tvc . dsj . org | March 21 , 2017 cAtholic schools 17 Saint Elizabeth Seton School and Saint Francis High School : a Great partnership
www . saintlawrence . org / slem 1977 St Lawrence Drive • Santa Clara , CA 95051 Conveniently off Lawrence Expressway and Cabrillo Avenue
tvc . dsj . org | March 21 , 2017 cAtholic schools 17 Saint Elizabeth Seton School and Saint Francis High School : a Great partnership
Seton School has been blessed for many years to have had a wonderful relationship and collaboration with Saint Francis High School ( SFHS ). Three times a year Seton ’ s Junior High students get the opportunity to spend time with students from SFHS to not only learn from each other , but to share experiences that are beneficial to all . The gym is set with tables on visiting days to allow for small groups to work together . Math , Social Studies and English exercises are given by the Seton School teachers for the junior high and high schoolers to work on together . It ’ s always fun to observe how both schools learn from each other and how the basic skills of listening ; responding |
, teaching , being patient , displaying empathy and respect for others are of the utmost importance . And that ’ s for both schools ! Generally the work finishes quickly and time is spent asking about high school expectations : How do you manage to get to each class on time ? Do you have a locker ? What are your teachers like ? and more .
The visitors stay for lunch on site and everyone sits and eats together . Learning how to welcome others and find common areas of interest is not always easy – even for adults ! Lunch break generally wraps up with a game of soccer or basketball where our students feel they excel . They forget that there ’ s a big developmental
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difference between junior high and high school ages – some of the SFHS students tower over our junior high students .
Overall , this is a terrific community experience that officials at Seton believe benefits all – the students may learn a
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different approach to learning Math , English or Social Studies but most of all they learn about students from a Catholic high school and what opportunities lie ahead . It really is a time of camaraderie – these students live just 10 miles from each other but come from completely different worlds , each one being just as important .
Proudly , Seton had seven graduates from the school transfer to SFHS last year . Could these visits have been an inspiration to our junior high students to work a little harder to attain that goal ? We don ’ t really know , but we do know that everyone wins with this type of collaboration – thank you Saint Francis High School – we are blessed !
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Starting the fall of 2016 , Saint Justin piloted a lunchtime STEAM club , where students can learn technology skills and how to innovate for tomorrow ’ s workforce . Students use a LEGO Mindstorms robot , a New Matter 3-D Printer , and coding lessons from code . org . They have quickly learned the essentials for computer programming and design thinking .
Full STEAM Ahead at Saint Justin School
“ It ’ s very interesting learning to code and using the 3-D printer ,” says Mitchell , a member of the club . The code . org resources have helped the students ’ ability to program , and they are able to create designs and print them on the 3-D printer .
The club gives students the opportunity to try new things and to make mistakes , a key component of design thinking .
“ I think it is important for students of all ages to learn technology through a hands-on curriculum ,” says fellow student Andrew . The hands-on approach is very helpful , especially with being able to program robotics .
The STEAM club has been a resounding success , and Saint Justin looks forward to expanding in 2017 .
An eager student tests out her program on her LEGO Mindstorm robot .
Holy Family School Fifth Graders visit NASA
Holy Family School fifth grade students had the opportunity to visit NASA Ames at Moffett Field . Dividing the trip into two parts , the students were able to visit the Ames Visitor Center and participate in The NASA Ames Exploration Encounter ( AEE ).
At the Ames Visitor Center , students engaged in a self-guided tour through the museum viewing various exhibits displaying the many accomplishments of NASA over the years . One of the outstanding exhibits visited was Science on a Sphere where students experienced a new look of the planets in the universe , and review weather patterns and earthquake data . While checking out the Kepler Mission students explored how NASA surveys the region of the Milky Way galaxy and learned of their discoveries of potential new planets orbiting near-by stars . Students were provided a new perspective on how they view the relationship of Earth with space due to the work and dedication of the people who work at NASA .
The Ames Exploration Encounter was another distinct privilege of this outing . Students were offered an experiential hands-on opportunity at different stations . Demonstrations regarding the forces on an airplane , the opportunity to simulate a space mission or participate in the work of an Air Traffic Controller , were just a few of the ways students were able to experience the practical application of science in their lives .
Ms . Calvillo and Mrs . Caron ’ s fifth grade classes ended their day amazed by the different ways NASA explores space through travel . If you ask a few of the students , they would tell you their greatest revelation was how tasty astronaut ice cream can be !
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www . saintlawrence . org / slem 1977 St Lawrence Drive • Santa Clara , CA 95051 Conveniently off Lawrence Expressway and Cabrillo Avenue