Summer Bulletin 2022
People of Hope
Marymout Matters
TABLE OF CONTENTS Letter from the Headmistress Graduation 2022 Valedictorian CollegeCommencementAddressAddressDestinations School News Middle School Graduation Summer Arts Festival Shakespeare Festival High School Musical Reading Recommendations Re-opening the Sports Hall One in Alumnae:Servicefillin our summer survey! Upcoming OpportunitiesEventstoGive 1 2 98764 10 11 12 17161514
Thankfully, for the most part, this had been realised by the end of the academic year and we were delighted to welcome our wider community to campus for our end of year events. As the year concludes, it feels appropriate to pause and reflect on the many successes, achievements, and opportunities for growth our students and community have had through the course of this year. I hope you will enjoy reading a few highlights of school life in the coming pages. We were delighted to officially open the beautifully refurbished Sports Hall at the start of June and are currently exploring the feasibility of our next capital project, the redevelopment of the Science block. We continue to work in line with our strategic plan and we have identified further projects for the coming months and years, particularly regarding bursary support and community partnerships. Thank you for your partnership, support, and engagement this year, it is greatly valued. I hope you and yours have a wonderful summer break, which is restful and restorative. I look forward to welcoming you to campus when you are next able to join us. I have thoroughly enjoyed my first full academic year here at Marymount: every day I am reminded of the privilege it is to lead this wonderful school and be part of this community.
1
Welcome to the summer edition of Marymount Matters. This year, staff and student retreats centred on the theme ‘People of Hope’. This felt a fitting theme as we emerged from the challenges of the pandemic, hopeful for a more ‘normal’ academic year.
With warm wishes from Marymount, Mrs. Margaret Giblin Headmistress
2
Graduation 2022
AddressValedictorian Sofía Masondo, Class of 2022 In late September 2021, at the beginning of the senior year, around 15 freshfaced geography students picked up our suitcases and went on our IA research trip to the Isle of Wight. After a couple of years without being able to take school trips, we were so excited to see some new landscapes and set foot on different ground. We had an amazing time collecting samples and exploring the city. We were very lucky with hot, sunny weather, and we had just the right balance of work and play to have an enriching and truly entertaining trip. We made some really wonderful memories. As Dr. Forrest rightly reminds us; the IB diploma is the most academically rigorous secondary school programme in the world. We’ve tackled this challenge with characteristic enthusiasm but not without struggle and, sometimes, doubts. It has occasionally proven difficult to see where all this effort has been leading, even when we are reassured that universities love IB students, and it will be worth it when you’re older. Well, I’m older than I was on that trip (even if only by a few months) and I can confidently say that it was worth every moment. The pride that we all feel now, being here on this stage, cannot be put into words. Taking the IB has taught us that often if something is difficult, it’s worth doing even more. We’ve learned not only the valuable academic skills of time management and independent learning but also personal skills of showing each other kindness, collaboration, being steadfast in our values and open-minded to new ideas.
3
Just because we finished with our diplomas, that doesn’t mean we’re quite finished with Marymount. Whether you’re a boarder or not, this school has become our home away from home. Each senior, no matter how long they’ve been part of the Class, has become an essential part of a deeply interconnected web of support and cherished memories. We’ve learned immeasurable amounts together - from our teachers, our Houseparents, families, friends, and from ourselves. Most importantly, we’ve grown together and throughout the last two years we’ve joined together against adversity, I believe this is our greatest strength. The challenges that we faced have made us into the students, friends, and individuals that we are today, and of that we should be extremely proud. We’ve all come from very different places, and we didn’t always know where we would end up at the end of High School. However, each of us has been dreaming about this stage in our own ways for years. When you think about all our different complex and winding life stories, bringing us from school to school and from country to country, it’s almost miraculous that we’re all here together. That in itself is something to celebrate - that something so unlikely has become something so beautiful.Although we all may be going our separate ways, we will never really be apart. Many will stay here in London, some of us will disperse around the UK, and others will fly halfway across the globe, but the bond we feel will last. We will not be defined by our exam results, by the universities we go to, or by the jobs that we work, but by the way that we’ve built community, despite and perhaps because of difficult times. Now that we’re sharing this celebration together, let’s look back on the incredible success that we’ve had and look forward to the joy that the future holds for us. I wish my classmates clarity of minds and calm in their hearts; I wish them fond memories from their time here but also I hope they create new and even more exciting ones wherever they go. Most importantly, I wish my classmates hope and confidence in the fact that if they’ve done this, they really can do anything. I’ll close the speech with Mr Marcou’s favourite phrase that has kept many of us going and I mean it truly to everyone sat here today: “thank you and God bless.”
