tvc.dsj.org | January 16, 2018
CATHOLIC
SCHOOLS
21
Notre Dame Day Worker Stories Project Recognized Nationally
Innovation at Notre Dame High
School goes far beyond the latest
technology or software program. It
is a culture, a way of thinking, that
exemplifies a collaborative and trans-
formative learning community. Bayard
Nielsen’s Spanish III Honors project,
Day Worker Stories, is a prime example.
After a semester of design thinking,
peer review and experiential learning,
students use public transportation to
visit the Day Workers Center in Moun-
tain View where they connect on a
very personal level with the men and
women who make use of its services.
They conduct interviews in Spanish,
learn their stories and, through this
immersive experience, begin to un-
derstand the journeys the day workers
have taken to get to America.
Participating in this project allows
students to interact with others outside
their normal bubbles, exposing them
to new backgrounds, perspectives and
stories. “Empathy must include stand-
ing in solidarity with others in order
to better understand them and their
perspectives,” explains Señor Nielsen.
“Only through understanding other
people and seeing them as individuals
rather than groups can we truly incor-
porate their needs into policy-making.”
After spending the day at the center,
students use the remainder of the year
to create a compilation of biographies,
superhero comics and multimedia
clips. The stories focus on the lives
of the day workers, describing their
identity, culture, beliefs and hopes for
the future in order to provide insight
into the many different storie s and
backgrounds that shape the local com-
munity. The day workers are portrayed
as superheroes to combat negative
stereotypes often associated with day
Students Participare in Literature and the Law at Saint Victor School
Saint Victor School’s eighth grade,
led by Literature teacher, Victoria
Hinkle, brought literature to life by
holding a mock trial based on the short
story, “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar
Allan Poe. The eighth grade class spent
a few days reading and analyzing the
classic American Gothic piece before
the mock trial simulation.
Students were chosen to play the
roles of judge, jury, prosecutor, de-
fense attorney, bailiff, court reporter,
and gallery. In the short story, Poe
does not name the narrator, so the stu-
dents chose the name Mr. Diamond
for the defendant. The prosecution’s
job was to prove beyond a reasonable
doubt that Mr. Diamond was sane
when he committed the crime. The
defense held that while Mr. Diamond
did indeed commit the murder that he
Eighth graders at Saint Victor School partici-
pate in a mock trial based on the short story,
“The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allen Poe.
was legally insane.
This simulation required students
to use their creativity, critical think-
ing skills, and cooperative group
experiences to get the most out of the
Happy Feast Day – Sisters of the Presentation
Each November, the Saint John Vi-
anney (SJV) School community joyfully
celebrates the Feast of the Presentation
of the Blessed Virgin. It is a time to
honor the Presentation Sisters who
opened our doors in 1954, as well as
those who have dedicated decades in
the service of SJV students, families,
faculty, and staff.
Sister Maria Griego, Religion Coor-
dinator, is the last remaining Presen-
tation Sister on staff and the school is
blessed to have her. She has also served
our students as a teacher in both second
grade and kindergarten.
All are truly thankful for Sister Ma-
ria’s support of teachers and students
as they grow in their Catholic faith
and develop a deeper relationship with
Saint John Vianney students celebrating with
Sister Maria Griego, Presentation Sister and
Religion Coordinator.
Christ. Faculty, staff, and students did
their best to make this feast day special
for their very own Presentation Sister.
simulation and learn.
One young man described the
mock trial as an “intense experience”
and added that he learned that “just
because you believe something doesn’t
mean that you can convince someone
else to believe it too.”
One student commented that the
simulation felt real because all of the
students took their roles seriously.
Another student who played a juror
experienced the difficulty of trying to
get 11 other people to reach a unani-
mous decision. When asked why Mrs.
Hinkle had assigned this project a
young lady replied, “she wants us
to see the different sides of the same
story.”
For more i n format ion regard-
ing Saint Victor School, please visit,
www.stvictorshool.org.
workers and immigrants. The final
project includes both Spanish and Eng-
lish versions so it can be shared with a
wider audience.
Señor Nielsen’s student project
was recently recognized as a globally
engaged program by the American
Council on the Teaching of Foreign
Languages (ACTFL) at their national
convention in Nashville. “The honor for
the program attests to the breadth and
depth, the impact, and the integration
into curriculum of this community-
engagement experience as well as the
quality of the community partner re-
lationship,” said Beckie Rankin, chair
of the ACTFL’s Global Engagement
Committee.
Holy Spirit School –
Being the Face of Jesus
Each year, Holy
Spirit School selects
a theme to guide its
students, faculty and
st a f f. Th i s s c ho ol
year’s theme is, “We
are the face of Jesus.”
The theme guides activities and con-
versations all year long. “Am I being
the face of Jesus?” is asked by all of
our students regardless of grade.
The theme went one step further
when every student chose a plac-
ard with one of the school mission
statements of “faith,” “knowledge,”
or “community” and posed for a
picture. All 500 students, 55 faculty
and staff, and 2 priests’ photos were
then compiled to create a composite
face of Jesus that is displayed in every
classroom and office on our campus.