Notre Dame Academy’s beloved Sister Mary Ann Culpert, SND, was recently elected as the eleventh Superior General of the Congregation.
“Like the Foundress of Sisters of Notre Dame, St. Julie Billiart, Sr. Mary Ann is truly a woman of our modern era, showing courage through action and demonstrating the power and presence of a loving and caring God,” President Mrs. Kim Grilliot said.
Sr. Mary Ann’s journey began after graduating from Notre Dame Academy in 1975 and entering the Sisters of Notre Dame in 1976.
She admired the Sisters that had been her teachers at Gesu Elementary School and NDA and wanted to feel the same energy they had for teaching, especially the happiness they received from serving God’s people.
She received her Bachelor and Master degrees in education, becoming a teacher, dean, principal and president in various schools for 35 years. She served at NDA for 16 years as principal and president, before being appointed as General Assistant of the congregation in 2016 to the previous Superior General, Sr. Mary Kristin.
In this position, she supported the administrations of the Sisters of Notre Dame congregation and visited several countries the Sisters serve.
In October of 2022, at the General Chapter of the Sisters of Notre Dame, Sister Mary Ann was elected to serve six years as the Superior General and is now the first Sister from Toledo to be Superior General.
“Sister Mary Ann taught me the most about the Charism of the Sisters of Notre Dame. This included the traditions and
‘why we do what we do’ at NDA,” Mrs. Grilliot said.
Sr. Mary Ann is a faith-filled woman whose role model is Jesus.
“His life of reaching out to people in need, teaching, healing and helping peo-
“Listen to your heart and how God speaks to you;
“Listen to the love and advice of people in your life whom you admire;
“Listen to the voices of others in our world, those whom you agree with and those whom you disagree with and look for shared values and common ground;
“Listen to the cry of the people most vulnerable in our world and to our earth that is struggling to sustain our lives.”
ple to understand and believe in God’s unconditional love for them is a way of life I try to imitate,” Sr. Mary Ann said.
She also considers herself blessed to have had so many role models in her day -to-day life, such as fellow Sisters of Notre Dame, teachers and her parents.
Sr. Mary Ann said she misses the energy of the students and keeping up with the alumnae and what they are exploring in their lives.
“Watching the students discover their talents and how they will be able to make a difference in the world always brought me such great joy. I am so proud of our alumnae and the ways they are continuing to be women of service in their professional lives, their families and their faith communities,” she said.
Mrs. Grilliot said Sr. Mary Ann was always intentional about what she did and wanted to ensure the students were looked after first and foremost.
This went along with her strong faith and commitment to the Sisters of Notre Dame and the community throughout the world, which Mrs. Grilliot views as some of her strongest assets.
Sr. Mary Ann offers this advice to NDA students:
“Listen to your heart and how God speaks to you;
“Listen to the love and advice of people in your life whom you admire;
“Listen to the voices of others in our world, those whom you agree with and those whom you disagree with and look for shared values and common ground;
“Listen to the cry of the people most vulnerable in our world and to our earth that is struggling to sustain our lives.”
Mental Health Week was packed with different activities that helped the entire student body better their mental health and just take a break from the stresses of life.
This week is normally celebrated as Red Ribbon Week, which aims to raise awareness about addiction. This year, however, faculty, staff and students felt the Notre Dame Academy community would better benefit from a Mental Health Week.
According to medicalnewstoday.com, those at a higher risk of mental health conditions may also be at risk of substance misuse. There are shared risk factors, including environmental factors such as trauma and stress.
“This was an idea that sprung from last year’s Red Ribbon Week feedback. Those Student Council members brought the idea to our attention, and we just began running with it. Once we took the idea to our administrators, they were 100 percent on board!” Executive Student Council Co-moderator Mrs. Amanda Mariasy said
There was a lot of positive feedback from the Mental Health Day featuring
ways to de-stress, and many people want it to happen again as it made them feel heard and seen.
The desire to have another of these days shows just how important mental health is to the students and the community.