Holly Williams, International CorrespondentWarandMarymountparent
Commencement Address
This ceremony for these wonderful young women is fundamentally about hope. Marymount’s Grade 12 are about to finally fly the nest to write their own fates. From now on, their teachers and parents can only watch to see what they’ll do with this extraordinary opportunity that is life, so this is a time of great Whenhope.theSchool contacted me about speaking, I didn’t feel very hopeful. In fact, I felt the opposite; it was a moment of despair for me. I had just returned from a warzone where I spent most of the first four months of this year. What I’d seen and heard had shaken my trust in my fellow humans, and it had shaken my belief that we can create a better, more just, and more peaceful world. It’s not the first time that I have felt that despair, that complete loss of hope doing the job that I do. I felt it when I interviewed the family of a young man who was wrongly executed by his own government. I felt it when filming a cemetery filled with hundreds of migrants who drowned off the coast of North Africa, buried in numbered graves because nobody knew their names. I felt it when I covered the battle for Raqqa, the so-called ISIS capital, and saw the remains of suicide bombers, young men who ended their own lives for an empty dream sold to them by extremists. Sometimes the pain and sheer injustice of what I encounter doing my job is overwhelming, but that despair isn’t permanent. It’s never been permanent, and I want to tell you why. I started thinking back over where I’ve been, what I’ve seen, and the people I’ve met. What I find is that these same people who are suffering violence and injustice are also full of love and compassion. I want to tell you about some of them.
Around the world, I’ve witnessed people risking their own lives, fighting not for blood and soil but for ideals, and often for freedom. I think that is the most profound act of love: to be willing to lay down one’s own life so that others may lead a better one. To be clear, I’m not trying to whitewash the horror of what I’ve seen. The truth is that I have looked into some very dark places doing this job and I’m not the same person as I was before. I’ve seen what I’ve seen, and part of what makes it so painful is that I get to live in this country, in this amazing city, and my daughter goes to this extraordinary school and others don’t. Others are suffering, that is profoundly unjust. But if the people who are living through their darkest hour still possess love and compassion and generosity, then that is our hope and they are our teachers. When you experience your darkest hour, when you’re badly hurt or even worse when you’ve hurt someone else, when you’ve made bad choices, or when the inequality and injustice of our world weigh you down, hope is still there, alongside the love and compassion and generosity of others which you’ll find, if you look for it. Today, you are our hope. Not because you’re perfect: I’m sure - like my own daughter - you are instead beautiful in your imperfection. Nor do we expect you to lead perfect lives, there’s no such thing. Perfection is such a boring goal, in a world that is deeply flawed, where bad things happen. Your futures are still full of opportunities; not just to have brilliant careers, which I’m sure you will; or to become the leaders of tomorrow; which coming from Marymount seems inevitable. Your futures are full of opportunity to feel love, to feel compassion, and to experience generosity, the things that truly make this world and this life better and richer.
