Summer 2018

Together We Change Lives

Continued page 2

www.visionofhope.org

Students at two Vision of Hope schools are benefi ting from an exciting partnership between Vision of Hope and Loyola Marymount University School of Education’s IDEAL Institute (Innovation in Digital Education and Leadership).

Teachers at St. Anthony-Immaculate Conception (SAIC) and St. James schools in San Francisco have completed their fi rst of a two-year training program in Blended Learning, a model that “blends” online learning with traditional classroom methods to deliver a more student-centered type of instruction.

In a blended classroom, teachers spend more time with students individually and in small groups to help them with specifi c concepts, skills, questions or learning problems. Through the use of laptops and/or iPads, students work independently and at their own pace online, while still receiving personal attention from their teacher.

Empowered by technology and training, teachers at St. James and SAIC personalize instruction in ways never before possible. Through new educational software, teachers pinpoint gaps in student learning, identify growth and provide the appropriate interventions to support students at just the right time.

“This exciting program became a reality through the generous support of the Irene Scully Family Foundation, Shea Family Charities, the Stupski Foundation, O’Shea Foundation, the Dominican Sisters

of Mission San Jose Foundation and several of our faithful donors. Through their investment and belief in our schools, St. James and SAIC have set themselves apart and are leading the way for other elementary schools in the Archdiocese of San Francisco. We are proud to say these schools are at the heart of

Vision of Hope Schools ‘Get Smart’ asTeachers Embrace Blended Learning

St. James teacher, Ms. Cynthia Caputo, helps a student with vocabulary as other kindergarteners work alone and in small groups.

Support This Year’s 2018 Annual Fund

To date, Vision of Hope has received gifts/pledges totaling $900,000. Help us reach our $1,000,000 goal today by using the reply envelope or making a gift online at

www.visionofhope.org. Join us in opening pathways to opportunities for deserving students and their families!

Your support is changing lives.

a revolution in education,” says Ann Magovern, Executive Director of Vision of Hope.

St. James kindergarten teacher, Cynthia Caputo, has embraced this change in her classroom. On a typical day, she divides the class into small groups of 3-4 for station rotation. Kids at one table work together on numbers and math assignments. At another station, students armed with iPads and earphones work independently on assigned language arts lessons. Nearby, Ms. Caputo helps a student with reading and pronunciation, and an aide monitors children as they work collaboratively on an alphabet/numbers game.

Richard Pinto, SAIC 7th and 8th grade teacher, says

Blended Learning ______________

From page 1

After students complete assignments on their individual iPads, the iReady software program allows the teacher to immediately check each student’s work and provide feedback.

Student collaboration is encouraged in Blended Learning’s station rotation model.

this model works well. Pinto uses the iReady software program for reading and math, which gives instant reports on student assessment data and suggests instruction customized to each student. This and other types of software allow teachers to tailor instruction to all types of learners and most importantly, engage students in their own learning process.

SAIC Principal Barbara Moodie believes Blended Learning is important for the school’s future. “I’m excited about Blended Learning because it provides a way to really meet a student’s individual academic needs,” says Moodie. “Teachers who have planned and implemented this model of instruction with fi delity have seen positive student growth this year. It is exciting to see students who began the year far below grade level make greater than one year of academic growth on the way to reaching grade level.”

And, she adds, “Teachers who thought that Blended Learning would be more work have found that it’s really not more work, but just planning in a different way.”

Vision of Hope will continue to fund year two of this program for St. James and SAIC, and is exploring a similar program for St. Michael’s and St. Ignatius in Los Angeles.

“It is critical that we continue to seek and fund successful partnerships like this for our schools,” says Magovern. “With these types of investments, our schools can truly be the Vision of Hope for our students and their communities!”

Teachers from SAIC and St. James were introduced to Blended Learning during a three-day boot camp in August led by Ashley Dann and Shannon Tabaldo of Loyola Marymount University School of Education.