“Mental health is a big problem in our community today, and I think Mental Health Week, specifically the day that we did activities, was incredibly beneficial to the entire student body in boosting morale,” junior Bella Hsia said.
A popular activity everyone can try for themselves at home is coloring. Coloring is so simple, yet so efficient.
Mayoclinichealthsystem.org reports that coloring is a way to relieve stress as it calms the brain and helps the body relax. This can improve sleep while decreasing body aches, heart rate and feelings of depression and anxiety.
Forest bathing is another easy, efficient way to improve mental health, even if someone has limited time or resources.
This is a Japanese practice of shinrin yoku, which is good for both physical and mental wellbeing, which reduces
stress, as well as improves feelings of happiness and creativity.
“I loved how there were so many options to choose from, and all the activities helped me to better myself and my mental health. I think we should definitely do more days like this as it clearly made the entire student body feel happier and able to focus more on their school work since they had such a positive attitude towards school and life in general,” sophomore Julia Hanus said.
“I was in the Chapel with the guided meditation activity. It was easy, but it was truly so peaceful and relaxing. I really carried those good feelings with me throughout the rest of my day,” Mrs. Julie Sells said.
If anyone found these activities especially beneficial, make sure to offer feedback to administration or Executive Student Council. Some girls have expressed the desire to have more days like this one to focus on bettering their mental health.
“If anyone is interested in talking about mental health activities, just stop by and chat with me,” Mrs. Mariasy said.
Sammie Paris
“I think one of the biggest struggles with trying to be mentally healthy is that we either don’t prioritize mental health or we don’t know how to prioritize it. Everyone supports their own mental health in different ways and we might not always have someone teaching us how to actually do that. It takes time and practice, as well as reflection and selfawareness to find out what might work for you! If you don’t know where to start, you can try working with a counselor, just like you would go to a doctor to learn how to support your physical health. We all need to prioritize time to practice self-care and give ourselves a break!”
“I don’t believe that there is one ‘biggest’ mental health struggle. Each person’s mental health status and needs are unique for a variety of reasons. We all must understand what we need to maintain our own mental health and should recognize that what one person needs may not be what another person needs. For example, when I am starting to feel like I am not fully mentally healthy, I have to shut down and reboot. Others may need a 5-mile run! Taking time to check in with yourself is so important. If you aren’t feeling mentally healthy, you need to do what works for you. If you can’t do it on your own, don’t ignore it! Please, reach out!”
“There can be several components of mental health that can seem difficult or overwhelming. Sometimes the biggest struggle with mental health is finding the root cause. If we can find the root cause, it can help us to be more aware and put a plan in place on how we can help ourselves. Other times, it can be difficult to remember to practice our plan and take time out of our day to do the things that truly help us. We can help support each other and ourselves by asking for help when we need it, encouraging and supporting one another, and also taking time for ourselves to do something that brings us joy.”
Why shop in an overcrowded shopping mall when you can have the benefit of staying home and being comfortable with online shopping?
Convenience is something we are all looking for; many of us do not have time to spare in our daily lives. We do not have the luxury of being able to walk around a mall and searching for that perfect outfit, which is why online shopping makes it so much more uncomplicated and attainable to look good at all times.
With the ease of shopping online, all you have to do is find your favorite store’s website, search the specific item you are looking for, add to your cart and either pick it up in store or have it delivered to your house.
While online shopping has many benefits, the main one is how much less stressful it is. When you are shopping from your bed, there is no fighting, no lines, and no people you have to deal with.
It seems we have all had a bad experience in some form at a mall, whether it be someone we don’t want to see or a line we don’t want to deal with. Online shopping takes that possible hassle completely out of the equation and just leaves the exciting part of shopping.
Another thing to remember is when shopping online, clothes are not going to be coming from a specific store’s location, but rather from the manufacturer. This means shopping online grants more variety to more clothes than shopping in person.
This is a much faster and less stressful way to shop because you never even leave your house.
Online shopping is the biggest new trend, and with it being cleaner, safer, and much more convenient, many are saying this is the best option.
