Ferrarin, Ms. Angelini, and Ms. De Paoli in addition to the assistance of Giorgia M. (Gr. 11) who helped with the decoration and drinks.

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Adopt an Element - Gr. 6 Science Project Text and Photos by Denise De Paoli

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tudents studied the Elements of the Periodic table and were asked to choose an element to adopt, research and then create a model of it. ey greatly enjoyed the activity and I was impressed with the end results, which were quite creative and accurate. ese models will also be used during oral exams in the “scuola media program”.

Vendor speeches in the Agora

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s. Tiziana Briscese’s English/ELL 7 class studied the agora and worked on speeches that vendors would give in order to persuade customers to purchase their goods, which tied in to their studies on Ancient Greece in Social Studies. e students did a great job at creating a real marketplace atmosphere, while delivering effective and creative speeches.

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Freak the Mighty - Grade 7 project Text and Photos by Fiona Marshall

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n their English class, Grade 7 read the short novel for young adults, ‘Freak the Mighty’ by Rodman Philbrick. is novel tells the story of two boys, both of them outcasts. ey each struggle with their own problems but in spite of this they form a strong friendship. Kevin suffers from Morquio syndrome and is only 3 feet tall but he possesses an excellent brain whereas Max has physical strength but suffers from low selfesteem (as well as having a dreadful secret in his past.) Together they become one: Freak the Mighty! e novel tells of their adventures together but also deals with many issues and themes that caught the attention of the students and led to much interest and discussion. As part of their end of unit assessment, the students were asked to show their knowledge and understanding of the novel by means of a creative project. ey were encouraged to pursue their own personal interest area and in their final presentations needed to have considered the following questions: What connections were you able to make to the novel?

What made you choose this particular way of expressing your knowledge and understanding?

What materials did you use?

What skills did you use?

What was your thought process?

Did anything go wrong and how did you fix it?

What qualities from the MMI Learner profile do you think you’ve shown in the creation of your project?

Responses were varied; some students made films or trailers using technology; some became inventors using their scientific knowledge; others used their artistic skills making models out of different materials or even painting on canvas. All the presentations showed thought and awareness of what was needed to demonstrate their learning.

Poster, film and clay model - I chose to do this project because I wanted to explain Freak and his condition (Morquio) to other people. At the same time, I wanted to make it entertaining so the other students would learn without even knowing it. I wanted to do something fun, which I think we did, for example the clay models. Arianna, Eri, and I did pretty much equal amounts of work. We each worked a bit on each aspect of the project. We thought about different people, and what they might like to see in a creative project. We made a part for the auditory learners - the video advertisement, which was quite entertaining.

We also made clay models, for people who are more kinaesthetic learners as they can touch and fit the pieces together. Finally, we made the poster eye-catching for visual learners, who like to see and read information easily. - Elizabeth Electric circuit in a heart shape - My project is inspired by Kevin in the novel ‘Freak the Mighty.’ Two characteristics of Kevin inspired me. Firstly it was that he loved robotics and the first thing that came into my mind were lights and components. I thought of a way to use these components so I thought about building a measuring tool. is measuring tool is able to read how much you resist to electricity. e second inspiration that I had got from Kevin was his big heart. Kevin suffered from a syndrome where his inner organs got too big for his body but he also had a big heart in the emotive sense: he was so kind and caring to Max and he saved his life. at is why in my project the “lights” make a heart shape. I would just like to mention that one light will not work because of a circuit error. I tried to fix it but couldn’t. To make this project I used many skills. e first one is my knowledge of electricity. I also used my curiosity and my determination. I failed many times but then in the end I succeeded and now it works almost perfectly. Now that I finished I can really say that I am proud of myself and what I achieved in this project. - Mario Model Wheelchair for Kevin - We decided to make a model wheelchair because we wanted to do something that would have helped Kevin. We got inspiration from the scene where Max pushes Kevin around in a wheelbarrow. We knew he couldn’t walk without crutches and it was a bit difficult for him to move around the city so we came up with the idea of a remote controlled wheelchair. We even thought that it would be a bit uncomfortable for him to sit in it all day so we added a little cushion. We thought a wheelchair would make Kevin more independent without anybody having to be there to push him around. We started the project with a little yellow plastic chair and some radio controlled cars. We had a few problems attaching the cars without them tearing off but we eventually managed to put them on properly and it was perfect. We thought that Kevin would like the idea of red cars flashing as they moved him around because he liked King Arthur and his quests against dragons etc. and he could also move the chair himself using the remote control because he liked to be independent. ere was a last problem! e chair was horrible aesthetically so we decided to upholster it with grey cloth and now it looked much better and we are both happy and proud of our work. - Paolo and Giovanni

Middle School MUN Text and Photos by Shelley Sayger

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he Middle School MUN Club traveled to Marymount London (February 5-7) for the Annual RSHM MUN Conference this February. Marymount Rome represented e Philippines, South Africa and United Kingdom. Our students worked to solve issues from cyber-terrorism, the use of chemical weapons to the question of ISIS/ISL and the Gaza Strip. e MUN club created their own resolutions on behalf of the countries they represented. Our students worked to solve the problems the world faces today. e MS MUN Club also attended an international MUN conference in Rome (May 17-20) which had schools from all over the world in attendance. Our students represented the e United Arab Emirates, e Republic of Brazil and e State of Israel at the conference. Our students came to resolutions of the treatment of women and equal rights to small arms trade and cyber-security. On the final day of the conference, the students traveled to FAO Headquarters and our own Elisabeth K. was chosen by her committee to read the resolution created by the committee as she represented the State of Israel.

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HIGH SCHOOL

9th Grade Retreat Text by Ann Haring Photos by Shahriar Hossain

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n March 14 and 15, the ninth and tenth grade students attended their annual retreat, which was held this year at the Salesianum.

In conjunction with the Lenten season and the Jubilee Year of Mercy, students focused on the theme of sin and mercy.

rough a variety of small group activities, students reflected on the effects of sin on themselves, their relationship with others, and the sacrifice God made to save us. A highlight of the retreat was interactive stations, where students thought about the Passion of Jesus. It was a tangible experience that challenged students to enter into the experience of Jesus in a prayerful atmosphere to the degree to which they felt comfortable.

Students were also given the opportunity to attend the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Many students took seriously this moment of grace by examining their conscience, making a heartfelt confession, and promising to work on becoming more loving. ose students of different faiths were offered the opportunity to take a reflective walk through the beautiful grounds of the facility to focus on ways they wanted to grow and change in their lives. e ninth and tenth graders also had time to spend together, taking full advantage of the retreat center’s calcetto field, and even caught a glimpse of the peacocks who live on the grounds. ese retreats are an important part of our mission to celebrate God’s love and to fulfill the RSHM Network of Schools goal of helping the students develop a personal relationship with God. anks to all who made these days so successful.