Our 2018 Southern Day and Northern Day at the Races raised more than $210,000 for the eightVision of Hope schools. These funds support tuition assistance, music education and school

operations. THANK YOU to all who donated, attended and volunteered!

As St. Elizabeth Elementary School in Oakland begins its 125th year, the faculty and staff embark on an innovative path to help improve academic outcomes and sustain its future.

The coming school year is the launch of Lumen Christi Academies, a network of seven Catholic elementary schools within the Oakland Diocese. St. Elizabeth will join this network along with Queen of All Saints, Concord; St. Anthony, Oakland; St. Catherine of Siena, Martinez; St. Cornelius, Richmond; St. Paul, San Pablo; and St. Peter Martyr, Pittsburg.

“Our beloved Catholic schools have always been places of hope, inspiration and success,” says Bishop Barber. “Lumen Christi Academies is a renewal of our commitment to strengthen and sustain Catholic education.”

Going forward, St. Elizabeth will remain a Vision of Hope school and an affiliate school of the Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose. As part of this new network, the school is expected to attract families and the attention of major foundations interested in a robust academic setting permeated with Catholic values.

“I see the Lumen Christi network as a great partner to Vision of Hope in providing much needed support to the students and families of St. Elizabeth,” says Ann Magovern, Executive Director of Vision of Hope.

“We are eager to collaborate with other funders and partners to strengthen the school’s sustainability.”

Rodney Pierre-Antoine, a Catholic educator in the East Bay Area –– and a member of Vision of Hope’s Northern Advisory Board –– was named Executive Director of Lumen Christi in mid-May. Since then he has met with principals, faculty and staff at the seven schools.

“I’m focused on cultivating a strong organizational culture rooted in LCA’s core values –– equity, excellence and enlightenment

–– a culture that unifies the seven communities into one network,” says Pierre-Antoine.

He anticipates that Lumen Christi will employ a financial officer, a marketing/management officer and two master teachers to serve as academic leaders and coaches. A rigorous STEM curriculum (science, technology, engineering and math) will be enhanced by enrichment programs including art, music and physical education.

All schools will be on the same tuition management system to streamline tuition collection. As budgeting, financial and marketing duties are assumed by the LCA staff, school principals will be freed up to spend more time in the classroom.

Pierre-Antoine says that although the seven member schools differ widely in locale and demographics, they share the same purpose –– “to bring kids closer to Christ, to teach them that they are loved by God, and

they are to utilize that love for the benefit of others.”

Principal Lynne Mullen is excited about the bright future Lumen Christi promises for St. Elizabeth. “It is an opportunity for us to meet the unique needs of children in our urban schools,” she says. “Lumen Christi will provide a wonderful foundation for all our students to meet their highest academic and spiritual potential.”

Pierre-Antoine believes that now and in future years, personalized learning, student-centered instruction and other best practices will be shared by Vision of Hope and Lumen Christi schools because, as he says, “We are thought partners in this ministry of Catholic education.”

Promising Future for St. Elizabeth Elementary As One of the Lumen Christi Academies

Vision of Hope School Among Seven Schools in Network Formed by Oakland Diocese

Executive DirectorRodney Pierre-Antoine

Bragging Writes

St. Ignatius of LoyolaEast Los Angeles

St. Frances X. CabriniSouth Los Angeles

St. Frances X Cabrini will expand its technology programs to better serve its student population between the fall and spring of 2018-2019.

SFXC has been awarded two grants by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, one to update its technology infrastructure systems, and the other will provide 100 additional iPads for students/classrooms.

The principal, Mrs. Carmen Orinoco-Hart, envisions a school environment in which the entire student body is given the advantages that technology integration in the classroom provides. She wants children from the low-income neighborhood to have the same advantages in their education as children from more affl uent communities.

Orinoco-Hart and the SFXC faculty are working toward a one-to-one ratio of students to electronic devices in the classroom.