Volume 72 Issue 2
The Vista is a publication of Notre Dame Academy by the students of Journalism II and III. The office is located in room 113 of the school.
Unsigned editorials represent a majority vote of the newspaper staff.
Co-Editors: Gina Napoli Sammie Paris Adviser: Mrs. Julie Sells Gina NapoliShopping in stores is beneficial in that it allows people to see items in person rather than through a screen.
Shopping in stores allows people to know exactly what they are getting. How many times have you purchased something from an online store, and it is completely different compared to what you ordered?
For starters, when it comes to shopping for clothes, dressing rooms are available in stores. You can try on the items and find your perfect size instead of guessing online. All stores have different sizing guides; therefore, finding the perfect fit is easier when you are able to see the item on.
Not only are clothes easier to purchase in person, but also the shipping and handling fee is not considered when going to a store; the price you see is the price you pay. Returning items is also an option. Sometimes online stores don’t allow for returns but give store credit instead, meaning, you don’t get your original payment back, so you have to buy something else! For in store shopping, keep your receipt and boom! you get a full refund.
It is also fun to go shopping with friends. Trying on fun dresses or helping each other pick out cute clothes is so entertaining! Plus, the food court is just a few feet away! You can shop around for a bit and then relax and eat with friends.
Not only is shopping for clothes easier in store, but so is shopping for items such as furniture. Knowing the quality of your furniture is important for looks and longevity.
Going to a furniture store is simple and fun. Testing furniture in stores allows people to test quality, instead of guessing by online descriptions and will save you money.
Shopping in person is the most reliable way to get exactly what you want, when you want and is the best option.
Hello to our Notre Dame Academy sisterhood and community!
We just wanted to say how excited we are for this second edition of the Vista for the 2022-2023 school year. We and Mrs. Sells work hard to report on stories we believe you all will care about and want to hear more on.
We are incredibly grateful for each and every one of you and all your continued support. We hope you have a relaxing and happy Christmas break because we know how much you all deserve it.
Can’t wait to see you all after the holidays and continue reporting on stories for you all!
With love, Your Vista Ediors, Gina and Sammie
As bold girls of Notre Dame Academy, we should be taking a stand and deciding to further our education in politics.
Before we know it, we are going to see dramatic changes in politics and who is in power. We need to ensure that we are going to be happy and satisfied with those serving in office, and we cannot do that without first knowing what we want.
Now is the time to branch out and grow our understanding of the United States government, as well as our state and local government. We cannot get anywhere without educating ourselves, and we need to be proactive enough to take the initiative of finding a good education and good sources of information.
Once we are able to go past our understanding of what we know, we are then in a good position to start looking at specific people and finding those who best emulate the qualities we wish to see. This is where voting comes into play.
Voting is the most important aspect of government that we have the chance of getting involved with. Voting is one of the biggest exam-
ples of democracy we see in our government today, and as citizens of the United States, we have a responsibility to ourselves and those with a disadvantage of not being able to vote to make our government the best it can be and elect leaders we feel will best serve our country.
If we do not take the opportunity we have in front of us to look into the future and what we wish to see, we are only hurting ourselves down the line.
When we turn 18 and have the legal opportunity to vote and don’t take that initiative, we might not be happy with the turnout and will only have ourselves to blame. Voting is not the only thing, however. We need to make sure we know the people we are voting for, before we get to the polls.
The time to find information and better ourselves, and our government, is now. We have the chance to find information and be prepared for the next stop of voting when we are of legal age and educated.
An Eagle’s ViewKAIROS- the seemingly mysterious event all seniors partake in that no one really knows what goes on or why those that participate come back so changed. The only thing those of us that have not gone can do is wonder what occurs at this rite of passage students of Notre Dame Academy will one day experience.
With the seniors coming back so altered, could it be an alien abduction? The world is at a place in time where aliens could very well be a real thing. We also know that Notre Dame Academy girls are bold and brilliant enough to be capable of finding said aliens.
If this is true, the seniors could then be able to communicate with these creatures. Could it be that these aliens are teaching them life skills? Perhaps how to cook a meal and do their laundry? Maybe self defense classes we pray they will never need to use?
