NDB Brand Book 2026-27

Brand Identity and Visual Standards 2026-2027

Table of Contents

1. Letter from Head of School..................................................................Page 3 2. Mission and Hallmarks.............................................................................Pages 4-5 3. Logos...................................................................................................................Pages 6-7 4. Tagline................................................................................................................Page 8 5. E-Signatures...................................................................................................Page 9 6. Color Palette...................................................................................................Pages 9-10 7. Fonts....................................................................................................................Page 11 8. Athletic Uniforms.........................................................................................Page 12-13 9. Student Leadership Board Colors...................................................Page 14 10. Web and Social Media Guidelines...................................................Page 15 11. Writing for Social Media..........................................................................Page 16 12. Photography Style......................................................................................Page 17 13. Unacceptable Images..............................................................................Page 18 14. Writing Style Essentials...........................................................................Page 19 a. Writing Goals.........................................................................................Page 19 b. Voice and Tone...................................................................................Pages 19-20 c. Writing About People......................................................................Page 21 d. AP Style Guide.....................................................................................Pages 22-26 15. Contact Information....................................................................................Page 27

Dear NDB Community, Notre Dame Belmont’s (NDB’s) brand visual standards empower us to represent NDB with a unified, visual voice.

The ongoing success of the NDB brand depends on the consistent and frequent use of key identity elements. These elements produce an inspiring and lasting impression on our current and prospective families, alumnae and friends of NDB. A consistent visual identity results in instant recognition and an enhanced image of integrity.

Strong brand visual standards empower NDB to stand out from other schools as the premier, allgirls Catholic school on the Peninsula. Standing out among our competitors to families who are selecting high schools is essential to our long-term success. Our visual and written identity must reinforce the unique identity and values of NDB. Following these standards protects our most valuable brand asset — Notre Dame High School Belmont.

This coordinated visual style that communicates the hallmarks of an NDB education, our core values and strengths will elevate NDB's distinctive reputation long into the future.

Sincerely,

Meredith Essalat, '98, M.Ed. Head of School Notre Dame Belmot

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Mission Notre Dame Belmont (NDB) is committed to developing responsible young women of active faith, strong intellect and Christian leadership in a nurturing and compassionate community, dedicated to promoting justice and peace in the world. Guided by the Hallmarks of a Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur education, the faculty and staff work to develop the unique gifts and talents of the students so they may achieve their full potential and serve the world.

Hallmarks of an NDB Education

Proclaim God's Goodness

Dignify All

Create Community

The Hallmarks of an NDB Education

Empower Young Women to Act for Peace and Justice

Commit To Service

Embrace Diversity

Learn for Life

The Notre Dame de Namur Learning Community Hallmarks describe the essential characteristics, values, and activities of a Notre Dame learning community. The Notre Dame Hallmarks emerged in response to the question from both the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur and their co-workers: “What makes our school a Notre Dame school?” The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, in collaboration with the learning communities, began a process to explore this question. The process resulted in these “living statements” that have continued to develop and evolve in current times:

Hallmark One: Proclaim God's Goodness We believe that God is good, and we stand firm in our commitment to honor that goodness in ourselves, in others, and in our world. We carry on the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur history and the spirit of St. Julie Billiart. We seek to live this heritage by allowing it to influence our actions in today's world. We make decisions and policies that reflect the mission and values of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur .

Hallmark Two: Dignify All We honor the dignity and sacredness of each person. We develop and appreciate relationships that respect individual differences, and we create environments that encourage the development of the whole person.

We dedicate time, space and personnel in support of the individual's spiritual/personal journey.

Hallmark Three: Act for Peace and Justice We educate on behalf of justice, peace and care for all creation as a spiritual practice of reflection-actionreflection. We infuse classroom experience with global perspectives. We foster responsible global citizenship and we commit ourselves to the practice of dialogue, nonviolence, and conflict resolution.

Hallmark Four: Commit to Service We integrate service learning into academic and co-curricular activities. We ground our service in the spiritual practice of reflection-action-reflection, and we incorporate this process into our service-learning commitments.

Hallmark Five: Embrace Diversity We welcome people of diverse cultures, ethnicity, race, socioeconomic circumstances, gender, age, sexual orientation and faith traditions. We develop educational programs that expand our knowledge and understanding of diversity. We initiate strategies and support services that respect individual learning styles.