One student who has benefi ted from the use of technology in the classroom is 2nd grader, Benjamin Cuellar. Upon starting school at SFXC, Benjamin was placed on a special education IEP (Individualized Educational Program). He has advanced tremendously from the individualized lessons he received in Mrs. Reyes’ 2nd grade class.

These lessons and testing often take place on electronic devices in the classroom. As a result of his perseverance and with the thoughtful instruction provided by Mrs. Reyes, Benjamin fl ourished and has advanced beyond needing to be on an IEP.

Benjamin is extremely proud of himself, as you can see in this picture. The integration and expansion of technology programs at SFXC can help more students improve their test scores and learning benchmarks.

In 2019, St. Ignatius 8th graders will have an amazing opportunity to not only study U.S. history during their academic year, but experience it as well.

Next spring, 14 students and two chaperones will travel to Washington, DC, to visit sites, monuments and museums that they are studying in class.

Miss Nava, 7th grade homeroom teacher, said, “I’m hoping that through this trip, students will develop a greater appreciation for the study and understanding of history and the ways in which history connects people.”

The students will be in Williamsburg, VA, the fi rst two days to watch and participate in performances of 18th century African stories, the Jamestown settlement and the Governor’s Palace. The next three days will be spent in Washington, where they will visit Mount Vernon, the Holocaust Museum, WWII Museum, Lincoln Memorial and the White House. They’ll also attend Mass at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

The group is raising funds to help offset the cost of $34,400. Students have the option to fundraise individually, and parents can receive scholarships and fi nancial aid.

To date, they have raised $1,672. They have plans to continue fundraising and are accepting donations.

Anyone interested in sponsoring an 8th grader for the 2019 Washington trip can contact Mrs. Ileana Wade, Principal of St. Ignatius of Loyola Parish School, at 323-255-6456 or by email at iwade@stignatiusla.org.

Bragging Writes

Vision of Hope provides over $100,000 annually to each of

its elementary schools for tuition assistance and operational support.

Santa TeresitaEast Los Angeles

St. Michael ElementarySouth Los Angeles

St. Michael School is changing. To accelerate student academic growth, it is departmentalizing 2nd through 4th grades next school year.

In a departmentalized structure, teachers focus on just a couple subject areas and delve more deeply into content. This school year, when 5th grade was added to the departmentalized structure in the middle school, teachers saw increased academic growth.

Next fall, 2nd through 4th grade teachers will focus on one or two core subjects, as well as teach religion to their homeroom class. Mr. Casas, 2nd grade teacher, will teach science and social studies. Ms. Jimenez, 3rd grade teacher, will focus on math. Mrs. Leiva, 4th grade, will teach English.

Ms. Leiva said, “One of the positive aspects of departmentalization is increased expertise through teaching fewer subjects. Another benefi t is that I will get to see student growth over the course of three years.”

As explained by Principal Anabel Rodriguez,

Diego Munoz and Tonantzin Torres-Munoz were honored at the Salesian High School and Sacred Heart High School Academic Excellence Dinner with $1,000 scholarships each –– to Salesian High School for Diego and to Sacred Heart High School for Tonantzin, if they choose to attend those Catholic high schools.

The two Santa Teresita 7th graders were chosen for academic achievement, extracurricular activities and community involvement.

Diego and Tonantzin were recommended by their teacher, Mrs. Inez Rodriguez, for this prestigious award. Both students are highly motivated and always bring their best to whatever task is placed before them.

“Departmentalization has a number of positive impacts, such as allowing teachers to specialize in their best subjects, increasing student attention span due to changing classes, strengthening teacher expertise, and helping students to improve interpersonal skills by being exposed to more teachers with different teaching styles. I look forward to seeing how students in grades 2-4 grow academically.”

They are always willing to offer assistance whenever and wherever it is needed. Their commitment to being examples for academic achievement and school/community involvement for younger students is exemplary.

