Traditions
Any Notre Dame Prep student or alumna will tell you that traditions matter here. From retreats to Ring Day to Gym Meet to graduation, traditions enrich life at NDP.
- The coveted White Blazer is awarded to the senior best displaying leadership, good school citizenship, and loyalty to Notre Dame Prep to an outstanding degree.
AWARDS ASSEMBLY
At this assembly, the last one of the year, graduating seniors and other Upper Level students receive recognition for their achievements. Awards are given for attendance, community and school service, as well as academic success and overall excellence. The coveted White Blazer is awarded to the senior best displaying leadership, good school citizemship, and loyalty to Notre Dame Prep to an outstanding degree.
BANNERS
Designed to recognize those classes which excel in certain sports, class spirit, loyalty, fund raising and many other things, banners signify that a class has worked well together and has well represented Notre Dame Prep. The prized banners are given out during the school year after events such as intramurals and Gym Meet.
BIG AND LITTLE SISTERS
A much-loved tradition at Notre Dame is the Big and Little Sisters Program. The first day of freshman year, each student is assigned a senior "big" sister who helps her little sister learn the school. Later in the year, each freshman is assigned a junior “big” sister; this relationship carries through sophomore year. Big sister/little sister friendships have been known to last many years after the girls have graduated.
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK
Highlights of this annual, Diocese-wide celebration for Catholic schools include "Pasta for the Philippines," a fund raiser for a Filippino school, a liturgy and other activities.
CELEBRATING OTHER CULTURES
Each year, NDP students celebrate other cultures through the holidays of Cinco de Mayo and Mardi Gras, as well as French Week and Japan Day. Organized through the Language Department, these special days allow students to sample ethnic food, listen to traditional music and try their hands at crafts.
- At Tree Trim, which the Student Council and Athletic Association jointly sponsor, students paint their noses red, wear pipe-cleaner antlers, and sing Christmas carols in the foyer.
CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS
Each year, NDP students celebrate the season with several special events. The annual Christmas concert showcases the talents of Middle and Upper Level musicians. At Tree Trim, which the Student Council and Athletic Association jointly sponsor, students paint their noses red, wear pipe-cleaner antlers, and sing Christmas carols in the foyer. Santa Claus comes to town to give students candy canes and door prizes. Each homeroom makes an ornament to hang on the tree in the foyer. Each homeroom "Adopts-a-Family" to provide gifts and food for a family in need.
GRADUATION
Held on the last Wednesday in May, graduation is a formal, dignified, hour-long ceremony. Graduates wear matching white dresses, an NDP tradition, and carry bouquets of red roses, which they receive in a private ceremony in the school chapel. Diplomas and awards are given, a guest speaker delivers a meaningful message and the headmistress bids the newest alumnae farewell. A processional through the Gateway arch concludes the ceremony.
GYM MEET
Begun in 1929, Gym Meet is one of the oldest NDP traditions. Every March the four Upper Level classes compete for the coveted Silver Cup. Designed to develop class spirit and close bonds with fellow classmates, Gym Meet includes competitions in singing, marching, dancing and aerobics routines. After choosing themes in the fall, the girls begin preparing after Christmas break. They practice after school for three weeks leading up to the Friday and Saturday performances in front of friends, family and anonymous judges.
- Juniors receive their school rings and become upper-class-women at Ring Day, one of the most memorable and treasured NDP traditions.
JUNIOR RING DAY
Juniors receive their school rings and become upper-class-women at Ring Day, one of the most memorable and treasured NDP traditions. Prior to Ring Day, all juniors participate in a three-day retreat. Ring Day itself begins with a liturgy for class members and their parents. Then, in a formal school assembly, the headmistress presents each junior with her onyx-and-gold ring. The class president, headmistress and a chosen faculty member wish the juniors success and the ceremony concludes. The annual Ring Dance, held that evening, caps off the day.LITURGIES
The entire school comes together to pray and receive Communion. Organized by the school's Campus Ministry Program and planned by students, liturgies are held before special occasions and on Holy Days. One special liturgy, the Farewell Liturgy, honors the departing senior class. At the end of this celebration, each senior receives a basket full of letters from her friends, classmates and teachers. Recent senior classes have begun some new traditions following the liturgy, such as singing their Gym Meet farewell song and jumping into the pool fully clothed. It is one of the most poignant and memorable events of the school year.
ML FIELD DAY
Middle Level Field Day includes team games, relays and other fun athletic activities. It begins with each homeroom presenting its own creative fight song, guaranteed to amuse. Many ML parents volunteer to help with Field Day activities.
PENNY QUEEN
Fund raising becomes a challenge and a delight as elected class "Penny Queens" perform zany stunts to earn spare change for charity. The class that raises the most receives the "Penny Queen" banner. The Christian Community Awareness Program sponsors the weeklong event, which supports school service projects and community organizations representing those in need.
- The Junior Retreat
RETREATS
Prayerful, reflective and unifying, NDP retreats help faculty and students focus on the joys of teaching, learning and being together in the presence of God. At various times throughout the school year, all students participate in specially designed retreats for each grade.
SCHOOL SONG
- "The Gateway"
- Where the Gateway opens to our Lady's Way,
There a column symbols truth by night and day.
Where the seal is woven into white and blue,
Stands a flag of beauty, Notre Dame for you.
Refrain - Ever hail her alma mater,
Know her colors sign for you.
Work and play beneath her mantle
Blue be loyal, white be true. - As the campus greets you every tree unfolds,
And ready mother gives the gift she holds
Here is love's pure whiteness and the blue lamp's glow,
Thought and care of one's heart from her two hands flow.
SENIOR CLASS NYC TRIP
Each winter, members of the senior class travel to New York City, a trip which unites the class and their teachers together as they experience the Big Apple. They see two Broadway plays, dine together and explore. The girls have plenty of time to shop, sightsee, and have fun.
SENIOR-ALUMNAE DINNER
To celebrate the approaching graduation of the senior class, members of the class are invited to a dinner with alumnae. There they share memories of their years at Notre Dame with their classmates and friends.
SOPHOMORE CLASS WILLIAMSBURG TRIP
A highlight of sophomore year is an overnight trip to Williamsburg, Virginia, which is held each fall. The girls visit this historical place and learn about life in early America. By exploring Colonial Williamsburg with their friends, they discover how people lived in the past.
STUDENT-PARENT TRADITIONS
NDP parents are an involved bunch. From the 8th Grade Parent Dinner to the Upper Level's famous Father-Daughter Sports Night and Dinner/Dance, these traditions help create lasting memories for NDP families.
UPPER LEVEL DANCES
Sponsored by either the Student Council, the Athletic Association, or the Christian Community Awareness Program, school dances are held three times a year in the fall, at Christmas and in the spring. Money earned from ticket sales goes to charity or the school. Students host the dances, with parents and faculty chaperoning.