October 2013 newsletter

M A RY M O U N T I N T E R N AT I O N A L S C H O O L R O M E

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e are off to a great start! This year, we welcome more than 100 new families, 150 new students, and several new staff members to the Marymount community. In August, our faculty arrived and engaged in conversations about teaching and learning to best meet the needs of all students. When the students arrived, they engaged in community building activities, while parents met at the PTO Welcome Coffee to help build relationships for the new school year – all in an effort to create a sense of belonging for everyone.

This year our RSHM Summer Implementation Conference took place in Colombia, during which several staff members and I were able to visit three Marymount Schools in Bogota,

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October

INSIDE THIS ISSUE Our Goal for the Year / 3

Meet the New Faculty / 7

Impressive IB Results / 13

Varsity Sports Schedule / 16 Above: High School students gather in front of Butler Hall on the first day of school last month.

The ME Museum / 2

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e ME Museum B

uilding community and getting to know our students at the beginning of the academic year is an integral part of the Marymount curriculum. Setting a positive tone at the start of the school year has enormous benefits academically as it encourages all students to work to their full potential.

On September 13, Second Grade hosted a ME MUSEUM. Each student exhibited three items that represented themselves, their families, and their interests and hobbies. All Second Grade students had the opportunity to visit each other’s exhibitions and take the time to get to know the friends they will be learning with this year.

Ms. Jackie O’Farrell & Ms. Christine Pagano Grade 2 Teachers Clockwise from top left: Valentina discusses the items in her ME Museum.

The museum that Bulelani assembled included information on soccer, food, and Nelson Mandela. Leonardo talks about his interests with his teacher, Christine Pagano.

From Barranquilla, and Medellin. The experience allowed us to witness the RSHM mission and Marymount spirit in another part of the world.

During this conference, representatives from Marymount Schools in Colombia, Mexico, London, Paris, Rome, Portugal, New York, and Los Angeles engaged in conversations and shared ideas related to keeping the RSHM mission – to know and Love God, to make God known and loved… so that all may have life – and the RSHM traditions at the forefront of our work.

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Headmistress

While in Colombia, our school team planned for our yearly school focus among the Goals & Criteria for RSHM Schools.

Our school goal this year is “To encourage and affirm personal growth.” You can read more about this in an article on the next page by religion teacher and Implementation Committee Chair Ann Haring.

Our time together also allowed us to plan our yearly Network events, such as the Middle School Sports Festival, which we will host in here Rome; the Middle School MUN in Paris; and the Drama Festival in London. These events provide

the opportunity for our students to better understand the commonalities and connections within the RSHM Network as well as build relationships with students from the other Marymount schools.

All of us at Marymount are committed to developing students academically, socially, and spiritually. Our RSHM mission and international community provide the environment for students to engage in a rigorous academic program, be part of a diverse social community, and explore their individual beliefs and spirituality.

(Cont. from Page 1)

As always, I look forward to our continued work together in providing a successful school year for all. Together we can achieve the impossible!

Ms. Maria Castelluccio Head of School

CHANGE OF DATE

Please note a change on the October calendar: Oct. 10 Oct. 17

Full Day of School Faculty In-Service School closes at 12:30pm (no lunch served)

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Personal Growth To Encourage and Affirm

News from the Marymount Implementation Committee

is Goal for the Year

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id you know that Marymount International School of Rome is part of a worldwide network of Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary schools? The network is an international partnership of 19 schools, spanning four continents and educating more than 17,000 students. All of the schools seek to implement the Mission of the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary: "To know and love God, To make God known and loved, To proclaim that Jesus Christ has come in order that all may have life."

RSHM Constitutions #7

The Institute of the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary (RSHM), was founded in BĂŠziers, France in 1849 by Venerable Jean Gailhac and

Mère St. Jean (pictured above, 1st and 2nd from left). From its very foundation, the first religious community was drawn to the educational apostolate.

Since that time, the Sisters have been engaged in the ministry of education in 16 countries on four continents.

The first schools were established in the United States in the late 19th century

by Mother Butler (3rd from left above).

While the education of the whole person is the general aim of all schools, Sacred Heart of Mary schools are committed to the attainment of this goal through a deep personal belief in God, who calls each person to the fullness of life.

