By Erika Anderson

Staff Writer

ATLANTA-At The Donnellan School, students celebrate the universality of the Catholic Church and the ribbons of faith that tie them together, making them one body in Christ.

The Donnellan School, a private Catholic school, has blossomed into a community full of what Father John Hopkins, LC, chaplain of the school, likes to call "cultural richness." The Donnellan School community includes families from Australia, Nigeria, Kenya, Chile, Venezuela, Japan, South Africa, Indonesia, Republic of Congo, Portugal, United Kingdom, Puerto Rico, Spain and India.

Father Hopkins believes that there are several reasons that people choose The Donnellan School.

"First of all, academic excellence is important, especially for people coming from other countries. They want something that will challenge their kids," he said. "Secondly, people want a real family-centered community where charity and the Gospel are truly lived out. The Donnellan School is not just a school. It's a community."

Father Hopkins also cited the Catholic values of the school as a reason for attracting people from all around the world.

Though many nationalities are represented at the school, Father Hopkins said it's sometimes hard to tell.

"We don't focus on the diversity, we focus on the unity," he said. "We are enriched by each other. That's what's so awesome. We are enriched by each other so we can go out and serve one another."

At the same time, The Donnellan School staff is working to enrich the cultural aspect of the curriculum.

Spanish is offered as a core curriculum class in middle school, twice a week for the fifth grade and once a week for kindergarten through fourth grade. Angela Naples, principal at the school, said that they are planning on building a learning lab to increase the resources for the teachers and students. She also hopes to add personnel to increase the instructional time at each grade level.

Father Hopkins said that he has been enriched as a priest by working in other countries, and hopes the children will be enriched as well.

"Once you begin to speak someone else's language, you begin to broaden your cultural horizon," he said.

There are two Spanish clubs which offer the students opportunities to explore the cultures of various Spanish-speaking countries. A trip to Costa Rica is planned for the spring of 2001 for the middle school Spanish club.

Naples said that they "really hope to go beyond Spanish" and eventually add other languages.

"With such a diverse population, we want to embrace all nationalities and cultures and really celebrate our uniqueness," she said.

Many parents have expressed their excitement for the cultural opportunities offered at The Donnellan School. Marjorie Murphy, chair of the school's Spiritual Life Committee, and the parent of two Donnellan School children, said that she has seen the students' excitement in learning the Spanish language and about Hispanic culture.

"One of the things that's been really wonderful this year has been watching the language and the culture really come alive in this school," she said.

Kathleen Eisnspanier has two children at The Donnellan School and called the school an "amazing community." She is also pleased that her children have the opportunity to learn about different cultures at the school.

"The world is getting so small now with computers and the Internet. We are really starting to communicate and do business on more of a world level," she said. "The way we're heading, to be successful in life, you have to be aware of different languages and different cultures."

Because so many nationalities are represented at the school, students also have the opportunity of learning from each other.

"It has brought a global Catholic population to our school and it's been fun to practice our faith with all of the different nationalities," Naples said. "The Catholic theme, meaning universal, runs throughout the school."

The school is currently applying for the International Baccalaureate Organization's IB Primary Years Program, a program that, according to the organization's website, "focuses on the total growth of the developing child, affecting hearts as well as minds and addressing social, physical, emotional and cultural needs in addition to academic welfare."

The PYP "combines the best research and practice from a range of national systems with a wealth of knowledge and experience from international schools to create a relevant and engaging educational program."

Becoming a member of the IBO will link The Donnellan School to other schools throughout the world, perhaps bringing even more students from other countries to the school.

Father Hopkins believes that the cultural richness of the school can only enhance the learning process for the students.

"As long as you respect someone, you can learn from someone," he said.

Murphy believes the best part of the international make-up of the school is the unifying factor of their Catholic faith.

"They have learned that the Catholic world is more than just our school and our little Buckhead community," she said. "They are getting an idea of how the Catholic faith is spread all over the world and that we are brothers and sisters in Christ to people who speak other languages and live in other countries."