California Association of Independent Schools

St. Mary's School

St. Mary's 8th Graders win engineering challenge!

Aliso Viejo, CA, March 27, 2012 - Pillows, peanut butter, marshmallows, balloons, syrup, straws, boxes and miles of duct tape were just some of the materials landing in a sticky heap on the black top at St. Mary's School in Aliso Viejo.

Invited by engineering company Fluor to participate in National Engineering Week's Egg Drop Challenge, St. Mary's 8th graders relished the opportunity to put their physical science skills to the test.

The challenge was to design a container to safely land an egg from two stories up. 17 teams of students competed against each other and a team from Fluor to design innovative solutions using a myriad of materials while working within set guidelines.

Gathered on the campus, the students watched as one team after another climbed the stairs to launch their craft for the short flight. On-ground judges from Fluor inspected each landing for damage, their thumbs up or down greeted with enthusiastic cheers or loud groans. After two rounds only four eggs survived, all completing the plunge in St. Mary's designed containers.

Organized annually, Engineering Week aims to encourage interaction and communication between the engineering industry and students, to cultivate the next generation of engineers and to celebrate the profession.

"We were so excited to participate with Fluor on this", explained science teacher Jocelyn Williams. "It is the perfect project to put learning into action, and the students get an insight into the engineering world. The Fluor engineers were great, taking time to explain their work and processes, and to advise the students on their projects. I am impressed with the planning and creativity the students put into their designs, and it's so great that St. Mary's teams won!"

St. Mary's Students Become International Ambassadors - Visitors Welcomed From the International School of Milan

November 29, 2011 - St. Mary's School in Aliso Viejo has long been recognized as a trailblazer in California and beyond. Its International Baccalaureate curriculum is designed to be relevant to today's world, and focuses on inquiry-based learning and critical thinking to develop internationally minded people.

In November, eighteen seventh and eighth graders at St. Mary's School in Aliso Viejo became international ambassadors by welcoming exchange students from Italy to their school and their homes.

St. Mary's has partnered with the International School of Milan in Italy for the past seven years. Each year, Italian students come to California in the fall. They attend classes with their St. Mary's host, live in their homes, and experience life as an American student for a week.

In the spring, the eighteen St. Mary's students reciprocate with a trip to their hosts in Milan. They become fully immersed in Italian culture, living and working alongside their Italian partners. They also travel throughout northern Italy to further explore Italian culture, customs and the people.

"One of our core principles is to teach a global perspective", says Headmaster John O'Brien. "To succeed in their future lives, our students need to understand other cultures and different points of view. This program offers our students a unique opportunity to live a different life for a few weeks."

"Participating in the Italian Exchange really opened my son's eyes to the world", said the parent of an eighth grader. "His horizons have expanded, and he has a deep appreciation for another culture. The bonus is that the whole family has benefited. We skype our host family often, and even plan to vacation together this summer! Through St. Mary's, we too have new friends in Italy, and are looking forward to new experiences!"

18 St. Mary's students and families were paired with 18 students from the International School of Milan, Italy. Students await their arrival with signs and cheers.

From left to right: Roberta Saverio from Italy poses with her St. Mary's exchange family, Baylee Corona and Mom Denise Corona.

About St. Mary's School
St. Mary's School is an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School dedicated to inquiry-based academic excellence, developing well-rounded, confident children who flourish in a creative environment founded on Christian values. As the only primary school in Orange County to offer the IB Programme, the school promotes critical thinking while focusing on developing skills for students in Preschool through Grade Eight. Through a unique combination of rigorous academic standards, foreign languages, technology, field studies, sports, arts and music set in a Christian environment, students develop into global thinkers. Our inquiry-based approach and optimum class sizes provide the foundation to cultivate future global leaders for an increasingly diverse and technological society.

St. Mary's is fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), International Baccalaureate (IB), California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS), National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES) National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), European Council of International Schools (ECIS) and South Orange County Association of Private and Parochial Schools (SOCAPS). For more information on St. Mary's Preschool through Grade Eight curriculum or International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme, call 949.448.9027 or visit the St. Mary's Web site at www.smaa.org.

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