This mission finds expression in the six Goals and Criteria, which are implemented in all the schools belonging to the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary network.

This year, our school will focus on the criteria listed below from Goal #4, which is to encourage

As a school community...

and affirm personal growth. In future newsletters, we will share highlights of the important work we are doing here at Marymount to help each student to grow and achieve the fullness of life!

Ms. Ann Haring Elementary School Religion

We conduct our relationships according to the principles of honesty, compassion, and mutual respect.

We promote a high standard of self-discipline and instill a deep sense of personal responsibility.

We encourage appropriate independent action and effective participation in the community.

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Off to a Great Start

R. EVANS

Students embark on goal for the year during Middle School Orientation Grade 6 student Aisha enjoys her turn on the ropes at EUR during the Middle School Orientation.

hat do jumping from the tree tops, navigating an obstacle course blindfolded, and playing tombola with retirees have in common? They are all part of the Middle School Orientation program that took place during the start of school this year for students in Grades 6-8.

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The two-day program served several purposes, including the opportunity for the students to get to know one another better, particularly in light of the large number of new students joining the Marymount community this year. Together, they braved ropes courses at Treja and EUR. They visited a retirement home run by the Little Sisters

of the Poor and spread smiles and friendship among the residents there. They also participated in team building and character building activities on campus.

The following week, the students wrote about their orientation experiences in their English classes while considering the school’s goal for this year: To encourage and affirm personal growth. Had anything happened to them during these two days to make them feel that they had taken a step further in their own personal growth?

Students gave examples of pushing themselves beyond

their comfort zones and taking (educated) risks when on the ropes at Treja. They also told stories about problem solving together supported by the warm encouragement of their friends.

They also explained how the visit to The Little Sisiters of the Poor had opened up some of their eyes as they listened to the stories of these elderly people, who had once been young and carefree themselves and who had so many memories and good advice to pass on. They reflected on these experiences during class and made many connections between the orientation days and this year’s goal.

In the excerpts that follow, Grade 8 students describe visiting the retirement home and the lessons they learned from interacting with the people who live there.

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o encourage and affirm personal growth. As soon as I heard this phrase, I understood everything. Orientation days mean a place where you find yourself. Yes, it’s true that you are with your friends. Yes, it’s true that you’re swinging from one rope to another.

But if you look deep, deep down, you start to notice that you are growing. You start to be more mature and responsible. And the most beautiful thing is that you’re growing with a community, with a family.

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CAMPUS AND RETIREMENT HOME PHOTOS: J. DUNN; TREJA PHOTO: T. GERBER; EUR PHOTO: R. EVANS

You should have seen us when we went to the Little Sister’s of the Poor old people’s home. We went in there as youngsters do; we laughed, and we didn’t look to the future but just enjoyed the present. If you think about it, the future is always going to become the present. These old folks cannot play tag anymore, they cannot run around being carefree, but their spirits can.

Understanding this, I became wiser and more conscious of my present. Orientation makes you understand that feeling that cannot be written on paper, but that you can feel coming from the most sensible part of your body: your heart!

– Alan, 8

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t first I didn’t know what to say. I felt an urge to start a conversation to entertain (one elderly lady) but it was difficult.

With some effort I started speaking to her. I could see how a smile would start growing on her face each time I smiled. This made me happy. I have grandparents too, and picturing them in an old people’s home is not really nice, so I thought of these people as my family. I helped straighten the little pillow below her leg to be more comfortable. I never stopped talking, just to avoid any horrible silences, and I could feel that she really appreciated that.

But nothing would break my heart more than a little lady I saw who told me that she had twisted her ankle and was in such pain that she didn’t feel like having any company.

However, later she asked to sit at the table where we were playing tombola and my friend helped her play.

So on this orientation day I think I grew. I overcame some fears, I helped people and I talked to them and the thing I won’t forget are the smiles the people gave me when I talked to them: that was so meaningful to me.

– Sofia, 8

Clockwise from top left: Grade 6 student Claudio (right) helps guide his blindfolded classmate, Silvio, through an obstacle course on the front lawn. A resident of the Little Sisters of the Poor retirement home compliments Grade 8 student Matteo and his classmates after their musical performance. Another resident of the home engages Grade 8 students in conversation. Grade 6 student Steven navigates the ropes course in EUR. Grade 7 students prepare to take the plunge at the ropes course at Treja.

