From the Administration
Principal's Message

Featured Stories
Bishop Celebrates Mass at SJND and Blesses Smart Classrooms
Seniors Paint Mural to Commemorate Class of 2011
Parents Are Invited to Volunteer for Sporting Events
Jason Baskett ’12 Attends Georgetown University Seminar

News Articles
Meet the New Faculty and Staff
Library Use Jumps at SJND
SJND Runners Help at Marathon to Benefit AIDS Research
SJND Golfers Place in Golf Tournament
Freshman Tennis Star Wins Trophy at National Tournament
Writers at SJND Recognized

Upcoming Events
Back to School Night is September 9
SJND to Offer HSPT Prep Course This Month
Magazine Drive Kicks Off


Principal's Message

Happy new year! We’ve had an exciting start to the new school year, welcoming back returning students as well as the Class of 2014, who spent their first day at school with their Link Crew leaders.

The biggest excitement, of course, has been the completion of the remodeling of the classrooms on the Notre Dame Campus, along with the renovation of Notre Dame Hall. I have had the pleasure of giving tours to parents and donors as well as showing off Notre Dame Hall to our students. The reaction to seeing the renovation has been universal – amazing!

The renovation project has brought a new energy to the school and the rooms look terrific. Most importantly, we have transformed the classrooms into 21st century learning environments that will serve students, current and future, for many years to come. And Notre Dame Hall has been changed into a modern multipurpose space that serves as a cafeteria for our students and a meeting place for the school and parish communities.

The other excitement is the completion of the SJND Strategic Plan, a three-year blueprint for action. This plan, nine months in the making, is the first of its kind at SJND and will provide the roadmap needed to guide our school and its growth over the next three years. It will serve as a tool for administrators and teachers alike as we move forward with our work to continue to be a superb Catholic college preparatory school.

I encourage you to follow me on Twitter this year as I will use this online tool to keep the school community updated about the latest news at SJND. You can find me at www.twitter.com/simonchiu.

Looking forward to yet another wonderful school year. Go Pilots!

Bishop Celebrates Mass at SJND and Blesses Smart Classrooms

Bishop Salvatore Joseph Cordileone of the Oakland Diocese celebrated the new school year – and SJND’s new Smart Classrooms – with a visit to campus on August 26 to preside over the Mass of the Holy Spirit and to bless the new classrooms.

Bishop Cordileone also participated in the dedication of the newly renovated portion of campus as Notre Dame Campus. Many alumni and nuns from Notre Dame, the founding school of SJND, attended, including Sister Jean Stoner ’59, who gave a special blessing.

“We are mindful of the countless young women who received an education here,” said Sister Stoner. “Beloved God, stay within, outside, above and below this Notre Dame Campus, today and forever more.”

In his homily, Bishop Cordileone urged students to use their education to help others.

“Saint Joseph Notre Dame High School, as a Catholic school, is about the education of the whole person,” he said.

Bishop Cordileone drew chuckles from the students, alumni, faculty, trustees and parents who were gathered in the Basilica.

“Do they still teach Latin here?” he asked. “No? Well, the word for education comes from the Latin educere, which means to lead or to draw out.”

He urged the students to use their education to grow, both morally and spiritually.

“This is a very exciting time in your life,” he said. “Your life is full of promise.”

Following the mass in the Basilica, everyone gathered on the Quad as Bishop Cordileone blessed the 10 newly renovated Smart Classrooms.

He then walked quickly through the campus sprinkling holy water on the new lockers and doors of the classrooms.

In honor of the lasting contribution of the Sisters of Notre Dame and the alumnae of Notre Dame, which was founded on the school’s grounds in 1881, a small dedication ceremony was held at the front of the school, where a marker is placed commemorating this history.

