August 2010

Principal's Message

Last week, my 6-year-old son was looking at the calendar in his room and he commented to me, “I can’t believe how fast this month is going. Pretty soon, it will be Christmas.” Well, it’s not quite Christmas yet, but the start of another school year is just around the corner.

We’ve had a great summer on campus, highlighted by the Smart Classrooms remodeling project on our Notre Dame campus. The project will be complete in time for the start of the school year.

The classrooms look amazing and I guarantee that you will not recognize Notre Dame Hall, which has been transformed into a wonderful multi-purpose space that will not only serve our school as a student cafeteria but also as a meeting space for large groups of students, parents and the larger community.

I truly believe that the remodel of Notre Dame Hall is the highlight of this summer’s project, and I know that our entire community, including our parish and St. Joseph Elementary School, will benefit from this improved space.

In addition to construction, this summer saw a number of academic programs on our campus. We held special invitation-only science and writing camps for middle school students and held accelerated math classes for many of our own students. This week, we are teaching a high school success strategies class for many of our own incoming ninth graders. So, while we continue to hold a number of traditional remedial summer school classes, we have begun the process of shifting the focus of our summer program from remedial to academic enrichment and acceleration.

I hope you and your family enjoy the last couple weeks of summer vacation, as we all look ahead to the start of the school year. I look forward to seeing students, parents and faculty return to school in a few short weeks!

What We Did on Summer Vacation

When students arrive back on campus later this month, they will have the opportunity go to class in 10 new classrooms on Notre Dame Campus, surrounding the Quad.

There will be new lockers, too, and a new and improved Notre Dame Hall, where they can eat their lunches and catch up with friends.

The Smart Classrooms project remains on schedule, and the renovations to the buildings on campus are expected to be done by the start of school on Aug. 23.

The classrooms are being renovated and rewired to make them completely interactive for our faculty and for our students. The new modern learning spaces feature drop-down projectors, white boards, new windows and carpet.

The $2 million improvement program was funded by the Smart Classrooms Capital Campaign, with gifts from private donors, foundations and corporations.


A second phase of the Smart Classrooms Campaign will bring renovations to the remaining classrooms in Marianist Hall next summer. It will be funded by the remaining $2 million being raised in the campaign.

Bishop to Celebrate First Mass and Bless New Classrooms

Bishop Salvatore Joseph Cordileone of the Oakland Diocese will celebrate the Mass of the Holy Spirit, the first mass of the school year, at the school on Aug. 26.

Following the mass in the Basilica, students, alumni, faculty and friends of the school will gather on the Quad as Bishop Cordileone blesses the 10 newly renovated Smart Classrooms.

In honor of the lasting contribution of the Sisters of Notre Dame and the alumnae of Notre Dame Academy, which was founded on our school’s grounds in 1881, the updated section of the school has been named “Notre Dame Campus.”

As part of the celebration, the school will place a marker at the stone wall near the entrance to SJND’s main office. The wall is a century old and was traditionally a gathering place for the girls who attended Notre Dame. As then, today’s students gather at the wall to meet friends

Students are reminded to wear liturgy dress for the Mass on Aug. 26. For the young women, that means a dress or skirt that is of appropriate length for church or dress slacks. The young men should wear slacks, a shirt and a tie.

Rob Hollis '11 Attends Politics Program in Sacramento

Rob Hollis ’11 got a hands-on education in government this summer, when he attended the American Legion California Golden Boys State program in Sacramento.

 “I learned so much about government, and it was a good experience,” he said.

Politics, though, may not be his first choice.

“I want to be a doctor,” said Rob, who hopes to attend Georgetown University, where his grandfather is an alumnus. This summer, he is also working two jobs, bussing tables at a restaurant and also working at a local gym.

Rob said the Boys State program offered a great tutorial about how government works and prepared him for the AP government class he’ll take this year.


Boys State is considered a “laboratory of practical political science” and is open to boys who are high school juniors. Participants form their own political parties, organize their own city and county governments and run for office at the local and state levels.

Former President Bill Clinton was one of the most notable members of Boys State. As a high school student, Clinton met President Kennedy at the White House and has recalled being inspired to enter politics.

Rob was nominated to the Boys State program by the Alameda American Legion Post 647, the Alameda Community Fund and members of the Alameda Kiwanis Club. The community organizations paid for Hollis to attend Boys State in June.

He was interviewed and chosen by the members of the American Legion, based on his academic performance, participation in extracurricular activities and volunteerism.

Mr. Fonzeno Participates in Harvard Symposium

Gregory Fonzeno, Director of Studies at SJND and an Abraham Lincoln scholar, traveled to Cambridge, Mass., this summer to participate in a Harvard University forum, “Abraham Lincoln at 200: New Perspectives on His Life and Legacy.”

Fonzeno participated in a discussion on Lincoln’s role as Commander-in-Chief, particularly as it related to the Union Navy during the Civil War.