I was standing on Turkey’s border with Syria a few years ago, filming refugees fleeing indiscriminate bombing. I was attempting to interview a lady who had just left her home in such a hurry that she was carrying a plate of Kibbeh (if you’ve never had Kibbeh, you should, they’re delicious). As I tried to interview this lady, a woman who’d fled terrible violence facing an uncertain future, poking my microphone at her with the cameraman over my shoulder, all she wanted to do was feed me some of her Kibbeh. She did that because in the Middle East, as in many other parts of the world, food is the language of love.
Award2022RecipientsValedictorian Sofía Masondo Sportswoman of the Year Thalia Boardman The European Council of InternationalAwardSchools’ Akari Katamura The Marymount Medal Carolina Abdo Freya Hansen The Four Acres Medal for Public Speaking Mugdha Vasishth The Sally Shimmon Award for Social Service Kiana Fathi The RSHM Medal Vittoria Ginevri The Headmistress’ Medal Akari Katamura 5
In another country, I visited the home of a human rights lawyer who was living under surveillance by their repressive regime. He knew it was inevitable that he would be arrested at some point and faced a lengthy jail term - in fact, he was arrested not long after my visit. I saw him with his wife and young children whom he adored, soaking up every moment, every embrace, every kiss that he could, before he was taken away from them.
The Class of 2022 has received the following University offers to date:
College Destinations
Anglia Ruskin University, UK Art University Bournemouth, UK University of the Arts London, UK University of Bath, UK University of Birmingham, UK University of Brighton, UK University of Bristol, UK University of California at Davis, USA City University of London, UK Drexel University, USA Durham University, UK EBS Universität für Wirtschaft und Recht, Germany ESCP Business School, Various Escuela Superior de Administración y Dirección de Empresas, Spain ESSEC Business School, France The University of Edinburgh, UK University of Exeter, UK Falmouth University, UK Fordham University, USA Universidad Francisco de Victoria, UniversitySpainofGlasgow, UK Hong Kong University, Hong Kong Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Hong Kong Hult International Business School, UK IE University, Spain Imperial College London, UK Keio University, Japan University of Kent, UK King’s College London, UK KLC School of Design, UK University of Lancaster, UK London Metropolitan University, UK London School of Economics, UK Loughborough University, UK The University of Manchester, UK Manchester Metropolitan University, UK McGill University, Canada University of Miami, USA Middlesex University London, UK University of Navarra, Spain The New School, USA Newcastle University, UK Northumbria University, UK University of Nottingham, UK Ontario College of Art and Design, UniversityCanadaofOttawa, Canada Oxford Brookes University, UK University of Portsmouth, UK Purdue University, USA Queen Mary University of London, UK Royal Holloway University of London, UniversityUKof San Francisco, USA Seattle University, USA SOAS, University of London, UK Sophia University, Japan University of Southampton, UK St George’s University of London, UK University of Toronto, Canada University College London, UK University of Warwick, UK Waseda University, Japan University of Westminster, UK University of the West of England, Bristol, UK University of York, UK York University, Canada
6
“I think that Marymount has helped me to express my thoughts and opinions in a strong and affirmative way. I now know how to create a well-structured speech and how to stand proud for what I believe in as an IB “Mylearner.”most enjoyable moment of the year was going on a fieldtrip with the whole of Grade 8. We went to central London and watched a musical (SIX), went shopping, and spent time together. I really enjoyed spending time with my friends outside of school and being able to “Icommunicate.”thinkitisimportant to understand the different cultures and have a positive relationship between them, which I have done this year, not only at Marymount, but also outside of school.”
Middle School Graduation In June 2022 Marymount was proud to be able to host the first in-person Middle School Graduation in many years. At this event, we honour those students who are graduating from Grade 8 and moving into High School. This year 38 students were involved in the ceremony which brought together parents, staff, and peers to celebrate all the qualities Grade 8 bring to Marymount and to one another. Below are some of the reflections from the students themselves about their time in Middle School.