Hallmark Six: Create Community We remember and honor the legacy of friendship between the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur cofoundresses, Julie Billiart and Françoise Blin de Bourdon, and we foster a spirit of friendship as foundational to our learning community relationships. We value and implement community-building activities. We design and foster collaborative processes wherever possible. We create an atmosphere of open and direct communication.

Hallmark Seven: Learn for Life We design and implement academically excellent educational experiences that educate for life. We create curricular/co-curricular interactions that facilitate student-centered learning. We actively support the intellectual, emotional, spiritual, psychological and social growth of the members of our learning community.

We provide appropriate training for leadership development. We foster educational activities that develop self-directed learners capable of self evaluation, critical thinking, and creative responses to life situations.

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Logos NDB Coat of Arms The NDB coat of arms is that of of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. It represents our founder, Saint Julie Billiart’s belief in the goodness of God, faith, hope, love, purity and innocence. The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur foster a respect for the goodness and dignity of each person and a care for justice for all. The NDB Coat of Arms is always displayed in the round circle logotype, surrounded by the words "Notre Dame Belmont."

Primary Logo The primary logo consists of the seal and the logotype. These components should never be redrawn, altered or distorted.

Primary Logo Color Pallette The primary logo color use is restricted to the primary and secondary color palette of NDB (in addition to black and white). The following examples show the ONLY authorized logo colors for the logo in print, digital, clothing and promotional applications.

Clear Space Surrounding Logos

Clean Background Behind Logos

No other graphic or typographic element may encroach within the width .5 inches of the logo as defined by the dotted lines. This is indicated by the dashed lines on all four sides.

The logo must always be legible. Do not place the logo on a busy pattern or photograph. The logo should be placed on a clean background.

0.5"

0.5"

0.5"

0.5"

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Ministry Logo The historic crest with leaves logo is used for internal religious events including masses and baccalaureate.

Athletics Logos Athletics logos consist of (1) the Tiger and (2) the Tiger with "Notre Dame."

Athletic Tiger with "Notre Dame" The Tiger with "Notre Dame" is available for athletics use only. It can be utilized in the colors pictured below, as well as any NDB primary or secondary color. The font for this logo is currently Crillee Italic Regular, but should be transitioned to Josefin Sans Italics over time.

NOTRE DAME

Athletic Tiger

Battle Bots Logo

The Tiger is the beloved school mascot of NDB. It should primarily be used in the NDB blue and yellow for athletics. It can also be utilized in the colors pictured below, as well as any NDB primary or secondary color.

There is one battle bots logo as pictured below. This logo can be utilized in the colors displayed below, as well as any NDB primary or secondary color.

Aquacades Logo A new logo will be created each year by the NDB Communications Department within our NDB brand guidelines.

Fund a Future Logo The following logo was developed for the Fund a Future NDB Scholarship Benefit. This logo can be utilized in any NDB font and primary or secondary color scheme. We are not limited to this logo for the Fund a Future event. A new logo/graphic can be created each year within our NDB brand guidelines.

Fund a Future NDB Scholarship Benefit

Tagline

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The tagline can be utilized independently or in combination with the logo. When used in combination, it must appear as it appears below with the school name and tagline in Josefin Sans Regular font, and the school name must be on top of the tagline. When used in combination, the NDB primary and secondary NDB color palette can be utilized.

Notre Dame Belmont

Notre Dame Belmont

Empowering Young Women Since 1851

Empowering young women for 100+ years

Email Signatures All NDB faculty and staff members are to replicate the following email signature format and style with the logo and tagline png image placed below the text. The logo and tagline graphic must be NDB navy and yellow.

Font: Sans Serif Type size: Normal Your Name Pronouns (formatted as: she/her/hers) - pronouns are optional and recommended Title Department NOTE: Include this email disclaimer at the Notre Dame High School 1540 Ralston Ave, Belmont, CA 94002 bottom of your e-signature: ndhsb.org Email Disclaimer: This e-mail message, including any Your phone (formatted as: 123.456.7890 x123)

Example Cat Adamis she/her/hers Director of Marketing and Communications Notre Dame High School 1540 Ralston Ave, Belmont, CA 94002 ndhsb.org 650.595.1913 x225

attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and contains confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure, or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient(s), please contact the sender and destroy all copies of the original message.

Notre Dame Belmont High School Voted the Best Private High School in the SF Bay Area for three consecutive years Email Disclaimer: This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and contains confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure, or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient(s), please contact the sender and destroy all copies of the original message.

