Markham College
| Markham College Colegio Markham | |
|---|---|
| File:Markham College.png | |
| Address | |
Apartado 18-1048 | |
| Information | |
| Type | Private coeducational |
| Motto | Studiis et rebus honestis (Latin: "For honourable studies and pursuits") |
| Established | 1946 |
| Headmaster | Trevor McKinlay |
| Grades | Pre-Kindergarten, Primary 1-6, Secondary 1-4, Lower/Upper 6th |
| Number of students | 1,900 approx. |
| Campus | Urban |
| Colour(s) | Brown, yellow |
| Mascot | Lion |
| Yearbook | Markhamian |
| Affiliation | Round Square, ADCA (Asociación de Colegios Privados de Asociaciones Culturales) |
| Newsletter | The Markham Messenger |
| Alumni Association | Old Markhamian Association |
| Primary language | English |
| Website | www.markham.edu.pe |
Markham College is a school in Lima, Peru. It was founded by British expatriates in the country and has since then excelled as one of Peru's best educational institutions. Its students fulfill the Peruvian national curriculum, as well as the IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education) program from the University of Cambridge. Many of them subsequently enroll in the IB (International Baccalaureate) Diploma Program. The school was named after Sir Clements R. Markham (1838 - 1916).
Beginning in 2001, Markham has implemented the use of laptop computers as an educational tool for students in the 8th grade and beyond. While highly controversial at its inception, it has grown to become a very successful program whose results are reflected on the ever increasing performance of Markham students on international examinations. In 2004 the school became part of Round Square, an internationally recognized organization of schools which follows the IDEALS of Kurt Hahn.
The first students entered Markham College in March 1946. By 1978, it had grown to about 1200 students and it was necessary to acquire a second site. The transfer of the Lower School to this site began in 1979. There are now about 1,800 students in total. Students enter the school at the age of 4+ and transfer to the Upper School at the age of 11+. All the school buildings are purpose-built and surrounded by playing fields and attractive gardens. The schools are equipped to first-world standards with a full range of general purpose classrooms, specialist teaching rooms and laboratories. In 1992, the school became co-educational with girls being admitted, in roughly equal numbers to boys, with each new intake.
The House System
In the first year of elementary school (P1) students are nominally divided into four "houses" which compete in sports, academics and other activities. They are called Cochrane, Guise, Miller and Rowcroft, and named after Lord Cochrane, Vice Admiral Guise, General William Miller (all military figures) and Charles Thomas Rowcroft, the first British diplomat in Peru. Their colours are red, blue, green and yellow, respectively. Houses compete in a series of events, among them a swimming competition and an athletics event, to obtain the Founder's shield.
The House competition is mainly focused on the athletics. Houses have two important sets of competitions: the Swimming Gala and Sports Day. Although these are the two most important competitions, on the 2nd and 4th bimester students compete in a sport each week. Having interhouse competitions on disciplines such as: football, basketball, rugby, hockey, volleyball, softball and minisports. Minisports consists of many small disciplines such as archery, shooting, climbing, surfing, table tennis, tennis, badmington, chess, croquet and others.
Markham College Alumni
Markham College alumni are organized through the Old Markhamian Association (OMA). Notable alumni include:
- Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, economist and former Prime Minister of Peru
- Alfredo Tomassini, late midfielder of Alianza Lima
- Richard Webb, former Banco Central de Reserva (Central Reserve Bank) president
- Abelardo Sánchez León, writer
- Ronny Alhalel, artist
- Carlos Runcie Tanaka, artist
- George Forsyth, goalkeeper of Alianza Lima
- Javier Heraud, poet and guerrilla fighter
- Alonso Alegría, playwright and director
- Fernando Ríos, bass player for "Nosequien y los Nosecuantos"
- Jaime Bayly, host of TV program "El francotirador"
Alumni and students formed the "Old Markhamians Rugby Football Club" in 1995, which participates in the Peruvian rugby league. The school hosts matches in the league and has hosted Rugby World Cup qualifying matches.
Drama at Markham College
Markham College has staged various plays throughout its history, in Spanish, English and French. Recently, some of the most popular ones have been: The Mikado; The Gondoliers; Iolanthe; The Pirates of Penzance, Little Shop of Horrors in English; and Don Juan Tenorio; Los Figurantes and La Tras-Escena in Spanish.
Notable performances in previous years included that of Max Moya as the Duke of Plaza-Toro in The Gondoliers and as the Lord Chancellor in Iolanthe, that of Sebastian Calderon as Dracula in 1996's The Dracula Spectacula.
2006
Performed the nights of the 5-7 July 2006, was The Pirates of Penzance, directed by Michael V. Bacon and Cecilia Ramírez. Students from S2 to Upper Sixth (UB) took part in it. The student cast included Diego Ontaneda as the Pirate King, Harold Day as Frederic, Julia Duggan as Mabel, Jorge Del Pino as Major-General Stanley, Nicolás Rivera as the Sergeant of Police, Natalia Cisneros as Ruth, Joaquín de Aubeyzon as Samuel and Claudia Olcese as pirate #16.
In 2006 the school also showed a play in Spanish, called "La Tras-Escena" (The Backstage). It represents the hardships of various kinds of people living under a dictatorial Colombian government, and how it affects the show of a well-known play by the National Theatre Company. It was directed by Sandro Calderón, a professional actor, and was one of the most successful Spanish plays in the last few years.
2007
In 2007 the spanish department showed "El amor secreto de José Jacinto Milanés" (José Jacinto Milanés secret love') from cuban playwriter Abelardo Estorino. The Play was adapted for the public; it starts in a José Jacinto's funeral, a beggar comes and leads him into a series of flashbacks that develop the story and tell the audience the reason why Milanés is dead. Light effects as well as ambience music were used to develop the misty theme of the play.
In July the English Departament showed "Macbeth, the Musical" with Fernando Sifuentes starring as Macbeth, Josefina Miro-Quesada as Lady Macbeth, Jesse Alvarez as Banquo, and a large cast as witches, soldiers and other characters. The adaptation included dramatic scenes, as well as comical scenes, anachronisms and parodies; these included Mr.Dead (the Grim Reaper) dancing a Soft Shoe Shuffle along with various dead, the Devil dancing Michael Jackson's "Thriller" along with a group of female devils dancing and Lady Macbeth singing "Un Fracaso Más", a Vals Criollo (Peruvian Waltz)