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CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
April 24, 2018 | The Valley Catholic
Saint Leo the Great Learns about Earth’s Living Organisms
“The Earth is dying and it will only
take 5 years for all living organisms to
cease to exist.”
Not true, but this was the premise
of a project based learning activity and
presentation for eighth graders at Saint
Leo the Great School. The Earth’s dete-
rioration is a result of blight, food short-
ages, and lack of oxygen. The students
had to devise a plan to move humanity
to a new location in the solar system,
favorably a planet that can sustain life.
The eighth graders had constraints
such as only 1000 kg/module that was
being taken to space; that included the
humans, livestock, and any additional
provisions (excluding prepared foods
and oxygen). The students had to cal-
culate the length of time it would take
them to get to the planet going an aver-
age of 14,000 miles/second.
The students saw this as an awe-
some way to research a planet! In ad-
dition, they had to create a sustainable
habitat, given the constraints of the
habitable planet they chose. They had
to include: all of their possible supplies,
the kinds of professions they may need
to survive and the laws to keep their
society operating. Their graphic design
and coding skills came to great use
when they had to create a birds eye
view of their establishment, a logo for
their journey, a map of their landing
position on their chosen planet and
much more.
Saint Leo the Great eighth graders, Nicole
and Christian present their home dome with
airlocks to protect from the elements.
Healthy Living, Good Choices and Setting Goals
By Kelly Flores
President of Briarwood Little League in Santa
Clara, Mario Samora, visited Saint Lawrence
Elementary and Middle School on April 13 to
talk to students about healthy choices.
President of Briarwood Little League
in Santa Clara, Mario Samora, visited
Saint Lawrence Elementary and Middle
School on the morning of April 13. He
spoke to the students about his journey
in becoming healthy, setting goals and
making one good choice at a time.
The students of Saint Lawrence
listened intently as Mr. Samora spoke
about giving up small things, such as
soda, staying focused on his goals, and
drastically changing the course of his
life. One accomplishment that really
inspired the Students, was completing
a 140.6 mile Ironman Race.
Mr. Samora painted dynamic imag-
es with his words “I remember turning
the corner after a long day of swim-
ming, biking and running, to see the
finish line. There it was, my goal… right
in front of my eyes,” sharing with the
students that anything is truly possible
with hard-work and determination.
The timing of Mr. Samora’s visit
couldn’t have been better, with Saint
Lawrence’s Run for Fun Fundraiser
right around the corner. The students
and staff of Saint Lawrence Elementary
and Middle School are truly grateful
for courageous community leaders,
such as Mario Samora, who are willing
to donate their time and energy into
inspiring our future generation.
For more information regarding
Catholic Schools in the
Diocese of San Jose, visit
www.dsj.org/schools.
Bishop McGrath was delighted with his visit to Saint John Vianney School. He’s pictured with
Saint John Vianney School Choir.
Bishop McGrath Visits Saint John Vianney School
On March 21, Saint John Vianney
School (SJV) was honored with a visit
from Bishop Patrick McGrath. The sec-
ond graders along with their teachers,
Teresa Ward and Sarah Kuhs, as well
as Religion Coordinator Sister Maria
Griego, planned the celebration of the
Eucharist. Inspired by the Bishop’s
words, students, faculty and staff, SJV
families, and parishioners all rejoiced
in song with the SJV student choir, led
by Choir Director Gina Adams. Father
Steve Brown joined in the celebration as
concelebrant.
Principal Anthony Barajas and As-
sistant Principal Catherine Kogura, led
Bishop McGrath on a tour of the school,
stopping to spend time with students
at each grade level. Students were ex-
cited to ask the Bishop questions about
his childhood, family, his call to the
priesthood, and role as Bishop. Bishop
McGrath made a pact with the students,
asking them to pray for him each day,
just as he prays for each and every one of
them. The students are already making
plans in anticipation of what all hope to
be another visit next year.