On March 9, 2017, Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy launched the public phase of its campaign to raise a total of $5.5 million toward a $7.5 million science, art and technology wing, which will be built on its campus in Pontiac.
So just for the fun of it, we decided to check on all of the great things Notre Dame and its students, alumni, faculty and friends have accomplished since inauguration day, January 20, 2017. But let's call it the “past 100 days,” since we’ve already gone through more than 8,200 of them since the school opened and will go through many more in the future.
From a new record in Scholastic art awards to the opening of the lower-division’s new building addition, from the naming of a new head of school to the announcement of plans for a major expansion of science, art and technology space, Notre Dame’s past 100 days were a whirlwind of progress and positive change. And it was progress and positive change that have most definitely set the school up for not just the next 100 days — but for the next 100 years.
See "100 days of Notre Dame" below, starting with our most recent news.
NOTRE DAME SENIOR GETS NHS SCHOLARSHIP
One of only 300 in the U.S. to receive scholarship from National Honor Society. Jacqueline Kenny, a senior and member of the National Honor Society (NHS) at Notre Dame Preparatory School, has been named one of 300 national semifinalists in the National Honor Society Scholarship […]
NOTRE DAME’S VEX IQ ROBOTICS TEAMS EXCEL IN LOUISVILLE
At this year’s VEX IQ World Championships held in Louisville, Kentucky, last weekend, Notre Dame’s Bumblebees teams put in one of their finest performances to date, with one of the lower-division teams getting second place in their division, the best finish of all the school’s […]
NOTRE DAME IB JUNIORS TRAVEL TO UNIVERSITY, GET TRAINING ON COLLEGE-LEVEL RESEARCH
On the heels of Monday’s celebration and presentation of extended essays for International Baccalaureate Diploma Program senior candidates and the juniors who will follow them next school year, Notre Dame sponsored a trip Wednesday to Oakland University for the juniors in the IB program. In […]
FULL-TIME STRENGTH AND FITNESS
Safety and proper conditioning for Notre Dame student-athletes paramount for strength and conditioning coach. According to “Careers in Sport, Fitness, and Exercise,” a book put out in 2011 by the American Kinesiology Association, strength and conditioning coaches have two primary goals: The first is to […]
MIDDLE SCHOOLERS CLEAN UP ON NATIONAL SPANISH EXAM
Like Notre Dame’s upper division, students from the school’s middle division scored big in the most recent 2017 National Spanish Examinations, bringing home 42 awards, including eight gold medals. “I am so proud of the students this year,” said middle-division Spanish teacher Marisol Aguilar. “They […]
TWO STUDENT-ATHLETES FROM NOTRE DAME SIGN TO PLAY COLLEGE ATHLETICS
Notre Dame hosted a college signing ceremony today for two senior student-athletes. Tariq Derrickson will be playing basketball at Henry Ford College located in Dearborn, and Kyle Lindsey has committed to join the men’s golf team at Northwood University in Midland. High school athletic highlights […]
NOTRE DAME BRINGS HOME THE HARDWARE ONCE AGAIN ON NATIONAL TEST
Several world language students from Notre Dame recently achieved national recognition for excellent performance on the 2017 National Spanish Examinations, earning a total of two gold medals, four silver medals and four bronze medals, along with 26 honorable mentions. This year's examination results nearly matched […]
One of Notre Dame’s 42 International Baccalaureate Diploma Program candidates celebrated at annual event says his IB teachers were tough, but they helped make him into an independent thinker. Forty-two International Baccalaureate Diploma Program candidates will be celebrated Monday, April 24, 2017, in a special annual […]
HELPING THE PLANET ON EARTH DAY AND EVERY DAY
Earth Day is today, April 22, and Notre Dame students continue to help create a sustainable future for the planet. More than seven years after the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history, NDPMA students welcome Earth Day once again with a vow to help make their world a better […]
