Spring 2024 Gateway Express

Message from the PRESIDENT

Dear Alumni, Families, and Friends,

Our campus is alive with the change of seasons from the daffodils poking up from the ground to birds returning to the trees. Spring is a busy time at NDA, when new families are touring campus before enrolling and our seniors are making some big decisions about their futures.

We were honored to host the SNDdeN Educators Symposium that welcomed 120 educators, staff, administrators and Sisters. The day-long event themed “Educating for Life: Notre Dame de Namur Schools Today” provided attendees from many SND schools the opportunity to collaborate and celebrate our shared mission and Hallmarks.

Our students are excelling in and out of the classroom:

• The NDA Playmakers represented NDA, performing “Soundscapes” at the METG Mass High School Drama Festival and received accolades for outstanding performances and set design.

• Shreekar Saravanan, Grade 6, qualified for the Scripps Spelling Bee Regional Championship.

• Congratulations to the Boston Hockey Academy (BHA) Dukes on a successful season. We are so proud of your hard work in the classroom and on the ice! (See more Winter Sports highlights on page 7.)

I am so moved by our school’s commitment to service. Since we began Operation Sandwiches, NDA has made and donated more than 8,000 sandwiches to the homeless throughout greater Lowell. This is just one of many service opportunities available to our school community. To get involved and learn more, please contact Mrs. Deignan, NDA’s Campus Minister.

Read on to learn more about our amazing alumni, upcoming campus events and the faculty and staff who truly make the Academy a special place for children at all grade levels to learn, grow and thrive.

I hope that you will have the opportunity to join us for the many special events planned for this spring. In the words of St. Julie, “Let us pray that unity, the soul of a community, may never be destroyed!”

Warm regards,

Dr. Vittoria Pacifico President

NAMES AND FACES OF NDA

MEET LYNDSEY STROH

Lyndsey Stroh is the Learning Specialist for the Academy of Notre Dame PreK-8th grade. Mrs. Stroh provides academic support for students to reach their full potential in the classroom by giving personalized and individualized attention with regards to their student support plan. Collaboration between students, teachers, administration and/or school counselors help support a transdisciplinary approach that is fluid between home and school.

This year, NDA has implemented the SMARTS curriculum, which introduces metacognition and executive functioning skills. Students have time to explore their educational strengths and needs, apply the skills they have learned in the classroom, then generalize the successful strategies to become a lifelong learner.

Whether Mrs. Stroh is joining a classroom to provide extra support, leading a small group that focuses on explicit instruction or working one on one on time management or a prioritization hierarchy list, she is constantly re-evaluating and shifting student expectations. Our students are lucky to have Mrs. Stroh by their side encouraging them to reach their full potential!

MAKE YOUR ANNUAL GIFT

The Fund for Notre Dame, NDA’s annual fund, is the cornerstone of our ability to uphold the tradition of academic excellence and spiritual growth that defines our beloved school. Unlike endowments or major gifts, which are typically earmarked for specific projects or purposes, the annual fund supports the organization’s day-to-day operations. This includes funding for staff salaries, facility maintenance, program development, and other essential expenses. Generosity from alumni, current families, faculty and staff, and friends is instrumental in driving our success and has an immediate impact on our students. If you only make one gift this year, please consider supporting the Fund for Notre Dame.

Don’t forget to check with your employer to see if they offer matching gifts! Your contribution could have an even greater impact with a corporate match. Matching gifts programs provide corporations with an opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to social responsibility and community engagement. By matching their employees’ charitable contributions, companies can support causes that align with their values and enhance their reputation as socially conscious organizations. Matching gifts can significantly increase fundraising revenue for nonprofit organizations. Double your impact and check out your company’s matching gift program today!

31st Annual Golf Tournament

VESPER COUNTRY CLUB • TYNGSBORO, MA • MAY 6, 2024

Join us on Monday, May 6, 2024 for the 31st Annual NDA Golf Tournament at Vesper Country Club in support of the Eric P. Hanson Memorial Scholarship. This long-standing event is the Academy’s largest fundraiser and enables NDA to offer financial support to students who may otherwise not be able to attend our exceptional school.

Foursomes sell out quickly, reserve your spot today. Not a golfer? Many levels of sponsorship opportunities are available and all are welcome to attend our post-play cocktail hour following the tournament in the Golf House. For more information and to register visit ndatyngsboro.org/golf/

MANGIA, MANGIA

NDA was excited to host our second annual Pasta Supper during Catholic Schools Week. This community tradition was revived last spring with huge success and this year did not disappoint. More than 200 guests enjoyed a delicious meal and a fun game of BINGO hosted by our principal, Dr. Flynn. We are especially grateful to our amazing faculty, staff, parent and student volunteers for shopping, cooking, decorating, serving and cleaning! We love our NDA family.

Alumni Celebration

WELCOME HOME ALUMNI!

Join classmates and friends for an Alumni celebration. Enjoy an evening of mingling, hearty appetizers, and drinks, as you remember your time at the Academy. All alumni are invited to come together following Homecoming on Saturday, September 28 for a 4 PM Mass in Our Lady’s Chapel and a 5 PM cocktail reception in the Parlors.

Are you an NDA alumna/us with a class year ending in a 4 or 9? It’s your Reunion! Celebrate this milestone with us and your classmates at the Alumni Reception. We can’t wait to see you! Are you willing to become a class ambassador and rally your classmates? If so, we would love to hear from you! Email Kristen Bowes Stella ’02 at kstella@ndatyngsboro.org.

