Maryknoll Convent School Foundation

Foundation Newsletter A Newsletter for MCS Foundation Members June 2017

foundation.mcs.hk

Be Pursue Our vision for the School stated that “we envisage our Forward- Excellence students to be individuals with moral, ethical and Looking religious values, intellectually competent, compassionate in serving others and capable of continuing self-development to meet the challenges in Realize life and to contribute to society.” Full Potential Serve Home, Last year, the Foundation clearly identified 4 Strategic Country, World Foci so that our School and our stakeholders, including, teachers, students, alumni and parents etc. could follow suit. They include:

SERVE HOME, COUNTRY, WORLD Serving our home, country and the world is to continue to promote the notion that service is a way of life for Maryknollers, our duty to home, to country, to the world; and to provide experiences that enable students to grow as individuals and contributors to society.

PURSUE EXCELLENCE To pursue excellence is to instill in our students and teachers a strong growth mindset where they are inquisitive, resilient, reflective and responsible in all their pursuits, aim high while staying humble, seek out opportunities for improvement and celebrate both participation and achievement.

REALISE FULL POTENTIAL Realising full potential is to optimize the conditions for students to realise their potential to the full by proactively seeking out the best available academic and non-academic opportunities, based on individual students’ needs and gifts and an appropriate balance of support and challenge.

BE FORWARD-LOOKING Be forwarding-looking in leading the school, developing teachers and staff and most important of all, creating learning and development opportunities for students preparing them for the globally connected VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) world.

In this Newsletter, we would like to showcase some of our recent efforts in grooming our Primary and Secondary students striving towards all these attributes. Foundation Newsletter June 2017

Primary Section

Easter Music Camp (17 – 20 April)

61 girls from Primary 3 to 5 joined a choral music camp organized by the Hong Kong Professional Musician Association. They attended choral and instrumental (ocarina) training conducted by a highly regarded Austrian Choirmaster and two experienced Hong Kong conductors. The girls gained valuable experience and developed new music skills through the intensive training.

The four-day music camp ended in two impressive Graduation Concerts. Parents and guests were amazed by the girls’ variety and dexterity in their performances.

Maryknoll Convent School http://foundation.mcs.hk Foundation mcs.fsa Foundation Newsletter June 2017

19 Maryknoll Primary 5 students, accompanied by 4 teachers and 10 parents, joined the six-day School Exchange Programme in Shanghai during the Easter Holidays this year. The students had lessons in Shanghai Exchange Programme Qibao Foreign Language Primary School (QFL) and enjoyed the activities with their Shanghai buddies. With with Shanghai Schools the arrangement of Principal He of QFL, our teachers (April) met their counterparts at Minhang Experimental Primary School and had a sharing and discussion on the implementation of STEM education. Teachers attended a Maths demonstration and seminar. Apart from academic exchanges, the girls visited Our Lady of Lourdes Church and some attractions, such as, the Former Residence of Sun Yat- sen and Soong Ching-ling, China Art Museum and Science & Technology Museum. Both students and teachers had a fruitful and memorable experience in Shanghai. After the trip, the participating students shared with their schoolmates their achievements and learning experiences.

Maryknoll Convent School http://foundation.mcs.hk Foundation mcs.fsa Foundation Newsletter June 2017

Junior and Senior Chinese Dance Teams (27 April)

Both Junior and Senior Chinese Dance teams received Honours Award in the 53rd Hong Kong Schools Dance Festival. Our Junior Dance Team participated in the winner’s performance at Sha Tin Town Hall on 27 April.

Maryknoll Convent School http://foundation.mcs.hk Foundation mcs.fsa Foundation Newsletter June 2017

Values Education Talks (February – April) =)

For all-round quality education for our students, it is crucial to work in partnership with parents. In this context, we organized with the Hong Kong International Institute of Educational Leadership a series of six talks on “Values Education” for parents from February to April 2017. The topics included, Parenting, Creativity, Conscience, Positive Psychology, Resilience and Mindfulness.

The speakers shared their expertise in the related topics, to enhance parental awareness and competence for positive parenting. The series enjoyed warm support and keen participation from parents and teachers.

Maryknoll Convent School http://foundation.mcs.hk Foundation mcs.fsa Foundation Newsletter June 2017

Secondary Section

Talent Quest - Maryknoll Got Talent (April and May)

Talented students performed during lunch time throughout the months of April and May. They demonstrated their talents in singing, dancing, drama etc. There were over 60 entries and the Final will be held on 30 June which is the School’s Fun Fair.

