October 2013 - MARYMOUNT International School Rome

M A RY M O U N T I N T E R N AT I O N A L S C H O O L R O M E
Marymount
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e are off to a great start! This year, we
welcome more than 100 new families,
150 new students, and several new staff
members to the Marymount community. In August, our faculty
arrived and engaged in conversations about teaching and
learning to best meet the needs of all students. When the
students arrived, they engaged in community building
activities, while parents met at the PTO Welcome Coffee to
help build relationships for the new school year – all in an
effort to create a sense of belonging for everyone.
This year our RSHM Summer Implementation Conference
took place in Colombia, during which several staff members
and I were able to visit three Marymount Schools in Bogota,
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October
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Our Goal for the Year / 3
Meet the New Faculty / 7
Impressive IB Results / 13
Varsity Sports Schedule / 16
Above: High School students
gather in front of Butler Hall on
the first day of school last
month.
The ME Museum / 2
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e ME Museum
B
uilding community and getting to know our
students at the beginning of the academic year is
an integral part of the Marymount curriculum. Setting
a positive tone at the start of the school year has
enormous benefits academically as it encourages all
students to work to their full potential.
On September 13, Second Grade hosted a ME
MUSEUM. Each student exhibited three items that
represented themselves, their families, and their
interests and hobbies. All Second Grade students had
the opportunity to visit each other’s exhibitions and
take the time to get to know the friends they will be
learning with this year.
Ms. Jackie O’Farrell & Ms. Christine Pagano
Grade 2 Teachers
Clockwise from top left: Valentina discusses the items in her ME Museum.
The museum that Bulelani assembled included information on soccer,
food, and Nelson Mandela. Leonardo talks about his interests with his
teacher, Christine Pagano.
From
Barranquilla, and Medellin. The
experience allowed us to
witness the RSHM mission and
Marymount spirit in another
part of the world.
During this conference,
representatives from
Marymount Schools in
Colombia, Mexico, London,
Paris, Rome, Portugal, New
York, and Los Angeles
engaged in conversations and
shared ideas related to
keeping the RSHM mission –
to know and Love God, to
make God known and loved…
so that all may have life – and
the RSHM traditions at the
forefront of our work.
the
Headmistress
While in Colombia, our school
team planned for our yearly
school focus among the Goals
& Criteria for RSHM Schools.
Our school goal this year is “To
encourage and affirm personal
growth.” You can read more
about this in an article on the
next page by religion teacher
and Implementation Committee
Chair Ann Haring.
Our time together also allowed
us to plan our yearly Network
events, such as the Middle
School Sports Festival, which
we will host in here Rome; the
Middle School MUN in Paris;
and the Drama Festival in
London. These events provide
the opportunity for our students
to better understand the
commonalities and connections
within the RSHM Network as
well as build relationships with
students from the other
Marymount schools.
All of us at Marymount are
committed to developing
students academically, socially,
and spiritually. Our RSHM
mission and international
community provide the
environment for students to
engage in a rigorous academic
program, be part of a diverse
social community, and explore
their individual beliefs and
spirituality.
(Cont. from Page 1)
As always, I look forward to our
continued work together in
providing a successful school
year for all. Together we can
achieve the impossible!
Ms. Maria Castelluccio
Head of School
CHANGE OF DATE
Please note a change on the
October calendar:
Oct. 10
Oct. 17
Full Day of School
Faculty In-Service
School closes at
12:30pm
(no lunch served)
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Personal
Growth
To Encourage and Affirm
News from the Marymount
Implementation Committee
is Goal for the Year
D
id you know that
Marymount International
School of Rome is part of
a worldwide network of
Religious of the Sacred Heart
of Mary schools? The network
is an international partnership
of 19 schools, spanning four
continents and educating more
than 17,000 students. All of the
schools seek to implement the
Mission of the Religious of the
Sacred Heart of Mary:
"To know and love God,
To make God known
and loved, To proclaim
that Jesus Christ has
come in order that all
may have life."
RSHM Constitutions #7
The Institute of the Religious of
the Sacred Heart of Mary
(RSHM), was founded in
Béziers, France in 1849 by
Venerable Jean Gailhac and
Mère St. Jean (pictured above,
1st and 2nd from left). From its
very foundation, the first
religious community was drawn
to the educational apostolate.
Since that time, the Sisters
have been engaged in the
ministry of education in 16
countries on four continents.
The first schools were
established in the United
States in the late 19th century
by Mother Butler (3rd from left
above).
While the education of the
whole person is the general
aim of all schools, Sacred
Heart of Mary schools are
committed to the attainment of
this goal through a deep
personal belief in God, who
calls each person to the
fullness of life.
