Catholic Schools Update 2/7/2024

Fun Photos from Catholic Schools Week 2024!
(Updated with posts from Monday and Tuesday of CSW)

 

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A post shared by Holy Child Academy (@holychild_li)

 

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A post shared by OLL School Malverne (@ollsmalverne)

 

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A post shared by St. Aidan School (@saintaidanschool)

 

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A post shared by St Brigid/OL of Hope School (@stbolh)

Chaminade HS Wins NASA TechRise Student Challenge

Photo Source: Chaminade High School

MINEOLA, NY – January 31, 2024 – Chaminade High School is proud to announce that it has been selected as one of the winners of NASA’s TechRise Student Challenge, one of the most selective student science competitions in the country. Sophomore Antonio Savastano spearheaded the project and led the winning team.

The project focused on creating an infrared sensor to measure the intensity of the flame of a rocket. The sensor then uses a mathematical equation to see how much fuel is remaining in the rocket.

“When I first met Antonio at Chaminade, he showed interest in NASA,” said Dr. Karen Kuntz, co-director of Chaminade’s science center. “I always knew he wanted to be an astronaut.”

Antonio always showed interest in and asked Dr. Kuntz to pursue projects about space, so she recommended the NASA challenge to him. Antonio took it from there and proposed the project to his classmates.

“Chaminade High School is excited to be a part of the NASA TechRise competition,” said Principal Bro. Joseph Bellizzi, S.M. “Our Dolan Family Science, Technology, and Research Center gives students the platform to experiment and learn more about the world of science. Congratulations to all of this year’s winners.”

“We are very proud of Antonio’s accomplishments,” continued Dr. Kuntz. “He is one of the leading space experts in our program. I am really impressed with his progress so far, and I look forward to working with him over the next few years.”

Over the next few months, Antonio and his team will meet weekly with NASA TechRise engineer mentors to continue to build out his project. The sensor will launch on a NASA-sponsored rocket this summer.

THE DOLAN FAMILY SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND RESEARCH CENTER 

The Dolan Family Science, Technology, and Research Center is a 34,000-square-foot hub of exploration and innovation. Opened in May 2018 and named in recognition of a gift from the Dolan Family Foundation, the science center is a one-of-a-kind space for high school students in the region. Teaching labs for geosciences, biology, chemistry, and physics allow Chaminade students to perform collegiate-level experiments. Throughout the building, computerized lab probes will feed data to students’ iPads in real time. Interactive, semi-transparent teaching walls will be used for group analysis. The science center opens unprecedented space for the Science Olympiad, fabrication, space exploration, and robotics. Our students will study with state-of-the-art equipment, such as auto-CAD computers, metal-working tools, 3D scanners and printers, hydrodynamics simulators, DNA amplifiers and sequencers, and two Anatomage digital anatomy tables. Science is happening all around us – in both large and small ways. A Foucault pendulum and a green wall of preserved plants serve as visual reminders as students enter the building’s atrium. Each Chaminade student uses the Dolan Family Science, Technology, and Research Center as part of his science curriculum.

ABOUT THE CHALLENGE 

The NASA TechRise Student Challenge invites teams of sixth- to 12th-grade students to design, build, and launch science and technology experiments on a high-altitude balloon flight and rocket-powered lander during the 2023-2024 school year. NASA encourages public, private, and charter school students in all U.S. states and territories to form a team, brainstorm an experiment. The winning teams each receive $1,500 to build their payloads and are awarded an assigned spot on a NASA-sponsored commercial flight. Winning teams also receive technical support during the experiment build phase from Future Engineers advisors, who will help students learn the skills they need to turn their experiment idea into reality. The challenge offers hands-on insight into the design and test process used by NASA-supported researchers. It aims to inspire a deeper understanding of Earth’s atmosphere, surface features, and climate; space exploration; coding; electronics; and the value of test data.

Catholic Health STEM Trip to Cradle of Aviation Museum

On Monday, January 22, the Diocese of Rockville Centre students were treated to a very exciting opportunity! About 550 students from 9 different DRVC Catholic schools had the pleasure of being able to participate in a STEM program hosted by Catholic Health at the Cradle of Aviation. The activities included a panel discussion, a film about Mars exploration, and 2 STEM activities led by educators from the Cradle of Aviation! The event gave the students the opportunity to learn more about the medical field, including medical career options outside of being a doctor or nurse.

The students of Trinity Regional School were some of the DRVC students who had the exciting opportunity to participate in some hands-on STEM activities! 🔬

During the panel, students had the opportunity to ask questions from several professionals, including Catholic Health IT expert Sharon Hassler, Pharmacist Joanna Batsilas, and Chief Nursing Officer of Mercy Hospital Chris Ruppert. Students got to listen to a special talk in the Space Hall and got to tour the galleries at the Cradle of Aviation. This special event is part of an effort between Catholic Health and the Department of Education where the schools and students of the diocese are participating in service activities aimed toward those served by Catholic Health. Additionally, Catholic Health wants to provide educational opportunities for students of the DRVC schools. What an enriching and fun experience for our DRVC students!

Thank you to Catholic Health and the Cradle of Aviation who helped to make this wonderful educational opportunity possible! ✈️

Catholic Schools Week Open House Events and Opening Masses

Each week at the Diocese of Rockville Centre Catholic schools brings a new set of events and opportunities, but one week stands above the rest: Catholic Schools Week. It is a time where so many current and new families have the opportunity to experience what makes a Catholic education so special! Whether it is themed days, spirit competitions, project presentations, or student-led Masses, there is always tons of fun and faith had by all. If you haven’t already, check out what schools are near you and schedule a tour with the principal! This past Sunday, the DRVC schools hosted many wonderful open houses to put on display what makes our Catholic schools so special!

Run for Tomorrow’s Hope on March 23

St. Patrick School, Smithtown

St. Patrick School students collected cereal boxes for local parish outreach programs. Before donating the boxes, the school created a giant dominos game in the gym. The whole school came to watch the dominoes go down!   Our school collected over 1500 cereal boxes and was able to supply cereal to seven parishes.