Diego, along with maintaining top grades, was Secretary of Student Council and will serve as Class Representative for the 2018-2019 school year. He is a member of YOLA, Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles, which practices four days a week, and is an avid baseball player with City Terrace Lookouts of Los Angeles.

Tonantzin maintained high academic achievement, was Treasurer of Student Council, and will be Student Body President for the 2018-2019 school year. Tonantzin is also involved in cheerleading and softball with the local park district.

Congratulations to both for their hard work, service and involvement.

Bragging WritesSt. Anthony-Immaculate Conception

San Francisco

St. JamesSan Francisco

Vision of Hope hosted its annual Northern Day at the Races on May 19, 2018. This year, not only did SAIC have three student ambassadors escorting guests to their tables and helping with raffl e drawings and other tasks, three SAIC teachers also volunteered at registration and checkout.

Melissa Nave and Tina Choksi helped greet guests through registration, and Richard Pinto helped check out silent auction purchases.

It’s said that “life is about showing up.” Indeed, these and other teachers from the three Bay Area schools showed up and represented our schools well.

After the event, SAIC 7th/8th grade teacher Richard Pinto wrote the following about Day at the Races:

My fi rst visit to Golden Gate Fields was when I volunteered to work at this grand event put on by Vision of Hope. The setting, views and weather were a lovely adornment to the abundance of kindness and love exuded by the so many benefactors and friends of the Sisters. What a magnifi cent community of faith-fi lled people!

My heart was warmly impressed by the students of Vision of Hope schools who guided and escorted adults from location to location in order to facilitate their day. They were well mannered and impeccably dressed, secure of themselves and articulate. I was

so proud of them! The exhaustive preparations by the planning

committee and generous contributions of benefactors for the auction were well worth it, as I and many others are committed to returning next year. In the afterglow of the event, I am fi lled with gratitude to God for this opportunity and hope for the many children in need of a fi ne education.

The Holy Spirit is truly alive and well in the hearts of so many!

Curtain up! St. James’ award-worthy production Seussical, the Musical dazzled audiences as the 5th through 8th grade acting troupe led the audience through an imaginative and fantastical mash-up featuring beloved Dr. Seuss characters: the Cat-in-the-Hat, Horton the Elephant, even the Grinch!

Under the talented guidance of music director, Mr. Jean-Paul Jones, with the support of teachers, Ms. Vantrease and Ms. Caputo, the dedicated cast embraced their roles with the enthusiasm and panache required to bring the whimsical, colorful world of Seussical to life.

The incredibly supportive St. James community of parents and teachers collaborated to source and create costumes, props and set designs. Having recently fi nished their own Seussical run, nearby Mercy High School students visited to offer words of encouragement and share helpful tips to boost the excitement and confi dence of the young performers.

Stage crew was staffed by 8th graders who learned

behind-the-scenes technical crafts of make-up, lights, sound and more.

Debut performances for the entire cast meant, naturally, a few awkward silences and forgotten lines on opening night, but these miscues only added to the authentic beauty of the event. One nervous cast member even considered quitting, but through the support and guidance of family and teachers, she found the faith and courage to sing her way through a show-stopping performance!

As Ms. Vantrease observed, “Our students learned to improvise and persevere through those challenges, and we are so proud of the fi nal result.”

St. Elizabeth ElementaryOakland

Sacred Heart ElementaryEast Los Angeles

Bragging Writes

Mother Maria Pia Backes was the founder of not only the Congregation of the Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose, but also of St. Elizabeth Elementary School in 1893. Mother Pia’s mission was to help “the poor, the young, and the vulnerable.”

Twenty-fi ve years ago, a program began at St. Elizabeth that is now named after her, and this couldn’t be a more perfect fi t. One of the crowning jewels of

the school, the Mother Pia Special Needs Program enables children to learn –– emotionally, academically, socially –– when they need individual attention.

