Marymount High marks 90 years of success

Established in 1935 by the sisters of the Franciscan Order, Marymount High School is celebrating 90 years in existence and can boast, among many other things, that it has become a beacon of hope to the neighbourhood of Cromwell in Highgate, St Mary where it is located, and further afield.

This year, a week of activities was held to mark the occasion, under the theme: ‘Honouring the Past, Embracing the Present, Inspiring the Future’.

Students at the all-girls school are not only academically prepared to face life after school but are engaged in meaningful activities that help shape them for the future.

One such activity is the Holiday Helpers, established in 2013 by a student, and which has since served hundreds of community members every December.

During the pandemic, when face-to-face classes were suspended, the guidance department at the school ensured the initiative continued its tradition of brightening the holidays for residents, with the indigent, the elderly, and teenage mothers the focus.

For its 10th anniversary in 2023, the focus of the Holiday Helpers shifted to its own when 17 students at the school, and their families, benefited from the group’s generosity, through the donation of grocery hampers.

FOR HOLISTIC DEVELOPMENT

The school also operates a voluntary work service/community service programme, created in 2016 and aimed at assisting students’ holistic development and preparing them for the world of work. The two-year programme sees grade-10 students doing 15 hours of voluntary service on the school compound in areas such as the main office, library, food lab and other areas.

In grade 11, students are required to do a minimum 30 hours of service off the school compound. Designated areas include public libraries, hospitals, banks, children’s homes, the Jamaica Constabulary Force, Jamaica Public Service and other areas.

Academically, the school is on an upward trajectory following the interruption by the pandemic.

The one week of celebration began on October 11 with a meet-and-greet at Lovely Spot in Oracabessa, followed by a thanksgiving service at the school’s quadrangle the following day. A community outreach mentorship and health fair on October 14 was followed by a family fun day on October 16.

A gala dinner and dance, which served as a fundraiser, was held at the Casa Maria Hotel in Port Maria on October 18 to cap the week of activities.

SUPPORT NECESSARY

One of Marymount’s outstanding past students and guest speaker, Justice Marva McDonald-Bishop, Jamaica’s first female Court of Appeal president, in a heartwarming speech, encouraged all in attendance, especially her alumni sisters, to support the present students at the institution.

“We are encouraged to be present and act as mentors, assist the ladies to understand their self worth and model acts of goodness and truth,” she stated, in keeping with the school’s motto, ‘In Virtute et vertitate’, which translates to “In goodness and truth.”

Another noteworthy past student involved in the celebrations is the school’s current campus minister, Mary Haughton-James Boswell, who attended Marymount Preparatory School before being promoted to high school, her tenure being from 1951 to 1963.

The school administration also expressed its deep gratitude to the visionaries, led by Yolande Reynolds, president of the international alumni association, and graduate of the class of 1987.

A peek into the school’s history reveals that, during the early years, boarders were admitted to the institution from Jamaica, Cuba, other Caribbean islands, and Venezuela. In 1963, the school’s enrolment was 207, inclusive of students at the high school, commercial department, preparatory, and kindergarten levels, with 18 students in boarding.

Marymount became a grant-aided school in 1975, as expansion of the institution continued, with major changes occurring through additional classrooms, programmes, and leadership. The school no longer operates a prep school but has added a sixth-form programme to its curriculum.

The past principals of Marymount High are Sister Mary Michael; Sister Eloine Marie; Sister Collette Graham; Sister Mary Rose; Sister Josette Lee Sang; Sister Bernadette Chung; Sister Colleen Chi; Joan Gopie, and Lorna Bailey.

The current principal is Alphonso Christie, the first male to hold that position.

editorial@gleanerjm.com