tvc.dsj.org | April 2, 2019 CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
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Notre Dame High School Announces Public Phase of Campaign to Build the Center for Women’s
Leadership on its Downtown San Jose Campus
Not re Da me High Sc hool a n-
nounced it is launching the public
phase of a campaign to construct the
Center for Women’s Leadership on
the Notre Dame campus, continuing
to build its legacy in downtown San
Jose. With lead gifts from honorary
co-chairs John M. Sobrato and Cindy
Gavin ‘70 and Randy Pond, and un-
der the guidance of alumnae parents,
D’Arcy and Jim Kirkland and Nancy
Erba, more than $15 million in gifts
and pledges have been raised dur-
ing the quiet phase of the campaign.
A leadership gift from the Sisters of
Notre Dame de Namur, the school’s
founding order, was also announced.
With broad community support from
current parents, alumnae, parents of
alumnae and friends, Notre Dame is
poised to bring this vision to fruition
and break ground in 2019.
“The board of directors, and cam-
paign leadership, have done a tremen-
dous amount of work to develop the
foundation for a successful campaign.
To have raised $15 million before
launching the public phase is a tes-
tament to the community’s extraor-
dinary generosity and belief in the
value of this project,” said Notre Dame
Principal Mary Beth Riley.
Equipped with innovative learning
spaces that meet the school’s mission
to educate young women for the 21st
century and beyond, the Center for
Women’s Leadership will serve as an
icon of Notre Dame’s 168-year history
in San Jose. The building provides
spaces that reflect the mission and
support the vision to expand oppor-
tunities to innovate in an open-lab
environment, to chart a path toward
career and life work, to consider what
it means to be Catholic in the 21st cen-
tury and to develop women of impact.
With flexible learning classrooms in-
cluding an engineering lab, dance and
movement studio and a prayer and
reflection space, this new building will
transform the Notre Dame campus.
“Our young women will be edu-
cated in a state-of-the-art facility by
teachers who challenge, question
and nurture each student’s unique
leadership qualities. As a technology
executive, I am excited by the amaz-
ing capabilities of Notre Dame San
Jose students and the opportunities
in front of them. Today’s Notre Dame
girls will be tomorrow’s confident and
strong women leaders,” said Nancy
Erba, Campaign Co-Chair and parent
of a Notre Dame alumna.
Holy Spirit Cadette Scouts Expand Recycling Efforts on Campus
By Ida McGinley, 8 th grader and
Founding Member of R3C
Numbers 35:33 “You shall not pol-
lute the land in which you live.”
At Holy Spirit School, education
expands to include the love for and
care of our planet. Using the school as
an ecosystem, students are learning
about the impact each one can make by
reducing their carbon footprint.
Founded in 2016 by four Cadette
Girl Scouts, the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Club (R3C) of Holy Spirit School, with
its twelve student body members has
created awareness within the Holy
Spirit School community, in regards to
pollution. Before deciding to start R3C,
the girls looked around their school
and wondered how they could change
it for the better. With global warming,
a challenge that current and future
generations will need to address, the
Girl Scouts felt there was nothing more
pressing than the environment. Going
for the Girl Scout Silver Award, the
highest award a Girl Scout Cadette can
earn, inspired the girls to begin R3C.
With perseverance and commitment
during difficult moments; Ida McGin-
ley, Rebecca Jatnieks, Meher Virk, and
Queen of Apostles Teacher
Serving Worldwide
Queen of Apostles School third
grade teacher, Mrs. Christine Usis,
volunteered a week in January to
support schools and children in Cam-
bodia. Christine described her mis-
sion and goals: “ I am traveling with
the non-profit organization, Jordan
International, to aid in humanitarian
relief. I have been presented with a
life-changing opportunity, to establish
temporary schools in the floating vil-
lage of Siem Reap. It is my goal to serve
this community by teaching children
how to do basic math, learn letters, and
arts and crafts. More than education, I
want to give my time to these children
to give them hope for the future. I have
realized that if you can change a class-
room, you can change a community,
and if you change a community, and if
you can change enough communities,
you can change the world.”
When she arrived, she was able
to accomplish her goals of serving
Rhea Virk, the club founders, now in
eighth grade, feel they have made a
lasting impact. The girls raised funds
by selling cookies, holding free dress
days, and collecting donations. The
funds raised were used to replace the
recycling bins around the schoolyard,
create educational materials, and bring
recycling back to the school. With more
events being planned in the future, R3C
plans on leaving a legacy.
In addition to the founders, success
would not have been a reality without
Holy Spirit School Science Teacher,
Jennifer Echeverri’s guidance and com-
mitment. Thanks to supportive Prin-
cipal, Maureen Christensen, and Vice
Principal, Greg Vohs, the club has and
will continue to flourish. It takes a vil-
lage to make a true difference, and the
community and village of Holy Spirit
School, are truly changing the world.
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Weekly Field Trips/Arts-n-Crafts/Bike/Water days/Campfire Nights
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Qualified Staff Team, Credentialed Teachers; CPR & First Aide Certified.
Christine Usis doing crafts with students.
and teaching. She led the hygiene
education station, where she taught
approximately 60-80 children/day.
The main goal of teaching this topic
was to educate children on the im-
portance of washing hands in order to
prevent common illness and disease.
She taught the basic procedures, while
making personal connections with
each child.
One of the best and longest running places to be this summer!
For more information visit: https://www.drexel.dsj.org/stclareschool, or
contact Valerye Moore, Director at [email protected] or 408 246-2513