wiki.Alumni.NET - Your Location Information Resource

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Revision as of 07:12, 13 May 2008

Coordinates: 8°32′56″N 76°56′28″E 8.549008, 76.9410807

Marymount Secondary School

• Location & Contact Information
  • Address, Directions, & Map:
    • 123 Blue Pool Road, Happy Valley, Hong Kong, China
  • Telephone Numbers:
    • (852)2572-8221
    • (852)2572-9371 (fax)
  • Official Website: [1]
  • Email: webmaster@mss.edu.hk
• History & Memorable Moments

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 4 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. ^[1]

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. ^[1]

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. ^[1]

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. ^[1]

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. ^[1]

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, ^[1]

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. ^[1]

In 2003 Mrs. Wong retired after 36 years of devoted service to Marymount, and the school welcomed its current principal, Ms. Veronica Ma. ^[1]

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. ^[1]

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  • Chang, May (September 1990 - July 1997)
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