The Notre Dame Experience 2015

The Notre Dame

experience.

Mary Beth Riley, Principal

NCEA 2014 Catholic Secondary Schools Educational Excellence Award Silicon Valley Business Journal 100 Women of Influence in 2013

Why Notre Dame?

Since 1851, Notre Dame has provided a distinctive, Catholic college-preparatory education for the young women of Silicon Valley. Building on a strong tradition of teaching students ‘what they need to know for life,’ Notre Dame educates today’s young women for leadership, global citizenship and socially-responsible entrepreneurship. Our rich urban landscape and innovative programs cultivate young women with strong voices who will bring intelligent compassion to their world — young women who become active leaders in our local, national and global communities.

I invite you to learn more about Notre Dame. Visit our campus and witness the transformative impact of a Notre Dame education.

In Notre Dame,

Mary Beth Riley

Look Inside

Women’s Education College Preparatory Catholic Education Urban Landscape The Notre Dame Experience

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1. Download the Aurasma app on your smart phone or tablet 2. Skip creating an account and tap on the Aurasma symbol at the bottom of the screen 3. Search

for Notre Dame San Jose and Follow our channel

4. Finally, hover over any of our INTERACT HERE images with your smart phone or tablet to experience augmented reality.

Interact Here

Want to see an example of innovative strategies used by our faculty? Try this!

Women’s Education Educating young women who dream broadly about the future and are uniquely positioned to achieve those dreams is at the heart of the Notre Dame experience. Studies have shown that students thrive in an all-girls environment. They are more confident, have higher career aspirations and are better equipped to impact the world. As the oldest all-girls school in the western United States, Notre Dame has an established history of providing education that cultivates such women of impact. Through a program focused on leadership development, critical thinking skills, complex problem-solving abilities and effective communication, our students are empowered to find their voice.

Nationally, women represent 34% of medical doctors, 19% of the US Congress and only 15% of executive officers, even though women earn 60% of the college degrees awarded each year. In the 21st century, we are committed to growing women’s leadership and engagement in the fields of science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics (STEAM) and graduating young women who will change those statistics.

At Notre Dame, passionate and creative teachers educate students to engage ethically and empathetically with the rapidly changing world around them. In the midst of change, Notre Dame’s spirit and traditions remain. Whether donning crazy costumes and engaging in friendly competition during Spirit Week, or walking downtown in formal uniform to attend mass at the Cathedral, or swaying armin-arm while singing the alma mater at the end of each assembly, generations of women have upheld these beloved traditions and called Notre Dame home.

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Notre Dame’s Technology, Engineering and Design Department (TED) offers 11 courses including Advanced Placement Computer Science, Introduction to Engineering and Introduction to Design and Creative Thinking. Currently, 20% of the student body is taking at least one class offered by the department.

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Experience Learning ACADEMIC PATHWAYS In addition to a rigorous, collegepreparatory curriculum, students have the opportunity to personalize and specialize their learning through STEAM, Visual & Performing Arts (VAPA) and Accelerated Pathways offered only at Notre Dame High School. www.ndsj.org/pathways

TECHNOLOGY AS A TOOL Notre Dame’s Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) approach to technology meets the learning needs of individual students and promotes a platformneutral learning environment that allows for individual choice and broad accessibility to evolving technology. www.ndsj.org/technology

INNOVATIVE SCHOOLS NETWORK Notre Dame was selected as the only school in Silicon Valley to be part of the Innovative Schools Network in recognition of the pioneering work of our English, Social Studies and Religious Studies Departments in creating an integrated humanities program with Facing History and Ourselves. www.ndsj.org/ISN

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Notre Dame’s downtown partners, San Jose Stage and City Lights Theater, provide professional venues where students learn stage direction and set design, rehearse and perform. Last year, 20% of the student body played an active role in the spring musical, Peter Pan. All aspects of the production, from set building to choreography to costumes, were conceived and implemented by students.

