The Valley Catholic April 10, 2018 | Page 16

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CATHOLIC SCHOOLS

Fiesta Event Raises Funds , Honors Community Partners

April 10 , 2018 | The Valley Catholic
Sacred Heart Nativity Schools ’ ( SHNS ) annual Fiesta event in February was filled with fun , fundraising , and family . The evening also celebrated two key partners who have helped SHNS break the cycle of poverty through education – Ladies of Charity and Thirty- One Women .
Sacred Heart Nativity Schools , which is comprised of two middle schools : Sacred Heart Nativity School for Boys and Our Lady of Grace Nativity School for Girls , educates the urban poor near downtown San Jose . Seventy-five percent of SHNS graduates attend Catholic college preparatory high schools , and 100 percent of those students graduate from high school , compared to the 70
percent of low-income Latino youth in Santa Clara County .
“ When I think about ordinary people doing extraordinary things , these two philanthropic organizations come to mind . These two groups make education possible for our students at the middle and high school level . What an extraordinary gift ,” said Sacred Heart Nativity Schools ’ President , Sonya Arriola .
The Ladies of Charity , started in the early 1930 ’ s , is an all-volunteer philanthropic organization in San Jose dedicated to providing the necessary funding to care for , and educate children and families in need . In 2015 , they began a relationship with SHNS to support the
SHNS President Sonya Arriola pictured with Ladies of Charity members at Fiesta event held at Bellarmine College Preparatory .
mission of providing educational opportunity to low-income youth having previously been affiliated with Saint Elizabeth ’ s Day Home .
Thirty-One Women is a movement that today is 185 women strong , and
raises funds specifically for graduates of Our Lady of Grace Nativity Schools to attend Notre Dame High School . The concept is simple - a group of 30 women give a fixed amount to Notre Dame High School each month for four years . The outcome is four years of a Notre Dame Catholic education for one young woman who then becomes the center of the circle and the thirty-first woman .
Pope Francis said , “ To give a child an education is the finest gift you can give .” With the support of the community , SHNS is gifting its students with the tools for success .
To learn how to join the mission of breaking the cycle of poverty through education , visit www . shnativity . org .
Saint Catherine Student Receives Rotary Outstanding Student Achievement Award
Mark Spohn , a student at Saint Catherine of Alexandria School , was honored with an “ Outstanding Student Achievement Award ” in February by the Rotary Club of Morgan Hill . Rotary presented him with a cash award for his future education and an achievement certificate . His parents , Richard and Joy Spohn were also
recognized at the luncheon ceremony .
In addition to his parents , Mark was joined by his grandmother , Betty Kloesel from Moulton , Texas . His teacher , Sue Quinn , who introduced him to the Rotarians and principal , Fabienne Esparza , also attended the ceremony .
The award recognizes and rewards
outstanding student achievement as exemplified by academic performance , individual leadership , commitment to community and overall commitment to excellence . The recognition program of the Rotary Club of Morgan Hill is a part of its ongoing commitment to serve the youth of the community .
Mark Spohn was honored with an “ Outstanding Student Achievement Award .”

GET THE SCOOP

Join us for ice cream , meet our teachers and learn about St . Lucy School

Tuesday , April 17 6:30-7:30 p . m . 76 Kennedy Avenue , Campbell
Pre-K through 8th Grade www . stlucyschool . org
Enrolling Now Fall 2018

Saint Lucy School Kindergarten Makes the Transition

Saint Lucy School has transitioned Kindergarten Science class from the classroom to the fully-stocked Science Lab . Students are taught by the specially trained science teaching staff , who introduces the Next Generation Science Standards ( NGSS ) with Stem- Scopes , the on-line curriculum which emphasizes hands on exploration and a suite of online resources . Expanding their access to the full suite of supplies and space within lab is proving to be a great motivator for our young scientists .
The Kindergarten students have utilized the full lab space as well as experimenting with toy cars , blocks , ramps , plants , and balloons among other tools . In their current Earth Science unit focusing on weather conditions , weather hazards and measure of weather , the students had the opportunity to build and understand thermometers . They were able to observe how an alcohol / water solution would expand or contract in a glass bottle , registering temperature when placed in warm water and also when subjected to an ice bath . In addition to Earth Science , they are investigating
Kindergarteners at Saint Lucy School learn about thermomenters in the fully-stocked science lab that their science class has transitioned into .
Physical Science topics such as pushes and pulls , speed and direction , and energy from the sun . In Life Science , they learn about the basic needs of plants and animals as well as examining their various habitats .
Science teacher Bobette Lane adds , “ whenever students become active participants in a hands-on learning and discovery process , not only do they have fun but they also retain the content on a far deeper level .”