It could also be something else entirely. Could it be all virtual reality to meet with other girls around the country? NDA has virtual reality headsets, so does this mean that there could be more somewhere that are being used at KAIROS to show NDA seniors around our beautiful world?
Our seniors could be getting the experience of a lifetime with these headsets and might be making relationships with others that they could then use later in life. It is said to high school students all the time that making connections is the most important thing, and that the more connections a student has, the easier it will be for her later in life to find the right college, the perfect job, or even the right place to call home outside of the Notre Dame Academy walls.
But again, what if it is a completely different? Could it be one big donation center where NDA seniors do acts of service and help those in the community? NDA girls are beautiful inside and out, so it would not be surprising if they did service that benefits those around them.
Service is such a simple and powerful thing someone can do that would make sense as to why these seniors come back with such uplifting and powerful attitudes.
No matter what Notre Dame Academy seniors are doing at KAIROS, they all come back better people who are ready for the rest of their lives and to make their lives and those around them significantly better. KAIROS is an incredibly important part of NDA that builds lifelong
Mr. NDA has been an ongoing NDA tradition for 18 years. It is a competition and show that focuses on the talents and personalities of boys from SJJ and SFS, but it takes a lot of work and talent from NDA girls to make it happen.
The show is performed in the early new year and is planned for over three months. Mr. NDA is planned by the Core Team, which is comprised of groups of students that combine their individual skills and form teams that work on different aspects of the show, ranging from student director to social media to photography and more.
The Core Team members can be sophomores through seniors. Each girl chooses a team she wants to participate in, which often reflects her own personal talents and interests.
“I am a part of the social media and recruitment team. I wanted to be involved in the promotional aspects of Mr. NDA because I take a special interest in marketing, as it is my desired future career choice,” core team member and
senior Stephanie Miller said.
Girls are also encouraged to pick teams they might have experience in from a class or an extracurricular activity outside of school.
“I am one of the sound and lighting booth liaisons. I wanted to be a part of this committee because I am familiar with the booth tech due to my time as an IB theater student,” core team member and senior Carly McMahon said.
Mr. NDA is well known around the school, and most Core Team members have gone to the show in past years and found it fun and exciting. The show truly is an anticipated part of the school year, which creates interest for students to want to become involved.
“This is my first time participating in Mr. NDA. I decided to try out because I have seen the shows in previous years, and it always looked fun, so I wanted to be a part of it this year,” core team member and junior Vaibhavi Goyal said.
The team meets at lunch most weeks, as well as attending Sunday practices
with the escorts and contestants. Each team meeting is filled with new ideas to add to the show.
“My favorite part about Mr. NDA planning has been the creativity among our group. Someone brings up an idea, everyone runs with it, and the idea develops into such a funny aspect of the show,” core team member and junior Morgan Szozda said.
Students may think they need to have show experience to be in Mr. NDA; however, that is not the case. Most core team members have never been on stage before, and Mr. NDA is proven to be a great way to enter the “show” life. Each core team member typically has a part in the show, which includes a group dance.
“I’ve never participated in a show. That’s why I was a little nervous to try out for Mr. NDA, but the core team makes me feel so comfortable I no longer have any worries. I am most excited about my family coming to show day,” Morgan said.
Mr. NDA will be Friday, Feb. 3 at 7 p.m. in the PAC.
Sammie Paris
Christmas decorations around NDA not only add to the fun of the season, but also remind everyone of the reason we celebrate.
Sammie Paris
The Christmas season is all about helping others and spreading joy and love to all, but especially those who don’t have a lot of it. Notre Dame Academy girls are blessed and kind enough to be able to share what they have and make sure everyone in the community has a merry Christmas.
Many of NDA’s girls are using the Christmas spirit to give back to the community and ensure that everyone is taken care of and spending the holidays with enough resources and happiness.
This is being done by giving back to others through various ways, and here are some examples that NDA girls have shared with The Vista staff.
What are you doing this season to give to others?
