Marymount Secondary School
Encyclopedia
Marymount Secondary School (Chinese:
瑪利曼中學) is a prestigious Roman Catholic girls' secondary school
in Happy Valley
, Hong Kong Island
, Hong Kong
. Her primary school is Marymount Primary School
.
The School, originally known as Holy Spirit School, was founded by the Maryknoll Sisters
, an American religious order, on 10 January 1927 in Hong Kong
. Back then, the school was on Robinson Road
in Central Mid-levels
. There were only 8 classes of students sharing four tiny classrooms. In the 1930s, the school moved to a slightly larger building in Caine Road
. There were seven classrooms, but conditions were still cramped by today’s standards. By 1941, the school was offering a complete course leading to matriculation, and so was one of only a small handful of schools at that time which prepared girls for university.
In 1941, Japanese forces
invaded and occupied Hong Kong. The school was closed until 1948. When the school reopened, Hong Kong was facing a new challenge as many thousands of immigrants were pouring across the border to escape the civil war on the mainland. Marymount rose to this challenge by offering places to as many girls as it could.
As the school continued to expand, a new building with better facilities became necessary. In October 1957, the school moved to its present location on the wooded slopes at the top of Blue Pool Road
, overlooking Happy Valley. At the same time, it was renamed Maryknoll Sisters’ School. Initially, the building housed both Secondary and Primary Sections, but in 1961 the Primary School was relocated to the premises at Tai Hang Road
, directly above the secondary school. During the school year 1978-79, the Maryknoll Sisters handed over the sponsorship of the school to the Columban Sisters.
In September 1983, the name of the school was changed to Marymount. Throughout its history the school campus had also been home to a convent, with the nun’s dormitories housed on the fourth floor and the site of the library originally being a chapel. It was only in 1993 that the nuns vacated their premises in order to make more room for the ever-growing student population.
In 1991, Mrs. Nancy Wong became the school’s first Chinese principal, and the first principal who was not a member of a religious order. In 1996, the Columban Sisters initiated the transfer of the sponsorship of the school to the Christian Life Community
(CLC), the process of which was completed by September 1997. The CLC is an international Catholic lay community with a keen interest in education and commitment to the service of youth, and which receives spiritual guidance from the Jesuits of Wah Yan College, Hong Kong
. The CLC has pledged to preserve the same school spirit, foster the traditions and continue to provide quality education at Marymount.
Mrs. Wong oversaw the school’s transition from being managed by the Columban sisters to being managed by the World Christian Life Community. The CLC is a Catholic lay community which works to support education and the needs of young people,
The Secondary School operated up to 29 classes with over 1000 students until 1998, offering arts, science and social disciplines up to Form 7. With the restructuring of the school, the total number of classes is at 26 by the 2003. The Primary School operates 24 classes and has about 900 students.
In 2003 Mrs. Wong retired after 36 years of devoted service to Marymount, and the school welcomed its current principal, Ms. Veronica Ma.
Over the years, many generations of girls have received an education at Marymount, and the Primary and Secondary School together now accommodate nearly 2000 students.
Jupiter - Red
Mercury - Yellow
Uranus - Orange
Venus - Blue
Each house is headed by a House Captain elected by the students. Every year, students compete in inter-house events, such as the annual Sports Day and Swimming Gala. These events aim to uphold the sense of belonging of all the students of Marymount Secondary School.
for all subjects except Chinese Language
, Chinese Literature
, Putonghua and Chinese History. In forms one and two, a modular system is adopted in the Humanities
in order to facilitate project-based learning
and critical thinking
. In senior forms, students prepare for the HKCEE and HKALE and select subjects from option blocks. French is also offered.
MSS counts 6 winners of the Hong Kong Outstanding Students Awards
, ranking 12th (tied with Diocesan Boys' School
, St. Paul's Co-educational College
and Shatin Government Secondary School) among all secondary schools in Hong Kong.
known as the "SC") as elected class representatives in the role of Spokesman or Councillor, or as the Executive Board's Chairlady, Vice-Chairlady, ECA Coordinator, Service Coordinator, Sports Coordinator, Secretary, Treasurer or Public Relations Officer. The Executive Board members are nominated by students, and elected by the students. The Spokesman and the Councillor of each class are elected by its own class members.