This mission finds expression
in the six Goals and Criteria,
which are implemented in all
the schools belonging to the
Religious of the Sacred Heart
of Mary network.
This year, our school will focus
on the criteria listed below from
Goal #4, which is to encourage
As a school community...
and affirm personal growth. In
future newsletters, we will
share highlights of the
important work we are doing
here at Marymount to help
each student to grow and
achieve the fullness of life!
Ms. Ann Haring
Elementary School Religion
We conduct our relationships according to the
principles of honesty, compassion, and mutual
respect.
We promote a high standard of self-discipline
and instill a deep sense of personal
responsibility.
We encourage appropriate independent action
and effective participation in the community.
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Off to a Great Start
R. EVANS
Students embark on
goal for the year
during Middle
School Orientation
Grade 6 student Aisha enjoys her turn on the ropes at EUR during the Middle School Orientation.
hat do jumping from the
tree tops, navigating an
obstacle course
blindfolded, and playing
tombola with retirees have in
common? They are all part of
the Middle School Orientation
program that took place during
the start of school this year for
students in Grades 6-8.
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The two-day program served
several purposes, including the
opportunity for the students to
get to know one another better,
particularly in light of the large
number of new students joining
the Marymount community this
year. Together, they braved
ropes courses at Treja and
EUR. They visited a retirement
home run by the Little Sisters
of the Poor and spread smiles
and friendship among the
residents there. They also
participated in team building
and character building activities
on campus.
The following week, the
students wrote about their
orientation experiences in their
English classes while
considering the school’s goal
for this year: To encourage and
affirm personal growth. Had
anything happened to them
during these two days to make
them feel that they had taken a
step further in their own
personal growth?
Students gave examples of
pushing themselves beyond
their comfort zones and taking
(educated) risks when on the
ropes at Treja. They also told
stories about problem solving
together supported by the
warm encouragement of their
friends.
They also explained how the
visit to The Little Sisiters of the
Poor had opened up some of
their eyes as they listened to
the stories of these elderly
people, who had once been
young and carefree themselves
and who had so many
memories and good advice to
pass on. They reflected on
these experiences during class
and made many connections
between the orientation days
and this year’s goal.
In the excerpts that follow,
Grade 8 students describe
visiting the retirement home
and the lessons they learned
from interacting with the people
who live there.
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o encourage and affirm
personal growth. As soon as
I heard this phrase, I understood
everything. Orientation days
mean a place where you find
yourself. Yes, it’s true that you
are with your friends. Yes, it’s
true that you’re swinging from
one rope to another.
But if you look deep, deep down,
you start to notice that you are
growing. You start to be more
mature and responsible. And the
most beautiful thing is that
you’re growing with a
community, with a family.
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CAMPUS AND RETIREMENT HOME PHOTOS: J. DUNN; TREJA PHOTO: T. GERBER; EUR PHOTO: R. EVANS
You should have seen us when
we went to the Little Sister’s of
the Poor old people’s home. We
went in there as youngsters do;
we laughed, and we didn’t look
to the future but just enjoyed the
present. If you think about it, the
future is always going to
become the present. These old
folks cannot play tag anymore,
they cannot run around being
carefree, but their spirits can.
Understanding this, I became
wiser and more conscious of my
present. Orientation makes you
understand that feeling that
cannot be written on paper, but
that you can feel coming from
the most sensible part of your
body: your heart!
– Alan, 8
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t first I didn’t know what to
say. I felt an urge to start a
conversation to entertain (one
elderly lady) but it was difficult.
With some effort I started
speaking to her. I could see how
a smile would start growing on
her face each time I smiled. This
made me happy. I have
grandparents too, and picturing
them in an old people’s home is
not really nice, so I thought of
these people as my family. I
helped straighten the little pillow
below her leg to be more
comfortable. I never stopped
talking, just to avoid any horrible
silences, and I could feel that
she really appreciated that.
But nothing would break my
heart more than a little lady I
saw who told me that she had
twisted her ankle and was in
such pain that she didn’t feel
like having any company.
However, later she asked to sit
at the table where we were
playing tombola and my friend
helped her play.
So on this orientation day I think
I grew. I overcame some fears, I
helped people and I talked to
them and the thing I won’t forget
are the smiles the people gave
me when I talked to them: that
was so meaningful to me.