“It’s an amazing experience to have an opportunity to discuss various aspects of Lincoln’s life with so many Lincoln scholars and historians,” he said. “It’s especially appropriate as we have marked the bicentennial of Lincoln’s birth and entered the upcoming sesquicentennial anniversary of Lincoln’s election and the Civil War.”

The symposium, held at Houghton Library and other Harvard University venues, coincided with a major exhibition featuring books, manuscripts, ephemera and artifacts from Harvard’s Abraham Lincoln collection.

The symposium examined or re-examined several aspects of Lincoln’s career, such as his views on race and slavery, his role as commander-in-chief, his use of the press to shape public opinion, his relationship with Congress and his influence on the legislative process, and his role as a politician and as a party leader.

Fonzeno has been a member of the Lincoln Forum for several years and was awarded a fellowship to attend the Forum’s annual symposium held in Gettysburg in 2005.   

In other news, Fonzeno was featured in a news article about his involvement with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary group that assists with homeland security for San Francisco Bay. The group, Flotilla 12-3, meets at SJND.

"Our job augments homeland security," said Fonzeno. As vice commander of Flotilla 12-3, one of his roles is educating the public about safe waterways.

"Through America's Waterway Watch (a counterterrorism outreach program), we educate recreational boaters about what to look for as signs of possible threats in their area," said Fonzeno. "We remind the public to be the eyes and ears."


Actors To Begin Rehearsing for the Fall Play

Rehearsals begin the second week of school for the school’s fall production, Shakespeare’s As You Like It.

Cast members will begin with read-throughs of the script on August 30, 31 and September 1 at 3:30 p.m. in Room 201. Ms. Henderson, the play’s director, will hand out rehearsal schedules at that time for the students to take home and share with their families.

From September 7 through October 6, the cast will work on the play. The show opens Oct 7 and continues through Oct. 10.

 For more information, please contact Ms. Henderson.

Ms. Stone Gets Married in Malibu

Kristina Stone, chair of the Science Department at SJND, was married in June in a lovely outdoors ceremony to Jay Taylor, a computer programmer. They were engaged last September.

Following the wedding, the Taylors took a week-long honeymoon in Hawaii. Mrs. Taylor née Stone returned to teach at the Science Invitational Camp on campus for middle school students at SJND.

Mrs. Taylor, as she will be known, said she is happy to give students time to get used to her new name. She can still be reached at kstone@sjnd.org.

Congratulations to the newlyweds!

Make Plans for the Close Up Trip to Washington, D.C.

Planning is already underway for the 2011 Close Up, an exciting trip to Washington D.C. that gives students the opportunity to explore the historic and cultural sites of the Nation’s Capital.

The trip, Feb. 6-11, 2011, includes visits to the U.S. Capitol, Smithsonian Institution, Supreme Court, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Washington Monument and the Holocaust Memorial Museum. Students will also meet with U.S. Rep. Pete Stark, who represents Alameda County. 

Students will hear speakers from various government agencies, as well as visit with congressional representatives, senators, staffers and members of the press corps.  

Although priority is given to seniors and juniors because of their history and government classes, all students are invited.  The trip is a program of the Close Up Foundation, dedicated to the education of students in the political process and history of the country.

The estimated cost of the trip is $1,800, and the exact price tag will be known later this month. Students who participate in the Close Up trip may be able to help reduce the cost of the trip through the selling of magazines during the school’s magazine drive this fall. For every magazine subscription a student sells beyond the five requiredsubscriptions during our magazine drive, 40 percent of the additional sales may be used toward reducing the student’s Close Up costs.  Contact Mr. Fonzeno for more information.

Join the Parent Ambassadors

Want to have fun meeting other parents and volunteering for the school, too? The Parent Ambassadors want you!

Current SJND parents serve as ambassadors of the school and work in collaboration with the admissions office to welcome prospective families to the school.

The Parent Ambassador Committee meets monthly to discuss ways in which parents can assist with communicating upcoming SJND events and to brainstorm ideas for admissions and community outreach.

Please contact Julie Berry at 510-995-9445 if you are interested in participating.

Summer is for Reading

Summer reading exams will be given to all students on the first day of school in English classes, so it is important to make sure you have completed your summer reading.

Students should bring copies of their summer books for use in class the first two weeks.

If you are a senior and aren’t yet scheduled for English in the first semester, please see Ms. Micheli in Room 5. Students admitted to school too late to read the summer books must have a note from their counselor. If you have any questions, contact Ms. Micheli.

National Honor Society News

As they do every August, National Honor Society members will be donating new school supplies to foster children in the Bay Area. This is the first of two community volunteering projects that members will run during the school year. The second is for Smile Train in November.

To join National Honor Society, eligible juniors are invited at the end of August to fill out applications for membership in the National Honor Society. Membership is based on grades, leadership experience and extracurricular activities. Contact Ms. Micheli, NHS moderator, for more information.