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Color Palette Brand Color Color use is as significant and important as the images, symbols and marks that define our visual identity. The NDB color palette contains integrated color solutions and definitions adaptable for a range of marketing, merchandising, web and related communications. To maintain a uniform brand identity and fulfill the school’s broader communications needs, we must all take great care when selecting appropriate colors for both print and online uses. From a specification standpoint, this system also provides accurate color guidance for suppliers and vendors who produce our commercial merchandise, clothing and print materials. These colors are approved for their proven versatility and consistent quality across multiple mediums.

Use of Color Primary and secondary colors can be used freely and within combination with one another. Primary colors do not have to be included on every design. Some designs may include a combination of primary and secondary colors, while others may include primary or secondary colors. Body copy should always be legible and preferably either dark gray or black. The colors specified here are the only colors to be used in any outwardfacing document or design in order to keep the strength of the NDB brand.

Color Specifications

Color Transparency

Each color has a precise mix for print and on-screen use. Please follow the specific color breakdowns for all media.

The secondary color palette is further expanded with the use of transparencies. By using transparency instead of solid colors, it humanizes the brand by evoking connection and conveying dimension. Creating transparencies are achieved in two ways, either with the opacity percentage or by using the multiply feature. The percentage of the opacity can vary, the goal is to keep the hue of the color present.

Primary Colors #00539f PMS: 653 CMYK: 100.79.16.3 RGB: 0.75.142

#ffc82f PMS: 123 CMYK: 0.24.94.0 RGB: 255.196.37

#8d9092 PMS: Cool Gray 7 CMYK: 0.0.0.53 RGB: 153.153.153

#58595b PMS: Coll Gray 11 CMYK: 0.0.0.80 RGB: 90.90.90

#844cb0 PMS: 2587 CMYK: 59.66.0.0 RGB: 122.104.174

#ef7c02 PMS:716 CMYK: 0.45.91.0 RGB: 249.157.49

#0097a9 PMS 320 CMYK: 100.0.31.7 RGB: 0.160.175

Secondary Colors #de1d84 PMS: 219 CMYK: 1.88.0.0 RGB: 235.68.152 #762c49 PMS 7642 CMYK: 43.90.50.31 RGB: 118.44.73

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Athletics Primary Colors #0A406B CMYK: 100.79.33.20 RGB: 10.64.107

#ffc82f PMS: 123 CMYK: 0.24.94.0 RGB: 255.196.37

Tiger Bots Primary Colors #0F6BAD CMYK: 90.57.5.0 RGB: 15.107.173

#ffc82f CMYK: 0.24.94.0 RGB: 255.196.37

#6087A8 CMYK: 67.40.21.1 RGB: 96.135.168

#B7CECA CMYK: 29/10.19.0 RGB: 183.206.202

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Fonts Typography used consistently reinforces NDB brand's recognition and visual style. The following fonts are approved for exclusive school identity use to provide a consistent and recognizable style in all communication formats, both print and digital.

Primary Typeface: Josefin Sans Regular Josefin San Regular is our primary typeface for print and web use. This is used for all titles, headings and subheadings.

Abc Secondary Typeface: TT Commons Pro TT Commons is our secondary typeface used for body copy, and captions. All weights of this font may be used.

When TT Commons is unavailable, DM Sans may be used as an alternative. If DM Sans is not available, Ariel can be used as an alternative (only in the event that TT Commons and DM Sans in not available). Sans Serif can be used for gmail and e-signatures.

Abc

Special Typeface: Playlist Script Playlist Script is a cursive-style font to be used more sparingly and for special occasions such as event invitations, or for headings or special callout text on print and web materials. This font should only be used when displayed large enough to be legible.

Abcdef

Athletic Uniform Guidelines NDB Color Palette: All primary and accent colors must be as close to the NDB color palette as possible (see above).

HOME GAME UNIFORM GUIDELINES Color Options: Each color must be used with the accent colors associated with it and with no more than two accent colors at a time. Each color (primary and accent) must be as close to the NDB color palette as possible (see below).

Dark Blue Accent Colors: Yellow, White Navy Accent Colors: Yellow, White White Accent Colors: Dark Blue, Navy Blue, Yellow, Teal or Pink Dark Grey Accent Colors: Yellow, White Light Grey Accent Colors: Dark Blue, Navy Blue Teel Accent Colors: Yellow, White Pink Accent Colors: White Numbers Numbers must be outlined (exceptions must be approved) - use the combo of accent colors listed above Font must be Michigan State or something similar (see photo to the right) Stripes Sleeves Must be Old School, Horizontal or Slant style Length of Shirt No stripes on the length of the shirt.