With many personnel changes through the years, there are some remarkable constants in the Mother Pia Program, one of which is that it has been fi nancially self-sustained through its 25 years. The children and families have never had to pay additional fees for the services provided.

The future of the program is positive and hopeful. St. Elizabeth Principal Lynne Kennedy Mullen exclaims: “Our Mother Pia Program is a truly outstanding part of our school, which makes Catholic education accessible to learners at all levels. The program exemplifi es our commitment to treating each child as a unique gift of God.”

In the photo: Before Christmas, each Mother Pia student made a Gingerbread Man cookie, who then “escaped” and left a clue leading the children throughout the school on a hunt. Students were eager and excited to fi nd their wayward creations. Principal Mullen listens as the children read their clues out loud. All of the cookies were found, safe and whole.

Music and art are alive at Sacred Heart Elementary School, where education isn’t just about feeding the brain –– it’s also about feeding the heart and soul.

The students enjoyed expressing themselves this year through instrumental music, singing, art, dance and theater, all of which are important aspects of a well-rounded curriculum and help to develop the whole child.

Several programs this spring showcased their accomplishments, including:

• Instrumental concert as part of the Young Musicians Foundation program with participation by local Chamber members,

• Transitional kindergarten through 3rd grade concert,

• Recital of songs from The Sound of Music,

• Theater performance of The Wizard of Oz for parents and families as well as a performance at the local Lincoln High School and

• First Annual Art Walk and fundraiser, which showcased art projects for viewing and for sale from all grades.

Sister Mara Anne Palomares, 78, longtime teacher and principal, died Feb. 20, 2018. Until just days before her passing, Sister Mara had volunteered regularly at St. Ignatius of Loyola School in Los Angeles.

“Our hearts are heavy with sadness at the loss of Sister Mara Anne,” said Principal Ileana Wade. “She loved helping at St. Ignatius and came here twice a week to work with the children, getting them ready for Family Masses as well as Mass each Wednesday. In her years here as a teacher, as principal, and most recently as religion coordinator, she was a source of strength and inspiration to all who knew her. She was part of the fabric of St. Ignatius and will never be forgotten.”

Sister Mara Anne taught grades 2-8 at St. Anthony’s in San Francisco, St. Catherine’s Academy, St. Frances Cabrini in San Jose, and St. Ignatius. She served as principal at St. Callistus, St. Ignatius and San Gabriel Mission Elementary for a total of 28 years.

She also served on the administrative team of St. Catherine’s Academy for 12 years.

Sister Mara Anne would have been professed for 60 years.

NONPROFITORGANIZATIONU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPHOENIX, AZ

PERMIT NO. 3851

1555 34TH AVENUEOAKLAND, CA 94601510-533-5768www.visionofhope.org

As required by federal laws and regulations, Dominican Sisters Vision of Hope does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, disability, age or national origin.

Sister Donna Johnson, 86, a faithful servant of Vision of Hope, died Feb. 15, 2018, at the Dominican Sisters Motherhouse in Fremont.

After two years of teaching, Sister Donna used her extensive business acumen as treasurer of ICA and St. Catherine’s. From 1986 to 2000 she served as the

Congregational Treasurer. In 2001 she began her ministry with Vision of Hope and served as its Finance Director until her retirement in 2016.

Sister John Martin Fixa, Vision of Hope’s founding executive director, said, “Sister Donna’s love for our schools, her faith, integrity, wisdom, financial acumen, strong sense of justice and willingness to work long hours significantly shaped the future of our Vision of Hope schools. She took the lead in establishing Vision of Hope as a nonprofit corporation and oversaw the endowment finances and investments. Her role was pivotal to our success; her determination, undaunted and our gratitude, profound!”

Today, there is no doubt that Sister Donna is still with us, as we have named her our Patron Saint of Day at the Races. Given her expertise with numbers, we are certain that Sister Donna will always help us be a winner!

In Remembrance of Sister Donna and Sister Mara Anne