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This wiki is a collaborative effort of teachers and students in 7th and 8th grades. The study of the Holocaust in seventh and eighth grades helps students to develop an understanding of the consequences of prejudice, racism and stereotyping in any society. Through the use of open discussion, lectures, research, symposiums, guest speakers and prayer services, the junior high students learn to stand up for what is just in a Christian society.

These students gain the confidence to become a responsible citizen in the global community. The students also have the opportunity to meet with Holocaust survivors, putting a name and face to this period of history. These contacts with survivors nurture empathy in our students developing a capacity for compassion and understanding. Our school also utilizes the many resources and programs provided through the National Catholic Center for Holocaust Education (NCCHE) at Seton Hill University in Greensburg. In the fall 2007, the Center for Holocaust Studies was opened in the school. The center serves as a Holocaust resource for the school community and as a classroom for the students. The center houses the Clara Isaacman Trunk, a resource supplied by the Pennsylvania Holocaust Education Center (PHEC) and the Latrobe Rotary Club.

The trunk contains a wealth of materials and resources to thoroughly and conscientiously cover the issues of the Holocaust. In addition to the invaluable contents of the trunk, PHEC also provides professional development sessions, eligibility to receive grants for survivor visits, guest speakers, and class trips to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.

Students in eighth grade also engage in social justice programs in their religion and Student Council Human Rights Program. They study the Papal Encyclicals on social justice, scriptural references, corporal works of mercy and Beatitudes. The students strive to create a socially just society and teach Human Rights lessons to other classes and participate in Teaching Tolerance activities.

Our mission as a Catholic school is to inform students about this unprecedented tragedy, to commemorate those who suffered, to inspire in our students their civic responsibilities, and to examine basic moral issues of the Holocaust.