IT IS ROCKET SCIENCE • LIFE AND LEARNING ON THE MATER CAMPUS • ALUMNAE NEWS • RECENT AWARDS AND MORE the ACADEMY OF THE SACRED HEART AUTUMN 2013 VOL. 8 NO. 1 Message from the Headmaster .................1 It IS Rocket Science ...............................2 Life and Learning on the Mater Campus ...6 Alumnae Profiles ...................................8 The Rosary Exchange Program .................. 14 In the News ..........................................15 New Board Members ................................... 20 Good Sports ................................................. 26 Our Alumnae ....................................... 28 Cover: Pictured is Middle School student Lily Conroy who was the winner of the rocket launch competition last spring. MESSAGE FROM THE HEADMASTER We ought not to do things for the children which she first wrote these words: they ought to learn to do for themselves. We want to make them independent of us. Those who educate (children) …must believe in the possibility of every mind and character to be lifted The themes represented in this issue of up to something better than it has already attained. The Bridge are a tribute to Mother Stuart’s counsel regarding teaching children. Sacred Other articles in this issue offer inspirational Heart students learn “to do something testimony to the achievements of Rosary more,” “to work for themselves,” and “to students and alumnae: Prize Day, be independent of us.” This issue describes Commencement and the impressive list the educational philosophy of our Preschool of college acceptances earned by the Class program that emphasizes developmentally- of 2013; coverage of the extensive Sacred appropriate self-directed learning that targets Heart Exchange Program–both domestic and the imagination in solving problems. The international–our students have enjoyed this article about the Mater Campus includes year; State Championships for our athletes; some of the ways in which science is integrated and, of course, the traditional coverage of across the curriculum. An article about Middle Alumnae events, including births, weddings, School features Project-Based Learning (PBL) and memorials. The Rosary continues to that teaches students to work in teams to solve grow and prosper just as St. Madeleine problems much like they will in their adult, Sophie imagined. The degree to which her professional lives. indefatigable spirit to change the attitude about women as inferior during the era of the The profiles of our alumnae continue the French Revolution is heard in the words of theme of Sacred Heart education focusing her biographer, Sr. Phil Kilroy, rscj: From Mother Stuart on teaching students to work independently as they develop interests about which they In a world where a woman’s powers and skills ...and are passionate in their lives. Mary Louise were not readily recognized and valued by either back to Mother Barat Guste Nix ’68, a lawyer, mother of five, and men or women, Sophie Barat found her way an author, artfully describes the “Impact within constrictions to achieve her goals.... She of a Sacred Heart Education” on her life; had no script to follow, few models to learn from, The centenary to celebrate the life of Mother Marjorie Lancaster Crowell ’72 finds and she was often compelled to work alone. She Janet Erskine Stuart begins on October 21, fulfillment in being involved in international prepared the way for a new space and place for 2013, and all Sacred Heart schools in the programs and Global Affairs at the University women far beyond her own time. United States and Canada will participate of Virginia; and Caroline Smith ’89 And indeed the Rosary is fulfilling Sophie’s in a network-wide webcast that will feature describes the inspirational metamorphosis dream. Mother Stuart’s writings and stories about her she experienced in becoming a professional life. As we look forward to this year to celebrate athlete, complete with the challenge of Best regards, one of the great scholars of the Society of the losing and then re-gaining her tenacity and Sacred Heart, we find inspiration in her words determination to succeed. These alumnae about teaching children. left Sacred Heart infused with “ambition to do something more,” the ability “to work We must kindle in the minds of children the for themselves,” and “to make themselves ambition to do something more, whether it be independent” of the adults who taught them in literature, art, science, or work for others.... in their years at Sacred Heart. They left Sacred Tim Burns (and…) Heart with confidence, ambition, and what Headmaster There are two ways of educating: one, to give current psychological parlance is calling heart, mind, energy; everything to working for “grit”—to explore options and take risks to the children—doing things for them.The other?