Graphic Style Background print such as Tiger stripes may be used if it looks aesthetically pleasing Name(s) Front: NDB Back: Tigers Fonts Font must be as similar to Josefin Sans as possible.

For example, on this website, the font ALL LEAGUE REGULAR is the closest.

AWAY GAME UNIFORM GUIDELINES Color Options: Each color must be used with the accent colors associated with it and with no more than two accent colors at a time. Each color (primary and accent) must be as close to the NDB color palette as possible (see below).

White Accent Colors: Dark Blue, Yellow, Teal or Pink Numbers Numbers must be outlined (exceptions must be approved) - use the combo of accent colors listed above.

Font must be Michigan State or something similar Stripes Sleeves Must be Old School, Horizontal or Slant style Length of Shirt No stripes on the length of the shirt.

Graphic Style Background print such as Tiger stripes may be used if it looks aesthetically pleasing Name(s) Front: Notre Dame Back: Tigers Fonts Font must be as similar to Josefin Sans as possible (see Fonts above).

Always Avoid: Adding embellishments to logos, overlapping logos, designing new logos, or using colors outside the established palette.

Creation and Approval Process: All athletic jersey/uniform designs must be designed by the Director of Athletics in collaboration with the Director of Marketing and Communications and approved by the Head of School.

Student Leadership Boards, Athletic Teams and Affinity Group Colors & Logos COLORS All colors must be approved by the Head of School.

Ambassador Board: Turquoise Background with White Associate Student Body: White Background with Pink Black Student Union: Black Background with Red, Green and Yellow CA Scholarship Federation: Kelly Green Background with White Coalition for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging: Brown Background with White, Tree Graphic Hallmarks in Action: Light Blue Background with White Link Crew: Pink Background with White Marketing and Communications Internship: Lavender Background with White/Purple Mock Trial: Red Background with White National Honors Society: White Background with Kelly Green TigerBots Robotics Team: Blue and Yellow Tiger Yearbook: Mint Background with White/Black Available Colors Include: Coral/salmon Peach Cream Tan Grey

LOGOS

All student group logos should be a circular shape with the NDB crest in the middle (or another symbol approved by the Head of School), with the text above reading “Notre Dame” and the text below reading the name of the group/board as space permits. Tigers can be modified with permission and approval from the Head of School.

LOGO EXAMPLES

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Web and Social Media Guidelines With a wide range of social media venues available today, student and staff posts and documents have the potential to reach audiences far beyond the NDB campus. This translates into a greater level of responsibility and accountability for everyone concerned.

NDB's online presence is a reflection of what we offer as a college preparatory high school, and each post should be carefully crafted, free from grammatical errors and representative of the life of the school. Keep in mind that posts can be viewed by anyone, including prospective parents and students, current parents and students, alumnae and the public. Special attention should be paid to making sure that posts are not limited to a specific part of the NDB community (e.g. athletics), but that they reflect the diversity of activities available to NDB students, parents/guardians and alumnae.

NDB currently has official accounts with Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn and YouTube. All official NDB social media accounts should be updated on a regular basis with professional content.

The following accounts are the official social media and web accounts of NDB. No additional accounts should be created by students, parents, faculty, or staff without the approval of the communications and marketing manager and head of school. If students or clubs create accounts, they must be private accounts and include a statement that says "This is not an official account of NDB." Contact the communications and marketing manager for guidance and assistance.

NDB Website

Instagram Continued

Facebook

ndhsb.org

Athletics: @NDBAthletics

https://www.facebook.com/ndbtigers

Twitter Athletics: @NDBAthletics Student Newspaper : @thendbcatalyst

Tik Tok School Account: @ndbtigers ASB: @notredamebelmontasb

Spirit Team: @ndb_spirit

@NDBtigers

@NotreDameBelmontAlumnae https://www.facebook.com/NDBTigersAlumnae

Linkedin Student Newspaper: @thendbcatalyst Associated Student Body: @NDB.ASB TigerBots Robotics Team: @ndbtigerbots

Notre Dame Belmont https://www.linkedin.com/school/ndbtigers/

YouTube @NDBTigers https://www.youtube.com/c/NDBTigers

@NDBTigerTV https://www.youtube.com/@NDBTigerTV

Instagram School Account: @NDBTigers

*Athletic Teams may make an Instagram account with the permission of the Director of Athletics and must provide the account information and login to the Director of Athletics.

