Student Voice: A Warm Welcome from the Student Council President

Good afternoon to all our returning students, staff, parents, and guardians, and an especially warm welcome to the new arrivals to the Marymount community!

My name is Lynn, and I’m honoured to serve as the President of the Student Council for 2025/2026. It’s my absolute pleasure to welcome you all to a new academic year at Marymount.

Adapting to a new school is never without its challenges. I’ve personally experienced this first hand, moving across continents and transitioning from the American to Japanese education systems. However, when I arrived at Marymount almost five years ago, I was welcomed into a community that made me feel immediately at home. Although I can only give back a fraction of what this school has given me, I’d like to share a few of my favourite aspects of Marymount in the hopes of easing any nerves our new students and families may have.

One of the aspects I value most about Marymount is the wide variety of extracurricular activities on offer. The activities range from representing the school at the Model United Nations in The Hague to being a part of the annual school production, where students can take on backstage or on-stage roles, truly highlighting the talent the community has.

On a personal level, I had an incredible time during last year’s school production, The Little Mermaid, where I had the privilege of being a part of the backstage crew, collaborating with students across different grades, enabling me to form friendships that transcended year groups.

The holistic approach the school takes in providing such enriching experiences helps to cultivate creativity, resilience, and confidence, whilst also creating opportunities to forge long-lasting friendships, reflecting our goal “to encourage and affirm personal growth.”

Another core value that defines Marymount is our internationalism. Celebrating diversity in our community brings one of the school goals, “unity through diversity,” to life, whilst also aligning with the IB framework, which emphasizes international-mindedness. The famous student-led performances on International Day are an excellent example of international-mindedness, as students collaborate to celebrate various nationalities. I believe I speak for all students when I say that it is one of the highlights of our school calendar.

In addition, the mother tongue support lessons provided for students during their middle school years have helped me remain in touch with the language and culture of my homeland.

And of course, none of this would be possible without the incredible dedication of our faculty. The campus atmosphere, filled with encouragement, is a true reflection of the passion of our teachers, who live out our school’s mission “to instil a lifelong love of learning” on a daily basis, helping us to thrive not only in the MYP and later in the Diploma Programme, but also beyond school life, as we pursue further studies and professions.

At its core, Marymount is a place where students are guided by the teachings of the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary. In addition, Mother Butler, the founder of the Marymount schools, was a true advocate for providing young women with higher education that, in her words, seeks “to educate the heart and mind.” She also recognized the importance of developing cross-cultural understanding and encouraged students to become active global citizens.

And as your daughters begin to embark on their Marymount journey, I have no doubt they will grow into the greatest versions of themselves. It is both my privilege and my pleasure to welcome you all into our community.

Thank you.