Here are some 10th grade student reflections on the day: During the 10th grade retreat I learned a lot of things about life. For example, I learned how, after you damage a relationship, it is very hard to put it back together as it was before. I learned this through the "banana exercise" where we worked in groups to peel and cut a banana and then try to put it together again. It was a very nice experience that I wish to do again as I learned a lot about life, religion, and I even bonded with some of my classmates. -Maddie F. e retreat was a wonderful experience: our entire grade took a bus to the Salesianum, where we had the possibility to reflect on ourselves religiously and build a stronger relationship with God through faith.

-Alberto C. e retreat was an eye-opening experience as it allowed me to better understand the Church and God. My favorite part of the trip was the discussion with Father Steve. We discussed what was right and what was wrong and how we decide this and how God helps us to know and understand these things. Furthermore it was very interesting to have to write something about others and to hear what they wrote about me. –Beckett R. e 10th Grade Retreat was an amazing experience. It brought the students in our grade closer together as a community, and we had a great day learning about various religious ideas but in real life simulations. –Bea S.

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Maker Subject Text and Photos by Denise De Paoli

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his year’s Maker subject explored engineering design. is course focused on the design of tall buildings and their structures. Students from Grades 10 through 12 worked in teams to develop the tallest tower they could build with limited materials that could support the weight of a golf ball for two minutes. ey developed a design on paper, built their tower, presented and tested their tower to the class, evaluated their results and those of their teammates, and completed reflection sheets.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

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iona Marshall’s Grade 9 students created a magazine based on their knowledge and interpretation of the novel “e Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” by British author Mark Haddon. e novel’s main character, Christopher, is not any ordinary 15-year-old, and the students’ magazine also reflects their understanding of this difference. e entire magazine can be found on Marymount’s website in the News section or by typing www.marymountrome.org/curiousincidentofthedog.

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English Language and Literature Conference Text by Samantha Hardin

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hen I went to graduate school at e University of York to study Romantic literature, I discovered the weird and wonderful world of academia. One of the key components is the “academic conference.” Eleven higher-level IB English students delved into this world as they recently hosted the first annual Language and Literature Conference at Marymount. is is a new initiative, and it came to be because I wanted students to have the opportunity to read their work aloud and answer questions before it is sent off to the IB to be externally assessed.

First, the students learned about the purpose of conducting this type of event. Reading a paper at a conference is a wonderful final step before publication or submission for a number of reasons. For one, reading work aloud in front of an audience is a great way to catch awkward phrasings and elusive grammatical errors. Secondly, there is often time for questions in which people can clarify or develop parts of the argument as necessary. e students had recently completed the Written Task 2, a paper of 800-1,000 words responding to one of six questions provided by the IB. e six questions are grouped by area of study, namely, reader, culture and text, power and privilege, and text and genre. erefore, the first challenge was for students to discuss their question and chosen texts with classmates, dividing themselves into three or four panels. For example, a popular question was “how and why is a social group represented in a particular way?” A number of students answered this question, but they used different texts that we have studied throughout the course to do so.

When students had formed a cohesive panel group, they then created a title for the panel and wrote an introduction. I encouraged them to be creative; being a little ‘punny’ never hurts, and often draws the audience in! ey certainly rose to the challenge. One group titled their panel “Literary plagiarism-Allusions and Intertextuality.” ey started the panel introduction with a brief rap set to the instrumental version of a popular West Coast jam. ey definitely commanded the audience’s attention with a mention of “cruising down the street with Vonnegut, Shakespeare and Maya Angelou.” Another panel focused on the representation of women in literature, and I believe their brief but coherent introduction speaks for itself:

e topic of representation of women has been widely discussed in recent years.

Having read an array of texts in which female characters are pivotal components in the development of the stories, we have decided to base our four papers on this matter. ree of the four papers we will be presenting explore the marginalization of women in their corresponding texts, whereas, the fourth paper examines the strength of women throughout the work. More specifically, Gaia and Adriano will be analyzing the depiction of women in e Lost Honor of Katharina Blum by Heinrich Boll; Tshiamo will consider this topic with regard to Shakespeare’s Othello, and finally, Ines will explore the depiction of women in Maya Angelou’s memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. e conference took place in the secondary school library on February 8th, 2016, and interested parents and first year Language and Literature students made up the audience. As there were eleven students and the papers averaged 900 words, we did not have as much time for questions as I would have liked. is will be something to consider while thinking about the future of this event. Still, I am extremely proud of the students who stood, poised and proud, and read their papers in front of an audience. If my students choose to pursue a Masters or PhD, (which I hope many of them will), they will have the opportunity to participate in more conferences.

I hope they will take this foundational experience with them on their academic journey, wherever the path may lead.

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The Hague Model United Nations

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he annual Hague Model United Nations, the largest MUN in the world with almost 4000 students, took place from January 24th to the 30th. MUN dramatically increases awareness of significant world issues, and it builds skills in independent research, analytical thinking, collaboration, public speaking and debate.

Marymount’s delegation, chaperoned by Mr. Erick Wilberding and Ms. Teresa Bortone, was well prepared on this year’s conference theme: Sustainable Urbanisation, a major topic as world population continues to grow and ever more people are living in cities. Marymount represented the country of Montenegro and our ambassador was Avi T. e ten other delegates from Grades 10 through 12 were: Daniele A., Marta A., Matteo B., Lorenzo B., Alberto C., Alexandre H., Rita D. N., Tshiamo M., Elizabeth P., Isabella S. Alex H. passed his resolution as main submitter at his very first MUN, an exemplary achievement. e other students participated actively, giving speeches and asking questions. e group also visited parts of the city of Amsterdam including the Van Gogh Museum. A formative and memorable experience for all involved!

An Interview with Mr. Victor Simpson Text by Samantha Hardin

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n January, the aspiring writers in our Journalism class had the opportunity to interview Mr. Victor Simpson, Former Rome Bureau Chief for the Associated Press. Mr. Simpson shared insights from his career spanning over 40 years. As he was responsible for coverage in Italy, which included the Vatican, Mr. Simpson wrote about and, in many cases, traveled with four popes! Students asked a myriad of questions; some questions touched on the number of countries he has worked in, experiences with John Paul II, and the mistakes that all rookie journalists make. Simpson responded graciously, incorporating humor and excellent advice. Although his accomplishments are many, he ended the interview by turning it back to the students and highlighting the benefit of an international education, and a Marymount education, in particular. He mentioned that speaking more than one language is an invaluable skill for journalists today. In our class we represent China, Nigeria, Italy, Bangladesh, Canada, Ukraine, and America, to name a few.