-- to discover the passions that have enriched their try to teach the children to work for themselves. lives. Mother Stuart’s counsel to Sacred Heart And this is the higher of the two. (and…) educators remains as relevant today as when THE BRIDGE | AUTUMN 2013 1 “PO R jEcT Based LEARNING” is an exciting learning paths are: from others, by thinking for yourself, and at way to bring learning and the classroom together and connect a museum or library. For the past two years, the middle school them to the real world. Inspired by the August 2011 faculty in- has embarked on Project Based Learning opportunities which has service speaker, Jean Orvis, the middle school faculty embraced nurtured the students’ 21st Century essential skills of creativity, the benefits of PBL’s cross-curricular and relevant applications collaboration, innovation, critical thinking, problem solving and within the classroom. According to a recent survey ranking the communication. To learn more about Project Based Learning, way students prefer to learn, the top three ways are: in groups, visit www.ashrosary.org and go to Academics/Middle School. by doing practical things, and with friends. The least favorable Kim Duckworth, Middle School Head 2 THE THE BRIDGE BRIDGE | AUTUMNWINTER 2012 2013 IT is ROckET ScIENcE (see next page) THE BRIDGE | | AUTUMNWINTER 20122013 3 IkT is ROc ET ScIENcE by Katrina Pommerening After four permission slips and a month of rescheduling As wind conditions changed, each student compensated by and rearranging chaperone schedules, Rocket Day at adjusting the angle of her rocket in order to increase the the Stennis Space Center was finally happening, and probability of hitting the target. The computer lab was eerily nothing would derail us! silent with intense concentration and determination until someone would shout, “Thirty feet!” signifying victoriously As soon as I heard about a new local rocket competition, that her rocket had hit the target. I jumped at the opportunity. The theme of our seventh grade physical science class was engineering and real-world Once we began our attempts to launch the rockets, problem solving. A unit based around rocketry would be the flexibility became essential. Plan A was to launch on a perfect way to teach forces and Newton’s Laws. The winner Friday afternoon in the back square of the Rosary campus, of the competition would be the student who could build but we were derailed by high winds. Plan B was better. We and launch a rocket that landed closest to a target thirty moved the launch to the following week at the Stennis Space feet away. We began with two seemingly simple questions: Center where high winds wouldn’t be an issue and we could How does a rocket leave the ground, and how can we predict also tour the facility. It seemed perfect! where it will land? What we didn’t count on were the tragic bombings in The students created long lists of the things they already Boston and the increased government security that followed. knew: Gravity would pull the rocket down. The rocket Before we could enter the facility, officials at NASA would path would be an arc. There may be a parachute to help need to inspect every student’s rocket engine and complete it land. They then listed questions they needed to answer: a background check on each adult. Time was running What pushes the rocket off the ground? How does it move out. Plan C worked. We moved the competition forward through the air? What brings the rocket back to the ground? and reserved a baseball field in Slidell where every student Is there an equation to predict the landing? Using those successfully launched her rocket. lists, each class outlined a unit designed to answer those Sacred Heart now has a group of eight students who will questions. As we made our way through each piece of the launch one more time at a later date in an effort to qualify puzzle, students were able to apply Newton’s Third Law for the national competition. Most importantly, each and Bernoulli’s Principle to explain the path of a rocket. student displayed diligence, patience, and flexibility as she They even began to scoff at the euphemism often used to got a real scientific experience. In the process, middle school challenge material in their other courses. “This isn’t rocket students became budding tenacious scientists who could science!” they exclaimed. manage the ever-changing conditions of the real world. It Just before the competition, students spent two days was often challenging, but what did we expect? This was painstakingly entering data about their rockets and possible rocket science! wind conditions into a NASA-designed computer simulator. The theme of our seventh grade physical science class was engineering and real-world problem solving. 4 THE THE BRIDGE BRIDGE | AUTUMNWINTER 2012 2013 Combining ScIENcE AND the ARTS by Melody Lee In a joint project with science and language arts, the seventh grade students created a lovely exhibit which is now in the Botanical Gardens at City Park. We had several goals for this work.