Christmas Concert 2007-Marian Academy

The Christmas concert was presented by the students on two different days. The Nursery, Preps and Primary students on the 12th of December and the secondary students on the 13th.The parents and guardians, staff and students were warmly welcomed by Sr.Marie Harper. The Concerts were started by an inspiring prayer. All the items presented by the students were good.
The Concert ended with the vote of thanks by the President of the PTA and the Principals Christmas message of Love, Joy and Peace. The Principal thanked and expressed the appreciation for the generous support of parents in their donation of Christmas gifts for various institutions and individual families.
We had the Concluding mass for the term on the 13th after the secondary concert. During the mass all the staff and students thanked God for the wonderful term they had. After the Mass the Crib competition results were announced. Our Lady of Lourdes won the first place and Our Lady of Fatima won the second place.
The Staff and Students showed active support and co-operation in making the concert a success. Hopefully the message of Peace, Joy and Love which the Christ Child Brings will be experienced by everyone.

By Sr.Vijaya Soreng

Earth tremor strikes Marian Academy!!!!!

At approximately 3:00 pm on the 29th of November, 2007, an earth tremor shook the walls of Marian Academy. No one expected the peaceful afternoon to be interrupted by the unexpected tremor as everyone was busy with examinations that were being conducted in some classrooms.There were panicked cries and screams as students rushed down the stairs and onto the tarmac, this was the emergency plan when the school’s alarm was sounded. This happened seconds after the tremor.

As the students arranged themselves on the tarmac, most started to dramatically share their experiences with each other, some questioned each other of what had happened and others stooped on the ground, probably recovering from what had transpired.

The teachers and prefects are to be commended on the way they helped to arrange the students in their lines. The students were then asked to sit by the principal, Sister Marie.She commended the students on their prompt, immediate response to the alarm. Sister Marie also commended the Primary students, who, at the time of the tremor, were seated in the hall, but even when they were asked to evacuate the hall, during the tremor, by parents and guardians, they remained seated together, which was the best thing to do at the time, according to Sister Marie.

After a few added remarks made by the principal, she dismissed the assembly of students by saying the evening prayer. Some students returned to their classrooms to finish off their examinations while others left for home, still a bit shaken up from what had occurred that afternoon.

By Geetanjali Deonarine

Christmas Bazaar

The PTA of Marian Academy presents a Christmas Bazaar each year renting tables and chairs or vehicular spaces to the parents or teachers of our school. This is a fund raising event and this year it was held on November 24th, 2007.

The response for rentals was very good this year! Many came forward in the spirit of Christmas, to rents spaces and sell their Christmas items...trinkets, craft, books, clothes, cakes plants, toys, school supplies, anything pre-owned (flea-market style)...an amazing variety! Even our very own 5th form, Graduating class of 2008, had their booth to raise funds for their graduation. The Bazaar is also accompanied by movies for the children while parents/teachers sell or shop!

At the Baazar each year, the moral and social values of Marian Academy must be maintained in what is traded. No tobacco or alcohol products are allowed to be sold.

There was a pleasant 'buzz' of shoppers all day long. Thank you to all supporters!

By Nicky Mendes

Assembly: November 22nd, 2007

Mrs. Denise Dias and Mrs. Nicky Mendes, both members of Women inBlack, gave a speech at assembly in preparation for next week’s Road SafetyWeek. They stated that every month 16 to 18 people are killed on the roadsof Guyana; 37 to 40 people are seriously injured sometimes leading to death. Roadcrash deaths are sudden and unexpected and when cyclists or pedestrians arehit they bear the full force of the impact because they are unprotected; onein three cyclists is killed under the age of twenty. The faster a drivergoes the less time he gets to react to a hazard, as well as the longer timehe takes to slow down or stop. If a pedestrian is hit at 40 mph he has a 10% chanceof surviving, whilst if he is hit at 20mph he has a 95% chance of surviving.We were all reminded to stop, look and listen before crossing the road.Knowing your road rules would be beneficial to all citizens. Cyclists shouldalways remember to wear helmets, and all passengers, even those in the backseats should wear seatbelts and remember not to distract their drivers.Lastly, driving under the influence, whether it is drugs or alcohol, is avery bad idea.
This information shared during the assembly was a great help to the entire student body and the staff. We thank both Mrs.Dias and Mendes for this wonderful presentation.
By Michelle Ford.

