With the new year underway, secondary 1 students got the chance to pay a visit to Quinn Farm. They enjoyed the petting zoo, the activity zone, the outdoor maze, the farm, and the orchard. All 70 students rode the tractor and indulged in locally-sourced and homemade apple muffins and apple juice. To end an apple-filled day, the students were given bags full of delicious apples to take home.
Starting off on the right foot, we rang in the new school year with a Welcome Back BBQ. Music and delicious food created a vibrant backdrop for a variety of outdoor games, with 400+ students and staff members catching up and bonding while enjoying a day in the sun.
Marymount students took part in the annual Terry Fox Run, as well as information sessions on why Terry Fox has and will continue to be a proud part of Canadian history. Students and staff ran close to 5 km through Westmount, ending in our field where students were rewarded with fruit salad, granola bars, and juice after a demanding run. We’re proud to say that all students worked hard to raise a total of $700 for cancer awareness and prevention.
An extremely anticipated inauguration of the Marymount field was held on a beautiful autumn day. This celebration lived up to its expectations with a Felix and Norton Cookie Truck, coverage by CTV, and a visit from former professional soccer player and Head Coach of the Montreal Impact, Mauro Biello. The field, now officially known as the Mauro Biello Field will carry his namesake, as he is a Marymount alumnus. Marymount's home soccer team showed off the field in the best possible way by playing on their turf, supported by Biello, one of their biggest soccer idols.
Elementary students and their parents came to visit our school to see what secondary 5 students and the administration have been promoting during this year's roadshow. A total of 152 families got to meet our amazing staff, welcoming students, and were able to see their future classes, gym, library, the science lab, computer labs, games room, and more. Teachers, with the help of students, had the opportunity to demonstrate the curriculum covered in every level and department. Prospective students and parents had the opportunity to ask questions, participate in activities and get a real sense of our incredible school.
For the first of many overnight trips of the school year, 52 sec 3, 4 and 5 students went to Stratford, Ontario for the Stratford Theatre Festival. Students enjoyed time with friends and teachers in between viewing two amazing plays—William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and Twelfth Night—and the rare opportunity of attending several wonderful behind-the-scenes workshops with the former play’s cast: A Prologue class, visiting the festival’s backstage with a Wardrobe and Warehouse Tour, and the Shakespeare Combat Workshop! It was an incredible experience for all!
All secondary 2 students were excused from a regular school day and invited to go on their first trip this fall for guided tours at the Pointe-à-Callière Museum. Provided with the opportunity to learn outside of school and have a great time while they were at it, the students started their day with lessons about the foundations of our beautiful city through the lens of the historic Old Port. All 90 students and staff members then took a walk to the Montreal Science Center where they visited 3 exhibitions both permanent and new. At the end of the day, everyone was treated to an IMAX movie entitled Animals of the Amazon.
En octobre, un rallye organisé par le département de français a permis aux élèves du secondaire 1, 2 et 3 d’explorer le marché Jean-Talon de fond en comble. Ils ont pu découvrir la richesse culturelle ainsi que l’abondance des produits québécois qu’on retrouve partout dans ce marché. Quelle belle activité automnale!
For Halloween, half the day was dedicated to fun and spooky festivities. Activities such as dodgeball, a haunted house, and a movie screening were offered to students of all grade levels. The library, the games room, and the STEP room were also used for activities such as karaoke and candy giveaways. The Fresh Fusion bistro was also open, selling smoothies and homemade Halloween treats. After a fun day of games, students voted for who they thought had the best costume, with the top 3 winners awarded Cinema Guzzo gift cards and bragging rights for the rest of the day.
We’ve had the pleasure of amazing students running to represent our school. All candidates, worthy in their own right to be winners, gave a valiant effort. After a two-week campaign and a very close race, the result were tabulated: The elected school president is Juan Alfonzo; the elected vice president is Christopher Parisien and the student council secretary elected is Joelle Elkabas. These three students were chosen by the students of Marymount to be their voices this upcoming year. There is no doubt that the elected student council will make Marymount proud.
The Juvenile Girls completed another successful season on October 26th, winning every game in their last tournament at Marymount. The girls missed the playoff tournament and second place by a single point. However, led by their captain, Sara Matin, and the booming serve of Maryam Gholestani, and the rock solid consistency of Sydney Pagliuca, the girls finished with a 6 – 3 – 3 record. Mr. Ouwendyk is proud of the success of the volleyball team and their buoyant spirit over the last two years. Hopefully, our sec. 5 girls can begin training the next cohort of budding volleyball stars in the spring.
This year marks our first Honor Roll Assembly, with 125 out of the 376 students at Marymount Academy International recognized for their achievements of getting a high overall average in Term 3 of 2017. The students clapped as their peers were rewarded for their hard work in 4 categories: Honorable Mention, Honor Roll, the Distinction List and the Principal’s List. Out of the 125 students, the top student from each level on the Principal’s List were gifted $25 Indigo gift cards. Congratulations, Marymount students!
