Holy Trinity High School Partnership with
Escuela San Jose Las Flores, El Salvador
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| l to r. Superintendent Atkinson, translator Rene Guerra Salazar, student Claudia Lopez, Escuela San Jose Las Flores Principal Nelson Orellana, Holy Trinity Principal Jennifer Oake, Teacher Stephanie Pearson, & student Danilo Henriquez |
Several years ago when I was principal of Holy Trinity Catholic High School, a teacher by the name of Maureen Bourke came to see me in my office. As I recall, it was an extremely busy day, and while she began to speak with me, I must admit that I was preoccupied with several issues that seemed important at the time but which, in retrospect, I can no longer even recall. Despite my lack of focus, Maureen persisted with me - and looking back, I thank God that she did!
Through a social justice organization called Salvaide, Maureen had this terrific idea to twin Holy Trinity with a small school in San Jose Las Flores, El Salvador. The partnership would be symbiotic: The students of Holy Trinity, living in the affluent neighbourhood of Kanata South, would learn about, and in some cases, experience the plight of people living in the global south. The community of San Jose Las Flores would get support for its desperately under-funded school.
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| San Jose Las Flores, El Salvador |
The partnership between Escuela San Jose Las Flores and Holy Trinity evolved slowly. Unfortunately, it was barely off the ground when I left Holy Trinity in March 2009 in order to help plan the opening of a new high school for the Ottawa Catholic School Board. However, I was pleased when Sister Shelley Lawrence, the chaplaincy leader of this new school, St. Francis Xavier, got it also connected to this social justice initiative..
It's difficult for those of us involved in education in Canada to relate to the lack of resources and funding available for this school in El Salvador. Its principal, Mr. Nelson Orellano, told me that he must run the school on an operating budget of $3,500 per year!
The Holy Trinity community not only sent a delegation of staff and students to El Salvador to see Escuela San Jose Las Flores for themselves but also raised funds to provide much needed resources for the school. Their fundraising efforts resulted in the creation of a computer lab in the school. For pictures of the computer lab and Escuela San Jose Las Flores, please view the Ottawa Catholic School Board October 23, 2012 meeting agenda:
On Tuesday, October 23, I had the pleasure of attending a welcome to Canada luncheon at Holy Trinity for principal Nelson Orellano and two delightful Escuela San Jose Las Flores students, Claudia Lopez and Danilo Henriquez. All expressed their heartfelt thanks to the students and staff at Holy Trinity for supporting their school. It was a message that was repeated again that evening, as Mr. Orellano.and the two El Slvadoran students presented to the Board of Trustees along with Holy Trinity teacher Stephanie Pearson.
Left to right - Rene Guerra Salazar, translator; Denise Andre, Deputy Director; Nelson
Orellana, El Salvador principal; Mark Mullan, Chairperson; Claudia Lopez, student from
El Salvador; Danilo Henriquez, student from El Salvador; Stephanie Pearson, teacher;
Jennifer Oake, Principal; Melissa Hornby, student from Holy Trinity Catholic High School
and Ted Hurley, Vice-Chairperson
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