By Amabelle Nguyen ‘25

Throughout the month of September, several classes took field trips within walking distance of Notre Dame High School’s downtown San Jose campus.

The language classes explored local highlights including Paseo de San Antonio, a pedestrian plaza with attractions, the Plaza de Cesar Chavez, an urbanized park, and the SoFA Market, an area lined with local eateries.

ND’s French teacher, Katherine Lipps, guided freshmen in her French I class through downtown as an introduction to both the course and the school. She sees downtown San Jose as a mixing pot of different cultures and finds it fascinating to see how language has played an important role in the history and development of this downtown area. 

World History teacher Eugenia Barba took sophomores to the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles. She believes art is a part of downtown San Jose’s culture, connecting it to the history of the region and its people. 

One of Notre Dame’s graduation outcomes is to create life-long learners. Downtown field trips promote learning outside of the classroom so that every student experiences hands-on, real-world learning through the cultural and educational resources available within walking distance of campus.