SMLS Soundportrait

A SOUNDTRIBUTE

Celebrating St. Mildred's-Lightboum School St. Mildred's-Lightboum School has a rich history, providing an engaging, thoughtful education to girls for many decades.

This Soundtribute, recorded in the summer of 2024, captures memories and stories from the merging of St. Mildred's College and the Miss Lightboum School in 1969. It celebrates the character and strengths of the students who have graduated from St. Mildred's­ Lightboum School, bringing their skills and talents to the wider world.

Sister Michael, Sister Marguerite Mae, Sister Margaret, and Sister Heather, all members of the Community of the Sisters of the Church, have been connected with SMLS in various capacities for many years. Donna Cossitt has worked at the school in administration and community liaison, and Minna Sturrup is a former student of the Miss Lightboum School.

Since 1891, with the founding of St. Mildred's College, and 1923, when Miss Lightboum opened her school, thousands of girls have been given a solid education and experienced a solid sense of belonging.

St. Mildred's-Lightboum School This one particular day, the convent was in full silence, and this laughter came rippling through the whole ofthe convent. It turned out that Ruth Lightboum had come to talk to Mother Dorothea. It was at that time that it was proposed that the Sisters look into coming to Toronto to administer the Miss Lightbourn School.

Sr. Michael Trott - SMC student, teacher

The summer after I graduated in '75, I came to be school librarian. This was after the library from the Lightbourn School and the one from St. Mildred's were just put together.

Nobody had done a shelflist, and they were working with a three-digit Dewey system.

When we dumped the whole card catalogue out and went through and checked it against everything, some ofthe books were there, and some ofthe books weren't!

Sr. Marguerite Mae Eamon - SMLS librarian

Would I say students have changed since I arrived in 1986? Ha! That's funny! When I started, the girls had to wear their kilts three inches above their knee, so that has definitely changed. And the school doubled in size by 1987.

I really think the school has changed more so than the girls -inside, I think the girls are all still the same.

Donna Cossitt - SMLS Community Liaison

I think the benefit of an all-girls school is that the students don't compete with the boys-or you don't knuckle under because the boys are supposed to be smart and you're not. I wish I'd had this school to go to when I was a kid. I think the girls can be closer and more supportive of each other because there isn't the competition.

Sr. Margaret Hayward - Ex-officio board member

St. Mildred's-Lightboum School There are discussions about what it means to be an Anglican. But the whole thing - the values, and how much we commit to being an Anglican school - really is about the basic baptismal commitments: to respect the dignity of every human being, to care for the earth, and to proclaim the good news of God in whatever way you know God. It's all right there. It's foundational.

Sr. Heather Broadwell - Ex-officio board member

I started at Miss Lightbourn's school in 1934 when it was in a building on what we called Station Road (Dundas Street) in Oakville. It was then moved to Reynold Street across from a park which now holds the curling club. Both of them were houses. I think I started when I was five years old.

Minna (Perinchiej) Sturrup -former MLS student

Ruth Lightbourn established a small elementary school in 1923 with two students in her parents house in Oakville.

She believed that women should not be restricted in their learning but be exposed to a variety of subjects.

Ruth Williams Lightbourn

ffliss 1Lightbourn's �chool This school moved from Miss Lightbourn s parents home to its own quarters on Park Street in 1929, then to Douglas Street. In 1937, with sixty students, MLS moved to 102 Reynolds Street in Oakville.

St. Mildred's College

A portrait ofMother Emily Ayckbowm, the first Mother Superior of the Community of the Sisters of the Church.

Mother Emily founded the Community of the Sisters of the Church (CSC) in 1870, in England, and twenty years later, six Anglican Sisters and eight older pupils came to Toronto. The next year a school was established, and in 1908 that school moved to Walmer Road and was renamed St. Mildred's College.

More than 60 students 'hang out' at St. Mildred s College.

This photo was taken in 1929 at 36 Walmer Road in Toronto.

The school chapel at St. Mildred's College in the 1960's.

Girls in grades 9-13 wore white veils to daily services in the chapel, which was in the dining room of the school mansion on Walmer Road.

In 1964, the Board of Governors at the Miss Lightbourn School invited the Sisters of the Church to take over administration and ownership of the school.

Sister Michael drove Sister Mary Adela to Oakville to see the school and to talk with Ruth Lightbourn.

From L to R behind Sister Lorna, Sister Michael, Sister Mary Adela and student Penny Hossack. The photo was taken in 1964.

St. Mildred's-Lightboum School

In the 1970's, more girls began to enter careers in engineering and science. At SMLS, the beginnings of the STEMR program began, playing a crucial role in the far-sighted education offered to the students.