International Day of Recycling

Project Engineers!( L-R)Leiann Vanlauge,Gabriella Edwards,Arsheena Mohammed,Kieron Dennison
Missing in the photograp:Ryan Singh.

International Day of Recycling is held on the 15th November every year. We the 4th Form Biology Students and the Marian Academy Environmental Club have executed a plan which involved the creation of these posters promoting Recycling in Marian Academy. The main objective of this project is to encourage our student body to engage in Recycling. We hope that these posters will inspire students to recycle and continue supporting our Marian Academy Litter Free Zone.

By Arsheena Mohammed

Marian Academy Swimming Team

Back Row L-R

Jonathan Anderson,Victoria Arjoon,Henk Lowe,Soroya Simmons,Hannibal Gaskin

Sitting

Camila Colmeares Emma Vieira,Brandon Debidin,Dominic Braam,Jacquel,Accalia Khan

Missing

Noelle Smith,Mathew Vieira

Marian Academy Swimmers participated in the North Zone Champion of Champions Swim Off.They were placed 1st for the 8th time in a row.They had defeated Bishop High School and School of the Nations.

Swimmers Noelle Smith,Accalia khan,Soroya Simmons and Henk Lowe will be participating in the Nationals Schools Swimming Championship on 13th November.We wish them all the best.

Nursery Sports Day

Sports day for the Nursery Students was held on Friday the 2nd of November. It was wonderful to see the little ones so enthusiastic on the filed. The Sports day started with a prayer led by Sr.Sheela. We had Mrs.Massiah and the President of PTA addressing the students and the Parents.Sr.Marie declared the sports day open at 9.30 am.The students participated in the 20 mts race,bunny hop race,late for school and lime and spoon.All the parents and staff members enjoyed seeing the students perform.The sports day ended at around 12 pm.The students as they went asked when was the next sports day!!!!!!!!!!

Family Fun Day - October, 2007

Each year Marian Academy has its annual Family Fun Day in October to welcome the new families to our school. The P.T.A. with the help of class representatives is responsible for the co-ordination of the proceedings of the Fun -Day.
Families are invited to spend the day, getting to know each other through the playing of games such as: running races, parent against parent, lime and spoon races etc.
The children enjoy pony or horse-cart rides. Families are encouraged to purchase meals, snacks and beverages from what is provided. There were hot-dogs, curry and roti, bar-b-cue chicken on sale. Normally, tickets for bar-b-cue are presold in school days ahead of the event.
The day is supposed to be one of 'togetherness', in the spirit of Marian Academy in a funfilled environment.

Secondary Department Spelling Bee Competition

The Secondary Department had their Inter-House Spelling Bee competition on Friday, October 26th. All the participants performed well as team members supported each other. There was stiff competition from all the houses. Eventually, Our Lady of Guadeloupe won the first place.

From the Secondary Coordinators Desk

Ms.Cheryl Andrews is the staff of the school from the year March 1st 1999>She has taught in Primary 1, 2, 3, and 4 as Class Teacher. She was also Prep and primary coordinator from September 2001 July 2007.And she has been appointed as Secondary Coordinator from September 2007.We wish her all the every best.

The coordinator assists in the management of the secondary Department. Maintains Record Book of student and looks after their registration and withdrawal. Checks on class registers and sees that they are marked each day and records the daily attendance. Attends to late coming of pupils and gives late passes for them to enter classes. Keeps track of detention. Ensures that the teachers are assigned to detention classes and other duties. Monitor progress of pupils. Assist with examination time tables and discipline. Assist Principal in the planning of events and staff Development. Organizes class Meeting with parents.

