IHM School honored by national magazine 

Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) School in Cincinnati is one of 12 Catholic schools, spanning the nation geographically, culturally, and economically, to be honored this year by Today’s Catholic Teacher magazine.

Now in its 16^th year, this annual award recognizes innovative projects in six categories. IHM won in the category of “promoting Catholic identity” for its work in which each grade level adopts a stewardship project related to a social justice issue.

The presentation reception and dinner were held April 3 at The Majestic Metro in downtown Houston. The award presentation coincided with the annual convention and exposition of the National Catholic Educational Association.

Accepting the award on behalf of IHM were Mary Hedger, principal and Karen Feller, teacher.

Badin High School honored for global education excellence

Badin High School has been awarded the Global Education Excellence Award from the EF Foundation for Foreign Study, based in Cambridge, Mass., for the 2012-13 school year.

“Your continued support of cultural and international exchange is sincerely appreciated,’’ said Michelle Wilson, the area EF Foundation representative. “It is evident when you walk through the doors of Badin that ‘all are welcome!’”

Badin High School was recognized “for your dedication to the mission of breaking down barriers of language, culture and geography through international student exchange.”

“We certainly appreciate this nice recognition from the EF Foundation,” said Brian Pendergest, Badin principal. “Our international student program has had a very positive impact on the Badin community, and we look forward to welcoming more foreign students in the coming years.”

Badin has programs for one-year foreign exchange students as well as international students who are eligible to graduate from the school. Twelve foreign students attended Badin this year.

Summit raises funds for Hands Across the Water

Students at The Summit Country Day School donated $15,819 this year to the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur Clean Water Fund during the fourth annual Hands Across the Water fundraiser.

Hands Across the Water is a service-learning project that teaches children about the global water crisis and helps raise funds to combat it. Students studied the global water crisis through classroom materials and projects in science, math, social studies, religion and language arts. They raised awareness of the crisis through a 6K walkathon April 24 during which they carried bottled water to simulate the walk made by children in developing countries to carry contaminated water back to their homes and schools. Students raised funds through donations and sacrificial giving.

“At Summit, we pride ourselves on transforming children into leaders of character,” said Rich Wilson, head of school. “The Hands Across the Water event is another demonstration of the servant leadership model we teach here. Just as Christ looked out for the less fortunate, we teach Summit students to live their lives in a similar manner.”

The SNDdeN Clean Water Fund provides life-saving P&G PUR water purification packets to schools in Africa and Latin America where Sisters are challenged to provide students with clean, safe water. In the previous three years, students raised more than $40,000. This year’s donations brings the total to $15,819. Each dollar donated is estimated to provide clean drinking water for one child for 50 days.

“We’ve seen the compassion The Summit students have for children and families who struggle for a simple glass of clean water,” said Sister Mary Ann Barnhorn, director of development for the congregation’s Ohio Province. “This is living the Christian message. We could not be more proud.”

MND faculty members recognized

Three faculty members from Mount Notre Dame have been recognized for their subject expertise on a national level and will be representing MND this year at educational events with attendees from across the country.

• Julie Hagerty of MND’s English Department was selected from 2,000 applications to be a presenter at the 2013 Annual Convention of Teachers of English to be held in Boston, Mass., from Nov. 21-24. Her presentation is titled, “Discovering What’s New with Old Literature: Pairing the Classics with Contemporary Texts to Reveal the Relevant.”
• Catherine Schildknecht of the Social Studies Department was one of five people from across the nation chosen to serve on a review panel for all National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) proposals for elementary and high school summer institutes for the 2014 year. She will travel to Washington, D.C., to participate in the grant evaluation and determination process.
• Michelle Shafer, MND’s Science Department Chairperson, has received a scholarship to attend the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) Think Tank Conference in Nashville, Tenn., from July 17-19. The event focuses on best practices in STEM curriculum and teaching for girls that fosters development into related careers.

“These recognitions show that our students receive instruction from some of the top educators in their fields in the nation,” said Larry Mock, head of school for MND. “We are proud of the quality of our faculty and staff as reflected in the success of our students.”

St. Al’s E-Club earns Earth Day Award

The E-Club at St. Al’s School in Bridgetown (E for Environmental) took the first place prize at the Cincinnati Earth Day Recycled Costume Contest held at Sawyer Point on April 20. The costume of a St. Al’s Gator (the school mascot) was created entirely of recyclable materials including plastic shopping bags, juice pouch cartons, egg cartons, caps and a box. The E-Club has participated in this Earth Day contest every year for the past five years, taking first or second place each year.

The recycled contest costume is sponsored by the Cincinnati Earth Coalition as a fun way to introduce students to the benefits of recycling. The costume criteria required it be wearable and made of entirely recyclable materials. The first place prize of $100 will be used to promote the E-Club’s efforts at St. Al’s which include school recycling, composting, planning and promoting Green Week, and planting and maintaining a vegetable and butterfly garden in warm months. The club members are also creating a mosaic mural to decorate this year’s garden.