Writing for Social Media

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Our writing for social media should generally follow the style points outlined in the Voice and Tone and Grammar sections below. Here are some additional pointers: Write short, but smart. Some social media platforms have a character limit; others don’t. But for the most part, we keep our social media copy short. Aim for 1-2 sentences.

Simplify your ideas or reduce the amount of information you’re sharing—but not by altering the spelling or punctuation of the words themselves. It’s fine to use the shorter version of some words, such as “info” for “information.” But do not use numbers and letters in place of words, such as “4” instead of “for” or “u” instead of “you.”

Engagement Do your best to adhere to NDB style guidelines when you’re using our social media channels to correspond with users. Use correct grammar and punctuation—and avoid excessive exclamation points or Imojis.

When appropriate, you can tag the professional subject of your post on Twitter or Facebook (do not tag students or personal accounts). Never ask for retweets, likes, or favorites.

When writing a post, think about how we want our viewers (mainly current and prospective families) to FEEL: Connected Inspired Energized Connected to our community The warmth of NDB The spirit of NDB Goal of NDB Main School Social Media Accounts To share the latest happenings and upcoming events at NDB. To provide a holistic view into NDB, including academics and classroom activities, athletics, clubs and leadership groups, faith, events, community service, sisterhood and school spirit.

Content Produced by Students If a student(s) drafts social media content, it must be approved by the communications and marketing manager or by an approved leadership member designated by the communications and marketing manager before posting.

Photo Credits When faculty, staff, parents/guardians or students provide the school with any photos, they are granting permission to NDB to utilize the photos on social media and in marketing materials. We do not grant individual photo credits unless we are required to do so by a third party photography contract. Whether we are a faculty/staff member, parent/guardian, or student, our goal is to promote NDB, not individual photographers of NDB.

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Photography Style Photography is a key resource to visually capture and communicate the spirit and community of NDB. Images should always reflect the NDB hallmarks and values of spiritual goodness, dignity, peace, commitment to service, diversity, community, and the energy of lifelong learners. *Images should be kept up to date on all NDB materials and platforms. It is OK to showcase recent graduates who graduates within the last two years.

Candid Style Photos should always depict a candid, crisp, natural, active style and feel, showing students and faculty in action and capturing the bonds of NDB sisters. Candid images capture the excitement and energy of the moment. Avoid posed, inappropriate, or cliché images.

Image Quality Images should be high resolution and they should capture the spirit of the NDB community.

Optimize the photo's composition.

Prioritize and showcase photos of students and faculty, rather than images of objects or spaces.

Images should be in focus and not blurry. DO NOT post or showcase fuzzy or grainy images Strive to limit superfluous details and/or actions, making sure that people and objects such as trees, wires and buildings behind the subjects are not a distraction.

Stock photography of people cannot not be used. All photos of people should be provided by NDB.

Key NDB Images Athletics Action

Spiritual Moments

Events

Community Service

Sisterhood Moments

Classroom & Academics

School Spirit

Leadership

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Photo Credits When faculty, staff, parents/guardians or students provide the school with any photos, they are granting permission to NDB to utilize the photos on social media and in marketing materials. We do not grant individual photo credits unless we are required to do so by a third party photography contract. Whether we are a faculty/staff member, parent/guardian, or student, our goal is to promote NDB, not individual photographers of NDB.

Unacceptable Images DO NOT use a single color on photos.

DO NOT use or share blurry, dark or low-quality images.

DO NOT distort photos to create interest.

DO NOT crop photos inapropriately.

DO NOT overprint or reverse text that is illegible.

DO NOT use filters.

Example Text Example Text

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Writing Style Essentials Writing Goals Inform.

We’re the educators. Providing information is who we are and what we do well.

Inspire.

It’s up to us to inspire. We need to give families and students a reason to share and explore what they’ve been taught.

Guide.

We illuminate the path for others and give guidance along the way. Our language needs to help and not overly self-promote.

Spirit Enthusiastic? Yes. Our words crackle with vitality and electricity. Reading our words makes you want to jump up and join us. We are in the moment and always on. We are doers that make things happen. We are cheering you on and pushing you farther. Come on. We can do this!