Subjects Taught in Secondary Department:
Mathematics
Science
Social Science
Art
P.E
Home Economics
English A
English B
P.O.A
P.O.B
O.A
Physics
Chemistry
Biology
Integrated Science
Information Technology
Social Studies
History
Geography
Reading Lab
French
Spanish
Religious Education
Moral Education.

I wish all the secondary Students a wonderful year at Marian Academy.

Best wishes

Miss.Andrews.

From the Primary Coordinators Desk

The coordinator assists in the management of the Primary Department. My day usually begins with me checking to ensure all teachers are present and dealing with any minor problems pupils may have.In addition to being a Classroom Teacher, I also assist with discipline, planning of events, staff development sessions, the organization of class meeting with parents and also in ensuring teachers are assigned duties. There is quite a lot more to do and even though I am busy most of the time, I love what I do and find it quite fulfilling.

At Marian Academy we strive to ensure our pupils have a well -rounded education and take pride in the fact that this is being achieved.

The subjects offered at the Primary Level are:

· Science/Health Education
· Social Studies
· Mathematics
· English Language
· Dictation/Spelling
· Poetry
· Religious Education
· Moral Education
· Physical Education
· Music
· Art
· Information Technology
· Spanish
· Reading
· Writing
In addition to this, Pupils enjoy reading and engaging in other activities related to reading habits during their Library Period. They also participate in various Extra- Curricular activities such as Badminton, Chess, Bible Club, Craft Club, Reading Club and Lawn Tennis, among others.
I wish all the Pupils and Staff of Marian Academy a fruitful Academic Year.

With best wishes.
Mrs. Karen Collins

Dramatic Win !!!!!

Marian Boys put up a brave fight and defended the small total of 66 runs. Winning the toss, Captain Kiefer chose to bat. Batting first, Marian managed to score only 66 runs but our boys were determined and bowled tough. They maintained the line and length and got the opponents out for 62 runs. Thus Marian won the match by four runs.
WELL DONE BOYS !!!!!!!!

Remedial Reading Classes

" The More you read, the better you'll read."
" Being a good reader is the key to success."
Remedial Reading, offered by Marian Academy, enables the pupils to develop and improve their reading skills mainly in these areas - identification, pronunciation, Fluency, Punctuation, Intonation, and Comprehension. They are assisted through the use of various Teaching- Aids and exercises. Some of the pupils who attend these sessions experience some form of dyslexia, palatal defects, skipping words or whole sentences, thumb sucking, tonsil problem, slow reading and lack of concentration etc.
Pupils are interested and happy to improve their reading skills. Those pupils who do exceedingly well are given prizes on Annual Prize - Giving Ceremony. This exercise gives great joy to the pupils, staff and the family.

Contributed by Sr.Vijaya

Guyana’s leading Newspaper (Stabroek News) carries the news of Marian Academy.

The Newspaper quote as it is in the above scanned material:

Marian Academy upsets IBC
International Business College (IBC) lost to Marian Academy by three wickets in a North Georgetown zone B fixture that was played at the Police ground on Wednesday. Batting first, IBC made 101 all out off 13 overs. Bowling for Marian Academy, Kiefer Robin took 4-28 from four overs. He received support from Rene Henry 3-14. Tagenarine Chanderpaul, son of Guyana and West Indies middle-order batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul and David Ward took two wickets each.
Marian Academy then knocked off the target of 102 for the loss of seven wickets in 28.5 overs. Chanderpaul and Robin returned with the bat to score 27 and 19 runs respectively whilst Andy Manchan took 3-15 from eight overs.

By Calvin Roberts(Stabroek News)
Monday, October 15th 2007

Spelling-Bee Competition.

The primary department had their Inter House Spelling bee competition.All the participants performed well.There was tough competion.And at the end Our lady of Coromoto won the first place and the runner ups were Our lady of Guadeloupe.There was wonderful team spirit present through out the competion.

Marian's First Victory.