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Movie-making workshop with Michael Di Spezio

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econdary School students enjoyed workshops on movie-making with New York-based guest lecturer Mr. Michael Di Spezio in February. e entertaining visitor had students enthralled as they learned about finding the “hook” in their presentations, the use of fake settings and stock footage, playing a character on video and bringing theatre into one’s production, the use of a “lower third” and interesting camera angles, layering with 3D images, desktop editing, post-production and talking in front of a green screen to change the background among other things. Students were able to engage in some real-life examples and took away valuable information.

IB Italian Visits the MAXXI

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n May 4th grade 11 IB Italian B and IB Italian Language & Literature, as well as a few grade 10 students from Italian Language and Literature Class visited the MAXXI and attended a conference organized by Repubblica Scuola on the topic: "Petaloso sarai tu, l'italiano ai tempi di Whatt'sApp", and "Troppo Inglese in Questo Italiano. O Troppo Poco?" as well as "Sindache, Ministre e Non Vedenti.

Ovvero il Diversamente Corretto." ey were accompanied by Ms. Iorio, Ms. Rosato and Ms. Pantani.

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IB Italian Classes meet with UCI Delegation (Italian Union of Blind People) Text by Barbara Pantani A delegation from UIC (Italian Union of Blind People), led by the President of the association, met IB Italian A Language and Literature and IB Italian B students in mid-May, which allowed Marymount’s students to examine in depth the following IB topics: - How language may reinforce or fight the stereotypes and prejudices that are often attributed to minorities and those considered “different”; - e virtues and shortcomings of what is “politically correct”; - How language reflects the taboos that society attributes to illness and handicaps; - Learning to write articles about contemporary events; - Learning to conduct and write an interview; - Ascertain how the topics developed by Luigi Pirandello in his play “Henry IV” are still current. e meeting’s second objective was to give students an educational experience that would sensitize them, and allow them to get to know and respect persons who live in difficult situations, thereby giving visibilty to problems and groups that are often invisible (who is more blind? ose who don’t see or those who do not want to see?) to the rest of the world.

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IB Art Vernissage

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he IB Art Vernissage took place on March 23rd proving an opportunity for parents and students to see the IB Art students’ wonderful creations.

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NHS Induction Ceremony

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Photo: Pasquale Zinzi

ongratulations to the 18 new members of Marymount’s National Honor Society. e Induction Ceremony took place in the Chapel on April 12th. Parents and faculty members were present to applaud these students who were chosen as having demonstrated excellence in the areas of scholarship, leadership, service, and character. ese characteristics have been associated with membership in the NHS organization since its beginning in 1921.

XVI Fashion Show

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rganized by the Prom Committee, the XVI Fashion Show took place on February 3rd in the Auditorium to raise money for the Seniors’ Prom. A highly entertaining and successful event, students from Kindergarten through 7th grade were accompanied by a High School student as they made their way together down the “catwalk”.

MUSIC

The Marymount Choir & the Royal Voices’ Spring Concert Text and Photos by Roger Williams

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n April 19th the Secondary School Chorus classes (directed by Mr. Roger Williams) and the Royal Voices (directed by Mr. Brian Kirby) presented their second semester repertoire in the annual Spring Concert.

As we have come to expect and appreciate, the repertoire was chosen from a wide range of styles, traditions and cultures offering the audience a musical feast to enjoy. Both groups had been working very hard. e chorus classes had been preparing their parts for each song by completing individual recordings of themselves singing their own part in order to come to the rehearsals well prepared. e lyrics were all learned from memory and pre-performance videos were taken in order for them to self- and peer-assess their performance skills before the actual concert. e students also watched videos of other choirs performing the songs they were learning in order to draw comparisons, identify strengths and weaknesses in the performances and make special note of the essential things that they themselves would seek to assimilate into their own performance. One aspect in particular, that all the students considered from watching these videos was the importance of what choirs wear – “concert attire”. For this Spring Concert they wanted to add colour and yet maintain a sense of formality and so “all black below the waist and spring colours above” became the dress code for 2016. I think you’ll agree, it worked rather nicely !

Having worked so hard and learned so much the end result was truly a joy to hear and see. Each group sang a song that they had chosen and arranged, creating the harmony parts themselves and adding solo or duet sections, and then there were numbers sung together as a whole choir in three and four parts. I for one was absolutely thrilled with their performance. “Bravissimi Ragazzi !!!”

Under the tireless and energetic direction of Mr. Kirby the Royal Voices had also been working extremely hard; this being only one in a busy season of engagements. ey gave us a selection of Jazz, Gospel, Soul and Blues, 3 part, 4 part and 5 part harmony including “a cappella”. ey never cease to inspire the younger singers with their vocal quality and confidence. ree senior students deserve special recognition for their incredible contribution to the musical/theatrical life of the school. ey are Azzura M., Alya J. and Giulio S. ese three students have given their all, time and time again for years now and sadly this was their final concert with us. I am sure that you will join me in thanking them from our hearts for the many moments of pleasure they have given to us through their musical and theatrical gifts. We wish them well and will look out for their names in lights in theatres and concert halls, if not on youtube, in the not too distant future.

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Secondary School Instrumental Spring Concert

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he Secondary School’s Instrumental Spring Concert organized by Mr. Rocco Sbardella took place on April 11th and featured concert bands from 6th, 7th and 8th grade and the Royal Winds. Middle School and High School IB Music students also gave wonderful solo performances.

MAIS Choir Festival in Lisbon Text and Photos by Roger Williams

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his year Mrs. Pinkerton and myself had the pleasure of accompanying 7 Marymount Middle School students participating in the annual Mediterranean Association of International Schools (MAIS) Choir festival in Lisbon. Toby K. (Grade 6) Eri I., Elisabeth K., Rebecca B. (all Grade 7) Analisse K. and Mariam H. (both Grade 8) passed the auditions in December and worked hard throughout the Spring term preparing for this intense four days of rehearsals and concerts.

Most of them had been before, and so they were looking forward to meeting up with friends they had made and the opportunity to make new friends. It didn’t take long for the “Rome Schools” to bond. We spent most of our free time with the other students from AMBRIT school.

In fact, our students soon became known as the “MARBRIT” group. e weather was fantastic ! e hotel was right on the coast and the International School of Lisbon was an amazing facility for us to rehearse and perform in.

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e students worked very hard and performed really well.

On every occasion they represented our school to the very highest levels not only in the way that they worked but during free time together as we saw the sights, played on the beach, at meal times and during evening times back in their rooms.

One of the most memorable occasions was when we planned our own tour of the old part of Lisbon and ate out in a local restaurant where we sampled real Portuguese food and listened to local musicians and singers perform Fado music.