– Sofia, 8
Clockwise from top left: Grade 6 student Claudio (right) helps guide his blindfolded classmate, Silvio, through an
obstacle course on the front lawn. A resident of the Little Sisters of the Poor retirement home compliments Grade
8 student Matteo and his classmates after their musical performance. Another resident of the home engages
Grade 8 students in conversation. Grade 6 student Steven navigates the ropes course in EUR. Grade 7 students
prepare to take the plunge at the ropes course at Treja.
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he visit to the Little Sisters of
the Poor always makes me
more open-minded and
respectful of the people who live
there. This year I talked to a very
clever woman called Fiorella.
She told me lots of inspiring
things. One of them was this:
“I never feel alone because I’m
always curious about what
surrounds me, so even if I’m 88
years old, I never stop learning.
Therefore girls – read, travel,
and don’t ever lose your
curiosity.” These words made
me reflect about myself and my
education. In other words, in
these short orientation days, I
think I grew as a person.
– Alice, 8
W
hen we arrived [at the
retirement home], we
started talking to different
people, and as they talked I
learned to be more patient as
they kept going on with their
stories. I found it very
interesting listening to the
stories of their lives, and I
noticed how their experiences
also affected their personalities.
Alfred had lived in many places
such as Australia, Germany, and
the United States, and he told us
how these places had changed
over the years. Grazia told us
that she had left school early to
go to work for her mother and so
had not had much education.
Maria had never traveled but she
loved to read and imagine how
the rest of the world was. I will
never forget her words. She told
us that we only have one life and
we should live it to the fullest,
and I totally agree with that.
Orientation is a really powerful
way of connecting with others
and in growing personally.
Seeing a group of friends
helping and encouraging each
other is beautiful, but being part
of that group helping others is
even better.
– Isabelle, 8
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A familiar face
returns as the new
Elementary School
principal
Meet the Principal
aria Sweeney,
the new
elementary
principal comes back to
Marymount after spending a
year with her family teaching
and learning in China.
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Mrs. Sweeney has a strong
educational background,
having received her
Bachelor’s Degree from Loyola
We provide opportunities to develop
skills for effective decision making
and leadership.
from the Goals & Criteria
for the RSHM Schools
Marymount University in Los
Angeles, her Master’s Degree
in Curriculum and Instruction
and teaching certification from
UCLA, and a Post-Master’s
Degree in Second Language
Acquisition from Eastern
University. Mrs. Sweeney also
received her Principal
Certification in July 2013.
Most importantly, she has been
a teacher for more than 20
years and she remains
passionate about making sure
that every child is valued,
respected, and challenged.
Mrs. Sweeney began her
association with Marymount
International School Rome in
1994 when she was hired to
teach Fourth Grade. Since
then, she has also taught First
and Fifth Grades, served as
Curriculum Coordinator for
three years, and as Assistant
Elementary Principal for one
year.
A first generation ItalianAmerican who speaks fluent
Italian, Mrs. Sweeney is joined
by her husband, Joe, who
teaches IB Economics in the
Secondary School, and their
three children: Marisa, Jake,
and Lara.
Mrs. Sweeney is thrilled to be
back in Rome and looks
forward to an exciting year of
learning in the Elementary
School!
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Welcome!
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We are delighted to welcome a group of terrific new teachers
to the Marymount community this year. Coming to us from the
United States, Scotland, and Bulgaria, these new members of
our faculty and staff are sharing their extensive expertise and
enthusiasm with our students both in an out of the classrooms.
Please join us in giving them a warm Marymount welcome!
Lisa Csicsila
Grade 4
Lisa Csicsila grew up in North Carolina and
received her BA in Elementary Education
from the University of North CarolinaWilmington. Ms. Csicsila has taught Fourth
Grade, Kindergarten, and First Grade. She
enjoys traveling and spending time with her
husband and three sons. She loves working
with children and is excited to be at
Marymount this year.
Brian Kirby
Elementary Music
Brian Kirby studied Music and French in his
native North Carolina, and then moved to
Paris where he worked at the Marymount
School on the annual school musical. With
his wife, a U.S. Diplomat, he moved to
Thailand and then back to Paris. They
moved to Rome this summer with their
daughter, Analisse, a new Marymount Sixth
Grader. Mr. Kirby enjoys biking and
snowboarding as well as music.
Megan Hallam
School Psychologist
A native of the Philadelphia area, Megan
Hallam dreamed of living in Italy from an
early age. As part of her undergraduate
work in psychology she attended Istituto
Lorenzo de Medici in Florence for a
semester and became interested in cross
cultural and developmental psychology.
She completed a masters degree in
psychology at Villanova University, which
included conducting research in Italy. Ms.