Chinese Club,
Putonghua Club,
English Society,
House of Debate,
Mathematics Club,
Science Club,
History Club,
French Club
Interest Clubs-
Computer & Information Technology Club,
Hong Kong Award for Young People (HKAYP),
Japanese Culture Club,
Junior Police Call (JPC),
Odyssey of the Mind Club,
Technology and Living Club,
First Aid Club
Visual & Performing Arts Clubs-
Chinese Drama Club,
Choir,
Dance Club,
Drama Club,
String Orchestra,
Full Orchestra,
Choir,
Windband,
Visual Arts Club.
-Campus TV Team
-ECA Committee
-Librarians
-MSS Messenger
-Music Committee
-Sports Committee
-Student IT Team
-Tuckshop Committee
-Yearbook Committee
Community Service Groups
-Community Youth Club (CYC)
-Girl Guides
-Interact Club
-Z Club
Pastoral Care Service Groups
-Careers Guidance and Service
-Civic Education
-Environmental Education
-Guidance
School Teams
-Athletics
-Badminton
-Cross Country
-Dance
-Swimming
-Table Tennis
-Tennis
For Forms V to VII students, their summer uniform is a white short-sleeved blouse matched with a light blue, knee-length cotton skirt. They may wear low heeled black, dark brown or white shoes.
blouse or goldenrod turtle-neck sweater worn with a rust-coloured woollen jumper on top. Students wear darkbrown socks or pantyhose and dark brown shoes. The students may wear a beige scarf with 2 brown stripes on each end.
Forms V and VII students, the top is a beige blouse buttoned at the back with a dark brown coat, or a goldenrod turtle-neck sweater (same sweater as Forms I to IV students), worn with a rust-coloured woollen skirt. Students may wear low heeled black shoes and beige/dark brown pantyhose.
is white with the school badge embroidered in blue on it. The winter cardigan is similar to the summer cardigan, but is in brown with the school badge embroidered in white on it.
and beige. Camel and beige looks exactly the same other than the colour.
On the exterior of the jacket, there is a collar the school badge is sewed on the left. Each side has a pocket. Four buttons are on the front. These buttons bear the school shield on them. There are also two buttons on both sides of the sleeves, and two straps to go along with them. These buttons also has the school shield on them. The cuffs are adjustable.
On the interior of the jacket, the upper lining is made of flannel
and the lower half has a padded lining. There is another pocket on the inner lining of the jacket.
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
瑪利曼中學) is a prestigious Roman Catholic girls' secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
in Happy Valley
Happy Valley, Hong Kong
Happy Valley is a mostly residential suburb of Hong Kong, located in the northern part of Hong Kong Island. Administratively, it is part of Wan Chai District....
, Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island is an island in the southern part of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km², as of 2008...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. Her primary school is Marymount Primary School
Marymount Primary School
Marymount Primary School is a primary school currently located on Tai Hang Road, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. The secondary school arm is Marymount Secondary School.-History:...
.
History
Marymount has been ranked amongst the top secondary schools in Hong Kong, with students known to be high achievers in academics, music and sports etc. The school is also a member of the G20 Schools Group.The School, originally known as Holy Spirit School, was founded by the Maryknoll Sisters
Maryknoll Sisters
The Maryknoll Sisters of St. Dominic, or simply Maryknoll Sisters, are a group of Roman Catholic women religious founded in the Village of Ossining, Westchester County, New York, in 1912, six months after the 1911 creation of the Maryknoll community of missionary brothers and fathers...
, an American religious order, on 10 January 1927 in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. Back then, the school was on Robinson Road
Robinson Road, Hong Kong
Robinson Road is a 2-lane, bi-directional road on the Mid-levels, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. In the east, it is connected with the Magazine Gap Road and Garden Road, and in the west with Babington Road and Park Road, Robinson Road is quite long. With Central-Mid-Levels escalator, it also...
in Central Mid-levels
Mid-levels
Mid-levels is an expensive residential area on Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. It is located halfway up Victoria Peak, directly above Central...
. There were only 8 classes of students sharing four tiny classrooms. In the 1930s, the school moved to a slightly larger building in Caine Road
Caine Road
Caine Road is a main road in Hong Kong connecting Bonham Road in the west and Arbuthnot Road and Upper Albert Road in the east ....