Purpose We write with confidence and focus. We’ll ask the big questions and deliver clear answers. Working with students gives us our sense of urgency. We know our families have important things to do so we focus on action. It gives them a sense we are all moving forward. We work to be trusted, to find solutions and get things done.

Responsibility We might sound a touch formal at times. We’re not looking to sound stuffy; rather it’s a consequence of being precise about our meaning. We need to be reassuring and make sure our families have everything they need. Sometimes people need to hear a reassuring, helpful voice.

Voice & Tone What’s the difference between voice and tone?

You have the same voice all the time, you are you—tone however can change from person to person and topic to topic. For instance, if you are out with close friends your tone might be different from meeting with a student’s parent.

The NDB voice doesn’t change much day to day, but our tone changes all the time. You wouldn’t want to use the same tone of voice with a student who is upset as you would with a student who is laughing. All of our communications should use an appropriate tone that matches the weight of what is being said.

Voice

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Use lots of verbs Our school and the students are always doing things. So, get plenty of action, plenty of doing into the writing.

Pay close attention to rhythm The rhythm of our writing should drive the writing along. Our day has an energy and pace that only students can bring.

Don’t hedge Speak with confidence. We will go to Mars. Not we aim to go to Mars. We will fix this. Not we are hoping to have this fixed. We are. We will. We do. We can. We know.

Be concrete We are educators, let’s mention specifics. Give them key facts and the telling details, but don’t drown them in detail.

Avoid being funny In general, we don’t write with humor. You might allow yourself an occasional wry play on words in a headline— especially if it’s on the right day—but not much more.

Work your structure hard At a glance, our writing looks like there are no wasted words. Short paragraphs that start with their main point.

Sub-headings that help you to skim-read.

Give it one more edit All writing needs editing and for us, it’s absolutely essential. Can anything be cut? Is there a way to simplify the structure of this sentence so it’s shorter by a couple of words?

Watch out for: Yelling!

Keep exclamation marks to a minimum or cut them out completely. The energy should come from the pace and words, not the screamers.

Self-important?

The down-side of writing confidently and rationally is you can start to believe in your own importance. Make sure to check yourself and keep the importance on the reader.

Talking malarkey.

We are a school that prides itself on exclusivity. Jargon can be its enemy as it purposely separates. There’s a fine line between talking about important things (‘How we’ll make good education a reality’) and overreaching about ‘strategic educational implementation.’

Writing About People

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Student Body & Community: Don’t capitalize “student body” or “community” unless it’s grammatically necessary.

Alumnae and an Alumna Singular: Alumna Plural: alumnae NDB graduates are never "alumni." An NDB graduate is not an alumnus.

Parents & Guardians When referring to parents, always say "parents and guardians," never just "parents."

Age Don’t reference a person’s age unless it’s relevant to what you’re writing. If it is relevant, include the person’s specific age, offset by commas.

• The CEO, 16, just got her driver’s license.

Don’t refer to people using age-related descriptors like “young,” “old,” or “elderly.”

Disability Avoid disability-related idioms like “lame” or “falling on deaf ears.” Don’t refer to a person’s disability unless it’s relevant to what you’re writing. If you need to mention it, ask whether your subject prefers person-first language (“they have a disability”) or identity-first language (“they are disabled”). When writing about a person with disabilities, don’t use the words “suffer,” “victim,” or “handicapped.” “Handicapped parking” is okay.

Hearing Use “deaf” as an adjective to describe a person with significant hearing loss. You can also use “partially deaf” or “hard of hearing.”

Vision Use the adjective “blind” to describe a person who is unable to see. Use “low vision” to describe a person with limited vision.

Gender and sexuality One thing that makes NDB unique and special is that we are an all-girls institution, and with that comes many benefits for girls. We both capitalize on the benefits of an all-girls education while remaining inclusive of all identities. In supportive text, we limit gendered terms in favor of neutral alternatives, like “server” instead of “waitress” and “businessperson” instead of “businessman.”

When writing about people, use their communicated pronouns. When in doubt, just ask or use their name.

Use the following words as modifiers, but never as nouns: •Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (never “transgendered”), trans, queer, LGBT Don’t use these words in reference to LGBT people or communities: • Homosexual, lifestyle, preference

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AP Style Guide NDB utilizes AP Style to keep grammar and formatting consistent and professional across digital and printed materials. AP Style must be used for any external audience, including communications with current families.

What is AP Style?

Commonly-accepted journalistic standards for usage, spelling, grammar and punctuation.

