2015-2016 Blackboard Award Honoree: Marymount School

View the Video of Concepcion R. Alvar — View the Video of Sabra Mckenzie, Head of Marymount’s Upper School

Editor’s note: To read profiles of all 2015-2016 Blackboard Awards honorees, click HERE!

Marymount School
Headmistress: Concepcion R. Alvar (award accepted by Sabra Mckenzie, Head of Marymount’s Upper School)
Nursery – Class XII
1026 5th Avenue
Award: Outstanding School

Describe your school’s core educational philosophy.

As our mission states: “Marymount School is an independent, Catholic day school that seeks to educate young women who continue to question, risk, and grow—young women who care, serve, and lead—young women prepared to challenge, shape, and change the world.” Marymount is a college preparatory school for girls, committed to the development of the lifelong skills of critical thinking and problem solving.

Tell us about a few of the school’s achievements or distinguishing programs.

Marymount is a leader in STEAM education for girls… Marymount was the first K-12 school in the world to install a Fab(rication) Lab where students could imagine and build, engineer and design, prototype and make… Following the success of our first Fab Lab, Marymount created subsequent makerspaces, including the Tinker Space, STEAM Lab, and IDEA Lab, to accommodate the growing desire to incorporate “making” into the curriculum across disciplines.

What’s new?

Marymount’s long-standing commitment to innovation and excellence has drawn the attention and support of many forward-thinking businesses and institutions, including littleBits, an education electronics company. Marymount is the first school in the US to pilot a 1:1 program with the company, giving each child in Classes III-V a littleBits Portable Invention Kit that functions as her own “mobile maker space.”

What do you love about your school?

What makes Marymount so unique is its incredible heart… No matter how much we strive to accomplish academically, we never lose sight of our Catholic heritage and our enduring commitment to raising compassionate, considerate, and conscientious young women. I am blessed to be part of this community of faith and hope…I love being in a school where the priority is not only learning skills, but also developing competencies so that learning can be transferred. We are committed to preparing our girls for the future—we want them to have a voice, to make a difference, to have an impact on the world.

Corlears School

Corlears students learn, play and grow together in a school designed for who they are at ages 2 through 10. During these crucial formative years, we build a foundation of compassion, critical thinking, imagination and leadership, and cultivate a joy and confidence in learning that serves our graduates throughout their lives.

Ready Set Grow Preschool

<a href="https://www.readysetgrownassau.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.readysetgrownassau.org/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1692384562653000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3H4vbx-RdPPdKc5YnYYhnS">Ready Set Grow Preschool&nbsp;</a>(RSG), located in New Hyde Park believes that lifelong learning begins with a well-rounded, comprehensive and compassionate early childhood education.&nbsp; Ready Set Grow, the treasured preschool attached to the Progressive Athletic Center, serves as an educational hub for children 2 to 4 years of age. The educational team at RSG have created an enriching environment that hones in on children&rsquo;s natural curiosity about the world around them in order to promote socialization, creativity, and critical thinking. Student&rsquo;s delve into thematic daily play-based lessons in science, mathematics, art, literary enrichment, and physical education that serve as building blocks for the child's academic future. Preschoolers at RSG have the unique opportunity to develop their gross motor skills at the attached, fully equipped gymnastics facility where they engage in climbing, movement-based games and gymnastics.&nbsp; Ready Set Grow preschool offers 4 age-based classes taught by certified teachers. Each thoughtfully curated class is an excellent nursery to grade school transition. The warm and welcoming environment of the school allows children to feel confident in their new-found independence. As a first-time mom, N.S,&nbsp; was relieved when her son felt immediately comfortable at the preschool relaying to the director that, &ldquo;From the first day of school, my son's teachers have shown such warmth, compassion and professionalism. We are greeted each day with genuine smiles and excitement. My son looks forward to drop off each day and often mentions teachers and classmates at dinner. It's so cool to know that he&rsquo;s making such good memories&rdquo;. The professional and fun-loving staff helps their students cultivate social and academic skill sets that will be utilized throughout their school career. As a mom of two now-grade schooler&rsquo;s, Cheryl L. thanks RSG for &ldquo;...making her children's pre-school experience so special and helping to prepare them for Pre-K. Cherryl continues by stating, &ldquo; RSG staff creates an educational atmosphere combined with caring, creativity and fun.&rdquo; <a href="https://www.readysetgrownassau.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.readysetgrownassau.org/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1692384562653000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3H4vbx-RdPPdKc5YnYYhnS">Ready Set Grow Preschool</a>&nbsp;is now accepting Fall new-student applications for 2&rsquo;s, 3&rsquo;s and 4&rsquo;s. Visit their website or email RSG&rsquo;s head director, Louiza at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:[email protected]" target="_blank" rel="noopener">[email protected]</a>&nbsp;for information on classes and registration.&nbsp;

The Vincent Smith School

Vincent Smith School is a non-profit, coed, independent school for grades 1-12 that serves students from Nassau, Suffolk, and NYC since 1924. The school is most known for its small classes, supportive staff, and individualized programs for students with learning differences such as Dyslexia/Dyscalculia/Dysgraphia, as well as school anxiety, school reluctance, or ADHD.&nbsp; We emphasize academic, college-prep success through differentiated instruction and on-site services as needed for reading, speech, or OT in dedicated classrooms. VSS offers rolling admissions throughout the year at our scenic Port Washington campus. &nbsp;