Hallam earned an Educational Specialist
degree in school psychology from The
College of William and Mary and has
spent the last decade working in schools
and communities both in the U.S. and
Italy. Her two children will join her as
students at Marymount, and her family is
excited for the opportunity to live in one of
their favorite cities. Above all, Ms. Hallam
looks forward to partnering with parents,
colleagues, and students to ensure
student success here at Marymount.
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New Faculty & Staff
C O N T I N U E D F R O M T H E P R E V I O U S PA G E
Dominic Harkins
Secondary Religion
A graduate of Manchester University,
Dominic Harkins is delighted to arrive at
Marymount after an enriching and diverse
career in teaching, which so far has
included three years as a lay missionary
teacher in rural Zimbabwe, both
mainstream and additional support need
establishments in Scotland and
England, and international schools in
Spain, Tanzania, and Mozambique. His
experience has mostly been in the field of religious education
in the Catholic sector and in teaching history. As well as hoping to help the pupils
to grow in their love of God in school, Mr. Harkins is looking forward to working
with colleagues, pupils and parents at Marymount to build upon the existing,
precious tradition of reaching out to people who are disadvantaged – a tradition
that lies at the very heart of the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary's charism.
He has strong family ties with Italy, having a Venetian mother, and has a
knowledge and love for Africa, which includes a good grasp of Swahili. As well as
being a passionate gardener, Mr. Harkins keenly follows the fortunes and
misfortunes of Celtic FC.
Kerry Keating
Middle School Social Studies
A Connecticut native, Kerry Keating has been
working with students of all ages as either a
teacher, coach, or outdoor education
facilitator for the better part of 20 years. She
has studied, coached and taught in the
USA, as well as in England, Ireland, El
Salvador, Japan, Kuwait, Libya, Thailand,
and now Italy. Her students have been rich,
poor, and everything in between. They
have been Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Buddhist,
Hindu, Sikh, and Muslim. She says she could list many differences among the
students and athletes with whom she has worked over the years, however, she says
that despite their differences, they have one thing in common – they all like learning
and they all love learning what it is that they are great at learning! She looks forward
to learning with students here at Marymount International School. Ms. Keating earned
a Bachelors degree in history and literature from Roanoke College in Virginia where
she was an All-American in lacrosse. She also earned a M. Phil degree in
International Peace Studies from Trinity College Dublin, and holds a secondary
teaching certification from the College of New Jersey.
Valerie Hocker
Middle School Art
Valerie Hocker has been traveling her
entire life. The daughter of an
American Military father, she has lived
in many states and even in Verona,
Italy as a child. As the wife of an
American Military husband she
continued to move around the United
States and spent three years living and
teaching in Guam. Ms. Hocker has
taught all grade levels and several
different subjects. Most recently she
was a high school art teacher at a
Catholic school in Jacksonville,
Florida. She has a Bachelor’s degree
in Art Education from Millersville
University in Pennsylvania, a Master’s
degree in Educational Technology from
Mount Saint Mary’s University in
Maryland, and a Specialist Degree in
Catholic School Leadership from Barry
University in Florida. She has raised
six children, five of whom have
attended college and live in the United
States. Ms. Hocker is joined here in
Rome by her youngest daughter
Hannah, who is attending John Cabot
University. In her free time she likes to
travel and explore new places. Ms.
Hcoker looks forward to exploring the
art and history, as well as the spiritual
growth opportunities, that are available
here in Rome!
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Ivan Tcherepov
Secondary Physical Education
Ivan Tcherepov was born and raised in Bulgaria. He was a
professional swimmer for many years, eventually earning the
title of national swimming champion of Bulgaria. He spent
much of his professional teaching career in the United States
where he taught in elementary, middle, and high school
grades in both public and private schools. He holds teaching
certifications in Georgia and Florida. Mr. Tcherepov looks
forward to working with all of the Marymount community to
promote an excellent middle school physical education
program and a range of after school activities.
Karen Valentini
Secondary Physical Education
Born in New York and raised in Texas, Karen Valentini has been teaching since 2005.
She graduated from Texas Tech University in 2001 with a double major in Public
Relations and Spanish and started her career in corporate advertising. She
subsequently decided to follow her true calling as a teacher and coach and went back
to school to obtain her teaching certificate. Ms. Valentini has played soccer for almost
20 years, including on a Texas State championship team and club teams and was part
of the Olympic Development Program. She started her high school teaching career in
2005 and in 2006 began to coach a girls varsity soccer team, which she led to
winning their first playoff game in school history. In her second year the team went on
to win the district championship and Ms. Valentini was named District Girls Soccer
Coach of the Year. With family ties in Italy, she moved to Rome in 2009, got certified
as an EFL teacher, and taught English. Ms. Valentini enjoys traveling, photography,
cooking, reading, and playing and watching all sports! She is excited to join the
team at Marymount and wishes all students, faculty, and staff a great 2013-2014!
