St Mary's Academy (Rawalpindi)

Infobox_University
name = Saint Mary's Academy


motto = Ne Ardua Terreant (No Task Is Too Difficult)
established = 1969
type = Private School
staff = 150
state = [Tulsa Road, Lalazar]
country = Pakistan
city = Rawalpindi
principal = Sister Eileen Ann Daffy
website = [http://www.sma.edu.pk www.sma.edu.pk]

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.

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. Currently girls are enrolled in A Level classes.

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 Defence Forces.

In 2007 the school introduced 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 institution in the northern Punjab and NWFP based on a vision of working cooperatively in supporting and encouraging education initiatives in Pakistan.

Location

Saint Mary's Academy is located on Tulsa Road in Lalazar, Rawalpindi.

The entrance from Tulsa Road leads up to a tree lined winding driveway to the top of a hill. The entire campus is situated on 53 acres. A walkway from the large parking lot leads up to the main 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.

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 introduced its 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.

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 pavilion and viewing arena.

Intramurals are held between four houses. The four houses are:
Byrne(yellow)
Jinnah (red)
Iqbal (green) 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.

Past Administrators & Teachers

Father Patrick Byrne (Principal, 1918-1972)

Ms. May Flanagan (late),originally from Dublin,Ireland, born 1924 died 16 July 2006 at the age of 82.
Ms. Tess Flanagan (Bursar)
Major Tim (late) (Teacher, Mathematics) 1969-1977
Ms. Shahzadi Sadiq (Teacher, Primary School 4th Grade) 1972-1973
Ms. Shahnaz Sadiq (Teacher, Primary School, 5th Grade) 1972-1973
Ms. Agnus Dsouza (known as Madam D'sa, Grade 3 Teacher)
Br. Victor (Junior School Teacher, Computers)
Ms. Asha Rao (Librarian, Junior School)
Ms. Veronica Nasir (Juior School Urdu Teacher)
Ms. Talat Malik (Grade 4 Islamiat)
Ms. Iffat Malik (Junior School Islamiat Teacher)
Ms. Sherley (Grade 2 Class Teacher)
Ms. Veena (late) (Junior School Urdu Teacher)
Ms. Khalida (Junior School Urdu/Islamiat Teacher)
Ms. Tahir (Junior School Math Teacher)
Ms. Zita (junior School Teacher)
Ms. Shameem (Junior School Teacher, English)
Mr. Napoleon (Senior School teacher)
Mr. Mohammad Ali (Senior School Teacher)
Mr. Abdullah (Senior School Teacher)
Mr. Saif Ghausuddin (Senior School Teacher, Math)
Mr. Amjad Malik (Senior School Teacher, Math)
Mr. Wilson
Mr. Ajay Rao (Senior School Teacher, English)
Mr. Sanjay Rao
Ms. Samuel (Senior School Teacher, History/Pak Studies/History)
Ms. Venus (Senior School teacher, History)
Ms. Mushtaq (Senior School Teacher, Chemistry)
Ms. Parveen Abdullah (Senior School Teacher, Biology)
Ms. Farzana (Senior School English Teacher)
Mrs. Irfan (Teacher, Primary School, 5th Grade) 1977-
Mr. Akbar Siddiq (Teacher, 10th Grade) 1969-
Mr. Muhammad Rafi (late) (Teacher, Biology) 1969-19??
Mrs.Naz (late) (Urdu - 1970s)
Mrs.Jabeen Malik (Mathematics - 1970s to 1980s)
Mrs.Asghar (1970s - )
Mrs.Niazi (Nursery school - 1970s)
Mrs.Francis (Admin officer - 1970s to 1980s)
Mrs.Daud(Chemistry)
Mr. Pinto (Teacher, Mathematics) 1969-1984
Mrs.Malik (Teacher:1972-
Mr. Mumtaz (late) died in 2003 (Teacher, Islamiat)
Mr. Fazal Karim (Physical Training Instructor) 1969- Gold or bronze medalist 1956 Summer Olympics
Br. Budgen Terence,from Australia,(Physics:1981-1984),died Sydney,Australia in May 2006 at the age of 60.
Br. Bruno,from Sri Lanka,(Mathematics:1981-1983)
Mr. Rana Iftikhar(Mathematics:1983-2007)
Mr. Masood Haider (Senior School Teacher, Math)
Mr. Inayatullah Malik
Mr. A.H Qureshi(late)
Mr. Sarwar operated the canteen and bicycle stand in the 1970still late 90s
Khan Chacha - Security (1960s to 1980s)
Mr. Qutbi - Peon
Mr. Meera - Peon
Mr. Sadiq Massih (late) (Teacher Maths senior section) early to late 80s

Past Principals:

*Br. Martin (1970s till 1981)
*Br.Remedius Fernando(Sri Lanka 1981-1983)
*Br.Campian(New Zealand 1983-1984)
*Fr. Grimbergen (Netherlands)
*Br. J.J. Edward Thuraisingham (Sri Lanka)

Notable alumni

*Pilot Officer Rashid Minhas Shaheed Nishan-e-Haider (1951-1971)
*Maj. Shabbir Sharif Shaheed Nishan-e-Haider
*Gohar Ayub Khan(1937- ) Politcian, Former Chairman Senate
*Samad Khurram(1986- ) Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
*Ehsan Mani(1945- ) President International Cricket Council
*Shahid Javed Burki (Former Vice President, World Bank)
*Gen. Asif Nawaz Janjua, Chief of Army Staff (1991-1993)
* [http://sarangi.info/ Taimur Khan MD] Sarangi player
*Javed Khan (Finance Director Premier League) London UK
*Dr. Adil Najam, Boston University, Boston, MA

See also

* St Mary's Cambridge School, Rawalpindi
* List of schools in Pakistan
* List of international schools

External links

* [http://sma.edu.pk/ The Official Saint Mary's website]
* [http://www.smamun.org// The Official SMAMUN website (Model United Nations)]
* [http://www.smads.org/The Official Saint Mary's Academy Debating Society website(under construction!)]