ALUM TAKES CAREER TO THE SILVER SCREEN
Wrestling in high school helped set Josh Romeo up for parts in the upcoming “Transformers: The Last Knight” and “The Russian Bride” movies, among others. Two-thousand nine Notre Dame alum Josh Romeo earned many accolades as a student and wrestler at Notre Dame. His […]
STUDENT ART SHOW INCLUDES SPECIAL IB EXHIBITION
Artists' reception scheduled for Monday, April 24, at 6:30 p.m. in the student gathering area. The 2017 Notre Dame Student Art Show and IB Exhibition, which opened Monday, April 10, and runs through April 27, features art from students in the school’s upper division. A large […]
CHOIRS FROM NOTRE DAME CHOSEN FOR STATE FESTIVAL
Three choirs from Notre Dame’s upper division traveled to Brighton High School last Friday, April 7, to take part in the annual Michigan School Vocal Music Association (MSVMA) district festival. Two of the school’s three choirs received an excellent rating, which qualified them for the […]
THE HUMAN CONDITION AND FIFTH GRADE
Upcoming fifth-grade exhibition for IB-PYP focuses on the human condition. Students present on cancer, homelessness, veterans, and injuries in sports among other topics. On Friday, April 28, 2017, Notre Dame’s lower division will host its seventh annual “Exhibition,” the culmination of the years spent within […]
FIRST JK(4)-12 ‘LIFERS’ HEAD TO COLLEGE
Notre Dame to graduate first students who’ve attended the school since junior-kindergarten. Notre Dame’s lower division, which educates children from junior-kindergarten through fifth grade, officially opened in Waterford in 2003, joining the school's already existing middle and upper divisions. It was a rather bold move […]
Alum brothers from Notre Dame open new micro-brewery in Oxford. Notre Dame alums Jeff (’04) and Joe (’00) Powers recently were putting the finishing touches on HomeGrown Brewing Company, a new family-owned microbrewery that opened April 12 in downtown Oxford. They’ve been working day and night since […]
19TH ANNUAL COLLEGE FAIR ANOTHER BIG SUCCESS
Annual event welcomed by students, parents and university representatives. More than 650 students from Notre Dame Prep and five other area high schools attended Notre Dame’s 19th annual College Fair on March 31 in the school’s gymnasium. According to Vlado Salic, director of counseling for […]
NEW COMEDY FROM NOTRE DAME OPENED IN APRIL
A contemptuous theatre critic breaks his leg while on a lecture tour in the Midwest and is forced to stay a bit longer than expected at the home of his host family. The immutable house guest (a.k.a, Sheldon Whiteside) takes the term "make yourself at […]
HARD WORK AND ART GET TOGETHER IN ONE DETERMINED TEACHER
Teaching art to more than 12,000 students at five high schools, three colleges, and yes, one jail has solidified this 71-year-old artist’s reputation from Kalamazoo and Marquette to southeast Michigan. Former Notre Dame teacher mounts 50-year retrospective of a career in education and art. Kirby […]
NOTRE DAME ANNOUNCES NEW BOARD MEMBERS
On Monday, March 27, 2017, the Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy Board of Trustees approved the nomination of Jill Seitzinger and Pamella Szydlak-Popp as school trustees. An orientation was recently conducted for both candidates and they will attend their first board meeting as […]
NOTRE DAME STUDENTS LOUISVILLE-BOUND
Notre Dame’s lower and middle-division robotics teams are preparing for the World Championships to be held in Louisville, Kentucky, in late April. The VEX Robotics World Championship, now entering its 10th year, will bring together the top 1,400 student-led robotics teams from around the world to […]
Notre Dame’s successful robotics program looks forward to new designated space on campus; robotics teacher says it’s the right time. Notre Dame’s high school robotics program, which fields a team called “The Killer Bees,” heads to Windsor, Ontario, today for the FIRST Robotics Inter-District contest. […]
NOTRE DAME JUNIOR WINS BIG SCIENCE AWARD FOR SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR
