Fadia Desmond, Theresa Rodgers,
and Mary Castellano
How do you see yourself contributing to our mission?
What changes have you seen recently at St. Francis?
MC: St. Francis is a mission driven school, and all that we do
here supports that mission. Our teachers, staff and students all
contribute to our community of faith. In my role on campus,
I have the opportunity to place our faith at the center of the
programs I support. These programs help students develop their
talents and gifts. I also have the chance to interact with all levels
of the community: faculty, staff, students and parents. These
interactions give me the opportunity to be an example of a faith
filled woman and promote gospel values through my actions.
MC: Being a twelve year veteran of St. Francis, I have had the
ability to see many wonderful changes over the years. I am most
excited about the introduction of our 1:1 program. It is wonderful to see how our teachers have embraced the technology to
enhance learning in the classroom. Students have taken a more
active role in classes and it has encouraged deeper levels of critical thinking and project-based learning. Another equally exciting change is our Professional Learning Communities (PLCs.)
These communities have given teachers the opportunity to better
collaborate and provide students with a common experience
across the campus. Our teachers have embraced this program
and their hard work has directly resulted in an increase in student achievement.
FD: “You can’t be what you can’t see.” This Marian Wright
Edelman quote embodies the reason so many of us choose to
be part of the St. Francis community. Departments all across
campus have Staff and Faculty who are living examples of our
school’s mission. Our faculty is knowledgeable about their
subject areas and experts in their fields. Our staff members have
professional backgrounds that qualify them to work in many
other educational settings and institutions, yet they choose to be
at St. Francis. We lead our students by example and convey that
intellect, compassion, spirituality, and leadership can co-exist.
We model for our students that the mind does not have to take
precedence over the heart. God wants us to nurture both and
SFHS gives us the space to do that.
FD: The most significant change I have witnessed is the changing face of the St. Francis High School student. I am in awe of
the diversity within our school community in every sense of the
word. I look across Serra Court and see a diverse representation
of cultures and ethnicities. In fact, even though I have lived in
Sacramento for 20 years, I never felt totally at home until I came
to St. Francis. Our students also come from many faith communities. While some of our school families practice religions other
than Catholicism, they are joined together by the common desire
to provide a loving, safe, nurturing, and intellectually robust high
school experience for their daughters. Our students also come
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