The former SMLS science lab.

Some SMLS students proudly show off a robotics STEMR project - Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Robotics. SMLS students compete very successfully in robotics competitions with other schools.

St. Mildred's-Lightbourn School, circa 1986. In 1969, the Sisters of the Church transferred St. Mildred's College to Oakville, amalgamating with Miss Lightbourn's School.

The merger of Ruth Lightbourn's School with St. Mildred's brought together two educational institutions noted for their excellence, and for the personal attention paid each student. The school continues to strive to nurture young women and to inspire them to be leaders in their communities. ~ excerpt from St. Mildred's Lightbourn School Celebrating 125 Years

St. Mildred's-Lightboum School

The old SMLS library, currently used as a student lounge. This is the library where all the books from MLS and SMC were brought together after amalgamation.

The new library at the school offers substantial room for books and reading.

Yes, there is an Anglican faith base, but all faiths are celebrated at St. Mildred'sLightbourn School, with open discussion, emphasizing our commonality. ~ Sister Heather The school Chaplain helps a student with a reading/or the Muslim Eid al-Fitr observance of the end of fasting in Ramadam.

The school marks Diwali, the Hindu festival celebrating the triumph of light over darkness.

Students gather in the gym for a Lunar New Year Chinese and Asian celebration of the arrival of spring.

St. Mildred's-Lightboum School

L to R: Sisters Benedetta, Margaret and Michael sit together in 2000, at the ground-breaking ceremony for the new addition to St. Mildred's­ Lightbourn School.

Below: some happy participants in the SMLS alumni reunion in 2023.

A crowd offormer students gathered in the library in 2023, celebrating the establishment of the Miss Lightbourn School 100 years before.

In this day and age, knowing that you belong, that there is a community of support and encouragement, is a precious thing. The Miss Lightbourn School and St. Mildred's College are two schools that came together, with their own solid histories of providing a strong, nourishing community.

A SOUNDTRIBUTE

Celebrating St. Mildred's-Lightbourn School

The women who founded SMLS in 1891 wove the DNA of 'women can and will' into the fabric of this school. Our school's proud, bold history has informed and supported more than 130 years of high-calibre academics, innovative programming, and a strong sense of connection and community. Our shared history and bright future mean that even as students move forward through their school years and beyond, they can always look to SMLS as a source of pride and power. ~ Catherine Hant Head of School

A SOUNDTRIBUTE

Celebrating St. Mildred's-Lightbourn School Recorded in the summer of 2024

1 - Jubilate Deo - SMLS School Song 2 - Introduction 3 - Sister Michael 4 - Sister Marguerite Mae 5 - Donna Cossitt 6 - Sister Margaret 7 - Sister Heather 8 - Minna (Perinchief) Sturrup 9 - Youth of the World Arise- Miss Lightboum School Hymn and Conclusion

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A SOUNDTRIBUTE

Celebrating St. Mildred's-Lightboum School

Youth of the World, Arise Miss Lightboum School Hymn Youth of the world, arise, courage and service bring, life, full and free, before you lies, make Christ your Savior King.

Youth of the world, arise, high hope is yours today, life offers many an easy prize, Christ points the harder way.

Youth of the world, arise, "Adventure" is your cry, then see before your very eyes the King who dared to die.

Youth of the world, arise to sacrificial deeds, "Come, follow me," the Savior cries, young lives like yours he needs.

Youth of the world, arise, to bear his cross and shame; with him no endeavor dies; go forth, proclaim his Name.

Youth of the world, arise, clear is the clarion call, "I come, I come," true youth replies, "To Christ I give my all."

A SOUNDTRIBUTE

Celebrating St. Mildred's-Lightboum School

Jubilate Deo St. Mildred's-Lightbourn School Song 0 sisters let us join this day, and voices lift in tuneful lay, In thankful joy and gladness let us say, Jubilate Deo Hold we our well-loved mottoes high, Beati Mundo Corde cry, And serve our Church and School until we die, Pro Ecclesia Dei To honoured heroes let us pay Due homage for their toilsome way; For Cartier, Brand and Grenfell let us say, Jubilate Deo Praise we great men of yesterday, Who led Canadians on their way, For Vanier, Massey, Alexander, say, Jubilate Deo 0 let us all be straight and true, With single heart to dare and do Till one and all, we someday sing anew, Jubilate Deo

A SOUNDTRIBUTE

Celebrating St. Mildred's-Lightbourn School

SOUNDpORTRAITS www.soundportraits.ca