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Experience Opportunity LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT Each student has the opportunity to develop her leadership skills within the co-curricular program of her choice. Students develop voice and experience in our empowering environment. www.ndsj.org/leadership

PROGRAM ACCESS Through six co-curricular programs and more than 30 different clubs and organizations, students benefit from hundreds of opportunities on and off campus. Notre Dame’s rich program offerings and smaller student body translate to program access for everyone. www.ndsj.org/studentlife

LOCATION & FACILITIES Notre Dame partners with organizations including PAL Stadium and San Jose State University, to provide our athletes with the best facilities available. Notre Dame offers 17 teams and ten sports; cross country, golf, tennis, volleyball, basketball, soccer, lacrosse softball swimming, track and field. www.ndsj.org/facilities

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WOMEN’S

Top Reasons Given by Parents for Choosing Notre Dame Academics

Daughter’s Choice

Diversity

Technology in the Classroom

100%

of students use technology every day & in all classes

Google Apps for Education

PODCASTING interactive polling

SketchUp

flipped classrooms

VERNIER LOGGER PRO

Interact Here

ThingLink & Aurasma

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Safe Environment

Social Justice

Leadership

Advanced Placement

3 4 out of students at Notre Dame take one or more of our

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Advanced Placement & Honors courses

Did you know?

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Our student athletes earned league awards last year including 3 Most Valuable Player designations.

top 7

We had placement at the state level for our nationally-ranked speech and debate team with 12 students placing in tournaments during their first year of competition.

E D U C AT I O N Strong Academic Outcomes 1

Linda Sax’s UCLA study of women in single-sex and co-educational high schools found a statistically significant difference between the two groups noting that graduates of the single-sex schools have: • greater academic engagement • higher SAT scores • greater interest in graduate school • higher academic self-confidence • higher confidence in mathematical ability and computer skills • greater interest in engineering careers • stronger predisposition towards co-curricular engagement • greater political engagement

Leadership 3

Of girls’ school grads, 93% say they were offered greater leadership opportunities than peers at co-ed schools and 80% have held leadership positions since graduating from high school.

Meaningful Relationships 5

A study prepared for the U.S. Department of Education observed, “more positive academic and behavioral interactions between teachers and students in the single-sex schools than in the comparison to co-ed schools.”

Self Confidence 2

According to a study in the Journal of Educational Psychology, girls who attend all-girls Catholic high schools experienced higher academic achievement, higher educational aspirations and higher self-esteem.

Careers in STEM 4

Girls’ school grads are 6 times more likely to consider majoring in math, science and technology compared to girls who attend co-ed schools.

Positive Environment 6

“Girls’ schools create a school environment where girls are encouraged to take risks, to see themselves as leaders, to resist pressure to hide or deny their intelligence and interest in school, to learn how to work collaboratively and compete fairly.”

Sources: (1) Linda J. Sax, Ph.D., “Women Graduates of Single-Sex and Coeducational High Schools: Differences in their Characteristics and the Transition to College” (2)Valerie Lee and Anthony Bryk, “Effects of Single-Sex Secondary Schools on Student Achievement and Attitudes” (3)Whitney Ransome and Meg Milne Moulton, “Why Girls’ Schools? The Difference in Girl-Centered Education” (4) Goodman Research Group, “The Girls’ School Experience: A Survey of Young Alumnae of Single-Sex Schools” (5) U.S. Department of Education (6) National Coalition of Girls’ Schools

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College Preparatory A program rich with co-curricular opportunities and rigorous academics ensures that all our graduates are well prepared for college. For students who wish to focus their learning, Notre Dame offers academic pathways and the opportunity to earn endorsed diplomas in three areas: STEAM, Social Justice or Visual & Performing Arts.

Regardless of the path they choose, more than 74% of our students take one or more of the 27 Advanced Placement (AP) and Honors courses offered. Last May, 283 students took 596 exams.

Of those students, 94% passed one or more of their AP tests. In fact, 33% of the tests taken earned a top score of 5.

To navigate the complex world of college admissions, Notre Dame offers comprehensive college counseling. Last year, the Class of 2015 (156 students) earned 823 acceptances to 240 different schools. Noting academic achievement and leadership experiences, these colleges and universities offered our graduates just under $20 million in scholarships and aid. While the outcomes are impressive, the process is our pride.

Students experience a daily level of rigor and creativity on the journey to college and beyond. Our prestigious faculty, 93% of whom hold an advanced degree in their field, includes three Advanced Placement Test readers in three academic areas.

Nationally and locally recognized faculty presenters share their expertise through organizations including the International Society of Technology in Education, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and CUE (Computer Using Educators). Our faculty have been awarded grants from organizations such as the National Endowment for the Humanities, invited to summits at Yale and Brown Universities and conduct research with students through NASA programs.

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Notre Dame’s Learning Resource Center provides academic support for all students in the form of one-on-one tutoring, homework assistance and study skills strategies. In addition, the Math and Science Departments have after school support sessions staffed by teachers where students can receive one-on-one assistance. California Scholarship Federation (CSF) students also serve as peer tutors on campus.