Special guests included: Sister Agnes Anzoli, formerly on the staff of St. Joseph Elementary School; Sister Martin de Porres Coleman ’51; Sister Elizabeth Mary Hagmaier, former faculty member at SJND; Sister Barbara Hanagan; Sister Mary Lonich, former principal at St. Joseph Elementary; Sister Mary Florence O'Rourke; Sister Catherine Pelletier; and Sister Dolores Quigg.

Sister Barbara Bray, superintendent of Oakland Diocese schools, also attended, and was recognized for her contributions to the development of the classrooms as spaces that support the various learning styles and strengths of different students.

Former principal Anthony V. Aiello, who gave a toast in honor of the people and traditions of Notre Dame, as well as Richard Campbell, Robert Pola ’57, Rosaleen Kelly ’51 and Kevin Milroy, the chair of the Board of Trustees, were in attendance as representatives of the Smart Classrooms Capital Campaign.  Principal Simon Chiu thanked the chairs of the Committee, Jim Kelly and Rich Campbell, whose leadership made the project possible.

As the Committee continues their fundraising efforts for transformation of the old boys’ school, the Marianist Hall building, the day provided a welcome opportunity to celebrate and appreciate their progress.

“It’s beautiful,” said Rosaleen Kelly. “And it’s so nice to see all of the people who made it happen.”

The $2 million Smart Classrooms project on Notre Dame Campus was completed in eight weeks during the summer. The classrooms were renovated and rewired to make them completely interactive for faculty and students. The new modern learning spaces feature drop-down projectors, white boards, new windows and carpet.

The Smart Classrooms are a welcome addition for teachers and students alike.  The classrooms support collaborative learning, bring modern technology and new teaching software into the classroom and will pave the way for the school’s adoption of a one-to-one netbook  computer program.

Notre Dame Hall was also renovated into a more inviting gathering space and cafeteria, with better acoustics, lighting and a new storage area.

“What an amazing way to start the year!” said Rebecca Bischoff, Assistant Principal of Institutional Advancement. “We are so honored to have the support and blessings of Bishop Cordileone. Having the Sisters here, as well as the many other people who make this school such a special place, was a wonderful way to celebrate our Smart Classrooms and our newly named Notre Dame Campus.”


Seniors Paint Mural to Commemorate Class of 2011

Who is the class sent from heaven? It’s the class of 2011! Bravo to artist Jacob Sim ’11 for his inspired work on the 2011 Senior Mural. Unveiled at the Senior Orientation BBQ, the seniors stepped up to the mural, as is the traditon at SJND, to add their signatures to the wall as the newest senior class.

The mural becomes the focal point in the Notre Dame Quad this year. Make sure you stop by to see it.

Thanks to the senior council members for their hard work and time to help paint the mural: Monina Cuyagan, Tracy McCord, Callie Kresse, Allie Tuazon, Rianne Bonner, Ariane Aranas, Sheena Mae Aguilar, Wendy Navarro and Victoria Robles.  Also lending a hand were Chris Livingston, Garrett Rich and Elliot Fong.


Back to School Night is September 9

Parents are encouraged to attend Back to School Night on September 9, when they can meet their children’s teachers and visit their classes.

Join us in the Quad at 6:30 p.m. to get to know other parents. You’ll move to your child’s homeroom at 7 p.m. Find the homeroom information and your child’s schedule on Power School, or you can ask your student which homeroom they are in, and you can get a copy of their class schedule during the homeroom session.

This is your chance to follow your son or daughter’s class schedule and meet the teachers. You will hear about classroom expectations, course work and receive information about the class. If you have any questions, please contact Jean Kuznik, Assistant Principal of Student Life, 995-9442.

Meet the New Faculty and Staff

We welcome seven new members to our faculty and staff at SJND this year.

Nicole Catania is Administrative Assistant in the Advancement Department. She is a graduate of Notre Dame de Namur University, with a degree in communications.





Seth Feldman teaches Economics and the American Legal System part-time and also serves as varsity men’s soccer coach. He has a law degree from Illinois Institute of Technology’s Kent College of Law and was legal counsel to the American Heart Association.