The gold standard style guide for most U.S. newspapers, magazines, TV broadcast news, public relations firms. universities and private schools.

School Name Why AP Style?

Accurate Clear Neutral (non-offensive) NDB Exceptions to AP Style

When writing the school's name, you must write out "Notre Dame High School Belmont" in paragraph text to specify that NDB is a high school.

You can write "Notre Dame Belmont" or "NDB" in paragraph text after you spell out the full name.

Spell out "Notre Dame Belmont (NDB) on a document before using "NDB" to make it clear what NDB stands for (unless the full name of the school is well known by your audience, such as current families).

We only have three exceptions to AP style at NDB: NDB displays phone numbers with periods instead of dashes (Ex: 650.000.0000 NOT 650-000-0000).

NDB italicizes the names of books, plays and musicals.

Capitalization Capitalize and spell out formal titles such as chairman, president, principal etc. when they precede a name, but use lowercase if the title follows a name or stands by itself.

Head of School Meredith Essalat Meredith Essalat, the head of Notre Dame Belmont, watched the choir performance.

The principal of Notre Dame Belmont was spotted on the sidelines at the football game.

DO NOT capitalize student board or board of trustees or other widely used internal elements of an organization unless used as part of the formal title (see organizations and institutions in AP Style Guide).

DO NOT capitalize a.m. and p.m. Always use figures with them. Do not use spaces in the abbreviations.

9:35 a.m., 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., noon, midnight DO NOT capitalize names of classes, or academic degrees when spelled out: bachelor of arts degree master’s degree junior Capitalizations Unique to NDB freshman class DO NOT capitalize the seasons.

Always capitalize Tiger or Tigers. winter Capitalize Mass when part of a title, such as “Ash Wednesday Mass” Tri-School is always hyphenated; both the T and the S are capitalized. spring Tri-School Productions is an entity and it is not possessive. It is correct to summer say Tri-School Productions students rehearsed in the auditorium (not Trifall School Productions’ students rehearsed in the auditorium).

22 DO NOT capitalize prepositions, conjunctions, or articles in titles of books, etc., except when they begin the title. Bands are capitalized, but not contained in quotes.

The Man Who Came to Dinner For Whom the Bell Tolls The Beatles Captions Use a period if the caption is a full sentence. Do not if it is just identifying a person or group.

Mayor Stan Jacobs approves plans for the new building.

The Tri-School Chorus Commas Use commas to separate elements in a series, but do not put a comma before the conjunction in a simple series.

The girl bought a poster of Paul, John, Ringo and George.

Exception to the rule: use a comma before the concluding conjunction in a series if an integral element of the series requires a conjunction, or if there is a complex series of phrases.

The main points to consider are whether the athletes are skillful enough to compete, whether they have the stamina to endure training, and whether they have the proper mental attitude.

Dates Always use numerals without st, nd, rd or th in dates.

When writing about events, use months and dates.

April 30 and June 5 When referring to a month, day and year, set off year with commas.

August 20, 1964, was her birthday.

This Monday, October 1, 2022, is my birthday.

When providing a date range, display as April 30 to June 5 (write out the word "to") Decades 1970s (not 1970’s) ‘70s (not 70’s) Grades/Classes The freshman class (not freshmen) led the school in raffle sales.

There are 200 freshmen this year.

The junior class is hosting the event.

Mass Mass is always capitalized.

Most Important, more important It is never “most importantly” or “more importantly.” The correct phrases are “most important” and “more important.” They are often, if not always, shortened versions of what’s most important or more important than that.

Numerals

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Use figures for all numbers above nine; spell out all numbers under 10. Note, however, the exceptions below: Use figures for ages, sums of money, time of day, percentages, house numerals, years, days of month, degrees of temperature, proportions, votes, scores, speeds, time of races, dimensions and serial numbers.

Spell out numbers, no matter how large, when they begin sentences; rephrase the sentence if long numbers are awkward. Exception: When starting a sentence with a year, do not write it out: 1999 was a very good year.

Use figures for ordinal numbers above ninth; spell out ordinals under 10th.

Ninth 10th 21st century Use 21 million instead of 21,000,000. Also: $39 million, $22.5 billion. Don’t carry beyond two decimals.

Avoid unnecessary ciphers. Use $1, not $1.00; 1 p.m., not 1:00 p.m.

DO NOT use Roman numerals except when they are part of a title or a name.

World War I World War II King Henry VIII Rocco Colabella III Fractions standing alone are spelled out.

