Classroom Experience

MICRO:BIT ACCESSORIES REDESIGN PROJECTS

During the Fall semester, students in Computer Science learned how to program Micro:bits to create various projects, such as scorekeepers, board games, and more. Micro:bits are pocket-sized computers with an LED light display, programmable buttons, and other add-on accessories of sensors or servos. The second quarter exam project was an opportunity for students to recreate and redesign a previous project to reflect their gained knowledge on the subject. In their project redesign, students were required to utilize Micro:bit Hummingbird accessories that included sensors, lights, and servos. Many students took this opportunity to add rotation servos (wheels on Santa’s sleigh) to mobilize their updated project.

COASTAL RESTORATION LESSONS FOR DOMINICAN’S EARTH SCIENCES CLASS

Checking macroinvertebrates under the roots of an invasive water hyacinth, building multiple lines of defense for protection from hurricanes and storm surge – these were among the lessons about the importance of coastal restoration when Dinah Maygarden, MA, Research Associate and Science Education Program Director at the University of New Orleans (UNO) Pontchartrain Institute for Environmental Sciences was a guest educator for Earth Sciences class at St. Mary’s Dominican High School.

UNO’s coastal education program of hands-on, science-based activities, also increases awareness and understanding of issues on coastal land loss and restoration. The UNO Pontchartrain Institute for Environmental Sciences was founded in 2001.

“It is so important for my Earth Sciences students to understand the geology of our home. Louisiana’s wetlands are disappearing, and that directly affects all of us who live in southeast Louisiana,” said Dominican teacher Mrs. Joann Haydel. “The students loved the hands-on approach to learning about Louisiana’s wetlands.”

Reflections On The Pandemic

Students in Mrs. Janine Koenig’s Biology I Honors class and Mrs. Madelyn Maldonado’s Anatomy class welcomed Dr. Brian Credo who gave a presentation, “Reflections on the Pandemic – the Omicron Variant and Beyond.” An Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Tulane School of Medicine, Dr. Credo is a pediatric adolescent specialist, with a specific focus on Adolescent Medicine and Pediatrics. He also is Director of the Bio-Med track in the pre-professional program at Archbishop Rummel High School.

Coo Of Catholic Charities Speaks To Juniors

Deacon Martin Gutierrez, Chief Operating Officer at Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans, addressed the junior Religion classes with the presentation, Immigration – A Common Sense Approach.

Rock Musician Shares Insights On Technology Impact With Engineering Class

Digital technology’s impact on the music industry was the subject when American rock musician Randy Jackson connected via Zoom from his New York studio with students in Mr. Kenneth Lannes’ Engineering class. Jackson took students’ questions that covered several topics, including impact of digital software on music production, evolution of copyright protections, and artists using social media platforms – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok – to develop and connect with their fanbases.

SPANISH AP STUDENTS’ INTERVIEWS CONNECT BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

Sr. Dominic Savio, O.P. and Spanish teacher Mrs. Claudia Vallejo listened to Sr. Ana González, O.P., with Albertus Magnus College Admissions in New Haven, CT, as the first guest speaker for interview sessions with Mrs. Vallejo’s Spanish AP students. Students asked her questions that were related to Sr. Ana’s life in the Dominican congregation, her culture, and her work. Born in Mexico, she came to New Orleans when she was a youth. She graduated from Loyola University New Orleans. Sister Savio has known Sr. Ana since Sr. Ana was 16 years old.

“Her interview was very useful for the students because they were able to ask her questions about the process of applying for college. Sr. Ana gave them many insights and very valuable advice for this process,” said Mrs. Vallejo. Sr. Ana emailed Mrs. Vallejo, “It was a delight to join your classroom and be interviewed by your students! WOW, they are amazing and I am honored to have joined you. Mil gracias por la oportunidad y están en mis oraciones.”

Students Survey For Civil Engineering Project

Using the quad as their classroom, students in Mr. Kenny Lannes’ Introduction to Engineering class engaged in a Civil Engineering Surveying project. In the quad, they mapped out large shapes. Using the theory of trigonometry and a level transit, the students measured angles and distances to a high level of accuracy.

In the Fall of 2020, Dominican became the first Catholic high school in the New Orleans area to have dual enrollment for Introduction to Engineering in the Louisiana University System.

Rubber Band Cars Meet The Road

Students in Mrs. Crissy Giacona’s 8th grade science classes used their engineering skills to build a rubber band car. The car is a great example of information they learned in class in regards to friction and Newton’s laws of motion. As a part of the project, students presented in front of the class and described how they built the car, how far their car went in the trial runs, the challenges of building the car, and the successes of building the car. The second part of the project included ‘racing’ the rubber band cars in Alumnae Hall. To fulfill the project requirement, the cars needed to go a minimum of 1.5 meters. Awards were given for Most Creative, Smallest, and Farthest!

During the school year, students also interviewed immigration lawyer Laura Buck, who lives and works in New Orleans; Miguel Vallejo, a senior student in Medellín, Colombia who was elected president of his high school’s Student Council; and coffee grower Don Diego Jaramillo, who was interviewed while he was working in the field in his rural town in Colombia. All interviews were in Spanish.