Bright weather heralded the return of the Summer Arts Festival at Marymount! Visual and Performing Arts were celebrated with art in all its forms on display in June. Summer Arts Festival 8
Shakespeare
9
The School were delighted to welcome parents back to mask-free performances in the summer term 2022. Unprecedented demand for tickets to the annual Shakespeare Festival at Marymount brought hundreds of family members and friends to Marymount to enjoy this gala of the works of the Bard.
Students from Grades 6 to 10 performed small excerpts of Shakespeare’s plays, which ranged from Grade 6’s Macbeth in 120 seconds to memorable recitals of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Much Ado About Nothing, and The Merchant of Venice by Grades 7, 8, and 9 Thankrespectively.youto all friends and family who came to support our students at this event! Festival
Yara, Grade 8 (Actor)
“It has only been my second year of taking part in the school production and I absolutely loved it! This experience has allowed me to gain knowledge that I can use in my everyday life; from meeting new people from different Grades, having confidence in myself, to learning to be on time and how to truly perform. I hope that you all enjoy watching this play as much as I have, I assure you that this has been an unforgettable experience to be a part of.”
“This is my first year at Marymount and I am the Stage Manager for the production. I was nervous at first that people wouldn’t take me seriously because I was new, but everyone was amazing and so welcoming. You have to be very organised and manage your time, and it has taught me about managing a large group of people.”
Talia, Grade 11 (Stage Manager)
Arts Department and Marymount students brought musicals back with a bang by staging ‘High School Musical!’ in the Auditorium in February 2022. Over 60 students were involved on and off stage for three roof-raising performances which left ticketholders tapping their feet as they made their way home after the shows.
ProductionThisyearthePerforming
High School Musical! Drama
The story, which charts the relationship of two high-achieving students at East High School, challenges ‘clique’ stereotypes in the High School experience and culminates in the sing-along anthem We Are All In This Together. The performance itself, however, is not the only objective of the students’ efforts.
Teamwork, organisation, time management, confidence, as well as a sense of accomplishment are just some of the invaluable take-aways of the Production Weexperience.lookforward to welcoming our community to share in the next Musical, due to be staged in early December!
Student group Marymount Mission in Action (MMIA) has been working this year to learn about and raise awareness of refugees and immigration. On Wednesday, 1 June 2022, a group of Grade 6 students led a read-athon to raise money for the Cardinal Hume Centre which works to help refugees and immigrants in our local area. In total, Middle School students read 4,000 pages in honour of the 4,000-mile journey taken by a young man from Sudan to Britain. The group raised £500 for the Cardinal Hume Centre. Congratulations! 11
ib & beyond : R enaissance t R agedies , suggested fo R ages 16+ Get stuck into a book this summer! Here are some of the books on the suggested reading lists. Find our full list of IBreadingrecommendedhere! H ig H s c H ool W o R ld lite R atu R e , suggested fo R ages 14 to 18 m iddle s c H ool m ode R n classics , suggested fo R ages 11 to 13 Find our full list of High recommendedSchoolreadinghere! Find our full list of Middle recommendedSchoolreadinghere!
Re-Opening the
Sr. Anne Marie Hill Sports Hall
I was asked to say a few words for the Sports Hall inauguration but the first thing that came to mind is that this building is not ‘just a sports hall’: this is part of Marymount life and has been since If1984.we go back to 1984, it was my first of five years at Marymount, I was 13 and (almost) new to this country. I was a very sporty young lady doing almost any sport that was put my way. And within the first few weeks of school, we were all asked to sign the day’s newspaper in preparation for the gym inauguration ceremony. We all signed it and, later in the day, stood patiently through the ceremony. No-one would dare to move with Sr. Breda watching… We started using the gym a few months later, moving from the Auditorium. It was all brand new, spacious and for the first time we were able to host tournaments where boys came! When I think of the Sports Hall, I think of the place where I trained with the team week after week, when I came in the evenings to practice my shots, where I was chosen as the all star player in the international schools basketball tournaments, where I sat all my IB exams and where I graduated. Even where we learnt to waltz in preparation for the Graduation Ball.
