Marymount School

Full Faculty/Staff Retreat

November 8, 2011

Emerging from the Goal of the Year “to encourage and affirm personal growth,” this year’s faculty/staff retreat was anything but typical. “The Gift of Three Breaths,” the theme of the day, was intended to refresh and re-energize the group. Rather than rely on outside speakers for inspiration or whole-group activities, the Implementation Committee instead gave each participant a choice in how they wished to be renewed.

After a light breakfast and opening remarks, the faculty and staff were encouraged to take their first “breath.” Meant to energize the soul, there were a number of organized options, including trips to the Guggenheim or the Met or helping at the Yorkville Common Pantry. Several folks chose to walk in Central Park and enjoy the glorious morning. The second “breath” revived the body with lunch and fellowship as a collected group. Finally, the third “breath” focused on reviving the body. The choices of activities included yoga, meditation, dance, playing music, in addition to a variety of other options. The retreat was a rousing success according to all, giving time during the busy semester to take time to be mindful.

August 31, 2011

Marymount staff and faculty began the new school year together on Wednesday, August 31 considering the goal for the year, “to encourage and affirm personal growth.” Headmistress Concepcion Alvar asked the group to be mindful of the human capital of Marymount including staff, faculty, students, parents, Trustees, and friends. She pointed to the power of a teacher to awaken “the truth that lies within us” and to consider “change as the backdrop for our own development.” Encouraging and affirming personal growth both in others and in ourselves, she said, allows us “to expect and accept the unexpected.” Such acceptance develops resilience, fosters balance, and enriches the life of the community.

In addition, members of the Implementation Committee encouraged staff and faculty to think about words or phrases that would keep them focused on their  goals for the year. To provide inspiration and good humor, committee member and Upper School teacher, Catherine Koller, shared country music song titles with the group. Individuals then had time to think about, discuss, and share their own thoughts and ideas. A sample of the words and phrases fashioned by individuals included: all in good time; let go, let God; row your boat in any weather; Truth is one, paths are many. The conversation offered a space for each individual to contemplate goals while simultaneously providing time to build a sense of unity and collective support.

September 1, 2010

The Marymount School of New York is committed to pursuing the RSHM goal to “awaken a consciousness of social justice” during the 2010-2011 academic year. The goal will inform our year as we respect the sacredness of life, strive to integrate social justice and human rights issues into the curriculum, actively and compassionately respond to the needs of others, maintain the commitment to an active social service program, and promote the awareness of the interdependence and unity of all life.

Sr. Rita and students

On Wednesday, September 1, 2010, faculty and staff were inspired to follow the call to action by Sr. Rita Arthur, the RSHM Institute Representative to the United Nations. As an active member of the NGO (non-governmental organization) Sister Rita pointed out that the notion of “awakening a consciousness of social justice” incorporates a global dimension. The three UN goals of peacekeeping, development, and human rights can be our roadmap for planning and implementation. Sister Rita referenced the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Millennium Development Goals as documents that would help us identify priority issues and guide us in creating our own goals the year, both as individuals and as a larger community, as we advocate for change.

The RSHM Network of Schools offers a “great source of power,” according to Sister Rita. Knowing that there are others around the world who are also working toward achieving the same goals is heartening, both for our students and for the adults that guide them. In addition, the UN has declared 2010-2011 as the International Year of Youth with the motto: “Our Year, Our Voice,” presenting students with a tangible avenue of involvement in the UN’s efforts.

Sister Rita’s words and presence certainly provided a catalyst for action, encouraging Marymount faculty and staff to model, for the girls in our care, courage in the face of great challenge. The bottom line is that advocacy for social justice requires more than words, but more importantly action, persistence, and compassion. Making the goal an intentional component of the curriculum and the life of the School, keeps it present, active, and alive in our lives.

Faculty and Staff Retreat

January 4, 2010

On Monday, January 4, Marymount’s faculty and staff were treated to a day-long retreat at the School, focusing on this year’s RSHM goal, “To foster a personal relationship with God.” Guest speaker Edwina Gateley, an internationally acclaimed writer and lay missionary, gave a spirited account of her journey towards God—including three years in Africa, nine months alone in a trailer in the midwestern woods, and eighteen months on the streets of Chicago. Ms. Gateley has founded a lay mission in London and a center in Chicago that helps women to recover from the ravages of prostitution and drug addiction. She related her story with boundless energy and an inimitable speaking manner, and in doing so burst open the subject of how each person can develop a personal relationship with a divinity she called “God the Lover.”

The day allowed time for comments, questions, and the sharing of stories from Ms. Gateley’s audience, as well as a meditative exercise in which each member of the faculty and staff colored in a mandala—a concentric circular design with cross-cultural spiritual significance—and then described the feelings that went into their color choice and design. After a brief lunch, Ms. Gateley continued her presentation, encouraging the faculty and staff to think of God as an immense ocean of which each person possesses a few drops—miniature representations of the divine whole. At the end of the retreat, her audience came away with a new method of thinking about God’s relationship to humanity.

Opening Day All-Staff Workshop

September 2, 2009

To begin the implementation of the goal of the year, Reverend Chloe Breyer of the Interfaith Center of New York addressed the faculty and staff, encouraging everyone to develop a relationship with God. Rev. Breyer drew upon a number of theological and literary texts as she challenged the audience to reconsider traditional notions of sin, in particular the sin of neglecting one’s self. The role of faith, Rev. Breyer suggested, is to provide a space in which we can step back from the whirlwind of daily life and examine our own identities.

Rev. Breyer drew on her own work at the Interfaith Center to demonstrate that without a solid sense of one’s own identity, one cannot effectively work for social justice. Our power to change the lives of others depends on our power to shape ourselves, and the work for social justice must be accomplished by those who have found their own identities through contemplation and faith. This is an important message for Marymount’s faculty and staff and especially for our students, who possess the capacity for transformation, both of themselves and of their communities.

“Give Yourself To Challenge”

10th RSHM Network of Schools Conference

Colégio De Nossa Senhora Do Rosário, Porto, Portugal

June 27 – July 2, 2009

Representatives from 19 schools in the RSHM Network of Schools convened in Porto to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the network. One hundred and thirty delegates shared news from their schools, reported ways that each school implemented its yearly goal, and discussed how to keep the vision of Mother Butler alive. For the first time, the annual conference included a student summit attended by two students from each school. Students were able to connect with one another and share ideas about leadership; the highlight of their experience was an all-day service project at Projecto Raiz. Click here for a film highlighting the work of the students at the Conference.