Notre Dame junior wins Grand Award at metro Detroit science fair; looks forward to getting Ph.D in college. Malini Mukherji, a junior in Notre Dame’s upper division, earned a Grand Award from the 60th Science & Engineering Fair of Metropolitan Detroit (SEFMD), which was held […]
NOTRE DAME MODEL UN TEAM EXCELS AT TWO UNIVERSITY CONFERENCES
MUN team members work with other high schoolers on issues involving Argentina, Kazakhstan, Indonesia and even the planet Mars. Notre Dame’s Model United Nations team members had a busy month in March as they participated in two separate conferences, one at Oakland University and another […]
NOTRE DAME ANNOUNCES LARGEST GIFT EVER TO SCHOOL FOR SCIENCE, ART AND TECHNOLOGY EXPANSION
PONTIAC, Mich. — Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy announced today that automotive executive and longtime education advocate William L. Kozyra has made a significant donation of $1 million to the school in support of its capital campaign for science, art and technology. […]
MULTI-CHOIR CONCERT PLANNED FOR THIS SUNDAY
On Sunday, March 26, a multi-choir concert is being planned by Notre Dame’s chorale music department. According to Ellie Frazier, who assists Director of Choirs David Fazzini, the concert will be held in the auditorium of Avondale High School and will feature student-singers from both […]
NOTRE DAME STUDENT SINGERS PERFORM IN SPECIAL LENTEN EVENT AT CLARKSTON CHURCH
Notre Dame’s Praise and Worship Choir performed last night at a special annual event hosted by St. Daniel Catholic Community of Clarkston. Nine NDP students under the direction of David Fazzini sang for more than 50 parishioners attending the parish’s "Lenten Soup and Prayer Night,” […]
LINEUP AND SCHEDULE FOR NOTRE DAME SUMMER CAMPS RELEASED
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy's youth summer camps will soon be here on campus. And this year’s line up is as diverse and exciting as ever. The school expects parent and student interest to be high once again, so the sooner one signs […]
2001 alum earned an engineering degree from MSU, but an interest in journalism sent her to a career in broadcast news. Elizabeth Crenshaw graduated from Notre Dame in 2001. Since then she’s studied engineering, communications and journalism, and now is a TV reporter with WILX […]
Third Annual Irish Week Challenge raises more than $11,500 to benefit Notre Dame students. The 3rd Annual Irish Week Challenge finished up last week as another big success for NDPMA! The Challenge raised more than $11,500 in support of Notre Dame and its annual appeal, […]
SING-OFF HIGHLIGHTS NOTRE DAME’S 2017 IRISH GAMES
The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame Preparatory and Marist Academy this week once again celebrated "Irish Week," which began in the school Monday as a week-long celebration of the school's Irish heritage/nickname. The tradition actually was initiated years ago at Harper Woods Notre Dame, a […]
After winning two state titles, Notre Dame senior competes in national event in Florida. Notre Dame senior Rudy Aguilar-Fernandez, who recently won two state championships in swimming (100 freestyle and 200 freestyle), is swimming this week at the National Club Swimming Association’s (NCSA) Juniors, which […]
NOTRE DAME ANNOUNCES $7.5 MILLION SCIENCE, ART AND TECHNOLOGY BUILDING EXPANSION
Listen to a podcast of Notre Dame Head of School Andy Guest's radio interview on WJR-760 AM (Feb. 15, 2017) PONTIAC, Mich. — Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy on March 9, 2017, launched the public phase of its philanthropic campaign to raise a […]
DIVERSITY AND THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT EXPLORED ON ‘COMMUNITY READ DAY’
Each year, students in Notre Dame’s middle division read a book together on a day designated as “Community Read Day.” The book chosen for this year was “Ugly: My Memoir,” the unique and inspiring story of a boy born with the odds against him and […]
ALUM AND AUTHOR VISITS WITH LOWER DIVISION
Notre Dame alum Kelsey (Ellsasser) Fox ('06) visited with a number of students in the lower division this morning to read from and discuss her book, “Just try it Wyatt.” The book, which was was released last year, is the first in a planned series […]
