News & Events News
Students in Notre Dame High School’s cultural clubs recently presented the 2023 Diversity Showcase, a celebration of the rich diversity of the student body. The event featured songs, dancing, beautiful traditional costumes and delicious food, allowing students and their families to celebrate their own culture and learn about others.
Congratulations to Notre Dame High School’s Varsity Basketball Team, which took home the league championship trophy!
Last week, Notre Dame’s Regent Collective Dance Company performed at Santa Clara University’s basketball game, entertaining guests with a fun and impressive halftime show.
Since 1974, Catholic Schools Week has been celebrated across the United States with Mass and other activities for students, families, parishioners and community members. Through these events, schools focus on the value of Catholic education and its contributions to our church, our communities and our nation.
Last week, the Class of 2025 participated in Sophomore Breakaway Days, which included a daylong retreat and an interdisciplinary field trip to the de Young Museum in San Francisco. The retreat provided students with an important learning and growth experience fostering spiritual reflection and community building while the field trip extended academic curriculum into experiential learning and application.
Led by director Emily King, the Regent Collective Dance Company and Notre Dame dance classes presented their first live performance since 2020 with the modern retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid for an audience of more than 430 people. Choreography for the show, Two Tales, featured a wide range of dance styles including jazz, contemporary, ballet and hip-hop.
Notre Dame High School's First Scholars program provides assistance to students who will be the first in their family to attend college with assistance in navigating the road to a college education. Last week, students in the program attended a panel discussion at Santa Clara University to learn about the college application process from first generation students.
Notre Dame High School’s AAPI Coalition collaborated with other cultural clubs last week to organize a school-wide celebration of the Lunar New Year. The event featured traditional Vietnamese and Filipino dances and games as well as a sampling of delicious snacks.
Senior Anna Yang was recently recognized as one of the top 300 scholars in the Regeneron Science Talent Search 2023, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors.
Students in Introduction to Engineering wrapped up the third grading period with a class engineering competition. In a test of teamwork, creativity and understanding of the design process, six teams were formed to take on the VEX IQ Challenge: Next Level, a game involving pushing and stacking large plastic hubs.
On Wednesday, Notre Dame High School student body leaders shared a State of the School presentation with the learning community. The presentation highlighted accomplishments from the first semester and forecast many of the activities and events that will take place over the next few months.
Congratulations to Kaitlyn '25 who created the winning logo artwork for our 20th annual Crab Fest! We look forward to welcoming guests back to campus on Saturday, Feb. 4 as we raise funds for co-curricular programs. Thank you, in advance, to the hundreds of dedicated volunteers, attendees and sponsors who make this event such a success every year.
Last week, seniors Myiesha ’23 and Ruth ’23, along with Notre Dame’s Robotics Team, hosted the 9th annual Young Women’s Engineering Symposium (YWES) on the Notre Dame campus with the goal of providing high school students with an opportunity to explore engineering and STEM careers through the experiences of local professionals.
More than 200 members of the Notre Dame community came together recently to celebrate Las Posadas. This tradition of Catholic faith and Mexican culture acknowledges the waiting, hoping and traveling of the Advent season as we recount Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem.
Notre Dame's Class of 2024 Dragons recently enjoyed the first off-site retreat in three years. Organized by campus ministry and student leaders, the event provided an opportunity for students to strengthen their bonds as classmates and practice self-care around balance, self-worth and wholeness.
Notre Dame's student group, Lighthouse, recently hosted a special event to help students relieve some stress during this busy time of year. The group, focused on mental health and wellness, provided activities, music and pumpkin pie, along with an opportunity to bond over shared stresses as well as the many things students found to be thankful for.
Folklorico dancers from Notre Dame and Bellarmine recently performed at the San Jose State University viewing of "A Song for Cesar." The film, a documentary by Abel Sanchez and Andres Alegria, presents a unique view of the life and legacy of Cesar Chavez and the farmworker movement. The film tells a previously untold story about the musicians and artists – including Joan Baez, Maya Angelou, and Carlos Santana, among others – who dedicated their time, creativity and even reputations to peacefully advance Cesar Chavez’s movement to gain equality and justice for America’s suffering farmworkers.
Students in French 3 Honors recently met with native French-speaking women to hone their language skills and learn more about French culture. Throughout the course, students have studied important women in the francophone world and, through this experience, were able to have authentic conversations in French with local women of impact.
More than 200 fathers and daughters came together on campus recently to enjoy a wonderful breakfast and companionship. Notre Dame's parent resource group, ND Dads, organized and cooked scrambled eggs, sausage, croissants and other yummy treats! They also presented roses to the seniors at the event.
Freshman classes traditionally study Japanese culture in conjunction with their reading of When the Emperor was Divine by Julie Otsuka. One aspect of that culture is Taiko drumming, which students were able to experience through an assembly featuring Heiwa Taiko, a group of inspiring grandmothers who perform on 19" drums they created themselves.
Notre Dame's AP French Language & Culture students recently visited Stanford University's Auguste Rodin sculpture collection to experience, in person, the art they had been studying in class.
On Tuesday, students, faculty and staff walked to the Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph for our All Saints Day liturgy, prepared by campus ministry student leaders and led by Father Jon Pedigo of Catholic Charities and Deacon Steve Herrera, religious studies teacher. This year’s theme - Saints, Ancestors and Us - Our Journey Together - highlighted our connection to those saints and loved ones who inspire us in faith and leadership.
This week Notre Dame's student club, Latinas Unidas, set up an altar in the Manley Hall foyer to celebrate Dia de los Muertos, Day of the Dead, a Mexican tradition honoring those who have passed away. Our learning community was invited to participate in the altar by bringing pictures or mementos of loved ones, as a way of honoring their lives. It is believed the happy spirits will provide protection, good luck and wisdom to the families.
In addition to speaking at the Women of Impact luncheon, this year's honorees, Dr. Mary Lomax-Ghirarduzzi and Lori Castillo '92 Martinez spent the morning on the Notre Dame campus. In an assembly, they discussed the application of social justice and equity activism in our everyday lives and how to develop and use your voice to affect change in our communities.
Notre Dame’s South Asian Student Association (SASA) recently held a Diwali event celebrating the food, dance and traditional clothes that are part of their cultural identity. Diwali is a holy time in Hinduism known as the festival of lights and celebrates the triumph of light over darkness. The five-day long festival originated in the Indian subcontinent and is mentioned in early Sanskrit texts.