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he visit to the Little Sisters of the Poor always makes me more open-minded and respectful of the people who live there. This year I talked to a very clever woman called Fiorella.

She told me lots of inspiring things. One of them was this: “I never feel alone because I’m always curious about what surrounds me, so even if I’m 88 years old, I never stop learning.

Therefore girls – read, travel, and don’t ever lose your curiosity.” These words made me reflect about myself and my education. In other words, in these short orientation days, I think I grew as a person.

– Alice, 8

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hen we arrived [at the retirement home], we started talking to different people, and as they talked I learned to be more patient as they kept going on with their stories. I found it very interesting listening to the stories of their lives, and I noticed how their experiences also affected their personalities.

Alfred had lived in many places such as Australia, Germany, and the United States, and he told us how these places had changed over the years. Grazia told us that she had left school early to go to work for her mother and so had not had much education.

Maria had never traveled but she loved to read and imagine how the rest of the world was. I will never forget her words. She told us that we only have one life and we should live it to the fullest, and I totally agree with that.

Orientation is a really powerful way of connecting with others and in growing personally.

Seeing a group of friends helping and encouraging each other is beautiful, but being part of that group helping others is even better.

– Isabelle, 8

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A familiar face returns as the new Elementary School principal

Meet the Principal aria Sweeney, the new elementary principal comes back to Marymount after spending a year with her family teaching and learning in China.

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Mrs. Sweeney has a strong educational background, having received her Bachelor’s Degree from Loyola

We provide opportunities to develop skills for effective decision making and leadership. from the Goals & Criteria for the RSHM Schools

Marymount University in Los Angeles, her Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction and teaching certification from UCLA, and a Post-Master’s Degree in Second Language Acquisition from Eastern University. Mrs. Sweeney also received her Principal Certification in July 2013.

Most importantly, she has been a teacher for more than 20 years and she remains passionate about making sure that every child is valued, respected, and challenged.

Mrs. Sweeney began her association with Marymount International School Rome in 1994 when she was hired to

teach Fourth Grade. Since then, she has also taught First and Fifth Grades, served as Curriculum Coordinator for three years, and as Assistant Elementary Principal for one year.

A first generation ItalianAmerican who speaks fluent Italian, Mrs. Sweeney is joined by her husband, Joe, who teaches IB Economics in the Secondary School, and their three children: Marisa, Jake, and Lara.

Mrs. Sweeney is thrilled to be back in Rome and looks forward to an exciting year of learning in the Elementary School!

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Welcome!

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We are delighted to welcome a group of terrific new teachers to the Marymount community this year. Coming to us from the United States, Scotland, and Bulgaria, these new members of our faculty and staff are sharing their extensive expertise and enthusiasm with our students both in an out of the classrooms.

Please join us in giving them a warm Marymount welcome!

Lisa Csicsila Grade 4

Lisa Csicsila grew up in North Carolina and received her BA in Elementary Education from the University of North CarolinaWilmington. Ms. Csicsila has taught Fourth Grade, Kindergarten, and First Grade. She enjoys traveling and spending time with her husband and three sons. She loves working with children and is excited to be at Marymount this year.

Brian Kirby

Elementary Music

Brian Kirby studied Music and French in his native North Carolina, and then moved to Paris where he worked at the Marymount School on the annual school musical. With his wife, a U.S. Diplomat, he moved to Thailand and then back to Paris. They moved to Rome this summer with their daughter, Analisse, a new Marymount Sixth Grader. Mr. Kirby enjoys biking and snowboarding as well as music.

Megan Hallam School Psychologist

A native of the Philadelphia area, Megan Hallam dreamed of living in Italy from an early age. As part of her undergraduate work in psychology she attended Istituto Lorenzo de Medici in Florence for a semester and became interested in cross cultural and developmental psychology.