. There were seven classrooms, but conditions were still cramped by today’s standards. By 1941, the school was offering a complete course leading to matriculation, and so was one of only a small handful of schools at that time which prepared girls for university.
| Marymount School Song O Marymount, my Marymount, Thou Beacon of the truth, O glorious the vision bright, That guides the steps of youth! To Thee we pledge our loyalty, O School we love so well, We live to love and follow Thee, O Alma Mater True, We live to love and follow Thee, Our pledge we now renew. O Marymount, blest is thy pow'r, And wonderful Thine aim, High virtue, wisdom, precious flow'r, Thy seal to all proclaim, To Mary our most cherished boast, Our school sweet model fair, We pledge our word to honour Thee, O Alma Mater True, We pledge our word to honour Thee, Our hearts do thou renew. |
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
invaded and occupied Hong Kong. The school was closed until 1948. When the school reopened, Hong Kong was facing a new challenge as many thousands of immigrants were pouring across the border to escape the civil war on the mainland. Marymount rose to this challenge by offering places to as many girls as it could.
As the school continued to expand, a new building with better facilities became necessary. In October 1957, the school moved to its present location on the wooded slopes at the top of Blue Pool Road
Blue Pool Road
Blue Pool Road is a road linking Happy Valley and Wong Nai Chung Gap on the Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. It starts in Wong Nai Chung Road, breaks at a roundabout, and continues in Tai Hang Road where it ends in a dead end. It is steep, and is mainly lined with residential apartments, although...
, overlooking Happy Valley. At the same time, it was renamed Maryknoll Sisters’ School. Initially, the building housed both Secondary and Primary Sections, but in 1961 the Primary School was relocated to the premises at Tai Hang Road
Tai Hang Road
Tai Hang Road is a major road on the north side of Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. Starting low from Tai Hang at Tung Lo Wan Road, Causeway Bay, it winds up to So Kon Po and further up to the mid-levels of Jardine's Lookout and Mount Nicholson, passing through Wong Nai Chung Gap...
, directly above the secondary school. During the school year 1978-79, the Maryknoll Sisters handed over the sponsorship of the school to the Columban Sisters.
In September 1983, the name of the school was changed to Marymount. Throughout its history the school campus had also been home to a convent, with the nun’s dormitories housed on the fourth floor and the site of the library originally being a chapel. It was only in 1993 that the nuns vacated their premises in order to make more room for the ever-growing student population.
In 1991, Mrs. Nancy Wong became the school’s first Chinese principal, and the first principal who was not a member of a religious order. In 1996, the Columban Sisters initiated the transfer of the sponsorship of the school to the Christian Life Community
Christian life community
The Christian Life Community is an international association of lay Christians who have adopted an Ignatian model of spiritual life. The 'Community' is present in almost sixty countries....
(CLC), the process of which was completed by September 1997. The CLC is an international Catholic lay community with a keen interest in education and commitment to the service of youth, and which receives spiritual guidance from the Jesuits of Wah Yan College, Hong Kong
Wah Yan College, Hong Kong
Wah Yan College, Hong Kong is an eminent grant-in-aid secondary school in Hong Kong. It was founded on 16 December 1919, by Tsui Yan Sau Peter . It is a Roman Catholic secondary school for boys run by the Chinese Province of the Society of Jesus...
. The CLC has pledged to preserve the same school spirit, foster the traditions and continue to provide quality education at Marymount.
Mrs. Wong oversaw the school’s transition from being managed by the Columban sisters to being managed by the World Christian Life Community. The CLC is a Catholic lay community which works to support education and the needs of young people,
The Secondary School operated up to 29 classes with over 1000 students until 1998, offering arts, science and social disciplines up to Form 7. With the restructuring of the school, the total number of classes is at 26 by the 2003. The Primary School operates 24 classes and has about 900 students.
In 2003 Mrs. Wong retired after 36 years of devoted service to Marymount, and the school welcomed its current principal, Ms. Veronica Ma.
Over the years, many generations of girls have received an education at Marymount, and the Primary and Secondary School together now accommodate nearly 2000 students.
Houses
There are four houses to which students and teachers are randomly assigned.Jupiter - Red
Mercury - Yellow
Uranus - Orange
Venus - Blue
Each house is headed by a House Captain elected by the students. Every year, students compete in inter-house events, such as the annual Sports Day and Swimming Gala. These events aim to uphold the sense of belonging of all the students of Marymount Secondary School.