When the Portuguese musicians realized that the students were part of a choir they put on a performance especially for us and then invited us to perform for the people eating out that evening in the main salon of the restaurant. It was one of those rare occasions when one can feel so strongly the power of music to unite people from all different backgrounds, cultures and traditions. e gift of music has to be shared, and each of these students did this wholeheartedly!

î Žis year was my first year at MAIS. We went to Lisbon and stayed in Estoril. My room had a view of the coolest beach in Lisbon, and we had so much fun, We had daily practices (obviously) one in the morning and another one at night. A couple of times we went sightseeing, and it was great. Despite being the only male soprano there nobody made fun of me, in fact if anything they welcomed me more and I thought that it was a very good learning experience for me and for others. I became friends with both boys and girls and I was nervous because I was sharing a room with somebody but it went amazingly well and I will never forget this and I hope that I will be able to go next year. - Toby

î Žis year MAIS was incredibly fun. We saw our old friends that came last year to Madrid and we made lots of new friends in Lisbon. We rehearsed a lot and had a lot of fun and made lots of memories. We ended the trip with an amazing performance and dance party. My favorite part was the concert at the American school in Lisbon because when we finished performing all of our songs, the audience wanted more. It felt so great to have an audience ask for more because normally people would just clap.

One of my most memorable moments was at our first rehearsal when we all recognized each other from last years MAIS. We shared all of our experiences and always had smiles on our faces. I enjoyed staying with my friends and walking around the beautiful city and performing on the steps of a museum in Sintra with strangers watching. I can't wait for next year's MAIS! - Giuliana

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THEATRE

Willy Wonka Jr. Musical

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he 5th grade musical “Willy Wonka Jr.” took place on April 29th. In the weeks leading up to the show and on the same day, Marymount students sold “Wonka chocolate bars”, five of which contained hidden golden tickets, just like in the original musical. ose who found a golden ticket won a large basket of candy! 560 chocolate bars were sold in order to raise funds for Marymount’s mission in Zambia.

A superb performance directed by Mr. Brian Kirby, with an excellent cast of characters and scenography!

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The Wiz

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spectacular soul-version retelling of L. Frank Baum's classic 1900 children's novel “e Wonderful Wizard of Oz”, Marymount’s “e Wiz” musical played on three nights in mid-March.

Congratulations to Ms. Gina Ferrarin, Mr. Rocco Sbardella and the entire cast and crew for an exceptional performance!

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ISTA Festival Rome Text and Photos by Shahriar H., 9th grade, from Marymount’s “e Royal Liar”

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he “International Schools eatre Association’s” mission, is to create a ‘world that depends on confident, internationally minded, collaborative and culturally literate young people, who are empowered to engage with and change the world responsibly’. It dates all the way back to 1978 where it became a registered company in 1995, and is now ‘producing over 50 annual festivals with the membership of 200 schools worldwide’, while still getting bigger. Marymount is part of the membership and has been for a lengthy period of time. Most recently, a festival had been held in our school, with the theme of “Secrets of Rome; Past and Present”. e Marymount participants were Riccardo, Kazuki, Mathias, Tia, Alice, Carolina, Jasmini, Maddi, Lena, Sarah, Saveena, Majd, Arigo, Paz, Umberto, Ellie, Michele, and myself. e festival itself spanned over 4 days; ursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. On ursday, participants had to stay after school for a meet and greet in the auditorium with the visiting schools and the ISTA artists that we would be working with. We immediately did exercises that required teamwork and communication, except that we weren’t allowed to speak; our instructions grew more complicated and challenging with each of our successions. Eventually, we were told to get into our ensemble groups and locations, each led by one of the ISTA artists. We completed the rest of the familiarization process there. At the end of the day, we were served dinner in the cafeteria and the visiting students went home to their host families.

Friday was an ‘Out and About’ in Rome, a scavenger hunt for secrets prompted by clues and riddles, organized by our very own Mrs. Ferrarin. e hunt took place in school groups, with Marymount participants spread across the schools. After solving a riddle, the group would have to go to the hinted location and take a picture, which would be sent to Mrs. F. via Whatsapp, who in turn would then send another riddle to solve. e hunt itself was excellent fun, and the sunny, cloudless weather only complimented the day. At the end of the hunt, we regrouped to get back to our busses, and then proceeded to an Opera. We had our lunch in front of the theatre, and after we finished, we went inside where we were toured around the place. e Opera eatre was grandeur and magnificent, as it was meant for nobles and the upper class back in its days. Following the tour, we went back to school where we got back into our ensembles to start making contents for our final performance.

On Saturday, we started off with some dance warm-ups that shook our bodies up for the day ahead. e bulk of the day was spent making material for our final performance within our ensembles, and in the evening, we shared our work with all other groups. e rest of our time was spent polishing what we already had. e final performance itself wasn’t your usual on-stage play. It was a promenade. We took to places around the school and used our environment as our stage. Our director’s thoughts were; we’re in Rome and the sun’s shining! It would be a shame if we were to do this inside. After the performance, there were the usual speeches and thank yous from ISTA artists and organizers alike. It was a bittersweet atmosphere; we were saying our final goodbyes but also swapping contact information. Ultimately, the experience was definitely worth its time, and I encourage anyone presented with the opportunity, regardless of having an interest in theatre, to take it with heart.

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Middle School ISTA Festival Cornwall

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Photo: Gina Ferrarin

s. Ferrarin and Ms. Spadaro took a group of 17 Middle School students to the ISTA eatre Festival in Cornwall from ursday May 5th through Monday May 9th. e students spent their time at the Eden project and worked with other international students in order to explore Science and Ecology through the medium of performing arts.

The Importance of Being Ernest

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s. Gina Ferrarin’s Grade 10 drama class performed selected short scenes from ‘e importance of being Ernest’ in February.