Leslie Jacobowitz is the part-time Special Needs Coordinator, a new post at SJND to assist students with learning differences. She has undergraduate and graduate degrees from the City University of New York and recently retired from San Lorenzo Unified School District, where she was a learning disabilities specialist.




Giselle Jiles is Assistant to the Admissions and Counseling departments. She has a B.A. degree in accounting from Dillard University of New Orleans.






Priscilla Mena teaches English and serves as the yearbook moderator. She is 2005 alum of SJND and received her B.A. degree in comparative literature from UC, Berkeley.





Richard Miller joins the Science Department on a part-time basis, teaching Honors Biology and AP Environmental Science. He has a B.S. degree in biology from UC, Davis, and a Ph.D. in biology from the University of North Carolina. Most recently, he taught biology at Florida A & M University.




Francesca Po joins the Religious Studies Department as Associate Campus minister. She has a B.A. degree in religious studies from UC, Berkeley, and a M.A. degree in philosophy and religion from the California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco. She previously taught religion at Mater Dei High School, Santa Ana, and served two years in the Peace Corps in Kazakhstan.

Library Use Jumps at SJND

School library usage continues to rapidly increase at SJND, with a 100 percent increase in the number of items that were checked out last school year, according to the annual report by Librarian Jennifer Dlugosh ’97.

The school’s mandatory program, which requires that all students have a book to read outside of school work and class homework, has helped boost the usage rates.

Students checked out 4,122 items in 2009-10, twice as many as the previous year. At the same time, students searched the school library databases 221,839 times, three times more than 2008-09. The school added 1,278 items to its collection last year.

New this school year, the library is offering the availability of technology for check out by students, faculty and staff. The following items are available: digital voice recorder, digital camera, presentation remote control and TI 84 graphing calculator.

Students, faculty and staff can reserve the technology items for specific days or can come in and check those items out like a book.

Parents Are Invited to Volunteer for Sporting Events

SJND is launching a new online sign-up opportunity for parents who would like to help out with sporting events.

Volunteer Spot is a place where you can sign up for your favorite sporting events at our school. SJND needs parents at the gate and working in the snack bar during volleyball and basketball games. Parents who volunteer the most hours earn a free pass to all SJND sporting events next year, a value of more than $500.

This is great opportunity for parents to see our athletes in action and also get involved and meet other families. Simply click on Volunteer Spot to sign up. Any questions, contact Chris Pondok, assistant athletic director, 995-9435.



Jason Baskett ’12 Attends Georgetown University Seminar

With an avid interest in political science, Jason Baskett ’12 feels right at home in Washington, D.C.

In July, he traveled to Georgetown University in the Nation’s Capital to attend “American Politics and Public Affairs,” a class for high school students.

Baskett, of Alameda, enjoyed lectures by professors from Georgetown and George Washington University, as well as presentations by lobbyists for the United Brotherhood of Teamsters and others.

“They told us the real inside story of how they got things done in Washington,” he said. He also heard from journalists and a member of the Obama administration.

Baskett is interested in attending college at Georgetown, University of California, San Diego, the University of Chicago or Northwestern University. He hopes to study political science.

SJND Runners Help at Marathon to Benefit AIDS Research

Members of the SJND Cross Country Team volunteered in July as pacers for the San Francisco Marathon to benefit AIDS research.

More than 20,000 runners participated in the event, and all the proceeds benefited San Francisco Aids Foundation and Organs ‘R Us, as well as an organization called Kids On the Run.

The West Valley Track Club, a running group, normally provides pace runners for the marathon, but it had many pacers drop out due to injuries. When asked to help, four members of the SJND varsity men’s cross country team signed up at the last minute to help with the pacing.