She completed a masters degree in psychology at Villanova University, which included conducting research in Italy. Ms. Hallam earned an Educational Specialist degree in school psychology from The College of William and Mary and has spent the last decade working in schools and communities both in the U.S. and Italy. Her two children will join her as students at Marymount, and her family is excited for the opportunity to live in one of their favorite cities. Above all, Ms. Hallam looks forward to partnering with parents, colleagues, and students to ensure student success here at Marymount.

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New Faculty & Staff C O N T I N U E D F R O M T H E P R E V I O U S PA G E

Dominic Harkins Secondary Religion

A graduate of Manchester University, Dominic Harkins is delighted to arrive at Marymount after an enriching and diverse career in teaching, which so far has included three years as a lay missionary teacher in rural Zimbabwe, both mainstream and additional support need establishments in Scotland and England, and international schools in Spain, Tanzania, and Mozambique. His experience has mostly been in the field of religious education in the Catholic sector and in teaching history. As well as hoping to help the pupils to grow in their love of God in school, Mr. Harkins is looking forward to working with colleagues, pupils and parents at Marymount to build upon the existing, precious tradition of reaching out to people who are disadvantaged – a tradition that lies at the very heart of the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary's charism.

He has strong family ties with Italy, having a Venetian mother, and has a knowledge and love for Africa, which includes a good grasp of Swahili. As well as being a passionate gardener, Mr. Harkins keenly follows the fortunes and misfortunes of Celtic FC.

Kerry Keating

Middle School Social Studies

A Connecticut native, Kerry Keating has been working with students of all ages as either a teacher, coach, or outdoor education facilitator for the better part of 20 years. She has studied, coached and taught in the USA, as well as in England, Ireland, El Salvador, Japan, Kuwait, Libya, Thailand, and now Italy. Her students have been rich, poor, and everything in between. They have been Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh, and Muslim. She says she could list many differences among the students and athletes with whom she has worked over the years, however, she says that despite their differences, they have one thing in common – they all like learning and they all love learning what it is that they are great at learning! She looks forward to learning with students here at Marymount International School. Ms. Keating earned a Bachelors degree in history and literature from Roanoke College in Virginia where she was an All-American in lacrosse. She also earned a M. Phil degree in International Peace Studies from Trinity College Dublin, and holds a secondary teaching certification from the College of New Jersey.

Valerie Hocker Middle School Art

Valerie Hocker has been traveling her entire life. The daughter of an American Military father, she has lived in many states and even in Verona, Italy as a child. As the wife of an American Military husband she continued to move around the United States and spent three years living and teaching in Guam. Ms. Hocker has taught all grade levels and several different subjects. Most recently she was a high school art teacher at a Catholic school in Jacksonville, Florida. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Art Education from Millersville University in Pennsylvania, a Master’s degree in Educational Technology from Mount Saint Mary’s University in Maryland, and a Specialist Degree in Catholic School Leadership from Barry University in Florida. She has raised six children, five of whom have attended college and live in the United States. Ms. Hocker is joined here in Rome by her youngest daughter Hannah, who is attending John Cabot University. In her free time she likes to travel and explore new places. Ms. Hcoker looks forward to exploring the art and history, as well as the spiritual growth opportunities, that are available here in Rome!

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Ivan Tcherepov

Secondary Physical Education

Ivan Tcherepov was born and raised in Bulgaria. He was a professional swimmer for many years, eventually earning the title of national swimming champion of Bulgaria. He spent much of his professional teaching career in the United States where he taught in elementary, middle, and high school grades in both public and private schools. He holds teaching certifications in Georgia and Florida. Mr. Tcherepov looks forward to working with all of the Marymount community to promote an excellent middle school physical education program and a range of after school activities.

Karen Valentini

Secondary Physical Education Born in New York and raised in Texas, Karen Valentini has been teaching since 2005.

She graduated from Texas Tech University in 2001 with a double major in Public Relations and Spanish and started her career in corporate advertising. She subsequently decided to follow her true calling as a teacher and coach and went back to school to obtain her teaching certificate. Ms. Valentini has played soccer for almost 20 years, including on a Texas State championship team and club teams and was part of the Olympic Development Program. She started her high school teaching career in 2005 and in 2006 began to coach a girls varsity soccer team, which she led to winning their first playoff game in school history. In her second year the team went on to win the district championship and Ms. Valentini was named District Girls Soccer Coach of the Year. With family ties in Italy, she moved to Rome in 2009, got certified as an EFL teacher, and taught English. Ms. Valentini enjoys traveling, photography, cooking, reading, and playing and watching all sports! She is excited to join the team at Marymount and wishes all students, faculty, and staff a great 2013-2014!

