The Gateway Express - Fall 2020 - Vol2

Message from the

HEAD OF SCHOOL Dear Alumni, Families and Friends,

A

s we’re more than halfway through our second month of school, NDA remains blessed with in person learning for our students. Careful planning, preparation and ongoing evaluation of our safety protocols is keeping our school community safe and we are so grateful!

Despite the global pandemic, the Academy continues to make progress on its five year Strategic Plan – Inspiring Excellence. Our focus remains on building upon NDA’s rigorous academics and we are committed to curriculum development and the expansion of our STEAM program. In an effort to provide more opportunities for hands-on learning, plans are currently in the design phase for a new STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) area on the lower level of the school. This area will provide the space needed for students to thoroughly immerse themselves into the world of STEAM. We are proud that our graduates leave NDA having taken a minimum of 4 lab sciences and we are truly captivated by the possibilities of this new space!

We are also excited to report that our enrollment is up for the 2020-2021 school year with wait lists in many grades.

As planned, NDA warmly welcomed a small group of young men to the Upper School this year and we are excited to continue our outreach to prospective students and promote the Academy as a private, Catholic, co-educational Pre-K through grade 12 school as outlined in the Strategic Plan.

The last few months may have been difficult, but it also highlighted the strength and generosity of the NDA community as we saw significant increases in donations to the school. THANK YOU to all those who supported us! It is unlikely we would have been prepared to open school without the generous contributions from our community and we need you to stick with us! Your engagement and philanthropic support is needed now more than ever before.

There are big things happening at NDA, and we want you to be a part of it. We hope that each of you will partner with us as NDA embarks on this meaningful period of growth and prosperity.

In the faithful pursuit of excellence, Dr. Vittoria Pacifico

2

T H E G AT E W AY E X P R E S S

Welcome A

TO THE NEW MEMBERS OF THE BOARD

t the beginning of October, the Board appointed five new members to enhance our leadership and support structure. Each new member brings experience and expertise and we are grateful for their leadership during these pivotal years in the Academy’s history.

Nicole Rocha Clark ’98 Director, Pharmacy Services at MelroseWakefield Healthcare Jennifer Hanson Current NDA Parent, Director of Philanthropy at Lowell General Anna Miner Vice President for Admissions and Financial Aid, Colby-Sawyer College Alexandria Regan, CPA Partner, Citrin Cooperman Sarah Wannemuehler Director of Early Field Experience, Associate Professor, University of Southern Indiana

WHAT PAPER AIRPLANES CAN

P

teach

US

roject-based learning is a key tool used at NDA to help students master important concepts and take ownership of their learning. It also helps to build community within the classroom. Students in Ms. Flynn’s Grade 7 STEAM class learned about aerodynamics using a simple piece of paper. Using the core principles of aerodynamics, students designed and constructed an airplane glider made out of paper. Based on the principles of aerodynamics: lift, weight (gravity force), thrust and drag, students designed, tested, then redesigned their paper airplanes. Students competed against each other as they refined their understanding of the core concepts and worked to improve their models. The winning design travelled 64 feet!

mask

WE’RE BACK AT SCHOOL AND WE CAN’T

OUR ENTHUSIASM!

Keep an eye on your mailbox for our fall appeal for the Fund for Notre Dame. This is an important year and we have ambitious plans! The Fund for Notre Dame is our biggest fundraising priority, so if you can only make one gift to NDA this year, please consider responding to our fall appeal. Last year was one of our best fundraising years in recent memory. Help us continue to invest in our students, faculty, academics, extracurriculars, facilities, and technology. Give online today!