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Experience Connections PERSONALIZED SUPPORT Every student at Notre Dame has a faculty mentor who meets with her three times each week and a personal counselor who advises, supports and counsels her throughout her four years at Notre Dame. www.ndsj.org/counseling

SPEAKER SERIES A diverse group of speakers provide students with real-world information and application of topics learned in class as well as personal experience.

Science speakers, authors, Holocaust survivors and college admissions deans regularly visit our campus. www.ndsj.org/speakers

NETWORKING Drawing from the oldest Alumnae Association on the west coast, career and college networking events are offered on and off campus. Alumnae provide students with career exposure within the classroom and opportunities to connect beyond graduation. www.ndsj.org/alumnae

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P R E PA R E D Class of 2014 Exam Results SAT in Writing

650 579

Notre Dame upper quartile

Notre Dame mean

496 CA mean

487 Natl. mean

630

Notre Dame upper quartile

510 Natl. mean

SAT in Math

556

Notre Dame mean

513 CA mean

Advanced Placement Test Pass Rate

3.83

SAT in Critical Reading

630 567

Notre Dame upper quartile

498 CA mean

Notre Dame mean

497 Natl. mean

93% Calculus BC 98% English Language & Composition

2015 Average Score

92% US History 100% World History

2.87

2.84

A Personal Touch

146 311

college reps visited campus last year

personalized letters of reference written by teachers for 156 students

92% French 100% Spanish

755 100%

minutes of college counseling support, at a minimum, for each student in her junior and senior years

of students meet individually with the director of college counseling to prepare for the college application process

Interact Here

2.89

2.82

96% Biology

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FOR COLLEGE

$19,663,892 in scholarships offered to the 156 students in the Class of 2015

Top Declared Majors for the Class of 2015 Business Music Physics Engineering Education Nursing Psychology Math Sociology Biochemistry Kinesiology Public Health Biology Computer Science Political Science

International Studies

99.4%

of graduates went on to the college of their choice

Moving On After High School students were accepted to an average of 5.3 colleges last year

65% 59% 58% private

of the class are now attending schools listed among The Princeton Review's Best 379 Colleges

in state

41%

17%

of the Class of 2015 matriculated to highly selective schools*

in the past three years our graduates have matriculated to:

out of state

24%

UC/CSU

10% Comm College or Gap Year

8% Out-of-State Public

scholarships & likelihood of graduating in four years were the top reasons for choosing a private institution * schools with an acceptance rate below 33%

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Catholic Education At Notre Dame we are developing women leaders for a more just world. Guided by the wisdom of Saint Julie Billiart, foundress of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, we have provided a relevant and challenging Catholic education, teaching young women ‘what they need to know for life’ for 165 years. With strong Catholic roots in the valley, we are also part of the global network of Notre Dame schools that extends across five continents and is focused on women’s education, advocacy and solidarity with the poor.

Although times have changed, our mission remains steadfast: we ensure that our students are equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to navigate and excel in their rapidly evolving environment. At Notre Dame today, Education for Justice and Leadership defines the distinctive program that forms young women for compassionate and socially-just leadership. Rooted in our mission and call to provide experiences steeped in Catholic values, this commitment to educate towards key goals of personal engagement and responsibility, stewardship, solidarity and advocacy requires intention and purposeful integration of academic study and direct experience. Through our program, the young women at Notre Dame develop a strong spiritual core and sense of self as well as their own voice and perspective on social issues. As young women of service and impact, they take their place in the community, standing with, and speaking for, the marginalized.

A Notre Dame graduate is uniquely qualified and ready, not only for college, but also to assume leadership roles and build a more just world, firmly embracing Saint Julie’s directive, ora et labora, to work and pray every day.

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Each year students travel to New Orleans to rebuild homes for families in need as the region continues to recover from the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina. The trip is one of seven justice immersion trips offered through campus ministry. Students can also choose to immerse themselves in local, domestic or international opportunities to advocate for justice and social change.

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Experience Community LEGACY Notre Dame is among 120 schools in a global network sponsored by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. The sisters minister on five continents with particular commitment to educating young women and solidarity with the poor. Their work and mission is part of our daily approach to education. www.ndsj.org/legacy

FAITH FORMATION All students participate in faith formation, from grade level retreats to school-wide liturgies, and can deepen their experience by serving as peer retreat leaders, liturgical dancers and eucharistic ministers. www.ndsj.org/campusministry

DIVERSITY Dialogue and understanding are promoted by campus ministry through inter-faith prayer opportunities.