And Welcome Back!

We are delighted that these teachers have returned to Marymount in new roles this year: Nina Catalano Fifth Grade

Claudia DeRocchis First Grade

Giulia di Ruscio EC Assistant/Afterschool & Bus Coordinator

Francesca Fava EC Teacher Assistant

Georgia Fazi EC Teacher Assistant

Joseph Sweeney Secondary Economics Roger Williams Secondary Music

Veblena Zapparoli Elementary Art

Jasmin Zarineh Middle School Coordintaor

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nglish and Italian teacher in the Secondary School Marianna D’Ezio participated in two scholarly conferences in recent months. In August, she appeared at “Imagined Worlds: Worldmaking in Arts and Literature,” an international conference organized by the University of Helsinki. The conference focused on the imagined worlds created by artistic and literary works.

In September, Dr. D’Ezio participated in the Fourth Conference of the Italian Society and British Society for Eighteenth Century Studies at the University of Viterbo.

Additionally, an essay by Dr. D’Ezio is included in the volume Slavery: Histories, Fictions, Memory recently published

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by Liguori Editore. The book is an international crossdisciplinary collection of essays, engaging critically in the historical and contemporary discourses of slavery. Congratulations, Dr. D’Ezio!

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econdary School Italian teacher Giovanna Iorio took part in a worldwide initiative called “100 Thousand Poets for Change” for which poets across the planet participated in a demonstration and celebration of poetry to promote serious social and political change.

The event took place on September 28 with a series of poetry events in cities throughout the world. The event in Rome featured a poetry workshop led by Ms. Iorio and other poets for

Bates describes his use of the Jovian Moons Applet and Kepler’s third law of planetary motion to calculate the mass of our solar system’s largest planet. An abstract of the article appears on the American Association of Physics Teachers website at tpt.aapt.org.

children at the Explora Museum. Additionally, Ms. Iorio was invited to contribute her work to an accompanying anthology that includes 29 Italian poets.

Brava!

Congratulations, Dr. Bates, for another insightful article!

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stronomy enthusiasts who would like to know more about the planet Jupiter are encouraged to read an article

by Secondary School Physics teacher Alan Bates that appears in this month’s issue of The Physics Teacher magazine. In his article, Dr.

We encourage appropriate independent action and effective participation in the community. from the Goals & Criteria for the RSHM Schools

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Elementary Librarian Named to School Library Association Honour List

The Readers’ Choice M

arymount’s Elementary School Librarian, Ms. Sally Cameron, is one of four finalists for the prestigious Librarian of the Year Award, which is bestowed upon one school librarian each year by the UK-based School Library Association (SLA).

The School Library Association created the School Librarian of the Year Award in 2004 to recognize the excellent work carried out in school libraries every day and to highlight best practice by celebrating those librarians whose work is outstanding.

Librarians are nominated for this award by their colleagues and provide a range of paperwork to support their nomination. A committee of the SLA then selects a short list of approximately 6 or 7 individuals and arranges for a two-member panel to visit with each of them at their respective schools. Reports from these visits form the basis for the selection of the finalists.

Ms. Cameron, who is originally from the UK, came to Marymount in 1997 as a teacher in the Early Childhood program and has been the Elementary School Librarian since 2007. Viewing the library as both a scholastic resource and an environment that encourages a lifelong love of reading, Ms. Cameron introduced a number of

innovations that contribute to these aims. Among these are the popular Rise & Read program, which encourages children and their parents to read together in the library prior to the start of the school day, and a system of grouping books by topic, regardless of whether they are fiction or nonfiction.

In reference to this honor, Head of School Maria Castelluccio remarked, “At Marymount we place a strong emphasis on reading as a cornerstone of intellectual and

personal growth. Sally Cameron has done a tremendous job in making the Elementary School Library a place where our students, faculty, and parents not only enjoy reading but truly celebrate it.”