Maryknoll Convent School http://foundation.mcs.hk Foundation mcs.fsa Foundation Newsletter June 2017

Secondary students and staff spent their Easter Earth Keepers Certificate vacation learning about the earth. The Earth Programme in Guilin Keepers Certificate Programme, included, organic (April) farming, woodland hike, mudbrick making, kayaking and collaborative team building, habitat studies, heritage studies, shelter building and interviewing traditional bamboo craftsman etc. It was indeed an extremely fruitful experience for all those who participated!

Maryknoll Convent School http://foundation.mcs.hk Foundation mcs.fsa Foundation Newsletter June 2017

Primary and Secondary Sections

May Crowning to Honour Our Lady (May)

Dedicated to Holy Mary, Mother of God, the month of May begins with "May Crowning" as our traditional Roman Catholic ritual each year. This is such a special event which is celebrated by both the Primary and Secondary Sections.

Crowning the statue of the Lord's Mother celebrates and honours Her as the one chosen by God to bear His Son, our Saviour. May Crowning is the moment our student representative places a crown of roses on Our Lady’s statue, accompanied by the singing of a hymn to the Blessed Virgin.

For the Primary Section, student representatives from P1 to P6 offered prayers and flowers to Our Lady. For our Secondary Section, each class representative participated in a procession to offer roses, accompanied by the whole school singing hymns, praying the rosary, and culminating to the final crowning of Our Lady.

Maryknoll Convent School http://foundation.mcs.hk Foundation mcs.fsa Foundation Newsletter June 2017

Reminiscing Our Maryknoll Sisters and the Values They Behold

Further to the School’s Vision and Mission, the Foundation clearly identified 4 Strategic Foci last year. Perhaps, we could spend some time now to refresh our memories of our Maryknoll Sisters and reminiscent the values they behold; values that are the cornerstone of Maryknoll and not dissimilar to our 4 Strategic Foci which we strongly believe in the way we go in this modern era.

The Maryknoll Sisters of St. Dominic were the first Catholic congregation in the United States established for sending missionaries overseas. The congregation was founded in 1912. The Motherhouse, now the Maryknoll Sisters Center, is situated in Ossining, New York.

MCS Serving both Chinese and non-Chinese Children; The 1920s: Symbolizing the World Vision of the Maryknoll Sisters

In November 1921, 6 Maryknoll Sisters arrived in Hong Kong. They settled at 19 adjacent to the Rosary Church.

They moved to 103 in 1923. Two years later (1925), the Maryknoll Sisters established their first school in Hong Kong. On 11 February, they opened a kindergarten for 12 Portuguese children in the convent. This became Maryknoll Convent School (MCS).

7 years after Maryknoll Sisters arrived in Hong Kong, MCS moved to King’s Terrace, adjacent to the convent in 1928 and moved again to Torres Building, 2 Kimberly Road one year later. By then, the Sisters could claim many nationalities among the students: Chinese, Japanese, English, Portuguese, Irish, French, German, Russian, American, Indian etc.

Maryknoll Convent School http://foundation.mcs.hk Foundation mcs.fsa Foundation Newsletter June 2017

MCS Response to New Circumstances, reflecting Maryknoll The 1930s: Sisters’ Leadership are Extremely Forward-looking

1930s was a decade of challenge. Tong was developing as a settlement for Chinese and Portuguese families. To correspond with the development of the government and the local Catholic Church, the Maryknoll Sisters bought a 200,000 square feet piece of land at the corner of Waterloo Road and for the construction of the MCS building.

MCS moved to its present campus in May 1937.

The Japanese Occupation (December 1941 - August 1945)

Many of us may still remember the days when our MCS building became a hospital for Japanese soldiers. For two months, the Maryknoll Sisters remained in the building until they were sent to the Stanley Internment Camp in February 1942. Subsequently the Sisters were released and repatriated. By January the following year, all Maryknoll Sisters left Hong Kong and did not return until late 1945.

MCS in Pursuit of Excellence under the Leadership of Two The 1950s: Exceptional Principals

The postwar years opened tremendous opportunities with the explosion of the local population. The 1950s witnessed an upsurge in demands for education.