DiversiTEA gatherings are also hosted to promote faith sharing across diverse religious traditions. www.ndsj.org/faithformation

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SPIRITUALITY “Be like the sunflower that follows every movement of the sun, and keep your eyes always turned towards our good God.” -St. Julie Billiart

Faith Formation

There are 14 places of worship in our downtown neighborhood, including the Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph.

Serving the Community

16,800

Campus ministry offers 8 retreat opportunities.

$336,000 economic impact of community service hours served by students

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organizations served through community service

Sacred Heart

Eastside Heroes

City Team Ministries

Fundahmer

Habitat for Humanity

Free the Children

Humane Society of Santa Clara County

WipeOut Cancer

Martha’s Kitchen

Via West

Boys & Girls Club St. Catherine’s Parish Town Cats Lowell Elementary School Veggielution

JW House

• 14 Peer Ministry Leadership Team (PMLT) members • 14 Teaching, Advising and Serving our Community (TASC) leaders • 23 TASC Service Corp members • 14 Campus Ministry Homeroom Reps • 205 liturgical ministers

Audacity Performing Arts Asian Law Alliance

More than one third of all students hold positions of leadership within campus ministry. Included are:

Sunday Friends

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Inn Vision

Over the course of a year, Notre Dame eucharistic ministers bake 34 loaves of bread for all-school liturgies.

community service hours served by students last year

Santa Clara Valley Medical Center - NICU Washington United Youth Center

Santa Clara Suicide & Crisis Center

& SERVICE

Advocating for Change

$110,136

The Class of 2015, on average, served

140%

economic impact of the Class of 2015 in their senior year

of their required community service hours

At the Young Women’s Advocacy Summit seniors advocate to local politicians and community members on behalf of the organizations they served

Serving Around the World

Interact Here

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justice immersion opportunities are offered locally and globally

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students and faculty participated in justice immersion trips last year

Notre Dame also offers cultural immersion trips to England, France & Spain, and Costa Rica

We bring to life the values stated in The Hallmarks of a Notre Dame de Namur Learning Community.

• We proclaim by our lives even more than by our words that God is good.

• We honor the dignity and sacredness of each person.

• We educate for, and act on behalf of, justice and peace in the world.

• We commit ourselves to community service.

• We embrace the gift of diversity.

• We create community among those with whom we work and with those we serve.

• We develop holistic learning communities which educate for life.

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Urban Landscape A Notre Dame education extends well beyond the footprint of our downtown San Jose campus, out into the tenth largest city in the United States and the thriving center of Silicon Valley.

Through partnerships with local organizations, students benefit from unique design and fabrication capabilities at the Tech Shop, theater resources at San Jose Stage and academic resources at San Jose State University.

Classes regularly visit local art installations, historic landmarks, civic and political organizations, and culturally-rich communities representative of the diversity of our students — all within walking distance of the Notre Dame campus. Examples include: • Introductory level modern language classes take a culture walk downtown to view monuments and identify global influences within our local community.

• Social studies classes visit the San Jose Museum of Art to integrate class themes of global citizenship, geography and advocacy.

• Religion classes learn about the history of Catholicism in San Jose at the Cathedral, and about many other faith traditions.

• Ceramics classes visit Higher Fire Clayspace & Gallery to view exhibits and learn about downtown art opportunities for students.

Through regular interaction with the city as a classroom, students develop an understanding of the complications and interdependencies of an urban environment and learn to navigate a microcosm of the global community.

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Because of Notre Dame’s location in the SoFA District (South of First Area), students benefit from close proximity to a number of cultural enrichment opportunities that promote critical thinking, real-world application and appreciation for the arts across all areas of study.

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Experience Downtown CITY AS A CLASSROOM Our community benefits from the 12 museums and galleries, 14 places of worship and 3 professional theaters within walking distance. In addition, our downtown neighborhood is reflective of the rich cultural diversity of our student body. www.ndsj.org/downtown

PARTNERSHIPS Whether through internships at City Hall, a school-wide field trip to the California Theater to see an opera, or witnessing city planning firsthand, students experience unique opportunities through Notre Dame’s established relationships with the downtown community. www.ndsj.org/careerexploration

CONFIDENCE Inside the classroom, students are encouraged to use and develop their voice and thinking. Outside the classroom, students navigate and explore the city and its abundant resources under the guidance of teachers.

