Saint Mary School ’ s Hidden Treasure
tvc . dsj . org | March 21 , 2017 cAtholic schools 19
Majid Ali Shabbeer from Saint Joseph of Cupertino School Named National Geographic State Bee Semifi nalist by National Geographic Society
Can you name the country in which the ancient lost city of La Mosquitia can be found ? How about the state that is home to the marine national monument known as Papahanaumokuakea ? Can you name the country and state that borders Niagara Falls ? Or can you tackle these geography puzzlers : name a country whose people speak the language of Wolof ; or name the two states that border Lake Havasu . Well , Majid Ali Shabbeer , a seventh grader from Saint Joseph of Cupertino School can answer these and many more challenging questions about world geography . He participated in and won Saint Joseph of Cupertino ’ s School Geography Bee on January 31 , sponsored by the National Geographic Society . Over 10,000 schools participated in this year ’ s National Geographic Bee , an annual competition , designed to inspire and reward students ’ curiosity about the world . This year ’ s Bee included |
categories such as : State Savvy , History Happens , Ocean Wonders , Weird But True / Name a Continent , World of Science , and Cultural Connection .
As a school winner , Majid was invited to take the qualifying test for the National Geographic Society ’ s state competition for California . Last week he , his parents , and his teachers received the exciting news – his was among the top 100 scores throughout the state , qualifying him as a state semifinalist . He will now participate in the California State Bee on March 31 at California State University , Fresno .
Majid has been a member of the Saint Joseph of Cupertino ’ s Geography Club ever since it was introduced three years ago as one of the many components of the school ’ s project-based extracurricular academic program . Students are offered a wide variety of extracurricular academic offerings . They can choose to participate in the projects which appeal
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Maj id after winning the school Geography Bee .
to their particular areas of interest . The goals of this extracurricular academic program are to foster intellectual curiosity and provide opportunities to expand students ’ knowledge beyond the regular elementary curriculum . Each year about 20 students from 5-8 grades choose to participate in the Geography Club , with meetings and interactive lessons planned and conducted by moderator Sharon Cosentino . The Club meets yearround
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, from October through May . Mrs . Cosentino prepares a myriad of information for the members each week , and shares study guides and links with their parents so families can work together at home on expanding their geographic knowledge . This skill will bear much fruit for these students in the future , as our world “ grows smaller ” each day . It is apparent that global events are heavily influenced by the geography of a region , and the Geography Club is geared toward those students who want to develop a deeper understanding of how and why geography plays such an important role in world history and current events . Majid will be studying very hard during the coming month as he prepares for the state finals . Michael Lee , his principal ; Erin Fuelscher , his teacher ; and Mrs . Cosentino all know he will represent himself , his family , Saint Joseph of Cupertino School , and the Diocese of San Jose proudly . |
Saint Mary School ’ s Hidden Treasure
Saint Mary School ( Gilroy ) recently celebrated the 50th teaching anniversary of Patti Littlejohn , 4-year-old kinder program teacher .
After 39 years at El Roble Elementary School in Gilroy teaching third grade and kindergarten , she retired from public school teaching and came to Saint Mary School in 2006 . Patti is an alumna of the school and comes from a multi-generational Saint Mary School family attended by her father and 2 siblings , followed by her 2 children and 4 grandchildren . It was here when she was a student that Patti met her lifelong friend , Sister Bobbi Green , PBVM , who attended Saint Mary School with her and who currently teaches with Patti .
Sister Bobbi commented , “ Patti and I have come full circle , starting as first graders together and now as co-workers . She has left her footprint on the hearts of hundreds of children and their families . She is truly a gift and a blessing .” Of teaching , Patti says , “ It has been a joy . I am so blessed to be in an environment that wraps itself around me and hugs me every day . So many students ’ lives have enriched mine .” Living and working in the Gilroy community gives Patti the opportunity to see her past students who are now adults . She said , “ Time has gone by very quickly , like a flash it seems . I get great joy when I am greeted by adults who were once my students . When they are little , there is something about their eyes that remains the same after they are grown , so I am able to
Saint Mary School recently celebrated the 50 th teaching anniversary of patti Littlejohn , 4-year-old kinder program teacher and also an alumna of the school .
recognize them as adults .”
It is moments like these that touch her heart , and she thanks the Holy Spirit for helping her to remember their names and their 5-year-old selves . “ I love to see how they are now as adults and hear they had fun when I was their teacher .” Patti says she has remained young-at-heart by teaching kinder students who keep her on her toes and continually amaze her with their views of the world . While 50 years dedicated to education is remarkable , she does not see herself retiring anytime soon and believes she will have a difficult time in retirement . She feels a tremendous responsibility to make her students ’ learning experiences meaningful , positive and exciting . Her greatest satisfaction has been the “ aha ” moments when she has taught a subject , and it becomes her students ’ knowledge for life .
When she is not in school , Patti enjoys and treasures time with her beloved family as well as gardening and baking apricot pies . Saint Mary School truly has been blessed by her service .
Saint Christopher Students Raise Money for Local Flood Victims
Piggy banks were emptied and lemonade stands set up shop recently in support of local flood victims . Saint Christopher students skipped frappuccinos and asked parents to trade dinners out in exchange for donation money .
The 627 students collected an incredible $ 5,573 in one day by holding a free dress fundraiser . Students were allowed to come to school on February 28 out of uniform in exchange for a donation to the Red Cross .
Although the suggested minimum donation was one dollar , some students arrived that day with hundreds of dollars that they had raised over the weekend . It was inspiring to hear
about all the creative ways families came together to earn money for this worthy cause .
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