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Sports

Varsity Basketball Season 2015-2016 Text by Demetrius Lafitte Photos by Mrs. Lene Gianni and Pasquale Zinzi

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his season will go down as one of the most memorable season in Marymount’s boys varsity basketball program. Preseason picked to finish at the bottom of the league. e Marymount Royals were able to finish 2nd place in the competitive DODDs Division IV Italian league only behind Naples who finished the regular season play without a loss 12 - 0. With all of last year’s returning starters, role players and the addition of 3 freshmen, the team was able to improve on their 2 wins – 10 losses record of last season to 10 wins – 2 losses to complete their regular season this year. is year’s team was a blast to watch play. ey were well rounded; each game there was great effort from all players. Marymount’s strength and experience came from 4-year varsity players and 2-year team captains Giovanni A. and Lotana M. who dominated their opponents with their intense play. Freshman Dominic L. was the unstoppable force. Isaac D. provided great shooting, Diego L. contributed with his all around efforts, and Alex K. was a force defensively and close to the basket on offense. Marymount Royals had a balanced attack with great post and guard play on offense. eir teamwork, defense, rebounding, intensity and team spirit were the key for a successful season! e team competed in the European Championship Tournament in Germany. Marymount beat Bitburg (Germany) and Florence International, and lost to 2 very tough teams; Hohenfels (Germany) and Black Forest Academy (Germany). Marymount Royals finished with 2 wins and 2 losses. Next year, the team will miss the efforts of seniors: Lotana M., Giovanni A., James M., Michele M., Marco M. and the gritty and feisty play of sophomore Beckett R. Team Accomplishments 2nd Place Finish in Division IV DoDDS Italian League 2 wins – 2 Loses European Championship Tournament (Germany) 10 – 2 League Record 12 – 4 Overall Record Individual Accomplishments Freshman Dominic L. 1st Team All Region, All Tournament Team - Europen Championships and 1st Team All European Senior Lotana M. 2nd Team All Region

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Text by Giorgia M. (Grade 11) Photos by Mrs. Lene Gianni and Pasquale Zinzi

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Dribble, Shot and Rebound!” ose were the words that would constantly run through our minds during basketball practices and games. It’s my third year participating in the Basketball varsity team and every year my passion for this sport grows stronger. We started our season in November, with only a few returning players and most of the team was made up of freshmen and new-comers.

Before the season started, the old players tried recruiting as many girls as we could in order to make this season successful. e first day of tryouts we were 9 girls, full of enthusiasm and energy. From who was willing to learn a new sport to who was there to refine and deepen their skills for a sport they loved. It was challenging at first for all of us. e new members were trying to acquire the basic skills and the old members who were trying to establish relationships with people who they have never played with. As the season progressed, we were all able to dribble down the court with both our hands and end our run with a layup.

Although many of our shots didn’t go in the basket, we were always determined to try again and again. During this season, we had the opportunity to travel around Italy to face very strong teams such as Naples, Vicenza and Sigonella, just to name a few.

During our games, we fought hard and set specific goals for our needs trying to improve constantly.

By the end of the season, we managed to have plays, press breakers and we were able to keep up the man-to-man defense.

We won twice against Florence after a well-fought game. Our improvements are also thanks to our coach, Ms. Pagano, who constantly believed in us and was always willing to give us suggestions and feedback in order to become better basketball players. In February we also had the privilege to go to the European Championships in Wiesbaden. We played against other teams from Germany, England and the Middle East. Although we didn’t win any games, we played our hearts out.

In spite of the small amounts of wins this season, we greatly improved and many girls learned to love this sport. is year, I had the lucky chance to meet amazing and determined young ladies who were constantly ready to shoot around and try to make three pointers. anks to basketball, I grew as a person, as it developed in me the qualities of cooperation and teamwork, which I now use on a daily basis. Basketball, brought me outside of my comfort zone and it made me become a more determined person, making me achieve many goals. Furthermore, this sport gave me the chance to develop many friendships with people that maybe I would have never though I would engage with.

In conclusion, “Basketball is a beautiful game, when five players on the court play with one heartbeat.”

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Varsity Soccer and Track & Field Text by Karen Valentini Photos Paquale Zinzi, Various

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he boys and girls soccer teams participated in the DoDDS European Soccer Championship Tournament last week in Kaiserlautern, Germany. After a tough pool play against Black Forrest Academy, Bitburg Highschool, Bahrain Highschool and AOSR, the girls finished the tournament without advancing to the semifinals. e boys won all 3 games in their pool and advanced to the semifinals against Florence International. ey beat Florence in a double overtime and penalty kicks to move on to the finals. e final championship game was against AF North and the Marymount boys showed their excellent skill and sportsmanship in a 7-0 win to reclaim the European Championship title for 2016! Congratulations to both of the teams for their hard work this season! e track & field team finished their season last weekend in Naples for their final meet. We participated in the girls 200m and 1600m races and the boys 200m, 400m, 800m, 1600m, and shot put. e team has improved each meet and looks forward to building on their success again next year.

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Middle School Sports Festival in Lisbon

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n April, the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary Lisbon School welcomed the XI International Sports Tournament of the RSHM Network of Schools, and 17 of our Middle School Students attended, representing Marymount beautifully.

î “is festival encourages team spirit, friendship, interchange and joy be between the students, teachers, sta and schools. Special thanks to Mr. Demetrius Lafitte, Ms. Karen Valentini and Ms. Jasmin Zarineh.

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Faculty News

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ormiveglia, Ms. Giovanna Iorio’s new publication, was published in May 2016 in eBook format.

Marymount’s Head of the Italian Department’s first collection of short stories can be found on the website of the publishing house Regina Zabo. Almost all the stories take place in Rome, and have elements of what is inexplicable, mysterious and surreal while the genres vary from romance to noir. For every section there is a reference to a phase of sleep. When sleep is light the stories follow suit or have elements of romance, whereas when sleep becomes deeper and reaches the REM phase the stories progressively become darker until they are nightmares...

Several of these short stories have been broadcast on Radio 3, narrated by actors and accompanied by music tracks composed by the Neapolitan band “Notturno Concertante”. Band member Lucio Lazzaruolo created original music scores to accompany each short story.

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utside of school, Mr. Roberto Cestari, Marymount’s IB Economics teacher, coaches college-age kids from Rome in 1st division American Football. e Grizzlies, as the team is called, are all Italian players plus an American quarterback. ey meet twice and sometimes three times per week from 9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. at the Salaria Sporting Village (where the games are played as well). e season’s first game was on Sunday March 6th and the final playoffs will be held during the first weekend in July (results may be found at: www.fidaf.org).

Born in Boston, Mr. Cestari came to Rome when he was 10 years old and played American football from the ages of 12 to 22. He then moved back to the U.S. and began coaching the Grizzlies in 2008 upon his return to Rome.

WELCOME NEW FACULTY Tracy Reilly Elementary School Teacher, 1st Grade Tracy started at Marymount in early January and is fulfilling a lifelong dream of teaching and living in Italy. She has taught in grades Pre K – 3rd, as well as serving as a Reading Specialist, Resource Teacher and an ELL teacher. Tracy received her Masters in Education from University of Kansas. Tracy has three grown children in the U.S. who share her love of hiking and travel.

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Photo credit: Chiara De Angelis

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s. Barbara Rosato, IB Italian Teacher, conducted a two-and-a-half day workshop on IB Italian B at Milan’s Bocconi University. is IB-approved workshop gave participating teachers the opportunity to share best practices and learn more about their subjects, offering them a range of teaching strategies and insight into assessment processes. e workshop provider is Philpot Education.