So you see, this is not just a Sports Hall. After graduation I Ieft for Spain and in my mind never thought I would return. What I didn’t know then is that Marymount will always be part of me, part of who I am, part of the foundations of who I have become. I wasn’t ready for all the emotions that came back a few weeks ago when we opened the 1984 time capsule. Seeing the documents of the time - all the signatures from all the friends back then, the school brochure - brought back many Butmemories.thatis just a part of it. It was very special to share those emotions with the students and let them know that it was not only me, but at least two current mums from school have their signatures there. So again, this is not just a Sports Hall, this is very much part of the Marymount life and part of our Onmemories.alessemotional tone, I wanted to express thanks to the team that have done the work with diligence and care. With a bit of delay due to supply disruptions both in transport and raw materials, we have finally made it!
On Sunday, 12 June 2022, the Sr. Anne Marie Sports Hall was officially reopened by the School community. Cristina Serrano, Chair of Governors and Alumna from the Class of 1989, said a few words at this event.
“Now it is time to enjoy and build new memories!”
12
“We chose Kingston Food Bank as we thought it was the most inclusive and impactful way for our Grade to make a difference at a local level. During Lent and over the summer term, Grade 9 encouraged the whole school to donate to the Food Bank by holding collection weeks where students could bring in their items to drop-off stations, which were then delivered at the end of the week by Marymount staff. In order to make a difference, we first approached the Food Bank about what they needed. This was sometimes surprising: usually, I would expect canned goods to be high on the priority list, but I didn’t realise how much sanitary products (in particular, men’s) were needed. This helped us decide what to ask for in our appeals to other Grades. We also added a competitive element to it: the Grade that gave the most won a lunch of their choice from the Catering team. Grade 7 topped the charts for both appeals, surprising us with not two but three boxes filled to the brim (and some extra bags to “Doingboot)! something this impactful as a Grade was very meaningful: I hope next year we will be able to carry on this project. However, if the next Grade 9 take the baton for the Food Bank, we have plenty of ideas ready to kick start.”
The School itself provides many opportunities for service, including Saturday School, our Zambia peer tutoring programme, and through our relationship with the Kingston Food Bank to name but a few. Read more about Grade 9’s service initiative with the Food Bank below.
An interview with Annika, Grade 9
The theme for retreats in 2022-23, both for staff and students, will be “one in service”. Service forms part of our mission, and is an integral part of our ethos as part of the RSHM network of schools. Our mission statement refers to, “Empowering young women to be firm in faith, vibrant in hope, rooted in love and one in service”. Service to others is vital to the formation of the whole person, as it benefits our mental and emotional wellbeing, connects humans to their community, and teaches important skills and values.
One in Service
Marymount students take part in service as part of the curriculum at Marymount, whether through CAS (Creativity, Activity & Service) in the Diploma years, or SA (Service as Action) in the Middle Years Programme.
14
Thanks so much for giving generously of your time: we look forward to hearing from you! Want to visit Marymount?
At Marymount International School London, we value the contribution our Alumnae continue to make to the School and are proud of the impact you have in the wider world. This year, we were able to begin welcoming Alumnae back on campus for tours and to visit their teachers, as well as to speak to students about life beyond the Marymount lawns. We want to make sure that we offer you the right opportunities to reconnect with each other and the School, through events and communications which appeal to you. Gathering information directly from you is critical to achieving this, and this is how you can help.
Alumnae:us. fill in our summer survey!
Your involvement with your Marymount community is vital. Alumnae like you make a difference to students’ lives today by generously giving of their time, talent, and treasure. In light of this, we are offering all Alumnae who respond before the deadline the chance to win one of five deluxe Marymount gift boxes!