And Welcome Back!
We are delighted that these teachers have
returned to Marymount in new roles this year:
Nina Catalano Fifth Grade
Claudia DeRocchis First Grade
Giulia di Ruscio EC Assistant/Afterschool & Bus Coordinator
Francesca Fava EC Teacher Assistant
Georgia Fazi EC Teacher Assistant
Joseph Sweeney Secondary Economics
Roger Williams Secondary Music
Veblena Zapparoli Elementary Art
Jasmin Zarineh Middle School Coordintaor
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Marymount
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nglish and Italian
teacher in the
Secondary School
Marianna D’Ezio participated
in two scholarly conferences
in recent months. In August,
she appeared at “Imagined
Worlds: Worldmaking in Arts
and Literature,” an
international conference
organized by the University
of Helsinki. The conference
focused on the imagined
worlds created by artistic
and literary works.
In September, Dr. D’Ezio
participated in the Fourth
Conference of the Italian
Society and British Society
for Eighteenth
Century Studies at
the University of
Viterbo.
Additionally, an
essay by Dr.
D’Ezio is included
in the volume
Slavery: Histories,
Fictions, Memory
recently published
T H E
N E W S
by Liguori Editore. The book
is an international crossdisciplinary collection of
essays, engaging critically in
the historical and
contemporary discourses of
slavery. Congratulations,
Dr. D’Ezio!
S
econdary School Italian
teacher Giovanna Iorio
took part in a
worldwide initiative called
“100 Thousand Poets for
Change” for which poets
across the planet
participated in a
demonstration and
celebration of poetry to
promote serious social and
political change.
The event took
place on
September 28 with
a series of poetry
events in cities
throughout the
world. The event in
Rome featured a
poetry workshop
led by Ms. Iorio
and other poets for
Bates describes his use of
the Jovian Moons Applet and
Kepler’s third law of
planetary motion to calculate
the mass of our solar
system’s largest planet. An
abstract of the article
appears on the American
Association of Physics
Teachers website at
tpt.aapt.org.
children at the Explora
Museum. Additionally, Ms.
Iorio was invited to
contribute her work to an
accompanying anthology
that includes 29 Italian poets.
Brava!
Congratulations, Dr. Bates,
for another insightful article!
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stronomy enthusiasts
who would like to
know more about the
planet Jupiter are
encouraged to read an article
by Secondary School
Physics teacher Alan Bates
that appears in this month’s
issue of The Physics Teacher
magazine. In his article, Dr.
We encourage appropriate independent action and
effective participation in the community.
from the Goals & Criteria
for the RSHM Schools
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Elementary Librarian Named to School
Library Association Honour List
The Readers’
Choice
M
arymount’s
Elementary School
Librarian, Ms. Sally
Cameron, is one of four
finalists for the prestigious
Librarian of the Year Award,
which is bestowed upon one
school librarian each year by
the UK-based School Library
Association (SLA).
The School Library Association
created the School Librarian of
the Year Award in 2004 to
recognize the excellent work
carried out in school libraries
every day and to highlight best
practice by celebrating those
librarians whose work is
outstanding.
Librarians are nominated for
this award by their colleagues
and provide a range of
paperwork to support their
nomination. A committee of the
SLA then selects a short list of
approximately 6 or 7
individuals and arranges for a
two-member panel to visit with
each of them at their respective
schools. Reports from these
visits form the basis for the
selection of the finalists.
Ms. Cameron, who is originally
from the UK, came to
Marymount in 1997 as a
teacher in the Early Childhood
program and has been the
Elementary School Librarian
since 2007. Viewing the library
as both a scholastic resource
and an environment that
encourages a lifelong love of
reading, Ms. Cameron
introduced a number of
innovations that contribute to
these aims. Among these are
the popular Rise & Read
program, which encourages
children and their parents to
read together in the library prior
to the start of the school day,
and a system of grouping
books by topic, regardless of
whether they are fiction or nonfiction.
In reference to this honor,
Head of School Maria
Castelluccio remarked, “At
Marymount we place a strong
emphasis on reading as a
cornerstone of intellectual and
personal growth. Sally
Cameron has done a
tremendous job in making the
Elementary School Library a
place where our students,
faculty, and parents not only
enjoy reading but truly
celebrate it.”
