Saint Mary's Academy, Rawalpindi
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Saint Mary's Academy |
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| Motto | Ne Ardua Terreant(No Task Is Too Difficult) |
| Established | 1969 |
| Type | Private School |
| Principal | Sister Eileen Ann Daffy |
| Staff | 150 |
| Location | Rawalpindi, [Tulsa Road, Lalazar], Pakistan |
| Website | = [1] |
St. Mary's Academy (SMA) is a private English-medium school in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
In its Senior Cambridge curriculum, St. Mary's prepares students for the University of Cambridge GCE Ordinary Level examinations. The school's students frequently win awards and honours, and often go on to highly-ranked educational institutions in the United States or the UK.
Now the school has switched over to the GCSE and GCE system from the University of Cambridge but the Religious Studies (except Islamic Studies) examinations are being attempted from the EdExcel Board. In addition, the school is now a Fellowship Centre for Cambridge International Examinations. Only a couple of centres have been awarded this prestigious title in the world.
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[edit] Vision and History
St. Mary’s Cambridge School was established by the Mill Hill London Catholic Fathers in March 1949 as a missionary school for the Catholic diocese of Islamabad-Rawalpindi. Rev. Fr. Thijssen became the founding principal and the school commenced in the new Holy Family Hospital Building, Saidpur Road. Later on, the Sisters of the old Holy Family Hospital were shifted to the new hospital building and the old hospital building was given to the Diocesan Board of Education to operate St. Mary’s Cambridge School. In January 1956 St. Mary’s School, Chaklala was established and educated a number of boys until 1964 when it was handed over to the P.A.F.
With the increasing demand for enrollments and the need for a boys school in the Cantonment area St. Mary’s Academy was established at Lalazar in 1962 with a senior section accommodating classes from Class Six to Matriculation and Senior Cambridge. Whilst the senior Cambridge students transferred from the St. Mary’s Murree Road that site continued to operate offering matriculation classes. The founding Principal at Lalazar was Rev. Fr. Patrick Byrne whose dream it was to eventually provide a comprehensive educational system from Nursery to A Levels and graduation. In 1966 the junior section commenced operation and in 1998 A level classes were added. For a few years girls were also enrolled in the junior primary classes which created a lot of difficulties for boys to adjust with the environment but things are being done to make them feel comfortable and to destroy the concept of all boys school. Currently girls are enrolled in A Level classes.
[edit] Location
Address:Saint Mary's Academy Tulsa Road. Lalazar, Rawalpindi.
Phone: +92-51-5518250
Fax: +92-51-5581819
The entrance from Tulsa Road leads up on a tree lined winding driveway to the top of the hill. The entire campus is situated on 53 acres. A walkway from the large parking lot leads up to the main building (secondary school and administrative offices including Principal's and the bursar's offices are housed in this building).
There are two main buildings. One building houses Grade 1 through 6, with a separate playground for elementary students. The main building houses the administrative offices (Bursar's office and the attached Principal's office). Grades seventh through tenth, as well as the Cambridge curriculum hold their classes. Two extensive science laboratories are on the 3rd floor.
[edit] Today
Today St. Mary’s Academy offers classes from Prep to Matriculation and A Level preparing students to follow in the footsteps of earlier St. Marians who have taken their place as honorable and leading Pakistanis and world citizens. St. Marians have excelled in academic and sporting fields and play an important role in Government, the professions, business and in the Defense Forces.
In 2007 the school will be introducing first year college classes for their graduating matriculation class. There are also plans to commence nursery classes in 2008 subject to the completion of the building for these classes.
The school is under the management of the Diocesan Board of Education of the Catholic Diocese of Islamabad-Rawalpindi. This board conducts a number of schools and other educational institutions in the northern Punjab and NWFP based on a vision of working cooperatively in supporting and encouraging education initiatives in Pakistan which help young people know and realize their own power to develop and transform themselves and society in a progressive realization of the Kingdom of God.
Focus on education for life, the development of the whole person, the integration of faith and culture in the changing world, acceptance of a social responsibility, the encouragement of critical thinking, the nurturing of the intellectual capacity to commit oneself to carry our responsible and meaningful tasks.
• Inculcate values such as self respect, personal worth, open mindedness, tolerance, honesty, social responsibility and justice.
• Reach out to all, especially the marginalized.
• Promote trust and co-operation between educators and the community they serve.
[edit] Extracurricular activities
The academy offers extensive extra-cullicular activities including cricket, hockey, track, shot put, discuss throw, javellin throw, long, jump, high jump and many more. The three fields (two hockey and one soccer fields) also serve as track on the periphery (400 meters) and a cricket stadium with a brick pavillion and viewing arena.
Intramurals are held between four houses. The four houses are:
Byrne(yellow)
Jinnah (red)
Iqbal (green) [winners this year] and
Liaquat (blue)
The school also hosts the Saint Mary's Academy Model United Nations (SMAMUN) in which schools from all over Rawalpindi and Islamabad come to participate.
[edit] Past Administrators & Teachers
Father Patrick Byrne (Principal)
Ms. May Flanagan (1924-2006)
Ms. Tess Flanagan (Bursar)
Mr.A.H Qureshi(Marhoom)
Major Tim (Teacher) 1969-1977
Ms. Shahzadi Sadiq (Teacher, Primary School 4th Grade) 1972-1973
Mrs. Irfan (Teacher, Primary School, 5th Grade) 1977-
Mr. Akbar Siddiq (Teacher, 10th Grade) 1969-
Mr. Muhammad Rafi (Marhoom,Teacher, Biology) 1969-19
Mr. Pinto (Teacher, English) 1969-19
Mrs. Malik (Teacher:1972-
Mr. Fazal Karim (Instructor Physical Instruction) 1969-
Br.Budgen Terence(Physics:1981-1984)
Br.Bruno(Mathematics:1981-1983)
Mr.Rana Iftikhar(Mathematics:1983-2007)
[edit] Notable Alumni
- Rashid Minhas Shaheed (1951-1971)
- Shahid Javed Burki (Vice President, World Bank)
- Asif Nawaz Janjua, Chief of Army Staff (1919-1993)
- Adil Najam, Professor, Tufts University, Boston, MA
- Taimur Khan MD Sarangi player
- Javed Khan,(Finance Director, Premier League),London,UK
