Letter from the President

Message from the President April 2022

Everyone of us reading this is either a child or was one at some point. However, not everyone of us was blessed to learn and grow in a dynamic, caring community and learning environment.

Dear Families, Alumni, and Friends of Notre Dame Schools, It was my wonderful experience in Catholic high school as a student many years ago that helped me glimpse what an intentional, loving, enthusiastic, and academic community could be. The picture on this page is of me as a high school junior. I know that in that year, I focused on academics, celebrated new friendships, ran for student government, participated in retreats, and attended leadership conferences. My world was just beginning.

Today, many years later, I am a father of a high school junior and freshman, I cannot help but be nostalgic, and absolutely hopeful for their young and promising lives. It is the same hopeful spirit I have carried for our students as a teacher, coach, campus minister, and administrator over these past 28 years. I am so inspired by the accomplishments of our talented students, advancing to state level competition in Indoor Track, Swimming, Robotics, Art, and Wrestling. In this edition, I ask you to celebrate with us the Ohio State Champion 4x400m team and the Adidas Indoor Track National Champion 1600m sprint relay team! Wow, what accomplishments! Looking back over these years, it does not surprise me that I have dedicated almost all of my adult life to working to help co-create and re-create the experiences that shaped me as a high school student so many years ago. From my work, I have glimpsed so many awesome moments and have encountered so many bright, idealistic, thoughtful, and talented people – students, faculty, administrators, alumni, and families. From this brightness, we form intentional and awesome community.

From this community, we learn together about the horrors of war in Ukraine and we form conscience in solidarity with the countless millions of people so brutally affected by Russia’s inhumane aggression. In this community, we study, we pray, and we bake. Led by NDCL principal, Mr. Waler, our Trela Dining Commons was transformed with community to bake and prepare foods for sale as a fundraiser for Ukrainian relief.

On campus, we continue to move forward and to emerge from winter and from Covid. Thankfully, our community is healthy and the state of our schools is strong. From a position of strength, we announced the formation of a new concept for our campus: Notre Dame Middle School in grades 6-8. The vision is to ensure that our oldest elementary students are better served by a distinct experience of learning and of social-emotional growth. Led by Notre Dame Elementary School principal, Dr. Hoynes, Notre Dame Middle School will open this fall 2022 with an honors curriculum, expanded curricular and elective offerings, and new space. Graciously, the Sisters of Notre Dame have given to Notre Dame Schools the third floor above the elementary school which we will begin to adapt for learning space beginning this summer. I am grateful to our Notre Dame Schools Board of Directors who continue, selflessly, to prioritize our mission to educate leaders who transform the world, as Jesus did, by living the truth in love. Their work continues to position Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin, Notre Dame Elementary School, and, now, Notre Dame Middle School to be the preeminent destination for excellence in Catholic education for students ages 3-18 in northeast Ohio.

For all of the ways that you support our work on behalf of students and building up this awesome community, I thank you. Wishing you and your family the blessings of a beautiful spring and a blessed Easter.

Most sincerely,

Michael Bates, Ed.D. President, Notre Dame Schools