Towards the end of August and into September, all Alumnae for whom we have contact details will have the opportunity to fill in a survey about communications and events at Marymount, as well as updating your career details with
15
Kathy (Class of 1993) and Cassie (Class of 1994) Carberry visiting in July 2022
Please look out for your copy of the survey, which will be sent by email initially and then by post. The deadline to enter will be clearly shown, so don’t delay to win!
If you would like to visit Marymount, we would be delighted to see you. Director of Development, Adriana Williams, will take you on a trip down memory lane. If you would like to meet former teachers and staff, please do ask about an appointment in term time: you are more than welcome to come in for a coffee and chat! Book your appointment at alumnae@ marymountlondon.com as soon as you know when you’d like to come!
Upcoming Events
Tuesday, 13 December 2022 6.00 - 8.00pm TO ATTEND: tickets are free, please register on the website marymountlondon.com or Ourdevdirector@marymountlondon.comcontactannualAdventcelebration,afestivalof faith, music and Biblical lessons celebrating this important time in the Christian calendar. Includes traditional hymns and musical performances by Marymount students.
PA Summer BBQ
Saturday, 3 September 2022 12 noon to 4.00pm Marymount London TO ATTEND: tickets are included in the PA membership fee. Please register via the Parent Portal. Join us at the Parents’ Association (PA) Summer BBQ. Enjoy this family day at Marymount with games and entertainment for all ages as well as delicious food and drink from around the world. A chance to reconnect with old friends and make new ones, welcome new and returning families, bringing together the whole campus community for a day of fun in the (with any luck) sun.
Alumnae Open Weekend Friday, 7 and Saturday, 8 October 2022 Marymount London TO ATTEND: tickets are free, please register on the website marymountlondon.com/alumnae or contact In-persondevdirector@marymountlondon.comevent.Alumnaeandfaculty of all classes –in particular those ending in ‘2 or ‘7 – are welcome to this reunion. This reunion weekend will include tea, tours, and a cocktail reception on the Friday night. There are also opportunities to meet current Marymount students and get creative in Art Club. We can’t wait to see youFriday,there!7 October 3.00-5.00pm - Tea & Tours 5.00-6.30pm - Art Club 6.30-8.30pm - Cocktail Evening Saturday, 8 October 9.00-10.00am - Coffee and Campus Tours 10.00-11.00am - Alumnae Reunion Mass 11.00-12 noon - Meet a Marymount-er 12 noon-2.00pm - Boarders’ Brunch Marymount Society Lecture Online, date to be confirmed TO ATTEND: tickets are free, please register on the website marymountlondon.com or Thisdevdirector@marymountlondon.comcontactterm,wewelcomeRSHMSisterstospeak about the continuing work of the RSHM in the world today and the role they play at Marymount International School. Lessons and Carols
16
Take Part and Win Marymount families who choose to donate £100 a term, or £300 over one academic year will be entered into the 100 Club. The first 100 Marymount families who enter the Club will be put in a draw for a week’s stay in a luxury apartment in Italy whilst supporting the Marymount annual appeal.
Find out more about giving to www.marymountlondon.com/give-nowMarymount:
17
This year, Marymount will be launching its annual appeal for three major projects: campus evolution, bursary support, and community partnerships. Gifts at all levels will make an enormous difference. You can also choose to take part in one of the groups below. Find out more on the Marymount website.
The 1955 Foundation Circle Families who support Marymount with a pledge of £1,955 or more in an academic year will be invited to join the 1955 Foundation Circle, named for the School’s foundation year.
Foundation Circle supporters will be invited to attend a reception in the summer term for 1955 Foundation Circle Members. We look forward to sharing termly email updates on the progress of the school and the impact of your support on new and sustaining initiatives.
Opportunities to Give
Marymount matters for building connections between students and teachers, love and learning, and for nurturing an interconnectedness to the broader global community. Marymout Matters Photography by Siobhan Hennessy: www.siobhanhphotography.com Printing by Oxted Colour Printers: www.ocprint.co.uk