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nglish Literature and eory of Knowledge teacher, Dr. Marianna D’Ezio, presented a seminar at Università degli Studi di Roma (Roma Tre) on the topic of “Translating Women Writers: from Tradition to Transgression” citing specific examples from the works of Jane Austen (Sense and Sensibility), Charlotte Brontë (Jane Eyre) and Vera Brittain (Testament of Youth). She delved into the linguistic difficulties translators encounter in translating texts that are already well-established, and with a well-defined femminist commitment on the part of the authors as well as a strong message toward women.

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Community

Smile Olympics

By Charlie Zoffoli/Mrs. Alessandra Azzolini Photos by Mrs. Alessandra Azzolini

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n Sunday May 8th, Marymount students participated in the Smile Olympics’ 6th edition, an annual event organized by the "Operation Smile Italia onlus" foundation. More than 600 boys and girls between the ages of six and twelve, and over 100 students from Marymount, chaperoned by Mr. Charlie Zoffoli, attended this wonderful event, engaging in a myriad of sports and games including soccer, volleyball, basketball, tennis, swimming and more. Younger children had fun playing games and enjoying the musical and theatre performances, including clowns and other entertainers present.

Marymount’s 2008 Soccer Team won the "Smile Olympics" soccer tournament for the second consecutive year. Tancredi T., Santiago S., Giovanni M., Riccardo A., Lorenzo F. and Francesco L.D. from 2nd grade won in their category, surpassing the other schools' teams and also winning against an older age group in the final round during the penalty kicks. In the words of coach Mr. Merico: “we have been lucky because the opposing team shot out 4 times and they were really good. But the Marymount team did really well with lots of effort and braveness.”

Other exceptional wins include: 7th grader Beatrice M. and Arianna R.’s gold medals in the swimming competition and Camilla F. placing very well in the tennis tournament! Mr. Corradi’s Soccer 2009 teams won two matches and had great fun! Congratulations to all of Marymount’s participants!

Marymount wishes to express special thanks to the PTO, to Mr. Bernardo Corradi who has coached two teams for the entire year, and to the Niolu, Lupo, Turrisi, Savelli and Fogolin families who coached our teams, to Mrs. Alessandra Furstenberg, Mrs. Lene Gianni, Mrs. Denise Mylonas, Mrs. Cristina Chiavari, Mrs. Daniela Acampora and to all the parents and faculty who came to support their children during this wonderful day! High School students who dedicated their time include Angelica, Andrea and Alessandra R., Majd G., Anais e Briana L., Selina B., Sofia and Elena V., Belinda K. e Alberto C.

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Photo credit: Mrs. Alessandra Furstenberg

e day turned out to be fun for everyone: there was a lottery for the mothers present (as it was also Mother’s Day), delicious food, parades and more. More than 1,000 people participated, including students from our Middle and High School who volunteered their time and helped to make this day possible. Operation Smile raised more than 30,000 euro, and these funds will be used to support their mission in Nicaragua which will take place in November.

Marymount Mural

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he entrance to Marymount's Auditorium has a brand new look with its "MARYMOUNT" mural create by graffti artist/street writer Gojo (Paolo Colasanti), a gift from the PTO. Special thanks for this project go to Mrs. Daniela Acampora, Ms. Jasmin Zarineh, Ms. Maria Castelluccio and Ms. Danielle Pinkerton. Each letter contains images that represent Marymount: M international (flags of different nations) A Early Childhood and Elementary (children walking hand-in-hand towards knowledge and nature) R Middle and High school (a student is surrounded by books as knowledge grows) Y school symbols (IB logo, NHS crest, Student Council crest) M MMI’s history (Father Gailhac and Mother St. Jean Pelissier Cure; and the heart representing the RSHM) O sports at MMI U science and technology N art, drama and music T graduation

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PARENT ORGANIZATION

Operation Smile Fun Run

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n April 10th many Marymount families gathered at Piazza della Madonna dei Monti to walk or run together to help the Operation Smile Student Programs Italia raise funds for their biggest event this year. e non-competitive 4 km Fun Run was connected to the Rome Marathon. A big thank you to all who participated making this event truly successful.

Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure

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big thank you to those who signed up for the Susan G. Komen "Race for e Cure", and who joined the other 63,000 runners at this wonderful may 15th event! A 5km route through the centre of Rome in solidarity with this exceptional non-profit organization who provides research and education, teaching prevention means so that women are more aware, identifying problems earlier and making treatment easier and more effective. Komen also funds survivor groups and family support groups with therapists who specialize in cancer-specific issues.

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pecial thanks to the enthusiastic and tireless Parent Organization for creating and involving the community in so many wonderful events this second semester!

Teacher Appreciation Day

International Food Fair

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he International Food Fair took place on Saturday May 21st . Food stands included traditional specialties from Africa, Brazil, Chile, the Commonwealth, Greece, Italy, Japan, Libia, Oman, Spain and the United States of America. Everyone joined in the fun, dancing and playing games on the lawn!

In the afternoon, a Karate demonstration and ceremony led by Mr. Daniele Calanchini, Marymount’s after-school Karate teacher, took place in the Auditorium.

A big thank you to the PTO and in particular to Mrs. Musilli, Mrs. Mongiello and Mrs. Acampora for organizing a wonderful International Food Day event and also to the several parents and families who helped at the various stands, as well as to all those who participated, helping to make the celebration of our multicultural community a successful and fun-filled day for everyone. î “ank you also to the participation of the men from the Joel Nafuma Refugee Center, Mr. Sergio Mazzi with his Amway Nutrilite products stand, and to the American Citizen Services (ACS) Unit of the Consular Section who provided a voting registration service and voting material.

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Migrant Lives Matter Text and photos by Mersedeh Cerasoli

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t our October Staff Retreat, led by our Music Teacher Brian Kirby, our team volunteered at the Joel Nafuma Refugee Center organized by Danielle Morales. After a presentation and discussion upstairs, we were led downstairs to where the guests were staying for the morning. ere we found ourselves in a well lit basement among 30-40 guests, mostly men who were at this center getting supplies, playing table tennis, watching a movie, some standing around chatting together in the Resources Room with very few job listings posted on the wall.

We chatted with the guests who were curious about our visit. Some spoke English, some French, some Farsi. Everyone was so polite, so glad to share their stories about life, struggles, and now the situation they each were facing.

Each guest came forward with a different story. e men were so humble, so peaceful and surprisingly patient, full of grace. e Marymount staff volunteers enjoyed playing foozball with some guests (I scored a few goals), though it was clear after a few rounds they were letting us win! I personally found such a connection to the work being done there that the next day my 5th Grade twin daughters and I made a visit to the JNRC together.

Before going, Nika and Lola had many questions about refugees: “ Are they dangerous?”

