# Maryknoll Convent School

Maryknoll Convent School (MCS, Chinese: 瑪利諾修院學校) (Demonym: Maryknoller) is a Roman Catholic girls' school with primary and secondary sections in Hong Kong. It was established in 1925 by sisters of the Maryknoll Sisters, a Catholic institute founded by Mother Mary Joseph.
Its long history, traditions and distinguished academic results made Maryknoll Convent School a prestigious school in Hong Kong. The school uses English as the medium of instruction in all subjects with the exception of the subjects of Chinese Language, Chinese History and Mandarin.
In 2024, BigExam ranked Maryknoll Convent School in the 13th place anongst the 445 schools in Hong Kong that offer the local HKDSE curriculum. BigExam based its rankings on several criteria, including but not limited to the school's HKDSE performance and the percentage of students pursuing further education after graduating. The school also counted a total of 15 winners of the Hong Kong Outstanding Students Awards throughout its history.
Maryknoll Convent School is located in Kowloon Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong.

## History

In 1921, an organisation called Maryknoll Sisters went from the US to Hong Kong after its founder Mary Joseph Rogers said, "Let's see what God has in store for us." On 11 February 1925, Mary Paul began teaching 12 students various subjects in the Convent Parlour at 103 Austin Road. In 1931, due to the growing number of students and teachers, the school moved to 248 Prince Edward Road. The school moved again in 1936 to the current campus at 130 Waterloo Road.
In 1941, the Maryknoll Sisters left Hong Kong and closed the school because the Japanese army invaded Hong Kong. In 1945, after the Japanese surrendered, the school reopened.
In 1960, a new section was inaugurated at 5 Ho Tung Road for the secondary section. The primary section remains at 130 Waterloo Road. The Maryknoll Student Association was set up for the Secondary Section in 1967 under the guidance of Sr Jeanne Houlihan. In 1971, an experimental administrative system, a Staff Council, was set up in the Secondary Section; it was later replaced by a School Advisory Committee and General Staff Assembly in 2001. The student prefect system was instituted in 1989. The MCS Educational Trust was founded in May 1992 to advance education at Maryknoll.
Since 1997, the primary section has been converted to a whole-day school. The school's parent-teacher associations were set up in 2001–02. As of 2005, the MCS Foundation has replaced the Maryknoll Sisters as the Sponsoring Body of the school. On 16 May 2008, Maryknoll Convent School became a Declared monument of Hong Kong. The school is one of the best examples of Georgian architecture in Hong Kong. The school campus is also dubbed as 'Hong Kong's Hogwarts'.

### The ghost pine controversy

A Norfolk Island Pine tree used to stand at a corner of the school lawn, facing the Waterloo Road Gate of the Primary Section. It was 71 years old and 23 metres tall. Known as the Ghost Pine among students, it has come to be seen as a symbol of the school. The school management made the decision to cut it down in July 2009. It was understood that the school management was worried about students' and public safety should the tree collapse, as explained in Sr Jeanne Houlihan's letter to former students. Several former students, some being specialists in landscaping and environmental science, proposed solutions to save the tree while making it safe for current students and the public. In the end, the Government intervened and it was agreed that the tree would be conserved. The Development Bureau allocated about HKD500,000 to fund the cause.
On 4 February 2010, the school announced that due to drainage works, the roots of the Norfolk Island Pine tree were severely damaged beyond repair, and it was decided that the tree would be felled. The announcement caused outrage among many students, who thought that the decision was hasty and did not take into consideration expert advice. On 6 February, at around 4 am, the Police sealed off a section of Waterloo Road between Flint Road and Boundary Street. At 6 am, the logging staff from the Leisure and Cultural Services Department started to cut down the tree in sections over the course of three hours. When the former legislator Ms Tanya Chan and a former student asked the staff to show them the permit to cut down the tree, a government official from the Development Bureau, Mr Alan Au, refused.
It was later reported that the school could be prosecuted for breaching requirements of the Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance in carrying out the drainage work that ultimately led to the Norfolk Island Pine tree being cut down. After an investigation, former Secretary for Development Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor told LegCo members that the school had not fulfilled the conditions of the permit issued for its drainage work that had resulted in damage to more than half the roots of the 70-year-old pine which the school felled. In addition, Carrie Lam said the school had also felled 18 trees in December 2008 without submitting a removal plan to the Antiquities and Monuments Office.

## School principals

Primary Section
    1935–1958 Ann Mary Farrell
    1959–1960 Mary de Ricci
    1961–1967 Miriam Xavier
    1967–1977 Marie Corinne Rost (A.M. Session)
    1977–1995 Elsie Wong (A.M. Session)
    1969–1997 Hilda Kan (P.M. Session)
    1995–2003 Teresa Chow (1995–1997, A.M. Session)
    2003–2017 Josephine Lo
    2017–2024 Doris Yuen
    2024–present Ada Chan
Secondary Section
    1935–1958 Ann Mary Farrell
    1959–1965 Mary de Ricci
    1965–1972 Rose Duchesne
    1972–1986 Jeanne Houlihan
    1987–1996 Lydia Huang
    1997–2002 Gloria Ko
    2002–2006 Winifred Lin
    2006–2023 Melaine Lee
    2023–present Meimei Chan

## School crest

The top section of the school crest shows a rose between two lamps. The lamps are reminders that one lamp lights another without growing less. This is how nobleness enkindles nobleness. The rose is a symbol of Mary, mother of Jesus.
The black and white sections of the crest is taken from the Dominican shield, for the Maryknoll Sisters are part of the Dominican order. White means purity and truth; Black represents sacrifice.
The other colours of the crest are blue and red. Blue stands for loyalty; Red symbolises charity.
The Latin words "Sola Nobilitas Virtus" are at the bottom of the crest. This school motto means "Virtue Alone Ennobles".

## Alumnae

* Miriam Lau Kin-yee
* Rachel Cheung, Hong Kong pianist
* Valerie Chow
* Rosamund Kwan
* Shelley Lee
* Gigi Leung
* Jenny Pat
* Michelle Reis
* Xia Meng
* Jennifer Chan (musician)