Louis Rodrigues ’13 and Nick Ratto ’12 ran the second half of the 3:20 group, a pace of 7 minutes and 23 seconds per mile for 13.1 miles. Brendan Chai ’11 and Mitchell Mein ’11 ran the second half of the 3:10 group, 7 minutes and 11 seconds per mile for 13.1 miles.

The SJND pacers helped many of the runners achieve their goal pace.

“We had to leave Alameda at 4 in the morning to get to our meeting place in Golden Gate Park by 5 a.m., before the roads were closed,” said Coach Tony Fong.

“I ran with Louis and Nick, and we all took turns holding the pacing sign,” he said.

“Over 25 runners finished with us and thanked us for helping them with their run,” said Fong. “A huge thanks to the SJND boys for their efforts and for their volunteer time.”

All 40 runners in the group that Mitchell and Brendan paced qualified for the Boston Marathon, and the runners were amazed that the pacers were high school cross country runners.

 

SJND Golfers Place in Golf Tournament

Juniors John McCord and Matthew Cerio, both members of the SJND men’s Golf Team, placed in the 16- to-17-year-old boys category of the Alameda Junior Golf Club Tournament in July, which was held at the Chuck Corica Golf Complex.

First place was a 77. McCord was four strokes back with an 82. Cerio won third place with an 89. Go Pilots!


Freshman Tennis Star Wins Trophy at National Tournament

Laurence Atkins ’14, seen here on the right, won a second place trophy at the American Tennis Association National Tennis Tournament held in Atlanta over the summer.

Atkins, of Oakland, traveled with the well-known coach John Wilkerson, who reached the Wimbledon finals with player Zina Garrison in 1990. Laurence’s brother, Joshua, seen here on the left, attends Montera Junior High. He went to the tournament with the USTA Nor-Cal All Star Diversity Team.

Laurence is captain of the Oakland Rebels Tennis Team, and his brother is co-captain.

Writers at SJND Recognized

Congratulations to Claire Connacher ’11, Oliver Dam ’10 and Cesar San Miguel ’11 whose poems have been published in Albricias, the Spanish Honor Society magazine. They are members of the Star Society of Creative Writers

SJND to Offer HSPT Prep Course This Month

SJND is offering a High School Placement Test Prep Course designed to familiarize 7th and 8th grade students with the format and focus of the HSTP. SJND is committed to offering a high-quality course, in two parts, that helps students with both test-taking strategies and the test subjects.

Incoming freshman students interested in attending Saint Joseph Notre Dame High School must take the High School Placement Test (HSPT). The exam will be offered at SJND on Saturday, January 8, 2011.

Students can take the test at any Diocesan high school and have the option of sending their results to up to three different schools. To be eligible for SJND scholarships and for admission to the Chaminade Academy Honors Program, prospective students completing the exam at another high school must indicate that they would like their results shared with SJND at the time of testing.

Cost for the HSPT prep course is $100. Students who are accepted and register for the 2011-12 school year at SJND will receive this course at no cost through a $100 registration fee reduction. Course registration is due by September 17, 2010.

SJND High School Placement Test Prep Course Registration Form

 

Magazine Drive Kicks Off

The 2010-2011 Magazine Drive kicked off on September 2 with the first spirit rally of the school year. This year’s drive is based on the game “Clue,” and we already suspect the culprit is … Miss Phoenix with her stiletto heel in the weight room.

The Magazine Drive is the only fundraiser the school requires students to participate in during the year. It funds all the student clubs and organizations. There are three ways for families to meet the requirement: turn in at least five subscriptions, turn in subscriptions that add up to $100 or make a donation of $100 or more

Each student is required to meet this obligation. To make this easier, you can invite friends and relatives to renew or subscribe online. Make sure you list the student’s name so they can get credit for the sale.

Prizes this year include a raffle for a new iPad computer, the chance for a trip to Hawaii, a limousine lunch to Fenton’s Ice Cream and more. Any student who meets the requirement on the first day due, September 7, will earn an In and Out gift certificate for burger, fries and a drink.