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Since 1926 , St . Bernard School has been not only teaching students in the South Hills a competitive academic curriculum thoroughly based in the Catholic faith , it ’ s been preparing students for life .
With academic results that put it on the same footing as public schools , parents who desire their children to become lifelong learners as well as devout practitioners of the faith trust St . Bernard School with their children from kindergarten through eighth grade . And while you may imagine classrooms of uniformed children taught by stern nuns when you think of Catholic schools , the modern Catholic
St . Bernard students Paige and Valencia preparing for an upcoming project . classroom couldn ’ t be further from those tired stereotypes . St . Bernard ’ s Technology
Coordinator Diane Veri , for example , came to St . Bernard ’ s from the private sector where she was teaching business professionals the ins and outs of the hardware and software they needed on a daily basis . Today , she oversees two computer labs , all of the school ’ s Chromebooks that are issued to students , and started the STAR program , which has seen hundreds of students getting more involved with computers and technology in the 15 years since its inception .
STAR stands for “ Student Technology Assistance Resource ,” and STAR students are technology troubleshooters within the school . In addition to Chromebooks for students , classrooms at St . Bernard all have smart boards and projectors – and students in grades 1-3 are slated to get tablets to help them with their studies .
Tyler F . and Colton C . help 5th grade teacher Ms . Amy O ’ Keefe troubleshoot her SMARTBoard .
St . Bernard School – Laying the Groundwork for Life
Star Team Captains John Paul and Brendan replace a bad cooling fan in a teacher ’ s computer .
“ In the beginning , STAR was more of an A / V resource . Today , we have well over 250 computers here and being a private school means you need to take care of and maintain what you have , so we are more self-sufficient ,” Veri said . “ I teach them to take the computers apart , clean them inside and out , and put them back together again . Teachers can call on STAR students to troubleshoot because I teach them how to diagnose typical computer problems .”
With 10-12 students on her team throughout a typical school year , Veri said that the STAR program alone sparks an interest in students , and sometimes directs their career choices .
“ One of my very first STAR team members is now a tech admin for Peters Township School District ,” she notes . “ So there are students who take it full circle , and the best part about technology is that you can take that knowledge into fields like graphic design , game programming and coding . I ’ d like to think that what we ’ ve been doing with the STAR program is ‘ STEM ’ before STEM .”
The technology at St . Bernard School is just one facet of the many different ways it helps prepare students for today ’ s modern world within a traditional Catholic
Students gather for a Finch robot competition in Mrs Veri ’ s Instructional Technology Class .
education , ensuring that students are every bit as prepared for college as their public school peers .
For more information on St . Bernard School and everything it has to offer , go to the website at stbschool . net online , or call at 412.341.5444 . The school is located in the heart of the South Hills at 401 Washington Road , 15216 .
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