We talked about their fears and curiosity about refugees. ey became both excited and hesitant. e deciding factor for them was that they liked the idea and the responsibility our mission: to deliver a suitcase Donation sitting in our apartment.

We arrived there with a large suitcase of mens’ clothes and shoes. Lola and Nika spent the morning with Adama in the supply room. ey took great care to count and inventory the clothes. At the JNRC, the girls did so much more than just deliver a donation. e rest of the morning girls enjoyed some creative time learning in the Art room where they made jewelry out of recycled newspaper supervised by Rakeen. He is from Afghanistan, and is also a write who has published 2 books there. He now lives in Rome from about 2 years and speaks

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almost perfect English, which he learnt in his country. Before coming to Italy, Rakeen spent 4 years in Norway where his Asylum was rejected. ey wanted to send him back to Afghanistan, where his life was in danger, and so he escaped and came to Italy where he has been given the help he needs, the proper documents and 5 years protection. “e Center is very helpful”, says Rakeen. Before coming here, Rakeen had been living outside sleeping with a blanket in the winter. “Well we did not sleep during the night...because it was so cold”, Rakeen explains the cruel reality, “but daytime, when the weather was sunny, we were searching for chairs in the park to sleep on”.

“What would it feel like to sleep with only a blanket outside? “ I asked the girls.“What about food?”, the girls asked him.. JNRC delivers breakfast to guests everday. “ ere are some Caritas around town” said Rakeen. “What would it feel like to be hungry going around looking for food? “ I asked the girls. We all pondered. en came in Baba and Adama from Nigeria who shared many stories with us and made us all laugh. Soon after we started working in the Art room, Baba wanted to take pictures of Nika and Lola together with him …. so then I pulled out my phone and asked if I could take some as well....it was agreed…. So we all clicked away!

Later that morning Sarwar walked in. He is from Afghanistan too, he spoke Farsi with me

and the girls. He asked about our lives, where we were from and how we came to live in Italy.

Due to a severe stroke in his twenties, Sarwar has lost the use of one side of his face and hand.

I worked with him on his English writing and how to use a Dictionary (which he does not own, but has the use of when he visits the center). e visit made such an impression on Nika and Lola that we all went back, the day before anksgiving. Again our mission: To deliver a suitcase Donation of mens’ and children’s clothing donated this time from Jose Costas’s 5th Grade class.

At our initial Retreat visit to the center we were given some strict rules of behavior when with the guest: do not share any personal information about yourself. No photographs. No discussion of politics... We ignored all of them. Instead we found some new friends, learnt how to make jewelry and shared our life experiences together.

Watch out, this is contagious.

Catholic Mass at Marymount Fr. Steve Bossi, CSP - Marymount Chaplain

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arymount is well known for the individual accomplishments of its students. But if there is anything that speaks of Marymount as a Catholic school, it is the emphasis on coming to know we are part of the human community: the community of our school, the communities of our city and nation, and the community of the world. We recognize that we have a responsibility to live the ways of understanding and caring in all of these communities. And we celebrate that sense of community most fully when we gather for Mass.

Catholic Mass is always an event that is done together. We gather to remember the values we share and to be challenged to live those values more fully. And so throughout the year students and teachers (and sometimes parents) assemble in the auditorium to celebrate Mass. In order to include everyone, three Masses must be held every time: one each for the Elementary, Middle and High schools. e prayers and scripture readings are carefully chosen to fit the season of the year and the concerns and needs of the moment. For example at our Lenten Masses this year we gathered to pray and offer support for the RSHM missions in Africa, most particularly to help a program for blind students in Zambia.

While I preside and preach at Mass as the Marymount Chaplain, the scripture readings and Prayers of the Faithful are always presented by students. Students also assist as altar servers and introduce and explain any special theme or activity associated with the Mass. e school choir and musicians help us raise our voices in song. e planning for these Masses is organized by our Religious Education Coordinator, Ms. Ann Haring, and her team in the Religion Department.

Some might question why the non-Catholic students are also expected to attend these school-wide Masses. e reason is that, while we worship in the Catholic tradition, we are all part of one Marymount community committed to learning and serving together. I remember long ago when I lived in a Muslim neighborhood in India, the rhythm of my life was set by the Call to Prayer from the nearby Mosque. My daily life followed the pattern of my neighbors, joining us into one community sharing the routine of our daily lives.

Although Eucharist is not the only Catholic sacrament celebrated at Marymount, it is the one that involves the entire school and is done in a way to strengthen our sense of mutual caring. To recognize the reality of God in our lives and our world, to acknowledge our shared responsibility for the world beyond ourselves, and to gain a vision of how the world might be if we join our voices and energy with the people around us – these are important steps to becoming fully human. at is what we mean by the community that is Marymount. At Mass we are inspired by the words of scripture and nourished by the Eucharist.

We pray together, inviting God’s blessing into our lives and our world. And we are sent forth to live the hopeful message we have heard. It is but a few minutes spent in our auditorium, but they are minutes intended to help us grow into the people we were ultimately created to be: caring members of the one human community.

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An Oasis of Peace - Our Marymount School Chapel - Text by Stephanie Klein ere exists a place of quiet, reflective peace in the midst of the chaos in the world, in the weary work day, and in the busy schedule of school life. It is open as long as students, teachers, and sisters are present. It is as welcoming as long as Love itself exists. is seemingly unreal place is in the heart of learning. is “Oasis of Peace in our busy lives,” is the Marymount School Chapel run by the RSHM sisters in conjunction with the Scots College and the American Paulist priests.

According to Sr. Rosaleen Sheridan, RSHM sister at Marymount, the morning Mass has been held in the school Chapel and open to teachers, students, and parents since around 2004. “e beauty of it,” Sr. Rosaleen explains, “is that it is purely an invitation to the community to come and start a new day in a very meaningful way. It is an oasis of peace in our busy lives”.

She begins setting up for Mass at 6:30 each weekday morning. e Sisters and teachers take an active role to participate in the preparation and celebration. Use of the Chapel is part of the RSHM mission to know, love, and serve God, and to make Him known to all. Mass is celebrated daily at 7:30 a.m. whenever school is in session. Priests from the Scots College on the Cassia are the celebrants. ese “back gate neighbors” have celebrated Mass at the Marymount Chapel for approximately ten years. e priests who celebrate the daily masses

on a rotating weekly schedule are Fr. Daniel Fitzpatrick, Rector; Fr. Gerald Sharkey, Vice Rector; and Fr. Mark Cassidy, Spiritual Director. ey also assist the Paulist priests at Marymount with students receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation during Lent, Advent, and First Communion.

