Our Graduates

Mrs. Jacqueline Mankiewicz Smith shares her memories of her years at Marie de France…

When I think of Marie de France…..

1946 – I remember that morning in the locker room with my red stockings covered with snow and the heated room filling with a hot haze. I also recall how surprised I was to get a small carton of milk at recess. It wasn’t just any milk—it was chocolate milk! Having just arrived from China, everything was different and wonderful but stressful nonetheless. How would I ever find my way in that maze of hallways?

The school had just opened and it was in a small house. At the end of the day, Mrs. Brouillette, the headmistress would mop the floors herself.

1950 – I recollect the first day in our school. I see Mrs. d’Alverny coming in the large room where everyone gathered each morning. Her soothing yet solemn voice calmed me (it was a difficult time for me given that my mother had been placed in an institution after having contracted tuberculosis at work).

Hélène d’Alverny played a tremendous role in my life while my mother was away. We would leave for home together and on very special occasion we would even share an orange popsicle (5 cents). Sometimes I would stop off at her house where we would try our luck with recipes from “La Semaine de Suzette” (a buttery type of candy with honey and lemon). It was one of the few recipes we managed to get right....

Later, Lilian Wilker joined us and I believe that our class was complete from that moment on. There were fourteen of us and we were happy. We were somewhat spoiled (although we didn’t realize it because we were too busy envying all the big girls with all their “priviledges”).

We were serious students and classes went on even when snowstorms were blowing outside. Do you remember Miss Dussaigne putting her hand against the wall which would move when the wind blew?

There was also recess time in the school yard when we would go over historical dates because no one wanted to disappoint Miss Dussaigne. We knew that she was counting on us to learn those dates on our own so as to be better concentrated on the artists, painters, actors, and writers who had left a mark on their era.

I must say that we were not always serious. I remember one Saturday morning detention because we had been unruly in class. Everyone had to write an essay on the importance of discipline...

“Discipline cards”, uncontrollable laughter, ice-skating in the middle of winter...all these things are part of my fondest memories.

I’ve been lucky here in Toronto to have found, thirty years later, our classmate and late-comer Lilian Wilker. Together, we have been able to share many of our memories of Marie de France. It is not, however, just memories that we share. It is also a way of seeing life, the curiosity to understand it better, the desire to express our thoughts and opinions more clearly (Dear Pierrette Tournier: “Those who understand clearly, express themselves more easily”), and the ability to finish any task we may undertake.

We took away all this plus life-long friendships!