Last weekend, 23 students from Marist School in Atlanta joined 22 Notre Dame Prep juniors in the 2016 edition of the annual Leadership Summit, which brings students from both Marist Fathers-run schools together to discuss peer leadership and student mentoring.
It’s an important retreat, according to Cathy Zuccaro, who heads Notre Dame Prep’s campus ministry group, which organized and hosted the event. “It’s a great opportunity to get our kids together in the spirit of collaboration between the two Marist schools,” she said.
The weekend summit began Friday evening at Notre Dame’s Pontiac campus and then moved to Camp Copneconic, a YMCA facility located in Fenton, for the remainder of the weekend.
Della Lawrence, who works in Notre Dame campus ministry department, said those in attendance were the core leaders for each school's 2016 Peer Leader program, a mentoring program for new students to each school.
“Together, students from both schools engaged in hands-on exercises in communication, facilitation and situational leadership skills,” Lawrence said. “Our kids also provided a simulation of ‘The Launch’ for the Atlanta students as it is their intent to provide the same orientation program at their school.”
The Launch, which was initiated by the Notre Dame campus ministry department and planned and implemented by the school’s student peer leaders, is an integral part of assimilating incoming freshman and other new students into life at Notre Dame Prep, according to Zuccaro.
Lawrence noted that at Camp Copneconic, Notre Dame’s Fr. Jim Strasz, s.m., one of the discussion facilitators for the weekend, also provided the students in attendance with serious guidance in undertaking the Marist mission and Christian leadership.
“Fr. Strasz really hit home with the sense of community that has been established between the two Marist schools as a result of these summits,” she said.
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 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 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.