* “This season to give to others, I am planning on donating old clothes and toys to those in need.” junior Bella Hsia said.
* “This season, my family helps set up a giving tree at our church and donates items to all members of a certain family,” junior Megan Sturgeon said.
* “My family and I adopt a family from a local homeless shelter to buy Christmas presents for each year,” junior Emi Rindler said.
* “Elena, Grace, and I are helping Campus Ministry run the Appalachia mission trip that will grant families in need with a beautiful Christmas and presents for their children that they might not have otherwise had,” senior Killian Hoyt said.
* “My family and I took some Thanksgiving dinners down to the homeless shelter in Toledo; we love seeing how the smallest acts of kindness can impact the community as a whole,” junior Morgan Szozda said.
* “My family and I volunteer to set up
the main Christmas tree at my church,” senior Marcel Gammoh said.
* “Julia and I are going on the Appalachia Mission Trip and can’t wait to see all the lives we are going to affect by giving them some necessities and fun gifts. The look on the kiddies’ faces when we give them their presents is instantly going to make this a great Christmas,” sophomore Addy Gordy said.
* “My hockey team and I pick a family and after they give us their Christmas list we give them all their top Christmas presents. We all love spreading Christmas joy and playing Santa,” sophomore Reece McMahon said.
* “I am donating to the Appalachia Mission Trip and giving money for Giving Tuesday to make sure Notre Dame Academy gets plenty of new girls that can make our school even better,” Mrs. Alison Nicholson said.
Giving back is such an important part of the Christmas spirit and the mission of Notre Dame Academy. With this being said, sophomores choose a charity every year to support by donating the Mardi Gras proceeds. This year, the sophomore student council chose Mom’s House of Toledo as it is such an important part of the community.
“We chose Mom’s House because when researching for charities, we found it and liked what they were doing, which is not only helping young moms so they can still go to school and have a future, but also making sure the kids who are being brought into this world can have a good home and education. Their mission statement stood out to us because it was so captivating; they make it clear what they are providing to help these women,” Sophomore Class President Kaitlyn Diggins said.
Mom’s House was started 30 years ago by Christina Rodriguez and is a 5-star childcare center that helps low-income,
single moms graduate from high school, technical school and college.
The people of Mom’s House give these moms the support necessary to gain their education and career while also caring for their children. Mom’s House of Toledo ensures that these moms are caring for themselves, as well as their children.
With this charity being a 5-star childcare facility, that gives these moms the safety and security they need to feel comfortable leaving their children with childcare professionals to get what they need to get done and ultimately give their kids the best life possible.
This charity is working hard to break the cycle of poverty for working moms and their children, and this is why donations from the community are so important.
“Mom’s House depends on our community to ensure we are able to offer services at the highest level possible. Without our community of supporters, we would not be able to do the work we do,” Mom’s House of Toledo Execu-
tive Director Mrs. Christina Rodriguez said.
This money is extremely important to this charity as the more donations and service they get, the more people they can help. However, money donations are not the only way to help Mom’s House and their community.
The NDA sisterhood can also help by just spreading the word about Mom’s House to anyone who will listen; family, friends, through social media or social gatherings. Some other options are scheduling service projects or doing a fundraiser drive with items from the wishlist.
The donations from Mardi Gras NDA girls are giving will go directly towards programming at Mom’s House. Mom’s House has two main programs, the Early Childhood Education and Family Wellness. The money will be able to purchase food, supplies, counseling, and much more that would not otherwise be possible to these families without donations from those in the community.
“Thank you so much! We appreciate your support,” Mrs. Rodriguez said.
A study in 2020 showed that 76 percent of students are often worried about the possibility of not doing well in school. This ties into a student’s academic performance and GPA.
One’s GPA is often a number that represents stress and personal value to a student. Whether that number be high or low, students find a way to overwork themselves in order to boost their GPA and self-confidence.
According to a recent survey by The Vista staff, about 70 percent of students stress over their GPA’s. Some of these students also said parental figures have a large influence over their academic achievements, creating high stress levels and increased GPA anxiety.