ST. JULIE LEGACY SOCIETY

The St. Julie Legacy Society was established to honor individuals who have included the Academy in their estate or trust plans. The Society is named after Saint Julie Billiart, the Foundress of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, whose visionary mission and legacy continues to meet the needs of our times. Alumni, family, and friends have an opportunity to leave a lasting legacy that will provide for the Academy’s future and for generations of students to come.

If you have included the Academy of Notre Dame in your estate plans or would like more information about joining the St. Julie Legacy Society, please contact the Office of Institutional Advancement at jklein@ndatyngsboro.org or (978) 649-7611, Ext. 332.

YOUNG ALUMNI PANEL AND CAREER DAY

We are grateful to our volunteers who participated in the Young Alumni Panel and Upper School Career Day. We are incredibly fortunate to have dedicated alumni and parent volunteers who are willing to share valuable knowledge, experiences, and insights that students can carry with them on their academic and personal journeys. The impact of a mentor goes far beyond the classroom, shaping the lives of students in ways that will last a lifetime. If you would like to become a student mentor please email Kristen Bowes Stella ’02 at kstella@ndatyngsboro.org.

NDA FOR GOOD

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hank you to everyone who supported the Academy on our 5th Day of Giving, NDA FOR GOOD! More than 300 people made a donation, raising more than $30,000 for the Fund for Notre Dame. Our students came out on top of the participation challenge with 185 donors! We hear an ice cream truck is in their future…We are so grateful!

Payal Agrawal Divakaran, a 2004 graduate, is a Partner at .406 Ventures, where she co-leads the healthcare investing practice. .406 Ventures is a Boston-based venture capital firm with $1.4B under management. Since its founding in 2005, .406 Ventures has never wavered from its strategy of investing in early-stage enterprise-focused startups in healthcare, data + AI, and cybersecurity. Every member of the firm has deep operating or investing experience in these segments.

.406’s world-class founders and digital health companies are transforming healthcare technology and care delivery. Payal leads .406’s investments in AristaMD, Diana Health, Equip, FamilyWell, Heartbeat Health, Nema Health, Nomad Health, and Wellist. She also supports Better Life Partners, Laudio, Redox, Wayspring, and WelbeHealth.

Before joining .406 over seven years ago, Payal co-founded a company called SpotRocket while at Harvard Business School (HBS). Prior to that, she worked at Eventbrite, Spectrum Equity, and J.P. Morgan. Payal received her MBA, with Distinction, from HBS and her BS in Electrical Engineering and minor in Management from MIT. She is a Boston native and Boston sports fan. She and her husband, who is a physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and two kids (ages 6 and 4) live in Brookline.

Do you know a Legendary Lancer? Help us identify Legendary Lancers who are upholding the NDA values of service, justice, peace, dignity, community-building, and diversity in their lives. Nominate a Lancer (or honorary Lancer) who deserves to be recognized for their hard work, dedication, or kind heart! #LegendaryLancers

The Office of Institutional Advancement has been adding content to our Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn social media accounts. If you want to stay up-to-date on all the cool stuff happening at NDA in real time, then give us a like, follow, and share. You can also connect with fellow alumni, parents and friends on LinkedIn. If you are searching for a job or networking opportunities and want to tap into your NDA network, then please add NDA as your alma mater to make you searchable to fellow alumni!

SAVE THE DATES

31ST ANNUAL GOLF TOURNAMENT

Monday, May 6, 2024

MASS & TEA

Sunday, May 19, 2024

GRADUATION

Saturday, June 1, 2024

RACHEL ANNE MORRISON GOLF TOURNAMENT

Monday, July 1, 2024

HOMECOMING

Saturday, September 28, 2024

ALUMNI CELEBRATION

Saturday, September 28, 2024

RACHEL’S RUN

Saturday, November 23, 2024

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINTER SPORTS COMMONWEALTH ATHLETIC CONFERENCE ALL-STARS

CAC BOYS BASKETBALL ALL-STAR TEAM

Rigo Challinger ’27

Isaiah Ferguson ’28

CAC GIRLS BASKETBALL ALL-STAR TEAM

Chloe McComas ’24

Jacqui Martineau ’25

CAC DIV. 2 INDOOR TRACK MVP

Lily Beland ’28

CAC GIRLS INDOOR TRACK ALL-STARS

Ruth Ann Ambrose ’26

Abby Greenwald ’27

SEND US YOUR ALUMNI UPDATES AND PHOTOS!

Send the Alumni Office your news and pictures from your gatherings at alumni@ndatyngsboro.org.

Classmates from the class of 1968, including Sister Joanne Sullivan, SNDdeN, got together for a mini reunion.

ALICE KENNEDY NURSING SCHOLARSHIP

Applications are now being accepted for the Alice Kennedy Nursing Scholarship funded by the John J. and Edith L. Sacco Charitable Foundation from now through April 30. This scholarship will be awarded to an alumna pursuing a four-year degree in Nursing at an accredited college or university. Applicants who have completed two or more years of study and maintained a minimum 2.5 GPA in their major are eligible to apply.

If you wish to be considered for this award, please submit your resume, current college transcript, and no more than 300 word essay. In your essay, include why you believe you are an appropriate candidate for the scholarship. Please describe your educational and/or career goal(s). Include activities you have been involved in, contributions you have made to your community such as volunteer/service projects, work, etc.

All applications will be reviewed by the Scholarship Committee. If you have any questions please contact Lauren Marquis at lmarquis@ndatyngsboro.org. Apply here.

THE MUSE

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he 2023 Winter issue of The Muse (our literary magazine) has been published! With artistic contributions from many students and countless hours put into its production, it serves as a representation of how talented NDA students are. Access the digital version right here!