Newsletter 2022 Winter

Newsletter 2022 Winter

Higher Expectations, Deeper Relationships, Better Outcomes

NEWSLETTER | Winter 2022

The Impact of Your Investment

YOU ARE THE POWER BEHIND OUR SUCCESS IN 2020-2021

100% On-Campus Learning Despite Pandemic

Parents continued to work and students experienced a stable learning environment resulting in reduced learning loss. Plus students maintained access to critical nutrition services through Nativity Prep.

Over $1 Million in Scholarships Provided

Nativity Prep maintained an all-scholarship middle school while providing over $250,000 in tuition assistance to deserving NPA graduates, enabling them to attend private high schools, thus increasing their likelihood of graduating from college.

For the Past 4 Years:
100% On-Time High School Graduation
100% Accepted to and Matriculated to College

Set-Up for Post-Graduation Success

100% of Nativity Prep’s college graduates over the last four years graduated with less than $20,000 in student debt, making it easier to get ahead.

Stronger Because of You

The Campaign for College Avenue pledges paid to date and the on-campus renovations have resulted in a healthy 18.9% loan-to-value ratio.

Dear Nativity Community,

“We are what we believe we are.” With this simple statement, C.S. Lewis’ inspires discernment that, for most of us, lasts a lifetime. Throughout their 11-year journey from 6th grade to their college graduation, Nativity Prep students rely on our community to affirm their belief in themselves and who they are called to be for the world. Through their journey, our hope is that they cultivate a strong conviction of belief in their potential. The remarkable advantage Nativity Prep students have is the village of support that surrounds them on a daily basis.

Each Nativity Prep middle school student who requests a mentor is blessed to have one. On campus, a highlight of each day is the hustle and bustle of the front office right before the lunch hour. Our mentors arrive excited to see their students. Earlier in the day, the morning buzz among the students is all about whose mentor is coming that day. To see a student and mentor greet each other is to witness the purest form of joy. Whether it is witnessing their engagement in meaningful conversation or watching them play games of UNO, foosball or basketball (I personally invite you to the audience of the weekly basketball game of 1 mentor vs. all the 8th grade boys), the interactions between a mentor and their mentee affirm the significance of relationship in our lives.

Through a weekly exchange of joy, wisdom and learning, our mentors instill a sense of confidence in our students that they can achieve what they set their hearts and minds to achieving. They serve as one more voice in a  village of support to convey, “I believe in you”. The power of this relationship cannot be emphasized enough and while the child is blessed by their presence, as I wave goodbye to a day’s set of mentors, I cannot help but notice the joy that emulates their very being. While a mentor has given their time, the relationship is reciprocal and both the student and mentor depart better for having known one another.

As a newcomer to Nativity Prep, I quickly found myself in awe of the consistent presence of joy within the community. While we are fortunate beyond measure when it comes to our new campus, our state of the art classrooms or the accessibility of our technology, it is the environment of joyful and loving support that continues to make all the difference for our students and their families. Thank you for continuing to support and cultivate the confidence of our students. If you have not yet experienced the palpable joy on our campus, I invite you to come down for a tour of the school in the coming months. Through an anchor of joy, Nativity Prep continues to serve as a beacon of hope.

May this New Year bring you peace,
joy and hope.

With Gratitude,

Jessica Hooper

Mailing Address: 6126 Adelaide Avenue, San Diego CA 92115
Visit Campus: 4463 College Ave San Diego, CA 92115
T: 619-544-9455 | www.nativityprep.org | E: info@nativityprep.org

20 YEAR GALA POSTPONED

Please note, the 20 Year Gala/Celebration has been postponed.

It is important to all of us at Nativity Prep that the largest event in the school’s history and the celebration of a great milestone is a quality experience and open to as many community members as possible. In addition to tighter restrictions and overall concern for large gatherings, the Marriott notified us of a staffing shortage on their side due to COVID.

Ultimately, the pros of gathering with more friends of Nativity Prep and making our guests feel comfortable and safe outweighed the cons of needing to reschedule.

Please mark your calendars for Saturday, July 30th from 5:30 to 10 PM at the San Diego Marriott Del Mar.

Sponsorship opportunities have been re-opened and the registration page for tables and tickets is updated.

LEARNING IN THE COMMUNITY

Each year in the three weeks between Thanksgiving break and Christmas break, the learning on campus shifts away from our normal routine. We welcome partner organizations, guest speakers, and the community onto campus to support our students as they engage in meaningful, real world learning.

At Nativity Prep, we hope that all of our students will be actively engaged citizens in our country. We hope that when they finish their journey through college that they are dedicated to serving and giving back to the community. Learning experiences like our Community Learning Project show our students how to listen and learn from the community and walk with the communities to address the issues that are present.

This is the fourth year that we have created this learning experience for our students. We decided to partner with the San Diego County Office of Education to support the design of the project. One of their consultants, John Spiegel, worked with our teaching staff starting in the summer on how to design an interdisciplinary project that connected with the community.

We also continued our partnership with Dr. Alberto Pulido from the University of San Diego. Dr. Pulido is the chair of the Ethic Studies Department, operates the Turning Wheel Mobile Classroom, and is a member of the Chicano Park Steering Committee. His partnership allows us to engage meaningfully with the community. Dr. Pulido hosts the tours for the students at Chicano Park, finds community partners to be guest speakers, and helps us connect with the Chicano Park Museum and Cultural Center.

During two tours of Chicano Park, students learned about the power of murals and the stories they tell. These murals focus on different issues in the community. The stories being told show how the community has worked to address these issues. In addition to learning about the murals in Chicano 

Park, students had time to experience the park and all that it has to offer.

After experiencing the park, students narrowed it down to three topics to research. They were interested in learning about the availability of green spaces to different communities and the impact of lack of green spaces on health. The second topic focused on addressing the needs and impacts of homelessness. The final topic looked at animal rights and the importance of animals in culture.

We welcomed guest speakers throughout our fall semester on these topics. Speakers joined us from the Chicano Park community, the Chicano Park Museum and Cultural Center, and PATH San Diego. These presentations focused on one of the topics and began the research for the students. After experiencing the park and learning from the guest speakers, the students began their research on one of these topics. Digging into research and crafting information writing pieces is one of the important standards that we teach in our English classes.

Post-Thanksgiving Break, the students dove into three aspects of their projects. Using their research, they each wrote an informational essay on their topic. The essay included students explaining the issue that they researched, but also suggesting solutions to address these issues. In order to create a visual representation of their topic, they also created a mural modeled off the murals at Chicano Park that they got to see up close during their tours. The students attempted to tell a story about the issue that they were working to address. Finally, they had to prepare a presentation for the community that incorporated the issue and potential solutions.

On the last day before our Christmas break, we hosted a community day that allowed our students to showcase their learning and gave them an opportunity to give their presentations to our community. During this day, our Family Association of Nativity (FAN) led a Posada procession and rosary. After the Posada, the FAN sold tamales to all who were present. We presented our community partners with certificates of gratitude, and the students’ work from both the community learning project and their art classes were on exhibition. Not only has this day become a school tradition, but also it allows us to bring together people from all parts of our community to support student learning and build fellowship.