NOTRE DAME PREP WINS FOURTH CONSECUTIVE D3 TITLE (WITH PHOTOS)
Notre Dame Prep wins fourth consecutive D3 title in emotional night WITH PHOTO GALLERY By TERRY JACOBY @MIPrepZone (The Oakland Press) A state championship is usually the pinnacle in high school sports. But for the Pontiac Notre Dame competitive cheer team winning their fourth straight […]
PERSONAL PROJECTS HELP DEMONSTRATE IB-MYP MASTERY
The hard work of Notre Dame sophomores in the school’s International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program was on display today as the 10th graders presented their personal projects, the culmination of the MYP and an important stepping stone into the IB-Diploma Program. The International Baccalaureate says it […]
NOTRE DAME’S BUILDING EXPANSION ‘OPENS FOR BUSINESS’
In a ceremony and blessing this morning held outside the recently completed expansion of Notre Dame’s lower division building, parents, faculty and administration official welcomed students into its new classrooms. Head of School Andy Guest provided remarks and Fr. Ron Nikodem, s.m., from the campus […]
ANOTHER STATE CHAMPIONSHIP FOR NOTRE DAME ROBOTICS
February 27, 2017News, Robotics
Notre Dame teams sweep the first four spots in annual robotics final; five teams qualify for world championship. Following Saturday’s state championship win by a robotics team from the lower division, a team from Notre Dame’s middle division brought home another state title on Sunday […]
NOTRE DAME THIRD GRADERS WIN ROBOTICS STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
February 26, 2017News, Robotics
Team K of Notre Dame’s VEX IQ robotics group, the Bumble Bees, came out on top yesterday in the GM-sponsored VEX IQ Elementary School Michigan State Championship, which was held at Charlotte Middle School in Charlotte, Mich. As a result of their big win yesterday, […]
NOTRE DAME STUDENTS EARN MEDALS IN PRESTIGIOUS LANGUAGE EXAMINATION
Two gold and four silver medals highlight a strong showing by Notre Dame Prep students in the most recent edition of the National Spanish Examinations. Junior Montserrat Dorantes and freshman Christopher VanDieren both earned gold medals and Sean Higgins (10), Lorena Dorantes (9), Evaristo Garcia-Reyna (9) and […]
NOTRE DAME SENIOR FEATURED BY UNIVERSITY
In an article published earlier this month on Gopher Illustrated, an online news service focused on the University of Minnesota athletic program, Notre Dame senior and Gopher recruit Kyle Sassack talks about the reasons he chose to attend the University of Minnesota and his goals […]
NOTRE DAME’S WEEK IN PICTURES: FEB. 12-18, 2017
A selection of photographs and images that helped define last week at Notre Dame. Comments or questions? mkelly@ndpma.org. Follow us on Twitter @NDPMA About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school […]
Notre Dame Prep scholarship fund set up by generous contribution from alumni brothers. Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy announced on Friday, Feb. 17, 2017, that an endowed scholarship fund for tuition assistance has been established with the generous support of alums James Berch, […]
EVENT TODAY SHOWCASES NOTRE DAME TECHNOLOGY FOR AREA CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
A special event today hosted by Notre Dame’s IT group is demonstrating how the school is integrating technology into its day-to-day curricula for other Catholic schools in the area. According to Eden Konja, who is director of information and academic technology for NDPMA, the “Microsoft […]
ALUM AND JUDGE CREDITS HER HIGH SCHOOL WITH JUMP-STARTING CAREER IN LAW
Pontiac Catholic alumna Colleen O'Brien (’74) is a judge on the Michigan Second District Court of Appeals. Governor Rick Snyder appointed her on September 29, 2015, to finish the unexpired term of Pat Donofrio, who retired the following day. She subsequently was elected to the […]
SIMON NAMED HEAD OF NOTRE DAME ADVANCEMENT
Gregory Simon, who first moved into Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy’s advancement department in 2014 to direct its annual fund activities, has been named this week by Head of School Andy Guest to lead the group as director of advancement. In this position, […]