Curriculum and achievements
English is the medium of instructionMedium of instruction
Medium of instruction is a language used in teaching. It may or may not be the official language of the country or territory. Where the first language of students is different from the official language, it may be used as the medium of instruction for part or all of schooling. Bilingual or...
for all subjects except Chinese Language
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
, Chinese Literature
Chinese literature
Chinese literature extends thousands of years, from the earliest recorded dynastic court archives to the mature fictional novels that arose during the Ming Dynasty to entertain the masses of literate Chinese...
, Putonghua and Chinese History. In forms one and two, a modular system is adopted in the Humanities
Humanities
The humanities are academic disciplines that study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytical, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural sciences....
in order to facilitate project-based learning
Project-based learning
Project-based learning, or PBL, is the use of in-depth and rigorous classroom projects to facilitate learning and assess student competence . Students use technology and inquiry to respond to a complex issue, problem or challenge...
and critical thinking
Critical thinking
Critical thinking is the process or method of thinking that questions assumptions. It is a way of deciding whether a claim is true, false, or sometimes true and sometimes false, or partly true and partly false. The origins of critical thinking can be traced in Western thought to the Socratic...
. In senior forms, students prepare for the HKCEE and HKALE and select subjects from option blocks. French is also offered.
MSS counts 6 winners of the Hong Kong Outstanding Students Awards
Hong Kong Outstanding Students Awards
The Hong Kong Outstanding Students Awards is a student contest in Hong Kong. The Awards recognizes students for great academic performance, extra-curricular achievements and commitment to serving society....
, ranking 12th (tied with Diocesan Boys' School
Diocesan Boys' School
Diocesan Boys' School is a boys' school located at 131 Argyle Street, Mong Kok, Kowloon, Hong Kong. It was founded in 1869, making it one of the oldest secondary schools in Hong Kong....
, St. Paul's Co-educational College
St. Paul's Co-educational College
St. Paul's Co-educational College , is located at 33 MacDonnell Road, Mid-levels, Hong Kong....
and Shatin Government Secondary School) among all secondary schools in Hong Kong.
Student council
Marymount has an elected Student Council which promotes student welfare and acts as a channel of communication between the school and the student body as well as organising a range of activities throughout the year. Students can take part in the Student Council (colloquiallyColloquialism
A colloquialism is a word or phrase that is common in everyday, unconstrained conversation rather than in formal speech, academic writing, or paralinguistics. Dictionaries often display colloquial words and phrases with the abbreviation colloq. as an identifier...
known as the "SC") as elected class representatives in the role of Spokesman or Councillor, or as the Executive Board's Chairlady, Vice-Chairlady, ECA Coordinator, Service Coordinator, Sports Coordinator, Secretary, Treasurer or Public Relations Officer. The Executive Board members are nominated by students, and elected by the students. The Spokesman and the Councillor of each class are elected by its own class members.
Clubs and teams
Academic Clubs-Chinese Club,
Putonghua Club,
English Society,
House of Debate,
Mathematics Club,
Science Club,
History Club,
French Club
Interest Clubs-
Computer & Information Technology Club,
Hong Kong Award for Young People (HKAYP),
Japanese Culture Club,
Junior Police Call (JPC),
Odyssey of the Mind Club,
Technology and Living Club,
First Aid Club
Visual & Performing Arts Clubs-
Chinese Drama Club,
Choir,
Dance Club,
Drama Club,
String Orchestra,
Full Orchestra,
Choir,
Windband,
Visual Arts Club.
Service groups
School Service Groups-Campus TV Team
-ECA Committee
-Librarians
-MSS Messenger
-Music Committee
-Sports Committee
-Student IT Team
-Tuckshop Committee
-Yearbook Committee
Community Service Groups
-Community Youth Club (CYC)
-Girl Guides
-Interact Club
-Z Club
Pastoral Care Service Groups
-Careers Guidance and Service
-Civic Education
-Environmental Education
-Guidance
School Teams
-Athletics
-Badminton
-Cross Country
-Dance
-Swimming
-Table Tennis
-Tennis
Summer uniform
For Form 1 to 4 students, their summer school uniform is a blue or yellow A-line knee-length cotton dress. The dress, regardless of its colour, has a pocket on each side with a zipper in the front middle, white pointed collar, and short white sleeves. Students can choose which colour of uniform they wish to wear to school on their own choice. Short or knee-high plain white socks and dark brown or white shoes are mandatory.For Forms V to VII students, their summer uniform is a white short-sleeved blouse matched with a light blue, knee-length cotton skirt. They may wear low heeled black, dark brown or white shoes.
