Celebrating St. Mildred's-LightboumSchool
St. Mildred's-LightboumSchoolhasarichhistory, providingan engaging, thoughtful educationtogirls formany decades.
This Soundtribute, recordedin thesummerof2024, capturesmemoriesandstories fromthe mergingofSt. Mildred's College andtheMiss Lightboum Schoolin 1969. Itcelebrates thecharacterandstrengthsofthe studentswhohavegraduated fromSt. Mildred'sLightboumSchool, bringingtheirskillsandtalentsto thewiderworld.
SisterMichael, SisterMargueriteMae, SisterMargaret, and SisterHeather, allmembersofthe Community of the Sisters ofthe Church, have been connected with SMLS invariouscapacities formany years. Donna Cossitt hasworkedattheschoolinadministrationand communityliaison, andMinna Sturrupisa former studentoftheMissLightboumSchool.
Since1891, withthe foundingofSt. Mildred's College, and 1923, whenMissLightboumopenedherschool, thousandsofgirlshavebeengivenasolideducation andexperiencedasolidsenseofbelonging.
St. Mildred's-Lightboum School
Sr. Michael Trott - SMCstudent, teacher
Sr. Marguerite MaeEamon - SMLSlibrarian
Thisoneparticularday, the conventwasin full silence,and thislaughtercame rippling throughthewhole ofthe convent. Itturnedout thatRuth Lightboumhadcome totalkto MotherDorothea. Itwasatthat timethatitwasproposed that the Sisterslookintocomingto TorontotoadministertheMiss Lightbourn School.
The summerafterIgraduatedin '75, Icametobe school librarian. Thiswasafterthe library fromthe Lightbourn School andtheone from St. Mildred'swerejust puttogether. Nobodyhaddoneashelflist, andtheywereworking with a three-digitDeweysystem. Whenwedumpedthewhole card catalogueoutandwent throughandcheckeditagainst everything, some ofthe books werethere, andsomeofthe books weren't!
Donna Cossitt - SMLSCommunityLiaison
Sr. MargaretHayward-Ex-officioboardmember
WouldIsaystudentshave changedsinceIarrived in 1986? Ha! That's funny!When Istarted, thegirlshadtowear theirkilts threeinchesabove theirknee, sothathas definitelychanged.Andthe schooldoubled insizeby 1987. Ireallythink theschoolhas changedmoresothanthegirls -inside, Ithink thegirlsareall still thesame.
Ithinkthebenefitofan all-girlsschoolisthatthe studentsdon'tcompetewith theboys-oryoudon't knuckleunderbecausethe boysaresupposedtobesmart andyou'renot. IwishI'dhad thisschooltogotowhen I wasakid. Ithinkthegirlscan becloserandmoresupportive ofeachotherbecausethere isn'tthecompetition.
St. Mildred's-Lightboum School
Therearediscussions about whatitmeanstobean Anglican. But thewhole thing-thevalues, andhow muchwecommittobeing anAnglicanschool-really is aboutthebasicbaptismal commitments: torespect thedignityofeveryhuman being, tocare fortheearth, andtoproclaim thegood newsofGod inwhatever wayyouknow God. It'sall rightthere. It's foundational.
IstartedatMissLightbourn's schoolin 1934 whenitwasin abuildingonwhatwecalled StationRoad (Dundas Street) in Oakville. Itwasthenmoved toReynold Streetacross from aparkwhichnowholds the curlingclub. Bothofthem werehouses. IthinkIstarted whenIwasfiveyears old.
Sr. HeatherBroadwell -Ex-officioboardmember
Minna (Perinchiej) Sturrup -formerMLSstudent
RuthLightbourn establishedasmall elementaryschoolin 1923 with two students inherparents housein Oakville. Shebelievedthatwomenshouldnotbe restrictedin their learningbutbeexposed toa varietyofsubjects.
ffliss 1Lightbourn's �chool
This schoolmovedfromMissLightbournsparents hometoits ownquarters onParkStreetin 1929, thentoDouglasStreet. In 1937, withsixtystudents, MLS movedto 102 ReynoldsStreetin Oakville.
Ruth WilliamsLightbourn
St. Mildred's College
Aportrait ofMotherEmilyAyckbowm, the firstMother Superior ofthe Communityof theSisters ofthe Church. MotherEmily founded theCommunityof theSistersoftheChurch (CSC) in 1870, inEngland, andtwentyyears later, six Anglican Sistersandeight olderpupils came toToronto. Thenextyearaschool wasestablished, and in 1908 that school movedtoWalmerRoadandwas renamed St. Mildred'sCollege.
Morethan 60students 'hang out'atSt. Mildreds College. Thisphotowastakenin 1929 at 36WalmerRoadinToronto.
TheschoolchapelatSt. Mildred's Collegeinthe 1960's.
FromLtoR behindSisterLorna, SisterMichael, SisterMaryAdela and studentPennyHossack. Thephotowastakenin 1964.
In 1964, theBoardof GovernorsattheMiss LightbournSchool invitedtheSisters of the Churchtotake overadministration andownershipofthe school.
SisterMichael drove SisterMaryAdela to Oakville tosee the schoolandto talk withRuth Lightbourn.
Girlsin grades 9-13 worewhiteveilsto dailyservicesinthe chapel, whichwasinthediningroomoftheschoolmansion onWalmerRoad.
St. Mildred's-Lightboum School
TheformerSMLSsciencelab.