Ms. Cameron and the other three finalists will be honored at a ceremony held on October 7 in London at which time the winner of the SLA School Librarian of the Year 2013 will be announced.

Good luck, Ms. Cameron!

Elementary School Librarian Sally Cameron is one of four finalists for the Librarian of the Year Award from the School Library Association.

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Restoring Trust in Medicine Faculty member discusses bioethics at Harvard University roundtable his past June, I participated in an executive roundtable entitled, “Bioethics and the Pharmaceutical Industry� held at the Edmond J. Safra Center of Ethics at Harvard University.

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Thirty individuals were invited to come to Cambridge, Massachusetts to participate and could choose either June 19 or July 16. Among the attendees were members of the senior management at international pharmaceutical companies, including Merck, Pfizer, Astra Zeneca, Lilly, Johnson & Johnson, Roche & Genentech, Sanofi, and Salvatore Alesci of PhRMA; Harvard University professors; board members of Bioethics International; fellows at the Center; and biostatisticians.

The mission of the pharmaceutical industry is to find, develop, produce, and

market medicines and therapies that are most critical to saving and improving our lives, if possible. However, there is documented skepticism regarding the general ethics of drug companies. Therefore, the initiative of restoring trust in health care via an accreditation program or a rating system has been a key endeavor of Bioethics International (BEI) for the past five years; the time of my tenure as vice-president.

In researching various ways companies can demonstrate superior quality and communicate differentiated quality commitments to stakeholders, BEI was most interested in maximizing and incentivizing the adoption of quality calibrated to ethics. Our work focused on designing an independent excellence in ethics accreditation program that should help determine if

companies are meeting set ethical standards. It could also help companies communicate their verified efforts to the public, thereby rebuilding trust where merited. Another alternative, a rating system, would focus on specific products of a company and the preceding clinical trials. The rating system concept emerged as the preferred choice following the Harvard roundtable.

The most significant milestone to overcome in the initiative was gaining corporate cooperation. The two meetings achieved this goal, and BEI is now poised to launch the pilot program with more than one company who participated in the roundtable. As a secondary school teacher, I took away from this experience and shared with my students in the Religious Studies program, Grade 11 Morality & Ethics,

Dr. Marie-Catherine Letendre

that there are viable ways to tackle large problems and persuade others of the high impact potential of restoring trust.

Marie-Catherine Letendre, PhD

Secondary School Religious Studies and Social Studies

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Perfect score in the Class of 2013 on the International Baccalaureate

An Exceptional Year for the IB

e are delighted to announce that one of our recent graduates, Matej Vučak, achieved a top score of 45 points as his final IB score.

This means that Matej achieved not only the highest grade of 7 in all his academic courses but also three full bonus points on the extra core IB Diploma components of an Extended Essay and course in Theory of Knowledge.

attending their top university choices.

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Matej is one of 108 students in the world who achieved a perfect IB score and this puts him in the top 0.2% of IB Diploma candidates worldwide.

We are very proud of Matej for his great accomplishment and of all his teachers for their work in helping Matej reach his potential.

In addition to this big news, the school’s average point score of 33 is also a very impressive mean grade. Well above norms

Matej Vučak earned a perfect IB score of 45 points.

for world average, our grade is especially impressive in light of our entry selection, which reflects the school ethos on supporting the whole student rather than on strict academic entrance requirements. Almost half of our students performed in the top 20th percentile of IB students worldwide, and the vast majority of Marymount students met their personal academic goals and are

One other noteworthy statistic is the 66% of our student body who received bilingual Diplomas. This extra qualification is awarded to students who show advanced fluency in English, our principal language of instruction, and at least one other first language.

This high percentage of bilingual diplomas, much higher than the usual world average of 33%, reflects the

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For a number of years, Marymount has partnered with Caritas to provide volunteers on a regular basis for its soup kitchens in Colle Oppio and near Termini. These locations provide meals to those in our community who would otherwise go hungry owing to the circumstances they face.

Inevitably, our volunteers find their time at the soup kitchens rewarding, and many of our students discover that the variety of circumstances that lead people to the soup kitchens is as diverse as the guests who find sustenance and comfort there.