Marian Academy won their first Match today.Losing the toss they were asked to field by the Captian of IBM-InternationalBusiness college.Our Players managed to bowl them out in only 12 overs of the 40 overs match.They then had the target of 103 to chase .Our boys played a quality cricket and won the match with 4 wickets in hand.It was their first outing and they really performed well. They play their second match on the 17th.The students are practicing everyday after their classes.We wish them all the best.

Counseling Services at Marian Academy

The position of the school counselor is a new one at Marian Academy. I started late may of the last school year just as students where starting to do end of year exams and plan their vacations. It was difficult to gauge what the overall response to a counselor would be.
Starting the new school year and meeting with students to introduce myself has been helpful in letting them know that counseling is available to them. Overall the response has been positive. Slowly I think they will gain a clever understanding of counseling. This will help them be less afraid and judgmental of the process and of the students who seek to use this service.
My basic role is to be a form of support to them. To listen to the concerns and the issues they may be struggling with. I try to help them verbalize their feelings and to find healthy solutions or ways of coping with their problems. My job is to help them manage their stress, improve their communication skills, build their self esteem and set appropriate academic and personal goals. I work with students individually or on small groups and I am available to meet with parents as necessary.
The image of counseling or psychotherapy is a developing one in Guyana and I believe there is a place for these services within our society.
Contributed by Mrs.Swain

Marian Academy Under 15 Cricket Team.

Our School will be participating in the Under 15 Cricket tournament organised by Guyana Cricket Board and The Ministry of Education.Though our school was not invited we made a request to the Board and then we were given our package and our fixtures.Thanks for the efforts made by Mrs.Massiah,Mr.Ramesh and Student Joseph.We play our first match on the 10th against Internation Bussiness College at the Police ground.Best wishes for our team.

Spanish World for the Preparatory section from the 8th - 12th October.

We had an exposure to the Spanish Speaking Countries for the preparatory students this term.At first they were encouraged to name some spanish speaking countries.Then they are given map work to do.They are asked to i dentify and colour the different countries.The the spanish speaking parents are asked to help the school to put up an exhibition of as many spanish speaking countries as possible.As a part of this programme pupils are shon DVDs of dance and culture,distributed food of that culture,exposed to their music and even thought the dance of the culture.The Exhibition is having a good response and it is well appriciated.Contributed by Sr.Leonie

PTA MEETING

The PTA meeting was held on 4th of this month. It began at 5.05 pm with a prayer conducted by Ms. N. Mendes. The chairperson for the meeting was the former president Mrs. Coleen Patterson. The minutes of the previous PTA meeting was read by Mr. Chappelle,the Presidents Report was read by Mrs. Coleen and the Treasurers report was read by Mrs. Lam-Singh.
There was also Elections for the new PTA body. The newly elected members were:
President- Mr. Braam
Vice President- Mrs. Nicola Mendes
Secretary- Mr. Andrew Chung
Treasurer- Mr. Patrick van Beek
Secretary Treasurer- Mrs. Carol Fletcher
Com.Members- Marissa Downes, Mrs.Willaims Frank, Mr.Edghill.
The meeting ended with a closing prayer by Mr.Braam.

Sports Day 2007

SPORTS DAY

The sports day was held on 28th of September. The sports day was declared opened at 10 minutes to 9 by Mrs. Messiah our Acting Principal. The students showcased their athletic talents. There was a healthy competition between all the houses and the house Our Lady of Lourdes emerged Champions with the highest points. Some of the high points of the sports day apart from the student’s activities were the pass student’s race, parent’s race and teacher’s race. The students enjoyed it. The sports day was a grand success.

PRIZE DISTRIBUTION

PRIZE DISTRIBUTION DAY

Prize Distribution day was on the 21st of September 2007 we had the prize giving ceremony for the Secondary department. It went on well and we had many parents to grace the occasion. This event proved to be the one which acknowledged the talents of the students and encouraged each and every student to do well.