Winter uniform
The winter uniform for Forms I to IV students is a long sleeves beigeBeige
Beige may be described as an off tan color or an extremely pale brown color.The term originates from beige cloth, a cotton fabric left undyed in its natural color...
blouse or goldenrod turtle-neck sweater worn with a rust-coloured woollen jumper on top. Students wear darkbrown socks or pantyhose and dark brown shoes. The students may wear a beige scarf with 2 brown stripes on each end.
Forms V and VII students, the top is a beige blouse buttoned at the back with a dark brown coat, or a goldenrod turtle-neck sweater (same sweater as Forms I to IV students), worn with a rust-coloured woollen skirt. Students may wear low heeled black shoes and beige/dark brown pantyhose.
Cardigan
The summer cardiganCardigan (sweater)
A cardigan is a type of machine- or hand-knitted sweater that ties, buttons or zips down the front; by contrast, a pullover does not open in front but must be "pulled over" the head to be worn. The cardigan was named after James Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan, a British military commander,...
is white with the school badge embroidered in blue on it. The winter cardigan is similar to the summer cardigan, but is in brown with the school badge embroidered in white on it.
Winter jacket
The winter jacket comes in camelCamel
A camel is an even-toed ungulate within the genus Camelus, bearing distinctive fatty deposits known as humps on its back. There are two species of camels: the dromedary or Arabian camel has a single hump, and the bactrian has two humps. Dromedaries are native to the dry desert areas of West Asia,...
and beige. Camel and beige looks exactly the same other than the colour.
On the exterior of the jacket, there is a collar the school badge is sewed on the left. Each side has a pocket. Four buttons are on the front. These buttons bear the school shield on them. There are also two buttons on both sides of the sleeves, and two straps to go along with them. These buttons also has the school shield on them. The cuffs are adjustable.
On the interior of the jacket, the upper lining is made of flannel
Flannel
Flannel is a soft woven fabric, of various fineness. Flannel was originally made from carded wool or worsted yarn, but is now often made from either wool, cotton, or synthetic fibre. Flannel may be brushed to create extra softness or remain unbrushed. The brushing process is a mechanical process...
and the lower half has a padded lining. There is another pocket on the inner lining of the jacket.
Notable alumnae
- Patricia Stewart - Artist
- Deborah Simms - Olympic Swimmer
- Carrie Yau - Hong Kong Government Permanent Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food
- Beatrice Lao - poetess, author of winter stars
- Emily LauEmily LauEmily Lau Wai-hing JP is one of two vice-chairmen of Democratic Party.She was the convenor of The Frontier...
- Hong Kong Legislative CouncilLegislative CouncilA Legislative Council is the name given to the legislatures, or one of the chambers of the legislature of many nations and colonies.A Member of the Legislative Council is commonly referred to as an MLC.- Unicameral legislatures :...
Member - Anna WuAnna WuAnna Wu Hung-yuk , SBS, JP is a non-official member of the Executive Council of Hong Kong. She is a solicitor and graduated from the Faculty of Law of the University of Hong Kong....
- former President of the Hong Kong Equal Opportunities Commission - Priscilla ChanPriscilla ChanPriscilla Chan Wai-han is a female Cantopop singer in Hong Kong.-Background:Chan has a younger brother and sister. Her father is a retired senior officer of Hong Kong Immigration Service. She attended Marymount Secondary School in Happy Valley, Hong Kong...
- Cantopop Singer - Sandy LamSandy LamSandy Lam, also known as Lam Yik Lin, is a Cantopop singer who sings in Cantonese, Mandarin, English, and Japanese.-Career:...
- Cantopop Singer - Mandy Yeung - Designer
- Catherine BraggCatherine BraggCatherine Bragg currently serves as Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs...
- United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs - Lorraine Moore - Artist
- Agnes ChanAgnes ChanAgnes Chan or Agnes Miling Kaneko Chan is a pop singer, a television personality , a Doctor of Education, a professor at Japanese universities, an essayist, a novelist...
- Pop singer, television personality, professor - Nancy Wong - former Principal of Marymount Secondary School
- Valerie ChowValerie ChowValerie Chow, aka Rachel Shane in the US, is a Hong Kong actress.She has starred in numerous films and several television series, most memorably in Wong Kar-wai's internationally acclaimed 1994 feature, Chungking Express, which earned her a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the 14th Hong...
- 1991 Miss Hong Kong 1st runner up and an actoress