Fellow Alumni,

Welcome to our e-newsletter. I start by thanking each and every one of you for supporting the College during the year. Of course we look forward to your continued support in the new year. Do have a look at the redesigned website. We are grateful to Shane Correia for his support with the site previously and we formally welcome Mr Louis Ramdhanie (who teaches at the school) as the new Web Master.

In this edition, we have sports updates - Cricket, Dragon Boating and Football.

We also have links to the pictures on our site from the 75th Anniversary Function, the Joint Concert with St Joseph's Convent (thanks to our fellow alumni at www.vibett.com) as well as Dining with the Saints 2008. Hayden de Verteuil has also scanned one of his old annuals and has agreed to share the images that have been so popular on FaceBook in the last month (over 100 people tagged themselves and their friends). Finally, Peter Choo Quan has pictures from his reunion – Form 5 class of 1995.  Anyone who has pictures that they do not mind sharing - please feel free to send them to us.

We also have a link to the 75th Anniversary Supplement that was carried in the Sunday Guardian on the 23rd of November.  Last but by no means least, we have a poem written by Johann 'German' Mitterhauser (class of 2008) as an ode our sporting spirit.

God's blessings to you and yours in this holy season. We look forward to seeing you at Fete with the Saints on January 31st 2009!

Derren Joseph,

Class of 1991

St. Mary's grabs major awards at North Zone Secondary School's Cricket Prize Distribution Ceremony.

The North Zone of the Secondary Schools League held its 2008 prize-giving ceremony at City Hall, Port of Spain on October 18th, with the Attorney General and Minister of Sports as guests of honour. On the night, St Mary's came away big winners in various categories. more...

Dragon Boat Race Report 2008.

The 3rd annual Chinese Bicentennial dragon boat festival held on Sunday 12th October, saw the introduction of a new category, the junior division, comprising mainly secondary schools.

St. Mary's was one of the pioneering schools in this new division. more...

By Nikolai J. Nunes '02

Saints Football Season 2008 arrived with lofty, yet critical expectations. It concluded the initial three year period with former Tottenham Hotspurs Youth Coach Jason Edwards: his first season ended in relegation; the second with the North Zone Intercol trophy. Two thousand and eight was thus to be a crucial litmus test of his stewardship.

Coach Edwards methods should herald a revolutionary point in high school football: Gone were the days of eighteen and nineteen year-old Upper Six footballers that formed the First Team; thus accounting for the cyclical nature in Intercol football domination of the nineties as explained by former coach Hayden Martin. A complete overhaul of football at St. Mary’s College was launched with Coach Edwards’s arrival. The gaffer brought with him an emphasis on youth development and the average age of his first season squad was fifteen years. The end result was relegation and many were tempted to blame this on his policies. However, the naysayers did not see the numerous friendlies against senior and professional opposition where, despite the size disadvantage the Saints never lacked the necessary skill in holding their own and providing a challenge. The belief, mental strength and tenacity of the North Zone Champions were forged during such trials by fire. more...

By Johann Mitterhauser

These are two poems I wrote as an upper six student and member of the football team in 2008 which won the north zone intercol. The first is after the 1st round victory against St Anthony's and the 2nd after our national intercol semi final loss to El Dorado.

'Wa dey want with CIC' Poem here...

'The CIC Fairy tale' Poem here...