Upper School
School Profile 2023-2024
180 Middlesex Road
Tyngsboro, MA 01879
978.649.7611
ndatyngsboro.org
CEEB Code: 222150
Dr. Vittoria Pacifico President
Ext. 312 • vpacifico@ndatyngsboro.org
Dr. James Flynn Principal
Ext. 317 • jaflynn@ndatyngsboro.org
Pamela Bernazani, MS
Dean of Students
Ext. 338 • pbernazani@ndatyngsboro.org
Matt Kelly
School Counselor
Ext. 311 • mkelly@ndatyngsboro.org
Stacy Marsden, LICSW
College and Career Counselor
Ext. 333 • smarsden@ndatyngsboro.org
MISSION STATEMENT
The Academy of Notre Dame, Tyngsboro, a Catholic private school, sponsored by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, is based on the educational philosophy of their foundress, St. Julie Billiart. The Academy offers rigorous educational programming from Pre-K through a college-preparatory Upper School. We educate the whole student both academically and spiritually. Our mission focuses on educating the whole person for life through a curriculum rooted in spiritual formation and academic excellence. We nurture a belief in the goodness of God and the dignity of each person. We are committed to community-building, diversity, global justice and service to those in need.
THE ACADEMIC PROGRAM
The academy offers three levels of courses: College Preparatory (CP), Honors (H) and Advanced Placement (AP). Admission to Honors and Advanced Placement courses are by grades and faculty recommendations with the exception of freshman year where admission to Honors level courses is by placement exams, teacher recommendation and evaluation of past grades.
All levels of instruction offer a rigorous college preparatory education that provides empowering opportunities and real-life applications. It is a vibrant and friendly community where students are valued as an individual and encouraged to speak up and take charge. Small classroom settings and low teacherto-student ratios help students find their voice and become leaders both in the community and beyond. Classes at the Academy meet on a modified block schedule. Students take six or seven classes each day for 45 or 90 minutes.
Successful completion of 25 credits is required for graduation. They must include:
English (4) Math (4) Science (3) Fine Arts (1) World Language (2) Theology (4) Social Studies (3) Student Seminar (.75) PE (.5) Qualifying students may also opt to take college level courses at local colleges via the Dual Enrollment program. We are a member of the Notre Dame Virtual School for online elective opportunities. Virtual High School (VHS) classes are offered to students for elective and AP courses not included in the core curriculum.
THEOLOGY COURSES
Students are required to take two semester courses in theology each year. The curriculum for the theology classes is as demanding as other courses offered. Therefore, we encourage all colleges to include the student’s theology grades when factoring a grade point average.
HONORS LEVEL COURSES (H)
Admission is by recommendation and is very selective. Honors courses are offered in most subjects except for Theology. Freshman students may test for Honors level English, History, Science, Math and World Language. Placement is determined by teacher recommendation, testing and grades. A full listing of course offerings can be found within the Program of Studies Guide or on the school website.
THE SCHOOL
Since 1854 the Academy of Notre Dame has been a highly respected secondary educational institution in the Merrimack Valley. Students come from more than 41 communities throughout Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire, as well as throughout the US and other countries. The student body represents a diverse blend of cultures, economic backgrounds and faiths. There are 42 students in the class of 2024.
ENROLLMENT
The total enrollment in 2023 was 106 students in grades 9-12. In the fall of 2023 enrollment has increased to 217 students in grades 9 - 12.
ACCREDITATIONS
The Academy of Notre Dame is a member school of the National Catholic Education Association (NCEA) and the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). The school has achieved full accreditation by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). We are members of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) and Massachusetts School Counselors Association (MSCA).
ADVANCED PLACEMENT COURSES (AP)
Admission to AP courses is by recommendation and highly competitive. Selected sophomores may opt for one AP - European History. Juniors are limited to three AP courses in their course schedule. Seniors are not limited in the number of AP courses they may take; however, all students are strongly encouraged to thoughtfully consider their school-life balance so as to not overload their schedule. Eighty-seven percent of the class of 2023 took one or more AP exams. Students enrolled in AP courses are required to take the exam.
AP COURSES OFFERED:
Biology
Calculus AB/BC
Chemistry
European History
French Language & Culture
English Language
English Literature
Psychology
Spanish Language & Culture
US Government & Politics
US History
Additional AP courses are available through our partnership with VHS Learning..
THE GRADING SYSTEM
The average is a weighted average. A premium of .5 is added for those in Honors courses and 1.0 for AP courses. The equivalency grades are:
A 4.00
B 3.00
C 2.00
D 1.00
GPA Average for the class of 2023:
Highest GPA: 4.35
100% of the class applied to college and are pursuing a post-secondary education.
STUDENT RANKINGS
In light of the Academy of Notre Dame’s selective admission policy and rigorous curriculum, the school does not rank its students other than for the valedictorian and salutatorian at graduation.
STANDARDIZED TESTS
Due to the increase in test optional college requirements, NDA is not reporting standardized test scores due to small sample sizes.
ACTIVITIES AND ATHLETICS
The Academy offers students a wide variety of clubs, activities and athletics on campus that appeal to a variety of interests--leadership, academic, artistic, musical, community service, cultural, charitable, political, and more. Over 90% of students participate in one or more activities. Over half of our Upper School students participate in one or more sports, with fourteen JV/Varsity sports to choose from along with the NDA Dance team. We offer the opportunity for induction into 4 honor societies (National Honor, Spanish Honor, French Honor and National Art Honor). The Academy offers an immersive educational exchange with a school in Italy in March, a European travel experience for college credit in February and a domestic mission trip in the spring.