Secondary 1: Marissa Woo (91% average)
Secondary 2: Thinoushan Senathirajah (92% average)
Secondary 3: Oliver Yun (96% average)
Secondary 4: Juan Alfonso Roque Sanchez (92% average)
Pinky Swear by Geordie Productions, an amazing play brought to us by our ELA department, gave MMA students a look at the important themes of friendship and individuality. The play was enjoyed by all and was especially close to many of the secondary 5 students' hearts; just like the play’s characters, they will be leaving their closest friends when they graduate at the end of this school year. Afterwards, students were given the chance to ask questions to the 3 actors and learn more about the efforts and dedication required in staging a theatrical performance. Encore!
10 students from both student council and the school’s leadership club were invited to Lower Canada College to represent Marymount Academy for disease awareness and prevention fundraising. Alongside representatives from numerous institutions such as the McGill University Health Centre and the Montreal General Hospital, 12 Montreal schools volunteered to take on this challenge. The goal for our school is to raise over $1000 by May 2018 through events such as our dress down days, bistro sales, awareness kiosks with donation boxes, chocolate sales and school-wide activities around the holiday season and Valentine’s Day.
This year’s outdoor soccer team led by Ms. D. Kregar, has 17 strong players. With the help of the coach, team captain, Lucas Ferreira, trained and encouraged the team all the way to the top. As a team, they won 6 games, tied 1 game and unfortunately lost in the final game against Westmount High. We are so proud of how well they played throughout the season and for bringing home silver medals. Congrats Cougars!
The Black Community Resource Center of Montreal is coming to Marymount! The program the students are participating in is entitled House of Kings and Queens. This program is designed to help adolescents become wholesome role models and mentors for their peers and individuals within their community. This program helps to promote responsibility, accountability and individual empowerment within adolescents. Through this program, the students will establish a network of friends who look out for each other and have a sincere concern for the wellbeing of others.!
During a school wide assembly, Marymount Academy International honored our Veterans and active service members. We are very grateful to have been joined by Master Corporal Gleb Dvinski, who shared his insight on the significance of Remembrance Day. His message of courage, and his optimism for living in a world that values peace, freedom and education truly resonated with our students and staff members.
The Marymount Academy yearbook is underway, and this year we have our biggest turnout of student staff yet! Under the supervision of Ms. Karawi and Ms. Soulellis, the students are on the go and always on the lookout for a great photo. The pages have been assigned and editors have been named; now the fun of putting it together and letting the creative juices flow has begun! The final product will be ready for distribution in June. Yearbook meets every Wednesday at lunch.
Marymount’s secondary 5 Financial Education class welcomed PennyDrops in November, a program organized by McGill commerce students. Several PennyDrops mentors led a workshop with our students, educating them on the basics of banking (e.g. credit, savings). The students were highly interested and motivated, as they are now at an age where knowledge of personal finances is becoming crucial as they enter into adulthood. PennyDrops will be invited to return to Ms. D. Kregar’s class throughout the school year in order to further promote the development of financial literacy skills. Thank you PennyDrops!
In the spirit of deepening their knowledge and compassion, all secondary 5 students went on an educational trip to the Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre. During their visit, staff and students alike listened to the stories of Eva Kuper, a child of World War II, and viewed the exhibits dedicated to survivor accounts and unique artefacts. It was an overwhelmingly moving and thought-provoking excursion. Marymount has the deepest gratitude for Ms. Kuper and the Centre for everything they offer to schools and the city as a whole.
The park at the busiest intersection in Côte-St-Luc has become a site of remembrance for Elie Wiesel,
the late Holocaust survivor and author, a man the Nobel Prize committee once called a “messenger
to mankind”. Marymount Academy International's IB Council was present for the commemoration.
Among the many who attended were Côte-St-Luc Mayor Mitchell Brownstein, Mount Royal MP Anthony
Housefather, D’Arcy McGee MNA David Birnbaum, Montreal Holocaust Museum vice-president
Eva Kuper, a child survivor, and Former MP and Minister of Justice HE Irwin Cotler. 8 of our students
were invited to attend this inauguration, and dignitaries thanked MMA for being present for the ceremony.
Wiesel, a Romanian-born Auschwitz survivor, died in July 2016, at the age of 87. The sign at the
park offers a brief synopsis of who Wiesel was, along with the quote, “There may be times when we
are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest”.
Marymount wishes to remind everyone that prom may be far away, but that doesn’t mean it’s too early to start planning! Prom will be taking place on June 22nd at the banquet and conference center, Embassy Plaza (1003 Boulevard Curé-Labelle). Participating students are encouraged to dress up for the theme of Hollywood. Cocktails will begin at 6 p.m. followed by a supper at 7 p.m.