Congratulations to all the students for their hard work and to the entire Marymount Community for its support in continuing to make Marymount a leading IB World School.

Ms. Lucy Alexander IB Coordinator

I N T E R N AT I O N A L B A C C A L A U R E AT E R E S U LT S average mean point score MMI World

2010 32 29.5

2011 33 29

2012 32 29

2013 33 29.8

MMI World

2010 92% 78%

2011 97% 78%

2012 91% 78%

2013 91% 78%

pass rate

Soup Kitchen Volunteers hroughout the school year, students, faculty, and parents can enjoy the satisfaction of helping those less fortunate than themselves by volunteering at local soup kitchens.

truly international character of our student body. Students in the class of 2013 studied English along with Italian, Chinese, Spanish, French, and German.

The first volunteer opportunity will take place this month on October 19 at the Colle Oppio Soup Kitchen from 10am to 2:30pm. Grade 10-12 students, teachers, and parents are encouraged to volunteer for the 15 available places. Please see Mr. Harkins to sign up.

We are committed to an active social service program. from the Goals & Criteria for the RSHM Schools

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College Counselor College Visits

Starting in September university representatives began visiting Marymount to speak with interested students.

The list of appointments at right shows the great variety of universities so far scheduled to visit during the first months of school.

Meeting for Grade 10 Parents

On Thursday, October 3, Marymount’s College Counselor, Mr. Terrence McAndrews, will offer a presentation to parents of students in Grade 10. During this informative session, Mr. McAndrews will provide an overview of the college counseling process during 10th

UPCOMING PTO EVENTS

Varsity Pep Rally & Students vs. Teachers Volleyball Match Friday, October 4

Halloween Party

Saturday, October 26

PTO Bake Sale

Thursday, November 21

St. Nicholas Day for EC and Elementary Friday, December 6

PTO Christmas Party Wednesday, December 18

and 11th grades and explain what parents should expect and what support the school provides as their children explore various options in higher education.

Preliminary SAT

The Preliminary SAT (PSAT) will take place at Marymount on October 17. This is a shortened “practice” version of the SAT used by many U.S. universities to help evaluate candidates for admission.

As in the past, all Grade 10 students will take the test as a first step towards preparation for university admissions.

They will be joined by Grade 11 students who are considering U.S. universities and who should take the full SAT later this year. No registration process is required, and the school assumes the entire cost of administering the PSAT. Mr. Terrence McAndrews College Counselor

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Barnard College Wellesley College Sep. 20 at 2:20pm

John Cabot University Sep. 25 at 9:55am Boston University Sep. 30 at 2:20pm Babson College Oct. 2 at 8:30am

Imperial College London Kings College London London School of Economics University College London Oct. 14 at 2pm Pomona College Oct. 23 at 2:20pm

Providence College Oct. 25 at 8:30am

University of the Arts (London) Nov. 8 at 11:25am

Suffolk University Nov. 15 at 8:30am

Parent-Teacher Organization M

any thanks to the members of the Marymount ParentTeacher Organization for helping to make the start of our school year even better. Last month, the PTO got right down to business by hosting a very popular Ice Cream Social on September 13. The after school event on the patio attracted a large crowd of students and parents who enjoyed a tempting selection of ice cream on a beautiful latesummer afternoon.

The PTO also hosted a lovely Welcome Breakfast on September 18 and a Family

BBQ on September 29. Many new and returning families gathered on the campus for these events and enjoyed a chance to get to know each other better.

The dedicated members of the PTO work enthusiastically throughout the year to create opportunities to build community and raise funds in support of school projects.

Top: Students and parents alike enjoyed the Ice Cream Social held on the patio last month. Bottom: A number of families generously provided delicious baked goods for the PTO Welcome Breakfast on September 18.

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Santa Susanna T H E

C O M M U N I T Y

M A R Y M O U N T

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n almost every Sunday morning of the school year, the Community of Santa Susanna Church at Marymount celebrates Mass at 11am in the Marymount Chapel. Everyone is very welcome to participate in this Sunday liturgy, which is geared to the family, especially children. Everyone who attends is invited to register as parishioners of Santa Susanna Church and participate in all of the other Masses and programs both here and at Santa Susanna on Via Venti Settembre in Rome’s historic center.