The outcome is a young woman with life-skills and self-confidence. www.ndsj.org/lifeskills

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UNIQUE URBAN Navigating Notre Dame & San Jose

276

66

families carpool to school

number of zip codes our students come from

Conveniently Located Near the 280/87 Junction

Interact Here

free DASH shuttle service & VTA bus stops one block from campus

Caltrain, Altamont Commuter Express & Capitol corridor accessible

convention center light rail is just a half a mile away

buffered bike lanes available throughout downtown

Notre Dame Artwork Graces Downtown Doors Since its inception in 2003, San Jose’s Downtown Doors program has selected the artwork of Notre Dame students 29 times. Three were chosen this year including, Where Did Time Go by Mei-Mei Chang ’18.

Did you know?

The entire Notre Dame community — students, faculty and staff — attend mass at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph.

The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library is the largest public/university library west of the Mississippi. Students taking Global Studies, Global Studies Honors, Spanish II, Spanish II Honors and Philosophy visit the MLK library each year.

More than 100 Notre Dame students have had their artwork featured in downtown San Jose.

Notre Dame students regularly intern at The Tech Museum in downtown San Jose.

Boasting a presence of close to 7,000 technology companies, San Jose is the most concentrated technology center in the entire world.

Overall, 124 classes participated in experiential learning field trips last year.

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LANDSCAPE

71

classes went on walking field trips last year to

Fav or it

dw foo

ithin walking dis tan Quickly‛s c Pita Pit

e

e

City as a Classroom

Ben & Jerry‛s

La Victoria

Boba Tea Bar Johnny Rocket‛s

Pizza My Heart

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different downtown destinations

“The experience of being downtown helped shape the person I am today. I was able to go downtown with friends or walk to take public transportation and it helped me be more independent.”

- Class of 2015 Graduate

Starbucks Yogurtland Iguana‛s

Get Your Steps In! 190

on campus from the 3rd floor of Manley to Donnelly Hall

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from campus to the Institute of Contemporary Art to MACLA (Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana)

204 351 to Iguana’s 482 to Ben & Jerry’s 502 to Pizza My Heart 848 to MLK Library 982 to the Cathedral 1091 to the Tech

2

minute walk to galleries & museums

5-6

minutes to your favorite food

10-12

minutes to downtown destinations

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The Notre Dame

experience

They appeared to have so little in common.

Julie Billiart’s family was considered peasant stock. Françoise Blin de Bourdon was a member of the aristocracy. Although it was not immediate, a deep friendship developed between these two women whose backgrounds were so different. Together they founded the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, the sponsoring community of Notre Dame High School.

Their friendship lasted throughout their lives and the sisterhood they shared is replicated here at Notre Dame San Jose every day.

Through activities and events that have become well-loved traditions, students develop strong bonds of friendship with their classmates. It begins with the freshman sleepover, where the class chooses the colors and mascot that will identify them throughout their four years at Notre Dame. The friendships that begin forming are strengthened through class color days, retreats, events and everyone’s favorite, Spirit Week!

Relationships with upper classmen also begin forming that first year through the big sister/ little sister program and many all-school events including assemblies and our annual Homecoming event.

After graduation, students continue the experience of sisterhood by joining the oldest Alumnae Association in California, creating the opportunity for networking and life-long relationships.

Notre Dame at a Glance: • Established in 1851 • Average class size is 24 • 11:1 student to faculty ratio • Student population is 630 • 93% of teaching faculty have an advanced degree • 27 Honors & AP courses • More than 100 college-preparatory courses available ndsj.org/coursecatalog • 10 athletic sports with 17 teams • Over 30 student clubs, organizations and interest groups • Total tuition for the 2015-16 school year is $16,470 • Enrollment Fee is $100

Mission Statement Notre Dame High School, in the heart of downtown San Jose since 1851, provides young women an exemplary Catholic and college-preparatory education. We do so in the spiritual legacy of Saint Julie Billiart, the foundress of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, embracing the gift of God’s goodness to support the personal journey of each student. This journey occurs in a uniquely compassionate community with meaningful and integrated learning programs that foster intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, reflection, social awareness and responsibility, and the discovery of each young woman’s voice and leadership capabilities.

596 South Second Street San Jose, CA 95112 408-294-1113 www.ndsj.org