PRINCIPAL’S WELCOME

DEAR SAINTS,

The 2019-20 school year got off to a truly amazing start as we welcomed 902 students back to campus. From day one, the campus was ignited by the energy of our student Dog Pound leaders and House Captains. Their participation at Mass, assemblies and athletic events, and their leadership encouraged younger students to be involved in all aspects of campus life.

With the House System in its second full year, we were poised to focus on our academic inclusion programs this year to meet the varying educational needs of all our students. We continued to build on the Gonzaga Program for those with great promise, but in need of extra instruction time. Our Academic Center for Excellence was expanded to help with testing and accommodations. We laid the groundwork for our accelerated St. Thomas Aquinas Program that will serve students who are ready to accept the challenge of more intensive study.

Our education pathways open doors for students to take electives that are in line with their interests and future career goals.

So, between our House System, Education Pathways and our Academic Inclusion Programs, there really is a place for every student socially and academically to belong at Notre Dame Prep and that is something for which we are very proud.

We view the refinement of the intellect of our students as our top priority. For this reason, we are honored that the National Merit Scholarship Corporation recognized seven NDP seniors.

Members of the Class of 2020 were accepted to West Point Military Academy, Air Force Academy, Pepperdine, Princeton and many other wonderful colleges and universities.

A Notre Dame Prep education cultivates the practice of the moral alongside “Our accreditation leadership team did an amazing job of gathering data, showcasing our school and highlighting the strengths of our academic programs through the accreditation process with Western Catholic Educational Association. The process is one that helps NDP remain committed to continuous improvement. We are proud to report that we earned a full-year term accreditation.”

JILL PLATT, PRINCIPAL

intellectual virtues. Our students are taught not only to think, but to do, because it is through their doing and their thinking that their characters are formed. That is why Christian service and Kairos retreats are at the heart of our student curriculum and experience at NDP.

Our Kairos program reached a milestone last school year with more than 1,000 students served since the program started in 2012.

In November 2019 we did something truly remarkable! We broke ground on our much-anticipated St. Catherine of Bologna Performing Arts Center with the Bishop of Phoenix Thomas J. Olmsted and Scottsdale Mayor Jim Lane in attendance.

The building is coming together and it is our hope and prayer to welcome our community to a grand opening in the Spring of 2021.

When we launched our updated website last year with the slogan “Accept the Challenge” we had no idea the challenge we would face in our second semester when the COVID-19 outbreak shut down our school, our community and our country.

But in true NDP fashion, we adapted and accepted the challenge to try to remain together apart through online learning and social media. We implemented a webpage dedicated to communicating Coronavirus updates and produced The Patroness, a daily newsletter to keep communication lines open and put hearts at ease.

As an act of love and patriotism, our senior class had to forego many of the traditional senior events that they looked forward to since their freshman year. Though disappointed that we had to cancel Prom, the Auction and Fashion Show, and other events, we were able to celebrate them with both a drive-

through celebration and a formal graduation ceremony. And that made the ceremony that much sweeter.

Another sad casualty of the COVID-19 outbreak is the fact that we were not able to properly acknowledge the recipients of our Patron Saint Awards. Last year’s recipients were our beloved Finance Director Paul Rubsam who recently retired, and Director of the House System Mary Lou Lachvayder, who guides our students in the most gentle and spiritual ways. We love them and thank them both for their years of service to our community.

I extend my deepest gratitude to you our loyal parents, patrons and partners — because of you we enjoy the blessing of this school and the good that it calls us to find.

May God bless you always,

Jill Platt

Principal, Notre Dame Preparatory

10 HOUSES, ONE COMMUNITY OF SAINTS

1. St. George

2. Fortitude St. Teresa of Calcutta

3. Selflessness St. Blaise

4.

5. Sacrifice St. Ignatius of Loyola Integrity St. Sebastian

6. Strength St.MichaeltheArchangel

7. Tenacity St. Francis of Assisi

8. Humility St. Valentine

9. Charity

St. Maximilian Kolbe

Courage 10. St. Patrick

Loyalty