However, it is okay to not stress over your GPA.
Student GPA’s do not reflect personal value or worth. It is a factor of a student’s academic career; however, it is not the most important quality about the student. Because of these beliefs, students at Notre Dame Academy cannot view their GPA until the end of the semester.
Although this might sound alarming to some students, a student who responded to a school survey said, “If I were able to see my GPA, I would constantly stress over it and worry about getting it higher. Also, I feel that NDA students would want to compare theirs with others.”
Dean of Academics Mrs. Beth Corrigan agrees with that assessment.
“If students could see their GPA’s, they would feel the need to compare one another. A GPA should not define you,” she said.
Another reason students stress so much over their GPA is because it affects college acceptance. However, colleges review more than just academic performance.
“Colleges use a holistic approach. Colleges like to see long term involvement, so it’s important to start participating sooner rather than later,” College Counselor Mrs. Erin Young said.
Extracurricular activities, clubs and service opportunities are great ways to get involved, have fun and create an impressive application.
A GPA does not define a student and her personal worth. In the words of Mrs. Young, “A student’s GPA is just one piece of the puzzle.”
“My New Year's Resolution for 2023 is to value myself and show myself the care that I try to give others. As a people pleaser, I tend to prioritize what will satisfy others above my needs. This is something I want to focus on as I continue to better myself and become the woman I aspire to be.” - Ms. Abby Meek
“I'm going to keep a mood diary so I can see what factors impact my mental health. I also want to meet or exceed the number of books I read in 2022.” - Mrs. Kelly Wood.
“I'd like to get outside more.” - Mrs. Amy Johns
“My resolution for 2023 is to take walks as much as possible.” - Mr. Casey Feldstein
“Oh, I haven’t even started thinking about that yet; ask me on December 31 ” - Mrs. Andrea Zimmerman
“Last year in Florida for New Year’s, I wrote down all worries and concerns, lit the list on fire and let it go in the water. I might or might not do that this year.” - Mrs. Kim Grilliot
“Get more sleep because my daughter keeps me up all night.” - Mr. Mark Richards
“To approach life from a center of peace and calm.” - Mr. Josh Mocek
“I don’t like resolutions because I work on myself daily.” - Mrs. Jessica Beaverson
“My New Year’s Resolution is to start playing piano again.” - Mrs. Kathy Wilkens
“My New Year’s Resolution is 1080p.” Mr. Matt Gruenwald
“I’ve never been a fan of New Year’s Resolutions because I like to take action now and not wait for a specific date to do something.” - Mr. Travis Galloway
“My study tip that I would pass on to someone is making Quizlets and then using them to study with, especially the Learn aspect on Quizlet.” - junior Lauren Heerdegen
“My number one priority when it comes to studying for exams is sleep. A good night's sleep is the first step in properly preparing for exams, and after sleeping, I am able to study hard and well for my exams.” - junior Marin Gaubert
“My best tip I can give to someone is to rewrite all the notes and look at study guides.” - sophomore Dylan Meyer
“I definitely think that the best tip is to read the notes like I am teaching them to someone else and to look at the chapters you did the worst on and go over those.” -sophomore Ava Napoli
“I write my own study guide and rewrite all my notes in a graphing notebook, but it has to be a graphing notebook because there is just something about it that makes the studying process so much easier.” - sophomore Hailey Gomez said.
“Study a little bit of every subject every day leading up to exams, because that will make it all seem less stressful. Also find yourself a place that you feel comfortable and awake and make sure you have lots of snacks.” - senior Ava Foor
“My biggest tip is to physically write out study materials by hand because handwriting is significantly better for retention than typing,” - senior Carly McMahon
“Rewrite all your old homework and notes in blue ink because that improves your memory of it.” - junior Siona Naik
“Make sure not to use other people’s study guides or Quizlets because you actually, physically making them is what builds your learning and memory of the information. Also, definitely do not wait until the night before to study, and rather make a chart or schedule so you feel prepared when the exam day actually comes.” - senior Molly Poitinger
