The Valley Catholic October 8, 2019 | Page 16

16 CATHOLIC SCHOOLS In addition to great meals, special initiatives have been prepared recently in the Bellarmine College Prep kitchen. While “going green” in the dining areas for some may refer to consum- ing more vegetables, it also speaks to the school’s efforts to be mindful of sustainability. That mission is evident in such implementations as using biodegradable napkins and serving utensils and offering cage-free eggs and free-range chicken. October 8, 2019 | The Valley Catholic What’s Cooking? Chef Jeremy Soulia Fair Trade coffee is being served, with coffee grounds and other food waste being used in the Bellarmine Garden for composting and fertilizing. The serving of plastic bottles on cam- pus will soon completely be a practice of the past, as more than a dozen bever- age products previously sold in plastic bottles are now served in cans. Such efforts being undertaken by the Liccardo Kitchen team, under the direc- tion of chef Jeremy Soulia, and campus- wide in partnership with Patrick Adams, Green Initiatives Coordinator, are inline with Bellarmine’s commitment to eco- logical stewardship and solidarity with creation, as encouraged by Pope Francis in his encyclical, Laudato Sí – On Care for Our Common Home. The serving of healthier food op- tions for students, faculty, and staff and accomplishing further sustain- ability goals, are ingredients for a recipe that will have a lasting and positive impact for the Bellarmine community and beyond. Saint Catherine Grads Take Robotics to Ghana Two Saint Catherine School gradu- ates, Grace Gallego and Zachary Meagor, class of 2019, loved the school’s robotics program. They also helped with school service projects every year to support the Awaso School in Ghana, which was founded by Father Paul Mensah who served at Saint Catherine Parish for three years. Both Gallego and Meagor were going on a parish mission trip to Ghana during the summer and they had a big idea – to take robotics kits to the Awaso School and train students and teachers how to use them. Gallego and Meagor, along with the school’s Educational Technologist, Antonio Silva, put together a plan. They reached out to other robotics programs in the Bay Area and gath- ered equipment that was no longer being used. They also raised some funds to purchase additional robot- ics kits. They acquired six super kits, a full competition field and a variety of field elements. Additionally, they presented their plan to the Morgan Hill chapter of Rotary Club asking for funds to ship the equipment to Ghana. As things came together, they packed up the materials and sent them to the Awaso School. Upon their arrival in Ghana, Gallego and Meagor unpacked the equipment before many anxious eyes. Gallego and Meagor held teacher training/ mentoring sessions and presented five full length workshops to students in grades 3-8. Before they returned home from their ten day mission trip, both students saw many smiles on the faces of the children of Awaso. Grace Gal- lego is now a freshman at Presentation High School in San José and Zachary Meagor is a freshman at Ann Sobrato High School in Morgan Hill. Open House Grace Gallego and Zachary Meagor with two of the Awaso School teachers who they trained.