In 1950, MCS celebrated its silver jubilee. The long-awaited convent, whose construction had been delayed during the war, was completed three years later (1953). The Maryknoll Sisters moved into the adjacent convent and the entire MCS building was then devoted to teaching purposes.

For more than 20 years until 1958, Sister Ann Mary Farrell was the principal of MCS. Under her leadership, MCS continued as a grant-in-aid school for its outstanding standard of education. MCS maintained its high moral and academic standards, expected by the Maryknoll Sisters, students and the Hong Kong community. Sister M. de Ricci Cain succeeded Sister Ann Mary Farrell as the principal

Maryknoll Convent School http://foundation.mcs.hk Foundation mcs.fsa Foundation Newsletter June 2017

The 1960s: MCS Expanding and Realizing its Full Potential

The 1960s were years of expansion. The MCS Secondary Section moved to the new building at 5 Ho Tung Road in 1960. With the increasing number of students, the school campus required expansion. The Sisters assumed greater responsibilities, for both the Primary and Secondary Sections. In 1961, Sister Miriam Xavier Mug became the principal of the Primary Section succeeded by Sister M. Corinne Rost who took up the post in 1967. Sister Rose Duchesne Debrecht became the principal of the Secondary Section in 1965.

The Student Association was inaugurated in 1967. Ms. Shelley Lee was the first president elected by the students. The students with the guidance of Sister Jeanne Houlihan drafted the constitution.

The values of MCS As Elaborated by the Maryknoll Sisters

“We believe that a student’s total educational success is dependent “We believe that a student’s upon the degree to which she “We believe in the dignity of the total educational success is recognizes she must and can person, therefore the primary dependent upon the degree make responsible judgments in responsibility of the school is to to which she recognizes she all her experiences, both in and provide experiences that will enableand must and can make out of the classroom, and the student to grow as an individual, responsible judgments in all tempers these judgments with spiritually, physically, intellectually, her experiences, both in and aesthetically, psychologically compassion for other human out of the classroom, and affectively and to become an persons.” tempers these judgments informed, sensitive responsible with compassion for other member of society.” human persons.”

“We seek to develop the student’s capacities and to create an atmosphere in which the student can develop herself as an individual and in which she can develop a sensitivity to the abilities, limitations and needs of others.”

Maryknoll Convent School http://foundation.mcs.hk Foundation mcs.fsa Foundation Newsletter June 2017

Staying Connected with our Alumnae and Students

In order to keep the alumnae informed of how our students, current and former, pursue excellence in various areas, MCS Former Students' Association (FSA) actively updates the latest news on the Facebook page. Please click to “LIKE” their page (https://www.facebook.com/maryknollfsa/) for frequent updates. Please find below a few latest news which may be of interest to you:

Alumnae

Rachel Cheung won the Audience Award at the Jennifer Tang pursued her dream and became 15th Van Cliburn International Piano a pilot Competition (Finals) https://www.facebook.com/mcs.fsa/posts/16 https://www.facebook.com/maryknollfsa/post 04371182906272?notif_t=like¬if_id=1496 s/447659058933320?notif_t=like¬if_id=14 821060339027 97029495955373 Current Students

Secondary Section Debating Team Achieve Janine Yip (S.2B) winner of the 2016-17 China Championship Secondary Schools Essay Writing Competition https://www.facebook.com/maryknollfsa/post (Hong Kong Region) s/443239809375245?notif_t=like¬if_id=14 https://www.facebook.com/MCSartsmusic/po 96306313141981 sts/1178914918885924?notif_t=like¬if_id =1495251674218910

Maryknoll Convent School http://foundation.mcs.hk Foundation mcs.fsa Foundation Newsletter June 2017

Primary Session MCS girls performed outstandingly in various competitions https://www.facebook.com/maryknollf sa/posts/443657739333452?notif_t=lik e¬if_id=1496411214076166

Maryknoll Convent School Foundation Thirteenth Annual General Meeting Date: 23 September 2017 (Saturday) Time: 3:00 p.m. Venue: Maryknoll Convent School (Secondary Section) 2/F., Jockey Club Wing 5 Ho Tung Road, We hope to see you there!

Our First Ever Orientation Day Date: 14 October 2017 (Saturday) Time: 3:00 p.m. Target Audience: Ordinary and Executive Foundation Members Please do not miss this opportunity!

Maryknoll Convent School http://foundation.mcs.hk Foundation mcs.fsa