Ms. Cameron and the other
three finalists will be honored
at a ceremony held on October
7 in London at which time the
winner of the SLA School
Librarian of the Year 2013 will
be announced.
Good luck, Ms. Cameron!
Elementary School Librarian
Sally Cameron is one of four
finalists for the Librarian of the
Year Award from the School
Library Association.
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Restoring Trust in Medicine
Faculty member discusses bioethics at Harvard University roundtable
his past June, I
participated in an
executive roundtable
entitled, “Bioethics and the
Pharmaceutical Industry” held
at the Edmond J. Safra Center
of Ethics at Harvard University.
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Thirty individuals were invited
to come to Cambridge,
Massachusetts to participate
and could choose either June
19 or July 16. Among the
attendees were members of
the senior management at
international pharmaceutical
companies, including Merck,
Pfizer, Astra Zeneca, Lilly,
Johnson & Johnson, Roche &
Genentech, Sanofi, and
Salvatore Alesci of PhRMA;
Harvard University professors;
board members of Bioethics
International; fellows at the
Center; and biostatisticians.
The mission of the
pharmaceutical industry is to
find, develop, produce, and
market medicines and
therapies that are most critical
to saving and improving our
lives, if possible. However,
there is documented
skepticism regarding the
general ethics of drug
companies. Therefore, the
initiative of restoring trust in
health care via an accreditation
program or a rating system has
been a key endeavor of
Bioethics International (BEI) for
the past five years; the time of
my tenure as vice-president.
In researching various ways
companies can demonstrate
superior quality and
communicate differentiated
quality commitments to
stakeholders, BEI was most
interested in maximizing and
incentivizing the adoption of
quality calibrated to ethics. Our
work focused on designing an
independent excellence in
ethics accreditation program
that should help determine if
companies are meeting set
ethical standards. It could also
help companies communicate
their verified efforts to the
public, thereby rebuilding trust
where merited. Another
alternative, a rating system,
would focus on specific
products of a company and the
preceding clinical trials. The
rating system concept emerged
as the preferred choice
following the Harvard
roundtable.
The most significant milestone
to overcome in the initiative
was gaining corporate
cooperation. The two meetings
achieved this goal, and BEI is
now poised to launch the pilot
program with more than one
company who participated in
the roundtable. As a
secondary school teacher, I
took away from this experience
and shared with my students in
the Religious Studies program,
Grade 11 Morality & Ethics,
Dr. Marie-Catherine Letendre
that there are viable ways to
tackle large problems and
persuade others of the high
impact potential of restoring
trust.
Marie-Catherine Letendre, PhD
Secondary School Religious
Studies and Social Studies
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Perfect score in the Class of 2013 on
the International Baccalaureate
An Exceptional Year for the IB
e are delighted to
announce that one of
our recent
graduates, Matej Vučak,
achieved a top score of 45
points as his final IB score.
This means that Matej
achieved not only the highest
grade of 7 in all his academic
courses but also three full
bonus points on the extra core
IB Diploma components of an
Extended Essay and course in
Theory of Knowledge.
attending their top university
choices.
W
Matej is one of 108 students in
the world who achieved a
perfect IB score and this puts
him in the top 0.2% of IB
Diploma candidates worldwide.
We are very proud of Matej for
his great accomplishment and
of all his teachers for their work
in helping Matej reach his
potential.
In addition to this big news, the
school’s average point score of
33 is also a very impressive
mean grade. Well above norms
Matej Vučak earned a perfect IB
score of 45 points.
for world average, our grade is
especially impressive in light of
our entry selection, which
reflects the school ethos on
supporting the whole student
rather than on strict academic
entrance requirements. Almost
half of our students performed
in the top 20th percentile of IB
students worldwide, and the
vast majority of Marymount
students met their personal
academic goals and are
One other noteworthy statistic
is the 66% of our student body
who received bilingual
Diplomas. This extra
qualification is awarded to
students who show advanced
fluency in English, our principal
language of instruction, and at
least one other first language.
This high percentage of
bilingual diplomas, much
higher than the usual world
average of 33%, reflects the
T
For a number of years,
Marymount has partnered with
Caritas to provide volunteers
on a regular basis for its soup
kitchens in Colle Oppio and
near Termini. These locations
provide meals to those in our
community who would
otherwise go hungry owing to
the circumstances they face.
Inevitably, our volunteers find
their time at the soup kitchens
rewarding, and many of our
students discover that the
variety of circumstances that
lead people to the soup
kitchens is as diverse as the
guests who find sustenance
and comfort there.