The Paulist Fathers serve the Santa Susanna and Marymount communities; Fr. Steve Bossi is the new vice rector of Santa Susanna and Marymount’s Chaplain, and Fr. Greg Apparcel is rector of Santa Susanna and longtime friend of our school through his work with our Board of Regents for the past decade.

Marymount’s Confirmation candidates will receive this sacrament on May 17, 2014 at Santa Susanna, while the First Communion Mass will take place on May 10, 2014. More detailed information on these sacraments is forthcoming.

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The atmosphere of the Sunday 11am Mass is very welcoming and lively, and afterwards everyone has a chance to visit and make new friends over coffee, juices, and treats. On Sunday, October 13, the community has its usual 11am Mass followed by a ParishWide Welcoming Picnic, to which everyone is invited.

People bring pastas, salads and desserts, and hamburgers, hotdogs and beverages are served.

This fall, Fr. Greg is offering six Spiritual Walking Tours of historic Churches in Rome on Thursdays, which began on September 26. He is also offering four Spiritual Enrichment Sessions for Parents on weekday mornings in October at Marymount, this year focusing on “Catholicism in the Movies”, offering discussion and film clips about how Catholicism is portrayed

by Hollywood (and Cinecittà!).

These mornings are sponsored by the PTO. Dates and details to follow.

Still available to everyone is the most recently published edition of As Romans Do. This 144-page book, available at no charge, is a parish handbook, a guide to spiritual life in Rome,

Left: Fr. Greg Apparcel, Rector of S. Susanna, hosts the St. Nicholas Charity Serata. Right: Fr. Steve Bossi, S. Susanna’s Vice Rector, is Marymount’s new Chaplain.

and a practical guide to life in the Eternal City. It is filled with historical photos from the church’s archives as well as current photos from the past three years. You can pick up As Romans Do at the 11am Mass on Sundays.

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inally, everyone at Marymount is invited to help plan and participate in Santa Susanna’s annual St. Nicholas Charity Serata (Dinner Dance, Auction and Raffle) on Saturday evening, December 7, right here at Marymount. All of the proceeds for this wonderful evening go directly to nine specific Roman charities, which assist the poor, refugees, AIDS patients,

orphans, mentally and physically handicapped children, the sick and the elderly in the Roman community.

If you have any specific needs or questions for Fr. Greg or Fr. Steve, please feel free to call either of them at 06.488.2748, and please join us at the 11am Mass. Though Santa Susanna Church is temporarily closed for restoration, please check the santasusanna.org website for the schedule of Masses in English near the Church, in addition to the 11am Mass at school.

Fr. Greg Apparcel Rector, Santa Susanna Church

VARSITY Sports FALL 2013

VOLLEYBALL Sep 20/21 - at Aviano Sep 27/28 - at Naples Oct 4/5 - Sigonella Oct 11/12 - AOSR Oct 18/19 - at Vicenza Oct 25/26 - at Naples

Oct 29 - Nov 3 Boys Mediterranean Championships Girls European Championships in Kaiserslautern, Germany

TENNIS

Sep 20/21 - at Aviano Sep 27/28 - at Naples Oct 4 - Florence Oct 11 - Florence Oct 18/19 - at Vicenza

CROSS COUNTRY Sep 20/21 - at Aviano Sep 27/28 - at Naples Oct 4/5 - at Sigonella Oct 12 - AOSR Oct 18/19 - at Vicenza

Oct 22 - 27 Oct 25 - 26 European Championships in European Championships in Wiesbaden, Germany Baumholder, Germany

Go Royals!

The PTO Halloween Party!

MARYMOUNT

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL ROME Via di Villa Lauchli, 180 00191 Rome, Italy (+39) 06 362 9101

www.marymountrome.org

Saturday, October 26 2-5pm at Marymount Dress up in your most groovy or ghoulish costume and join in the fun & games, tricks & treats, face painting, and great snacks! All proceeds support the work of the Marymount PTO.

This newsletter is published monthly by the Development Office for the Marymount community.

Designed and edited by J. Dunn Photography by J. Dunn unless noted otherwise.

This paper is 100% derived from well-managed forests.

PLEASE RECYCLE

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