T H E G AT E W AY E X P R E S S

H

elp us identify Legendary Lancers who are upholding the NDA values of service, justice, peace, dignity, communitybuilding, and diversity in their lives. Nominate a Lancer (or honorary Lancer) who deserves to be recognized for their hard work and kind heart! #LegendaryLancers Nominate a Legendary Lancer

ATTITUDE OF

A

gratitude

s we transitioned to a new type of learning for the 20202021 school year, NDA would like to extend our gratitude to a generous donor for the purchase of seven tents that have functioned as outdoor learning spaces for our students. The gorgeous fall weather has allowed faculty to relocate their classrooms outside where the ability to socially distance is plentiful.

Thank you to members of FoNDA and Parents’ Club who willingly volunteered their time to assist with tent setup. We are very grateful for their never-ending support!

3

4

faces

T H E G AT E W AY E X P R E S S

NAMES AND

M

OF NDA

any people are familiar with Mrs. Pam Bernazani and her friendly face, professional expertise, and many years of service to the Academy.

This school year, Mrs. Bernazani is tackling a new role at NDA as Dean of Students for grades 8-12, and serving as the Guidance Counselor for Grade 8. Her role focuses on working with students and faculty, monitoring students’ needs and achievements, supporting campus life, and communicating with the community. As a guidance counselor, she monitors student academic achievement and socioemotional issues and co-teaches seminars for grade level classes.

An important part of Mrs. Bernazani’s new position is working alongside faculty and staff to create and oversee activities and clubs that help reinforce positive school culture, promote the Hallmarks of an NDA community, and encourage the engagement and participation of students.

As our alumni will attest to, leadership development is a significant focus of the activities offered in the Upper School, so Mrs. Bernazani plays a key role in organizing leadership workshops twice a year. In addition, she supports Campus Ministry programs, serves as Student Council moderator, and assists with the 1804 Society of student ambassadors. We are blessed to have Mrs. Bernazani on our team of educators!

ALICE KENNEDY MEMORIAL NURSING

N

scholarship

DA is pleased to announce that the recipient of the 2020-2021 Alice Kennedy Memorial Nursing Scholarship is Rebecca Leary, Class of 2018. This scholarship is awarded to an NDA alumna pursuing a four-year degree in Nursing at an accredited college or university.

Rebecca is currently a junior nursing student at the University of New Hampshire and is interested in pursuing a career as a nurse in the NICU after graduation. She has been able to gain valuable hands on experience during her clinical rotations at Southern NH Medical Center and Catholic Medical Center and was invited to join the Honors-in-Nursing program at UNH. Over the next year and a half, she will be working towards presenting her undergraduate research study at the Ann Manchester Kelley Nursing Inquiry Day in Spring 2022. Congratulations, Rebecca!

Special thanks to the Kennedy family and The John J. Sacco and Edith L. Sacco Charitable Foundation (Bank of America, Co-Trustee) for making this scholarship available to our alumni.

If you are a current nursing student and would like to apply for the Alice Kennedy Memorial Nursing Scholarship please email alumni@ndatyngsboro.org

T H E G AT E W AY E X P R E S S

SPREAD THE

D

word

o you know any families looking to explore their options for High School? Make sure to send them our Virtual Preview of the NDA Upper School! It’s a great way to learn about NDA and all the unique academic, extra-curricular, and athletic opportunities open to Lancers.

Greetings I

FROM THE ADMISSIONS OFFICE! am delighted to report that the Admissions Office has been busy since my arrival on July 1st. We accepted 100 students over the summer and our enrollment today stands at 407 students.

This is an 11% increase over last school year. The promising news is that the telephone rings daily and I receive emails requesting tours and information every single day. We are keeping a “preferred waiting list” for those families who have expressed interest and were not able to join our school community.

This year we are at capacity in all grades from Kindergarten through grade Five and we needed to add a section for grade 8 students. We are currently in the Upper School admission season and we continue to draw strong interest. We will be holding two Virtual Open Houses in November and we are offering families private tours by appointment only. Our academic rigor, small class sizes, personal attention, and our re-entry plan for in-person learning are resonating with families when exploring high schools. I look forward to another record enrollment for next school year.

Warm regards, Charlotte Kelly Director of Admissions

5