Congratulations to all the
students for their hard work
and to the entire Marymount
Community for its support in
continuing to make Marymount
a leading IB World School.
Ms. Lucy Alexander
IB Coordinator
I N T E R N AT I O N A L B A C C A L A U R E AT E R E S U LT S
average mean point score
MMI
World
2010
32
29.5
2011
33
29
2012
32
29
2013
33
29.8
MMI
World
2010
92%
78%
2011
97%
78%
2012
91%
78%
2013
91%
78%
pass rate
Soup Kitchen Volunteers
hroughout the school
year, students, faculty,
and parents can enjoy the
satisfaction of helping those
less fortunate than themselves
by volunteering at local soup
kitchens.
truly international character of
our student body. Students in
the class of 2013 studied
English along with Italian,
Chinese, Spanish, French, and
German.
The first volunteer opportunity
will take place this month on
October 19 at the Colle Oppio
Soup Kitchen from 10am to
2:30pm. Grade 10-12 students,
teachers, and parents are
encouraged to volunteer for the
15 available places. Please
see Mr. Harkins to sign up.
We are committed
to an active social
service program.
from the Goals & Criteria
for the RSHM Schools
14
N E W S
M
F R O M
A
R Y
M
O
U
N
T H E
College Counselor
College Visits
Starting in September
university representatives
began visiting Marymount to
speak with interested students.
The list of appointments at right
shows the great variety of
universities so far scheduled to
visit during the first months of
school.
Meeting for Grade 10
Parents
On Thursday, October 3,
Marymount’s College
Counselor, Mr. Terrence
McAndrews, will offer a
presentation to parents of
students in Grade 10. During
this informative session, Mr.
McAndrews will provide an
overview of the college
counseling process during 10th
UPCOMING
PTO EVENTS
Varsity Pep Rally &
Students vs. Teachers
Volleyball Match
Friday, October 4
Halloween Party
Saturday, October 26
PTO Bake Sale
Thursday, November 21
St. Nicholas Day for EC
and Elementary
Friday, December 6
PTO Christmas Party
Wednesday, December 18
and 11th grades and explain
what parents should expect
and what support the school
provides as their children
explore various options in
higher education.
Preliminary SAT
The Preliminary SAT (PSAT)
will take place at Marymount
on October 17. This is a
shortened “practice” version of
the SAT used by many U.S.
universities to help evaluate
candidates for admission.
As in the past, all Grade 10
students will take the test as a
first step towards preparation
for university admissions.
They will be joined by Grade 11
students who are considering
U.S. universities and who
should take the full SAT later
this year. No registration
process is required, and the
school assumes the entire cost
of administering the PSAT.
Mr. Terrence McAndrews
College Counselor
T
M
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N
T
H
L Y
V I S I T S
C
O
L
L
E
G
E
Barnard College
Wellesley College
Sep. 20 at 2:20pm
John Cabot University
Sep. 25 at 9:55am
Boston University
Sep. 30 at 2:20pm
Babson College
Oct. 2 at 8:30am
Imperial College London
Kings College London
London School of Economics
University College London
Oct. 14 at 2pm
Pomona College
Oct. 23 at 2:20pm
Providence College
Oct. 25 at 8:30am
University of the Arts (London)
Nov. 8 at 11:25am
Suffolk University
Nov. 15 at 8:30am
Parent-Teacher Organization
M
any thanks to the
members of the
Marymount ParentTeacher Organization for
helping to make the start of our
school year even better. Last
month, the PTO got right down
to business by hosting a very
popular Ice Cream Social on
September 13. The after
school event on the patio
attracted a large crowd of
students and parents who
enjoyed a tempting selection of
ice cream on a beautiful latesummer afternoon.
The PTO also hosted a lovely
Welcome Breakfast on
September 18 and a Family
BBQ on September 29. Many
new and returning families
gathered on the campus for
these events and enjoyed a
chance to get to know each
other better.
The dedicated members of the
PTO work enthusiastically
throughout the year to create
opportunities to build
community and raise funds in
support of school projects.
Top: Students and parents alike
enjoyed the Ice Cream Social held
on the patio last month. Bottom: A
number of families generously
provided delicious baked goods for
the PTO Welcome Breakfast on
September 18.
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Santa Susanna
T H E
C O M M U N I T Y
M A R Y M O U N T
O
n almost every Sunday
morning of the school
year, the Community of
Santa Susanna Church at
Marymount celebrates Mass at
11am in the Marymount
Chapel. Everyone is very
welcome to participate in this
Sunday liturgy, which is geared
to the family, especially
children. Everyone who
attends is invited to register as
parishioners of Santa Susanna
Church and participate in all of
the other Masses and
programs both here and at
Santa Susanna on Via Venti
Settembre in Rome’s historic
center.