INTERNATIONAL PEACE DAY CELEBRATIONS 2007

International Day of Peace, September 21st provides an opportunity for individuals, organizations and nations to create practical acts of peace on a given date. It is used to highlight the Decade for a culture of Peace and non-violence for the children of the world 2001 to 2010. The 21st September serves as a reminder and a living instrument in the service of peace to all people. It is the intention of the United Nations that the day of peace will be a constant peeling bell reminding us that our permanent commitment, above all interest or differences of any kind, is to peace.
In an effort to chronicle the ideals of peace, the ENO Tree Planting Activity was birthed. The tree is a symbol for environmental protection and international co-operation in the fields of education, cultural diversity, tolerance and peace.
This broad-based capacity building initiative that intends to foster a commitment of peace with our bio-physical environment was witnessed by the principal Mrs. Maureen Massiah, members of the student body and staff. There were also a number of special invitees, viz; (i) Ms. Madehoo and Ms. Dookie (Guyana Forestry Commission),
(ii) Ms. Browman and Ms. Monie (Environmental Protection Agency), (iv) Father Malcolm Rodigues, (v) Mrs. Lowe (Member of the Board of Governors) and (vi) Mrs. Mendes and Mrs. Persaud (Parent Teachers Association).
A musical rendition, “Hi and Hoe, we plant trees”, was delivered by members of the club while other members planted a Frangipani tree, as a symbol of peace, adjacent to the school’s peace pole. Peace pinwheels were inserted around this Frangipani tree.

INTERCOASTAL CLEAN – UP DAY 2007 ACTIVITIES

On Saturday, 15th September, 2007, over 200 volunteers, inclusive of members from the Marian Academy Environmental Club, participated in the International Coastal Clean - up Day activity and collected over 4000 pieces of debris items. The International Coastal Clean - up Day activity is a coastal clean up activity that is coordinated around the world by the Ocean Conservancy based in Washington, USA. Nationally, volunteers were from the following entities: (i) Youth Challenge Guyana, (ii) President Youth Award Group, (iii) Eco-trust – University of Guyana, (iv) Guyana Red Cross Society, (v) St. Stanislaus College and St. Margarets Primary Scout Association, (vi) Eco Clubs United, (vii) Leo Clubs, (viii) Leo Clubs, (ix) Cummings Lodge Secondary School, (x) US Embassy, (xi) Lions Club of South Georgetown and (xii) Environmental Protection Agency. It was perceived that shoreline and recreational activities such as picnics and the “Sunday Night Lime” and “Easter day Outings” accounted for 90% of the debris.

SCHOOL ACTIVITIES

INTERNATIONAL OZONE DAY 2007 OBSERVANCES

On the 17th September, members of the Marian Academy Environmental Club, particularly those of form 4F, made a presentation in observance of International Ozone Day on the 16th September. Students were reminded that they should mitigate the use of ozone depleting substances and monitor their exposure to UV rays from the sun.

First day of the school

Marian Academy after the vacations reopened on the 3rd of September 2007.The students were very enthusiastic to return to the school they love a lot. On the first the day the new staff members were introduced to the students and the prefects were given their badges and the Head Prefect was appointed. The classes were administered from day one after the assembly. Sr.Marie Harper introduced to the school Mrs. Messiah who was to be the Acting principal in the absence of her. Sr.Marie will be away for seven weeks attending the General chapter of her congregation. As we wish her all the best we eagerly await her return.

SCHOOL WITH A DIFFERNCE

Marian academy opened its doors on September 14, 1998 in a rented premises of Carifesta Avenue, with 227 students. So swift has been our progress sice then that in January 2001, we moved into our own fine new premises on Carifesta Avenue with the enrollment of 453 students and 37 staff. The school admistration of Marian Academy has implemented one of its priority goals of making sound moral and quality education accessible to a siginificant number of under privileged children through financial assistance and scholarships. Our school Motto, " In the Light of Wisdom" constantly reminds us that we aim far beyond imparting information, towards wisdom, " expereince and knowledge together with the power of applying them critically, practically and prudently.