COMMUNITY SERVICE
The Academy does not have a formal community service requirement for graduation. The nature of Hallmarks of the Sisters of Notre Dame encourages all students and faculty to give back to the school and local communities. We offer community service opportunities for students which fill up quickly.
GLOBAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
Academy students can participate in several off-campus study programs both in the United States and in other countries. Qualifying students may take classes at local universities through partnerships with the Academy as well as through the Dual Enrolment program. We offer a short term exchange program with a high school in Italy for students looking for an immersive educational program. Our February break international trips offer the opportunity for students to earn college credits upon completion of a college course focusing on specific educational aspects of the experience.
COLLEGES OFFERING ADMISSION TO THE CLASSES OF 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020
Academy of Art University
Alaska Pacific University
Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
American University
Anna Maria College
Arizona State University-Tempe
Assumption University
Auburn University
Averett University
Babson College
Bard College
Barry University
Bay Path University
Baylor University
Becker College
Bellarmine University
Bentley University
Berry College
Binghamton University
Bishop’s UniversitY
Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
Boston College
Boston University
Brandeis University
Bridgewater State University
Brock University
Bryant University
Bryn Mawr College
Buckinghamshire New University
California College of the Arts
California Polytechnic State University
California State University-Long Beach
Campbell University
Carnegie Mellon University
Case Western Reserve University
Catholic University of America
Chaminade University of Honolulu
Champlain College
Chestnut Hill College
Clark University
Clarkson University
Coastal Carolina University
Colby-Sawyer College
College of Mount Saint Vincent
College of the Holy Cross
Colorado Mesa University
Colorado State University
Columbia University
Concordia University
Connecticut College
Cornell University
Creighton University
Curry College
Dalhousie University
DePaul University
Dickinson
Drexel University
Duquesne University
Eckerd College
Elmira College
Elon University
Emerson College
Emmanuel College
Emory University
Endicott College
Fairfield University
Fitchburg State University
Florida International University
Florida Southern University
Fordham University
Framingham State University
Franklin Pierce University
George Mason University
George Washington University
Georgia State University
Gordon College
Goucher College
Grinnell College
Hamilton College
Hampshire College
Hampton University
Hawaii Pacific University
High Point University
Hobart Williams Smith Colleges
Hofstra University
Howard University
Husson University
Indiana University
Iona College
Iowa State University
James Madison University
John Carroll University
Johns Hopkins University
Johnson & Wales University
Keene State College
King’s College
La Salle University
Lasell University
Le Moyne College
Lesley University
LIM College
Loyola Marymount University
Loyola University Maryland
Lynn University
Macalester College
Manhattan College
Manhattanville College
Marist College
Marshall University
Mary Baldwin University
Marymount Manhattan College
Massachusetts College of Art and Design
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Merrimack College
Michigan State University
Montana State University
Montserrat College of Art
Muhlenberg College
New England College
New England School of Art and Design
Incorporated
New Hampshire Institute of Art
New Jersey City University
New York Institute of Technology
New York University
Northeastern University
Northern Arizona University
Norwich University
Ohio State University
Oregon State University
Pace University, New York City Campus
Pacific Lutheran University
Parsons School of Design
Pennsylvania State University
Pepperdine University
Plymouth State University
Providence College
Purdue University
Quinnipiac University
Regis College
Regis University
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rivier University
Rochester Institute of Technology
Roger Williams University
Rollins College
Rutgers University
Sacred Heart University
Saint Anselm College
Saint Joseph’s College of Maine
Saint Joseph’s University
Saint Louis University-Madrid Campus
Saint Michael’s College
Salem State University
Salve Regina University
San Diego State University
San Jose State University
Santa Clara University
Savannah College of Art and Design
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Seattle University
Seton Hall University
Siena College
Simmons University
Southern New Hampshire University
Springfield College
St. Francis Xavier University
St. John’s University-New York
State University of New York at New Paltz
Stonehill College
Stony Brook University
Suffolk University
Susquehanna University
Syracuse University
Temple University
The College of New Rochelle
The College of Saint Rose
The Sage Colleges
The University of Alabama
The University of Arizona
The University of Tampa
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Trinity College
Trinity College Dublin
Tufts University
Union College
United States Naval Academy
University of Arkansas
University of Bridgeport
University of California-Davis
University of California-Irvine
University of California-Los Angeles
University of California-Riverside
University of California-San Diego
University of California-Santa Barbara
University of California-Santa Cruz
University of Central Florida
University of Chicago
University of Chichester
University of Colorado Boulder
University of Connecticut
University of Denver
University of Florida
University of Georgia
University of Hartford
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Iowa
University of Kansas
University of Maine
University of Mary Washington
University of Maryland-College Park
University of Massachusetts-Amherst
University of Massachusetts-Boston
University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth
University of Massachusetts-Lowell
University of Miami
University of Minnesota
University of New Brunswick
University of New England
University of New Hampshire
University of New Haven
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
University of Northern Colorado
University of Notre Dame
University of Oregon
University of Pittsburgh
University of Rhode Island
University of Rochester
University of Saint Joseph
University of San Diego
University of San Francisco
University of Scranton
University of South Carolina
University of Southern Maine
University of Vermont
University of Virginia
University of Washington
University of Wisconsin
University of Wyoming
Vassar College
Villanova University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Wentworth Institute of Technology
West Virginia University
West Virginia Wesleyan College
Western New England University
Westfield State University
Wheaton College
Whitman College
Whitworth University
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester State University
Xavier University
York College of Pennsylvania