The Paulist Fathers serve the
Santa Susanna and
Marymount communities; Fr.
Steve Bossi is the new vice
rector of Santa Susanna and
Marymount’s Chaplain, and Fr.
Greg Apparcel is rector of
Santa Susanna and longtime
friend of our school through his
work with our Board of Regents
for the past decade.
Marymount’s Confirmation
candidates will receive this
sacrament on May 17, 2014 at
Santa Susanna, while the First
Communion Mass will take
place on May 10, 2014. More
detailed information on these
sacraments is forthcoming.
A T
The atmosphere of the Sunday
11am Mass is very welcoming
and lively, and afterwards
everyone has a chance to visit
and make new friends over
coffee, juices, and treats. On
Sunday, October 13, the
community has its usual 11am
Mass followed by a ParishWide Welcoming Picnic, to
which everyone is invited.
People bring pastas, salads
and desserts, and hamburgers,
hotdogs and beverages are
served.
This fall, Fr. Greg is offering six
Spiritual Walking Tours of
historic Churches in Rome on
Thursdays, which began on
September 26. He is also
offering four Spiritual
Enrichment Sessions for
Parents on weekday mornings
in October at Marymount, this
year focusing on “Catholicism
in the Movies”, offering
discussion and film clips about
how Catholicism is portrayed
by Hollywood (and Cinecittà!).
These mornings are sponsored
by the PTO. Dates and details
to follow.
Still available to everyone is
the most recently published
edition of As Romans Do. This
144-page book, available at no
charge, is a parish handbook, a
guide to spiritual life in Rome,
Left: Fr. Greg Apparcel, Rector of S. Susanna, hosts the St. Nicholas
Charity Serata. Right: Fr. Steve Bossi, S. Susanna’s Vice Rector, is
Marymount’s new Chaplain.
and a practical guide to life in
the Eternal City. It is filled with
historical photos from the
church’s archives as well as
current photos from the past
three years. You can pick up
As Romans Do at the 11am
Mass on Sundays.
F
inally, everyone at
Marymount is invited to
help plan and participate
in Santa Susanna’s annual St.
Nicholas Charity Serata
(Dinner Dance, Auction and
Raffle) on Saturday evening,
December 7, right here at
Marymount. All of the proceeds
for this wonderful evening go
directly to nine specific Roman
charities, which assist the poor,
refugees, AIDS patients,
orphans, mentally and
physically handicapped
children, the sick and the
elderly in the Roman
community.
If you have any specific needs
or questions for Fr. Greg or Fr.
Steve, please feel free to call
either of them at 06.488.2748,
and please join us at the 11am
Mass. Though Santa Susanna
Church is temporarily closed
for restoration, please check
the santasusanna.org website
for the schedule of Masses in
English near the Church, in
addition to the 11am Mass at
school.
Fr. Greg Apparcel
Rector, Santa Susanna Church
VARSITY Sports
FALL 2013
VOLLEYBALL
Sep 20/21 - at Aviano
Sep 27/28 - at Naples
Oct 4/5 - Sigonella
Oct 11/12 - AOSR
Oct 18/19 - at Vicenza
Oct 25/26 - at Naples
Oct 29 - Nov 3
Boys Mediterranean
Championships
Girls European
Championships in
Kaiserslautern, Germany
TENNIS
Sep 20/21 - at Aviano
Sep 27/28 - at Naples
Oct 4 - Florence
Oct 11 - Florence
Oct 18/19 - at Vicenza
CROSS COUNTRY
Sep 20/21 - at Aviano
Sep 27/28 - at Naples
Oct 4/5 - at Sigonella
Oct 12 - AOSR
Oct 18/19 - at Vicenza
Oct 22 - 27
Oct 25 - 26
European Championships in European Championships in
Wiesbaden, Germany
Baumholder, Germany
Go Royals!
The PTO Halloween Party!
MARYMOUNT
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL ROME
Via di Villa Lauchli, 180
00191 Rome, Italy
(+39) 06 362 9101
www.marymountrome.org
Saturday, October 26
2-5pm at Marymount
Dress up in your most groovy or ghoulish costume and join in
the fun & games, tricks & treats, face painting, and great
snacks! All proceeds support the work of the Marymount PTO.
This newsletter is published
monthly by the Development Office
for the Marymount community.
Designed and edited by J. Dunn
Photography by J. Dunn unless
noted otherwise.
This paper is 100% derived
from well-managed forests.
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