Notre Dame 6th Graders Go To School With Students In Australia

Notre Dame middle school students communicate via Skype with students in Australia. NDPMA is aggressively using the latest technology to enhance the ”world school” experience for all students.

Sixth graders in Ginny Pauwels' Notre Dame Marist Academy class recently shared class time via Skype with sixth-grade students in Australia, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. According to Pauwels, the hardest part was organizing the sessions. "But it was a great experience for the students," she said. "For the last session, Pennsylvania, I had to borrow a class because the only time other class available was my prep period. So, Eric Taylor brought his choir class down to my classroom."

After discussing a novel with the students in the Pennsylvania sesion, ND students sang one of their Christmas songs for the Pennsylvania sixth graders. "Then, they wanted to sing a song for us," Pauwels said. "So they started in on a song by One Direction. Of course, our kids all knew the song, so they joined in. How cool to hear both classes singing together!

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About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy

Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. The school's upper division enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame's middle and lower divisions enroll students in jr. kindergarten through grade eight. All three divisions are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDPMA is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school's home page at www.ndpma.org.