NOTRE DAME NAMES NEW BOYS GOLF COACH
Check out Tom's interview on Feb. 9 with Frank Beckmann on WJR 760. The athletic department of Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy announced today that Tom Gillis has been named head coach of the boys golf team. A native of Lake Orion, Mich., Gillis […]
STUDENT-ARTISTS PICK UP AWARDS AT THE DFT
Record-setting art from Notre Dame's upper division includes a "best of show." Last night, in a ceremony held at the Detroit Film Theatre in the Detroit Institute of Arts, Notre Dame student-artists were honored alongside hundreds of fellow high school artists in the area who […]
NOTRE DAME NAMES ANDREW J. GUEST NEW HEAD OF SCHOOL
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy’s Board of Trustees announced today that Andrew J. Guest has been named head of school, effective immediately. In this position, Guest will oversee the day-to-day operations of the school, including all academic, arts and athletic programs. He succeeds […]
‘UNRUFFLED’ AND COMPLETELY DEDICATED TO THE STUDENTS
Longtime fixture on campus says Notre Dame always has taken pride in its academics. Jerold McGhee, (a.k.a. Jerry) has been a quiet yet prominent fixture on campus since first coming to Notre Dame in 1999. He typically can be seen on the football field or […]
NOTRE DAME A ‘WELCOME’ HOME FOR ITS YOUNGEST STUDENTS
Notre Dame teacher says making the ‘little ones’ feel loved and supported a big part of her job. (Updated 02-14-17) Charged with teaching Notre Dame’s youngest students, junior-kindergarten (Jr. Kindergarten – JK4) instructor Kelly Bicknell says she works really hard at making her classroom welcoming and accessible. […]
NOTRE DAME’S WEEK IN PICTURES: FEB. 5-11, 2017
A selection of photographs and images that helped define this past week at Notre Dame. Comments or questions? mkelly@ndpma.org. Follow us on Twitter @NDPMA About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day […]
NOTRE DAME DEBUTS SPORTS BROADCASTING CLUB AT BASKETBALL GAME
With the red-hot Davison Cardinals boys basketball team coming into Notre Dame’s gym on Wednesday to play the Fighting Irish, NDP students on the school’s new sports broadcasting team decided it was as good of time as any to put the game on air. Started […]
NOTRE DAME STUDENTS FARE WELL AT REGIONAL S&E FESTIVAL
Last weekend, on January 27 and 28, at Detroit Country Day School, five students from the Notre Dame choir program participated in the regional Solo and Ensemble Festival sponsored by the Michigan School Vocal Music Association. The MSVMA program consisted of students who sing in front […]
NOTRE DAME STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT THE LEGAL PROFESSION
More than 50 students from Notre Dame’s upper division gathered yesterday in the school’s media center for the 6th edition of the Alumni Career Speaker Series, which is sponsored by the Notre Dame Alumni Association. The focus of this event was on legal careers and […]
LOWER DIVISION EXPANSION NEARS COMPLETION
Students and faculty will soon be spreading out and into the new 7,200 square-foot expansion of Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy’s lower division, according to recent information from the school. “The tile floor in the hallway was completed yesterday and, subject to an electrical […]
BOOSTER CLUB POKER NIGHTS LESS THAN MONTH AWAY
The Booster Club’s Poker Nights, which are held next month, March 13, 14, 15 and 16, at Ciccarelli's Charity Poker Room in Shelby, is a perfect opportunity to fill out parent volunteer hours while working at a super fun affair. According to the Booster Club, […]
FOUR FROM NOTRE DAME SIGN TO PLAY COLLEGE ATHLETICS
On what is traditionally the annual signing day for high school student-athletes across the U.S. who are heading to college in the fall to play football, Notre Dame Prep did indeed host a signing ceremony on campus today for four of its senior student-athletes. […]
NOTRE DAME 4TH GRADERS ‘PAR EXCELLENCE’
