May 22, 2020 Important Dates for the Community Notre Dame is closed on May 25 for Memorial Day.
There will be no classes on Tuesday, May 26.
On May 27, a special video from our Yearbook and Memory Book staffs will be made available to celebrate their work, our school year, and acknowledge the Our Mother of Good Counsel Award winners. All academic award winners and all Distinguished and Honor Roll students will be published in a special edition of ND Weekly that day.
We look forward to celebrating the graduation ceremonies of our eighth grade and senior students next week! Thank you for your resilience, your optimism, and your concern for the health and safety of our community as we face the COVID 19 pandemic together.
Virtual ceremonies will be celebrated on these dates: May 28: Eighth Grade Liturgy and Graduation Ceremony, 5:00 pm May 30: Class of 2020 Baccalaureate Mass, Graduation Ceremony, and Alumnae Induction, 10:00 am
More information about these ceremonies is posted on ND's Graduation page.
News from Campus Ministry As we look towards the summer, our usual routines, our "ordinary" summers, are going to be different. For the Church, we find ourselves in "Ordinary Time," when we're not celebrating a holiday or sacred season. While our faith communities are separate, we can maintain a relationship with God through different prayer practices and acts of service, and make our "ordinary" summers extra-ordinary.
Last week's community prayer was filled with ways for us to continue turning toward God throughout the summer, and to approach an extraordinary summer with extraordinary faith. We encourage our students to continue serving throughout the summer.
As I mentioned in Community Prayer, the service document that was created at the beginning of our time at home (and is posted in each student's Google Classroom for Religion) will continue to be updated throughout the summer.
Know of my continued prayers throughout the summer!
Mrs. Julia Tully Director of Campus Ministry
Health and Wellness for the ND Community Looking for some good summer parenting reads? Here are some recommended reads from the Counseling Department, perfect to help understand teenagers during the pandemic and beyond! We wish all families a safe and positive summer break!
News and Announcements Are you on the list?
We are so grateful to the many parents who made gifts to The Notre Dame Fund and hope that you will join them in supporting the Academy with your donation. Check our updated Donor Roll to be sure you have supported The Notre Dame Fund, our most important fundraising initiative at the Academy. Click here to see our most recent list of participating parents.
This year our faculty and staff have gone to great lengths to ensure that your daughter continues to receive the excellent education that Notre Dame has been known for since 1856.
Make your donation by going online, using Venmo @AcademyofNotreDamedeNamur, making a stock transfer, or mailing a check. All gifts received by June 30, 2020 will be acknowledged in our Annual Report which will be published later this summer. Please contact Mimi Koelle with any questions at 610-971-4919 or mkoelle@ndapa.org.
The Advancement Office wishes you and your family a wonderful summer. Thank you for your generous support!
Announcements from College Counseling Sophomore students and parents: You were emailed information on April 22 from Lauryn Roth, lroth@ndapa.org, about our Diagnostic SAT/ACT test planned for June 2. This is now an at-home test. Please refer to the email for further instructions and feel free to contact Lauryn Roth with any questions.
Junior students and parents: Because of the quickly changing admissions landscape, College Counseling will be offering additional optional summer opportunities, including mock interviews with college reps and parent/counselor chats. Junior parents and students should check their May 19 email from Lauryn Roth for additional details on the following events:
Junior students and parents, please continue to check your ND email for updates throughout the summer so you do not miss out on any opportunities! College counselors will not be in the office, but we will be available by email all summer if any questions come up along the way.
Student Introduction to Canvas System Next Week Next week, returning students will have the opportunity to explore Canvas, the Academy's new Learning Management System.
In Canvas, students and parents will be able to view assignments and documents for classes, class calendars, grades, and submit work - all within a simple and easy-to-navigate platform. Using Canvas, teachers can also individualize instruction and feedback to greater levels, creating a more personalized and effective learning environment.
Communication to new families and parents regarding Canvas will be sent out prior to the start of the new school year. This YouTube video offers an overview of Canvas. If you have questions, please contact Tyler Gaspich, Director of Information Resources and Technologies, tgaspich@ndapa.org.
Introducing ND's Student Leaders for 2020-2021 The Academy is pleased to announce these student leaders for the 2020-2021 academic year:
5 Main (Upper School Student Council Leaders) President: Kiera Chambers, Vice President: Sophia Andrisani, Secretary: Hannah Jackson, Treasurer: Aidan Quintiliani, and
3 Main (Middle School Student Council Leaders) Milani Gallo, Rachel Deeney, and Riley Marks
Campus Ministers (Student Leaders of Campus Ministry) Amelia Swan, Ava MacLaughlin, Charlotte McGill, Grace Wolter, Isabel Oliver, Madeleine Fitzhenry, Molly McCarthy, Quinn Sullivan, and Rhea Agrawal
Thank you, students, for your commitment and service to the Notre Dame community!