One-fourth of the students Insert commas with four or more figures, except in dates. $5,900 1,576 skateboards 1990 2015 Percentages Use the “%” symbol About 50% of the school parents turned in their forms.

60% was from California.

Punctuation The purpose of punctuation is to clarify meaning.

Put the period inside brackets or parentheses when a complete sentence is enclosed in the brackets or parentheses.

When the parenthetical expression forms only a part of the sentence, put the period outside the bracket or parenthesis.

(The day was too cold for football.)

The day was too cold for football (or skiing).

Always put the period and comma inside quotation marks. Put other punctuation marks inside when they are part of the quoted material.

“I saw the play,” he said.

He said, “I saw the play.”

“Did you see the play?” he asked.

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DO NOT use a comma between a person’s name and graduating class numeral.

Tim Pilgrim ’89 Italicize the names of books, plays and musicals Grease, Into the Woods, Jane Eyre NOTE: This is an exception to the usual AP Style rule.

Use apostrophes to form the plural of single letters but not figures or multiple letters.

Four A’s early 1920s Today’s temperature is in the low 60s Use the hyphen for clarity in compound modifiers.

6-foot shark family-owned business purple-faced tycoon DO NOT use the hyphen with adverbs ending in –ly newly elected badly damaged recently named Use the ampersand ONLY when it is part of an official name.

Johnson & Co. AT&T U.S. News & World Report Spell out degrees when referring to temperature.

49 degrees Use figures and spell out inches, feet, yards, etc.

He is 5 feet 6 inches tall.

The basketball team signed a 7-footer. the 6-foot-5 forward DO NOT use close-quote marks at the end of the first paragraph if a full paragraph of quoted material is followed by a paragraph that continues the quotation. Use open quote marks at the start of the second paragraph.

He said, “I am shocked and horrified by this incident.

“As we move on from this,” he continued, “members of our community will have to find a way to generate revenue for the library.”

When a partial quote is used, DO NOT put quotation marks around words that the speaker could not have used.

Suppose the individual said, “I am horrified by your slovenly manners.”

Wrong: She said she “was horrified by their slovenly manners.”

Right: She said she was horrified by their “slovenly manners.”

Suspensive hyphenation He received a 10- to 20-year prison sentence.

The 5- and 6-year-olds attend morning classes.

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Spellings to Note accommodate (two C’s, two M’s) adviser (AP likes an E in it) afterward not afterwards amid not amidst among not amongst argument (no E after the U) beginning bizarre (one Z, double R) calendar canceled, cancellation commitment conscious dependent (ent) embarrass

harass (only one R) judgment (no E after G) knowledge liaison license livable occasion (double C, one S) perseverance (sev in the middle) privilege (no D) separate (par in the middle) surprise (UR, S not Z) sheriff universities weird (EI not IE)

Said versus says The preferred word is “said” not “says” in news and feature articles.

Sports Apostrophe: Use only in constructions where warranted.

Tigers goalkeeper Jane Doe doesn’t get an apostrophe as a descriptive, but Jane Doe, the Tigers’ goalkeeper gets an apostrophe as a possessive.

Tigers baseball, not Tiger baseball Time Write the time of day like this: 2:30 a.m. or 7:45 p.m.

Use figures except for noon and midnight.

Do not include :00 to times.

7 p.m. (not 7:00 p.m.)

When providing a time range Say "7 to 8:30 p.m." (write out "to" and do not use a dash) Only include the a.m. or p.m. in the ending time, unless it changes to a.m. or p.m.

Correct: 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Incorrect: 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Correct: 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Titles Capitalize formal titles before a name and do not separate title from name by a comma Titles after a name or standing alone are almost never capitalized (exceptions for nobility) Place long titles after the name.

Jane Doe, vice provost for undergraduate education Tri-School and Tri-School Productions Tri-School is always hyphenated; both the T and the S are capitalized.

Tri-School Productions is an entity and it is not possessive. It is correct to say Tri-School Productions students rehearsed in the auditorium (not Tri-School Productions’ students rehearsed in the auditorium).

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Contact Information For questions regarding the NDB Brand Identity and Visual Standards, please contact: Meredith Essalat Head of School messalat@ndhsb.org 650.283.7170 Cat Adamis Director of Marketing and Communications cadamis@ndhsb.org 650.595.1913 x 225

1540 Ralston Ave, Belmont, CA 94002 | 650.595.1913 | ndhsb.org | @ndbtigers