Weekend competition qualifies VEX IQ robotics team for state championship. This past weekend, a number of fourth-grade students attended a VEX IQ robotics tournament at the Nissan Technical Center North America, which is located in Farmington Hills. This event was a combined competition that included […]
Notre Dame alum and VEX IQ robotics team providing some necessary locomotion for upcoming production of Peter Pan Jr. Members of Notre Dame’s VEX IQ robotics teams are putting their knowledge of technology to work in the production of the middle division's Peter Pan Jr., […]
NOTRE DAME TAKES FIRST PLACE IN PRESTIGIOUS DRAMA COMPETITION
Notre Dame’s upper division drama students came home yesterday from West Bloomfield High School with a Michigan Interscholastic Forensic Association district first place for their performance of “Women and War, A One Act Play.” According to Meredith Gifford, who heads Notre Dame’s theatre department, the […]
ALUM IS SETTING BIG GOALS AND ACHIEVING THEM
Alum’s academic and professional journey goes from Pontiac through West Lafayette to Waterloo. Luke Moriguchi, a 2012 graduate of Notre Dame Prep, paid a visit last week to his alma mater, and among those he spent some time with was Vlado Salic, who directs the […]
CELEBRATING THE CHINESE NEW YEAR AT NOTRE DAME
The Chinese New Year officially begins tomorrow, January 28, but that didn’t stop some of the staff at Notre Dame from sharing a celebration today with the seven members of the school’s visiting students from China. See more photos below from the celebration, which included traditional […]
GREEK ORTHODOX PRIEST VISITS WITH NOTRE DAME SOPHOMORES
Rev. Fr. Evangelos (Angelo) Mago, a Greek Orthodox priest serving in Grand Blanc, Mich., visited Notre Dame Prep this week to discuss Eastern Christianity with sophomores in Ryan Delaney’s religion class. According to Delaney, Mago graduated from the Florida Institute of Technology with a degree […]
NOTRE DAME ALUM TO RUN FOR MAYOR
Joe Ricci, a 1967 Notre Dame alum, announced this week that he has thrown his hat in the ring of mayoral candidates in the city of Grosse Pointe Farms. A current member of the Farms city council, Ricci officially filed paperwork recently with Wayne County […]
12 FROM NOTRE DAME PICKED FOR STATE-LEVEL BAND FESTIVAL
Congratulations to the Notre Dame student-musicians who performed at the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association District 4 Solo & Ensemble Festival on January 14 at Brighton High School. Out of the 28 NDP students, 12 were selected to perform at the State Solo & […]
NOTRE DAME SENIOR GETS SCHOLAR-ATHLETE NOMINATION FROM THE STATE
Three-sport student-athlete Brendan Fraser announced as finalist for MHSAA Scholar-Athlete Award. Notre Dame senior Brendan Fraser has been named a finalist for the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s Scholar-Athlete Award in Class B. A three-sport athlete at Notre Dame Prep (cross country, track and wrestling), […]
WHAT KIND OF SKILLS WILL STUDENTS NEED IN THE FUTURE?
in an article in the latest edition of “IB World” magazine, the official publication of International Baccalaureate, editors ask IB educators to weigh in on what students will need to succeed in the future and how that may shape their lesson plans. We asked you. […]
NOTRE DAME STUDENT-ARTISTS SHATTER SCHOLASTIC RECORD
Record-setting art from Notre Dame's upper division includes a "best of show." Student-artists from Notre Dame found out this week that they earned 45 awards in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards competition for the Southeastern Michigan region, a huge increase from last-year’s school record […]
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About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. The school's upper division enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame's middle and lower divisions enroll students in jr. kindergarten through grade eight. All three divisions are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." The Marist Fathers and Brothers sponsor NDPMA's Catholic identity and manages its educational program. Notre Dame is accredited by the National Association of Independent Schools, the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school's home page at www.ndpma.org.