Inthe 1970's, moregirls begantoentercareersin engineeringandscience.At SMLS, the beginnings of theSTEMRprogrambegan, playing acrucialroleinthe far-sightededucationoffered to the students.
SomeSMLSstudentsproudlyshowoff aroboticsSTEMRproject-Science, Technology,Engineering, Mathematics and Robotics. SMLSstudentscompete very successfully inroboticscompetitions withotherschools.
St. Mildred's-Lightbourn School, circa 1986. In 1969, the Sisters oftheChurch transferredSt. Mildred's Collegeto Oakville, amalgamatingwith MissLightbourn's School.
Themerger ofRuthLightbourn's School with St. Mildred'sbrought together twoeducationalinstitutions noted for theirexcellence, and for thepersonalattentionpaideachstudent. Theschoolcontinuesto strivetonurtureyoung womenand toinspire themtobeleadersin their communities.
~excerpt from St. Mildred'sLightbourn School Celebrating 125 Years
St. Mildred's-Lightboum School
The oldSMLSlibrary, currently usedasa student lounge. This is thelibrarywhere allthebooks fromMLS andSMCwerebrought togetherafteramalgamation.
The newlibraryat the schooloffers substantial roomforbooksand reading.
Yes, thereisanAnglican faith base, butall faithsare celebratedat St. Mildred'sLightbournSchool, with open discussion,emphasizingour commonality.
~ SisterHeather
Theschool Chaplainhelps astudent witha reading/ortheMuslimEid al-Fitr observance oftheendoffastingin Ramadam.
TheschoolmarksDiwali, theHindufestival celebratingthetriumphof lightoverdarkness.
Students gatherin the gymforaLunarNew Year ChineseandAsian celebrationofthearrival ofspring.
St. Mildred's-Lightboum School
Below: somehappyparticipants in theSMLSalumnireunionin2023.
LtoR: SistersBenedetta, MargaretandMichael sittogether in2000, at theground-breaking ceremonyfor thenew additiontoSt. Mildred'sLightbourn School.
A crowdofformerstudents gatheredin thelibraryin 2023, celebratingtheestablishment ofthe Miss Lightbourn School 100years before.
In thisday andage, knowingthatyoubelong, thatthereis a community ofsupport andencouragement, is apreciousthing. The MissLightbourn Schooland St. Mildred's Collegearetwoschools thatcametogether, withtheirownsolidhistoriesofprovidinga strong,nourishingcommunity.
A SOUNDTRIBUTE
Celebrating St. Mildred's-LightbournSchool
ThewomenwhofoundedSMLS in 1891 wovetheDNAof 'womencanandwill'intothe fabricofthis school. Ourschool's proud, boldhistoryhasinformedandsupported morethan 130 years ofhigh-calibreacademics, innovativeprogramming, anda strongsenseofconnectionandcommunity. Ourshared history andbright futuremeanthatevenasstudentsmoveforward throughtheirschoolyearsand beyond, theycanalwayslookto SMLSasasourceofprideandpower.
~ CatherineHant HeadofSchool
A SOUNDTRIBUTE CelebratingSt. Mildred's-LightbournSchool
Recorded inthe summerof2024
1 - JubilateDeo-SMLSSchoolSong
2 - Introduction
3 - SisterMichael
4 - SisterMargueriteMae
5 - DonnaCossitt
6 - SisterMargaret
7 - SisterHeather
8 - Minna(Perinchief)Sturrup
9 - YouthoftheWorldArise-MissLightboumSchool HymnandConclusion
SOUNDpORTRAITS
www.soundportraits.ca
A SOUNDTRIBUTE
Celebrating St.Mildred's-Lightboum School
YouthoftheWorld,Arise MissLightboum SchoolHymn
Youthoftheworld,arise, courageand servicebring, life, fulland free,beforeyou lies,make Christyour SaviorKing.
Youthoftheworld,arise, highhopeisyourstoday, lifeoffers manyaneasyprize, Christpointstheharderway.
Youthoftheworld,arise, "Adventure" is yourcry, then seebeforeyourveryeyes theKingwhodaredtodie.
Youthoftheworld,arise tosacrificialdeeds, "Come,followme," the Saviorcries, young lives likeyoursheneeds.
Youthoftheworld,arise, tobearhis crossand shame; with himnoendeavordies; goforth,proclaimhisName.
Youthoftheworld,arise, clearistheclarioncall, "I come,I come," trueyouth replies, "ToChristI give myall."
A SOUNDTRIBUTE
Celebrating St. Mildred's-Lightboum School
JubilateDeo
St. Mildred's-Lightbourn School Song
0 sistersletusjointhis day, and voices liftintunefullay, Inthankfuljoy andgladness letus say, JubilateDeo
Holdweourwell-lovedmottoeshigh, BeatiMundo Cordecry, Andserveour Churchand Schooluntilwe die,ProEcclesiaDei
Tohonoured heroes letuspay Duehomage fortheirtoilsomeway; For Cartier, Brandand Grenfellletussay, JubilateDeo
Praisewegreatmenofyesterday, WholedCanadiansontheirway, ForVanier,Massey,Alexander, say, JubilateDeo
0 letus allbestraightand true, With single hearttodareanddo Tilloneandall, wesomeday singanew, Jubilate Deo
A SOUNDTRIBUTE
Celebrating St. Mildred's-Lightbourn School
SOUNDpORTRAITS
www.soundportraits.ca