OPINION | Page 2
THE SCHOOL’S NEW UNIFORM POLICY
the
ARTS & LIFE | Page 6 GOING TO YOUR FIRST MUSIC FESTIVAL
SPORTS | Page 7 ATHLETES RETURN FOR THE FALL SEASON
CATALYST
T H E S T U D E N T N E WS PA P E R O F N OT R E DA M E H I G H S C H O O L
Volume 6, Issue 1
www.TheNDBCatalyst.com
Welcome Wildcats!
Frosh gets their head in the game with the Spartans, Knights and Gators
August/September 2019
New classrooms and teachers start off the year
NATALIE BEIER / THE CATALYST
New furniture and IdeaPaint walls adorn Room 124. by Editorial Staff
As the NDB community began a new school year, several newly renovated classrooms as well as new faculty and staff members were present to greet students back to campus. PHOTO COURTESY OF @NDBTigers
The Class of 2023 gathers for the first time during Freshman Orientation.
PHOTO COURTESY OF @NDBTigers
A few freshmen participate in an ice breaker activity. by Annalee Wolfe Staff Writer
One hundred and nineteen new faces joined the NDB community at the start of the school year. In the past few weeks, the incoming Class of 2023 got their class color (red), voted for their mascot (Wildcats), class council and homeroom presidents, and got a taste of NDB’s spirited
traditions. On September 10, the Wildcats voted to elect its first class council. President Kassandra Hickson, Vice-President Amelia Ailanjian, Secretary/Treasurer Abbi Edelhart, Activities Director Sophia Rask, Athletics Director Abbey Earnshaw, Spirit Commissioner Jules Evans and Historian Bridget Sennett will lead them throughout
their first year at NDB. When asked what her goals as class president are for the year, Hickson said, “My goal is to make sure that all the freshmen are involved in the school in some way. I want everyone to feel like their opinions are valued and that they are important.” Class Vice-President Ailanjian added, “Some goals I have for the year is to make all of the activities that the freshman class participates in lots of fun and done in a civil way.” The Wildcats began their journey back in mid-August, participating in a variety of events that included Frosh Field Day and the Frosh Dance. The field day was organized and coordinated by the Junior Class Council and Link Crew. This was the first
annual field day event designed for this and future incoming freshman classes where the juniors, their sister class, would lead them in games, ice breakers, and other activities with the hope of starting class bonding at the very beginning of their journey. Freshman Class Coordinator Jonathan Tomczak commented on his experience in helping to plan this event. He said, ”We did 20 separate individual activities across the school. And so we spent a couple months developing it, Junior student council and myself.” He continued, “It was good. There are a lot of challenges and figuring out what to do, how to do it, where to get supplies and everything, but it was a good experience.”
NDB is known for many things: our pride, our spirit, and our tight-knit community. Perhaps the most important thing that makes our school special is our commitment to sisterhood. The tradition of pairing up the freshman with the juniors and sophomores with the seniors has been long-running and is a signature trademark of NDB. The sister classes’ support for each other becomes clear during spirit events like fundraisers,
rallies, and Aquacades, but besides that, there can be a lack of interaction between them during other times of the year. The Junior Class Council, along with the help of the Freshman Class Coordinator Jonathan Tomczak have come up with the solution to this problem: an official Sister Program. The program focuses specifically on building the relationship between the freshman and juniors. It will develop throughout the school year with a series of social activities designed to help the classes get to know each other on a more personal
During the summer, all of the classrooms on the first floor received a much needed facelift. Foam tiles that have adorned walls for many years were removed, and the walls underneath them were patched and painted. Whiteboards that were installed on top of the building’s original chalkboards were removed, and a coat of IdeaPaint whiteboard paint was applied. The old carpet was removed and a new one installed. See NEW CLASSROOMS | Page 3
Collaboration program revamped Underclassmen get more structured study time
See CLASS OF 2023 | Page 5
First Sister program builds sister class bonds by Amelia Kyle Arts & Life Editor
Renovated classrooms
NATALIE BEIER / THE CATALYST
A few students collaborate on an assignment. by Parker Daley Editor in Chief
level. The first sister event of the year was the ice cream social event, which took place on August 26 during the afternoon Collaboration. A few days before the event, the junior council sent out a survey for every freshman and junior to fill out, which asked questions about their interests and hobbies. Its purpose was to help pair up one freshman (the “little sister”) with one junior (the “big sister”) and have them spend time at the social getting to know each other.
In place of last year’s Teacher Office Hours (TOH), NDB implemented a revamped version of its former Collaboration program. Students will still receive about one hour of time to study independently or collaboratively or to meet with teachers and other faculty or staff members. However, freshmen and sophomores must stay in their homerooms, while juniors and seniors may sign out of their homerooms and go to designated study areas, such as the dining room, the library, or other teachers’ classrooms. Sophomore Jorja Fox shared, “I like this year
See FIRST SISTER | Page 5
See COLLABORATION | Page 4