The Valley Catholic November 7, 2017 | Page 17

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS tvc.dsj.org | November 7, 2017 17 Saint Elizabeth Seton School – Distinguished Authors Support the School’s Food Program A delightful evening with Deacon Ron Hansen and Tobias Wolff was had by all at Saint Elizabeth Seton School. Ron and Tobias donated their time to help raise funds that will be used to sub- sidize our food program at Seton School. We prepare and serve our students a healthy breakfast, lunch and a snack each day and work throughout the year to raise funds to cover this expense! With more than 150 people in atten- dance we had a lovely Authors Event. For the early reception our kitchen staff prepared the hors d’houvres, faculty and staff served food and poured wine and our students did a marvelous job leading school tours. We all had an op- portunity to get to know and thank our Seton Community for all the help they give us each year. A humorous reading from both authors and a warm conversation be- tween the two, followed by a question- and-answer session, gave the audience a chance to get to know both Ron and Tobias a little better. Ron and Tobias spent plenty of time mingling with the crowd too! The Daughters of Charity provide a large portion of support for our school, but we are still very dependent on the support of sponsors, our local commu- nity and grants to cover our operating expenses. Our students, families, faculty and staff are all blessed to have that sup- port. Through our enriched program, we expose our students to new concepts and opportunities each day! This event provided funds to feed students for a month, generated new after school volunteers and was a com- munity event that was enjoyable for all. Authors Deacon Ron Hansen and Tobias Wolff donated their time to help raise funds that will be used to subsidize the food program at Seton School. Augmented Reality at Holy Spirit School At Holy Spirit School’s annual auc- tion this spring, parents and friends were presented with a challenge to raise funds to match a generous grant for a STEM Lab. Today, the vision of an active and engaging STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) curriculum is growing and encourag- ing students in exciting ways. For example, the second graders recently visited the STEM Lab and The Student Council at Resurrection School presents Bishop McGrath with a gift made by the school’s 3-D printer during his visit to the school on October 13. Saint John Vianney Community Reaches out to Victims of the North Bay Fires The students and families of our Saint John Vianney School community understand the importance of service, sacrifi ce and giving back. Service is one of the many virtues instilled in our SJV students and fami- lies beginning with their fi rst days at SJV School. With the help and support of their parents, students collected do- nations of jackets, blankets, dog food, pillows, and other necessities to give to the families who tragically lost their homes to the wild fi res in the North Bay. With less than 24 hours notice the school community fi lled a moving van for the Santa Rosa fi re victims. With the help and support of their parents, students collected donations to give to the families who tragically lost their homes to the wild fi res in the North Bay. one of their stations involved using the Augmented Reality Sand table to study landforms and waterways. Once the hills and valleys were constructed in the sand table, students placed their hands over the features and simulated rainfall, or snowfall depending on the altitude of their mountains. Students watched as the rain created streams creating rivers and rivers fl owing into lakes. On their way back to class, all the children were excitedly chatting about their experiences in the Lab. All except one student, who was visibly upset. When questioned, this second grader said, “I didn’t want to leave. I wasn’t done learning yet.” Holy Spirit School is grateful to all the STEM Lab donors who continue to help serve the insatiable curiosity of our students.