Some traditions at Saint John the Apostle School are centuries old: like praying the Dominican Magnificat or studying saints.
However, at the hand of Principal and Dominican Sister of Hope Associate Deb Egan, others are brand new. Take, for instance, the installation of smart projectors in sixth, seventh, and eighth grade classrooms. Or the fact that Chromebooks are provided for fourth and fifth grade students.
“One of these students may be the one who finds a cure for cancer.”
As Deb Egan puts it, science and technology have always been a part of the Dominican tradition, as they pertain to the search for truth. So it is in her classrooms. She’s going into her fourth year as principal of the school, which educates 430 students, and she’s made technology a priority. With the projector, which is a single unit that makes any surface interactive, first graders go on a trip to an archaeological dig. Other grades jet to outer space to see the planets up-close, or wander through the Vatican Museum, all without leaving the classroom.
Students at Saint John the Apostle school practice math on the smart projector
But, the technology isn’t only beneficial to entire classrooms. “I have an eighth grade student who taught himself Russian on his computer,” Deb reports.
And, she’s hopeful about the future.
“One of these students may be the one who finds a cure for cancer,” she says. “They could make a great, new discovery anywhere in the world because of what we’re able to provide as a foundation here through the use of technology.”
This post is part of our Hope Is series to commemorate Hope’s 23rd birthday. Follow along and see all of the posts here.