Reminder: Campus is Closed for Health and Safety Please remember that per direction from the Governor's Office of the state of Pennsylvania, the Academy of Notre Dame's campus must remain closed to everyone, with few exceptions for school employees who qualify as essential personnel and perform essential work tasks for the school. The campus closure includes all: buildings, grounds, parking lots, and athletic fields, and it applies 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Thank you.
Senior Art Students Host Virtual Gallery Tour Last Friday, May 15, the Academy hosted our first virtual Senior Art Exhibition via Google Meet. Friends, families, and art teachers had the opportunity to hear each artist discuss their year-long art exploration and then view their amazing art together. You are invited to view a video featuring the work of these talented artists on the Academy's Fine Arts page.
Dancers Create in Non-Traditional Spaces ND's Upper High School Dance Company created solos in non-traditional spaces using iMovie technology. Dancers began their creativity and choreography from a single statement. Through an adjudicated process, senior Julia Iacovella's solo was chosen by professional dance colleagues of Mrs. Devenney, Dance Director. You may view Julia's performance on Notre Dame's Dance page.
Notre Dame Alumnae on the Front Line of COVID-19 The ND community sends our heartfelt gratitude to Elizabeth Adrianne Hammershaimb '04, a pediatrician working toward becoming an infectious diseases specialist in Baltimore, Maryland. She is leading the charge in the fight against COVID-19. Elizabeth received her Bachelor of Science from Georgetown University, her Master of Science from John Hopkins University, and a Doctor of Medicine from Drexel University. Know an ND alum making a difference on the front lines? Contact Lauren Thomer, Director of Alumnae Relations, lthomer@ndapa.org.
Celebrating Our ND Senior Athletes "On behalf on the Athletic Department, I would like to congratulate all our 2020 graduates and wish them success as they move on to the next chapter in their lives." – Ben Davey, Athletic Director
This week we will celebrate our last, but by no means least, spring team, Track and Field. With one of the biggest rosters we have, these 10 seniors have led by example and given a lot to the program during their time at Notre Dame. Coach Leah Bowers had this to say about the Seniors, "This group of seniors have been a pleasure to coach over the last four years. They have been incredible at integrating the underclassmen and new runners onto our team by providing support and guidance, even from afar. The class of 2020 has always been very coachable and they have always worked hard to be the best that they can be. These seniors have been incredible cheerleaders for their teammates and they are always the first to congratulate others for their performances. We will miss having them next year and wish them all the best!" Meet ND's Track and Field Seniors - with an appreciation quote from one of their teammates: Alexandra Battisti
Alexandra works so hard in everything she does!!! She always told me to try out track because she loves it and I finally joined and I am so happy!!! I'm going to miss her so much, but she is going to do amazing things!!! - Molly Stirling Abby Butler San Diego State University
"I have never met someone as determined as Abby. She is the type of teammate that is there for you on and off the track. Abby's dance moves and fun personality makes every practice enjoyable. I am so thankful for her, my track experience would not have been the same without her." - Char McGill Caroline Fernandez Elon University
"Caroline is one of the nicest and most welcoming upperclassmen on the team. Even though we only got to spend a few practices together, we made the most of every moment! We will miss you and wish you the best of luck at Elon!" - Char McGill Ciara Hibbs Villanova University
Ciara never fails to make someone smile or laugh. She continues to grind on and off the track everyday and I admire her for it. - Paige Riley Rylee Kinka Penn State University
Rylee has always been an amazing leader and pushed the rest of the team to do their best. Wether it was pre-race nerves or lazy practice days she was always there to cheer us on and hype us up . We're all going to miss her so much and wish her the best of luck at Penn State! -Jade Bennett Grace Erin McHugh Syracuse University
Grace is always a positive influence on and off the track. She has a fun, hardworking attitude that I admire very much. She inspires me to always try my best and to stay positive. I will miss her so much next year! - Claudia McHugh
Katie Mowatt University of Pittsburgh
Katie is an amazing teammate on and off the field. She has grown to be an exceptional athlete who tries hard and works her very best. She demonstrates leadership throughout the track season, and is super dedicated to the team. Her kindness and overall spirit will be missed next year since she brings such a positive energy to the team. Good luck next year Katie! We will miss you so much. - Julia Szela Lindsey Smith Boston College Lindsey is always motivating to everyone on the team and has been such a good leader. Her encouragement has always kept the team going. Her running skills have helped the team succeed. We are so excited to see Lindsey does at BC next year and we are going to miss her so much next year! Anne Stevenson University of South Carolina, Capstone Scholar Program Thank you for being such a great leader on and off the track. You have been someone I can look up to on the team and I am so grateful to have met you. Whenever we have a hard workout you are someone I can look to for positivity and encouragement. I am sure these traits will carry on with you throughout college. I am so excited to see all the amazing things you do in the future! - Rhea Agrawal Serena Xu Bryn Mawr College Serena is one of the most welcoming teammates anyone could ask for. She always comes to practice with a smile on her face and brightens up our days. Her positive energy and can-do spirit made even the most challenging workouts seem within reach. She has been a great role model for underclassmen and we can't wait to see what she accomplishes at Bryn Mawr College. We will miss you so much and wish you the best of luck!
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