“Although it may seem a small commitment or contribution to the life of the school community, we value greatly our involvement at Marymount,” admits Fr. Mark Cassidy. He also explains that it is part of the Scots College pastoral commitment to celebrate daily Mass with the sisters and members of the staff in a setting that is different to that of the seminary in which they themselves instruct 19 seminarians.

“We appreciate the opportunity to reflect on the readings as they speak to us in our everyday lives,”he adds. Most days there is a small group who attend, but on occasion, he observes, there is a larger congregation when staff come together to support a colleague who has suffered a bereavement in their family. “In this setting,” continues Fr. Cassidy, “we encounter men and women in the ordinary circumstances of their lives; coming to Mass with their own joys and sorrows, their own challenges and life experience.” Sr. Rosaleen concurs, adding that the Mass, “brings us together, to join in prayer and to celebrate special moments when we need each other in times of sadness and joy.”

Secondary School Assistant Principal, James Romano, regularly attends daily Mass at Marymount. He finds that it is a great way to be a part of the Marymount community and be involved in the RSHM mission. He feels that more student involvement would be a good addition. “It’s a beautiful way to start the day,” he says. David Praveen, IB Art Instructor, says he chose to come to Marymount to reaffirm his Catholic faith and to celebrate God’s love. “To me, the daily Mass has provided that opportunity which I was missing (while) working in Cairo.”

During the rest of the school day, according to Sr. Rosaleen, the Chapel becomes the central point for the life of the school. It is an invitation to those students and classes who wish to pray privately. It’s a place to come and express the moments in life when we need each other.

“It’s peace, joy, and in moments of stress a place ‘to come apart and rest for awhile’ as Jesus said,” quotes Sr. Rosaleen. On Sundays while school is in session, the Marymount Chapel is also one of the sites for the Santa Susanna Community to celebrate the 11 a.m. Mass. Father Gregory Apparcel, Pastor, and Father Steve Bossi, Associate Pastor, are the Paulist priests who take turns celebrating Mass in English for the American community in Rome.

All are welcome!

Scots College Celebrating 400 Years in Rome!

Home on the Cassia since 1964, the Scots College celebrates 400 years in Rome this year. History of the College goes back to the year 1600, and according to Father Mark Cassidy, Spiritual Director of the Scots College, there is evidence of a Scots Hospice in the city prior to that date.

“We are dedicated to the training of young men for the mission as priests in Scotland,” Cassidy states.

Currently, there are 19 men in training for dioceses in Scotland. Several of their seminarians help out in Elementary Religion classes and Secondary School retreats at Marymount as part of their education in working with young people. Many, upon return to Scotland, may possibly work with young people within their own parishes.

“Scots College was initially founded to provide a Catholic education for young Scots men,” adds Cassidy, “something which was denied them in Post Reformation Scotland.”

On the first anniversary of the martyrdom in Glasgow of the Scots Jesuit, John Ogilvie, the Rector at that time read to the student community an account of Ogilvie’s death in the ‘Acts of Martyrdom.’

Cassidy continues by stating that the 16 young men present at that time all took the Missionary Oath, dedicating themselves to return to Scotland as priests. e College is then said to have become a Seminary overnight. at date was 10th March 1616, therefore marking this year, 2016, as the Quadricentennial celebration of the Scots College in Rome.

ALUMNI NEWS

Stefano Amelio Stefano Amelio (‘96) and three childhood friends from Rome started their own business, Sweetaly Dolceria, in San Diego, California earlier this year. Using natural ingredients from local sustainable farms, their artisanal single-portion Italian desserts are based on traditional recipes from their native country. We wish Stefano and his friends the best of luck in this new enterprise!

Giulia Bongini Giulia Bongini Nacouzis (‘83) held an exhibition of her paintings in Cyprus this Spring. Giulia and family were recently posted to Cyprus from South Africa where they had been living for several years.

Spring Alumni Aperitivo & Alumni Career Networking Event On May 19th Marymount organized a Spring Alumni Aperitivo which was combined with the second Alumni Career Networking Event organized by Alumnae Claudia Del Papa ‘83 and Mary Alessi ‘80. e event was held in the Villa due to a light Spring rain, and the evening started off with good cheer as Alumni met new or reacquainted themselves with past schoolmates over a glass of crisp white wine and prosecco, accompanied by vegetable crudités and a selection of Italian cheeses and cured meats as well as other savories.

Deleese LaGarde (‘66), based in Houston, TX, was in attendance as was Giorgio Ranieri Baramki (‘13) who was happy to run into Mavi Elena (‘13), and who currently lives in Dubai where he is finishing up university in addition to having started his own chocolate-importing business. Katia Crupi Frubel, a student from ‘84, recounted how she attended MMI through Elementary School before moving to Paris where her two children attended Marymount and had Sr. Brigid as a teacher as did Katia when she was here.

Jessica omas, a student from ‘79 and Alumna, poet, and current Marymount mother Zingonia Zingone (‘89) were also happy to relive a Marymount community moment. e event featured guest speaker Mrs. Valeria Mangani, mother of current Marymount student Delfina P., former VP of AltaRoma, and founder of VM Company, a full-service communications and events planning agency that promotes "Made in Italy" heritage brands. Her presentation focused on “Careers in Fashion” and she explained how she found her passion in life (and her motto: “fashion is my passion and women are my mission”). From emerging designers to artisanal icons, Mrs. Mangani helped drive AltaRoma’s mission to support and give visibility to contemporary experimentation and traditions. She is currently developing an Artisan’s Route, a project which is in its final stages and focuses on the discovery of Rome’s sartorial heritage.

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MARYMOUNT ROME

FABLAB

a resoUrCe To BUilD UnDersTanDing, fleXiBle Thinking proCesses & proBlem-solving Learning & Discovery, Technology-supported Creativity, Inquiry & Critical thinking, Technological and Entrepreneurial skills that will prepare students for tomorrow’s professions and solve real-world problems.

a spaCe To aCCess The Tools for DigiTal Design & faBriCaTion, CoDing, roBoTiCs, makeing Cutting-edge technology and an innovative curriculum for a 2.0 education in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM).

Cre ate t he Fu t ure…

A special thank you goes to those families, past and present, who have already made a donation to help Marymount create this extraordinary space.

There is sTill Time To make The gifT ThaT keeps on giving! for more information visit www.marymountrome.org/fablab

MARYMOUNT

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL ROME Marymount International School Rome is a private, Catholic, co-educational day school where each student is valued and nurtured. We offer a challenging Pre-K through 12 American curriculum, the IB diploma program, a variety of extracurricular activities, and a vibrant community life that enriches our beautiful 40-acre campus in northern Rome.

Via di Villa Lauchli, 180 00191 Rome, Italy (+39) 06 362 9101 (+39) 06 36 30 17 (Fax) marymount@marymountrome.org

www.marymountrome.org