Notre Dame Prep Celebrates Milestone

Academic Excellence. Spirituality. Social Justice.

These are the tenets that Notre Dame Preparatory School honors and believe secured its longevity.

On Sept. 14, the school celebrated its 50th anniversary or 138th, depending on who you ask.

"Notre Dame Prep actually opened 138 years ago where the College of Notre Dame is currently located," said Cami Colarossi, the school's director of communications. "The college actually grew out of this school. Then, in the 1950s, the headmistress of the time, Sister Mary Virginia Connelly, decided to move us out here and we settled in on September 14, 1960."

At the time, Sister Virginia was able to buy the property, located in what was then farmland, for only $265,000, a paltry sum by today's standards. Since then, the school has flourished by adjusting to the times while still upholding time-honored traditions.

"Some of the traditions are sacred to us and transcend the times," says Headmistress Sister Patricia McCarron. "They have been passed down from generation to generation but we balance that by keeping up with the educational trends."

Since its move to the Hampton Lane campus, the school has expanded its facilities by building a performing arts wing, a new gym and two soccer fields, among other things. Academically, Notre Dame Prep was the first Catholic school in the metropolitan area to implement a laptop program for girls in the upper school. The school has also made use of Blackboard, an online educational management took frequently used by colleges and universities, and obtained smart boards for use in the middle school curriculum. In terms of character building, the school actively participates in direct service programs that enable the students to assist the homeless and travel abroad to impoverished regions of the world.

However, it is the strong sense of community that truly makes the school.

"Girls come here and make their lifelong friends," Sister McCarron said. "We are sisters to one another. The teachers are talented and devoted and the girls are the center of our lives. We need to educate them for the future, to be women of moral integrity who are loving, just, and wise."

Junior Mallinoff, 16, echoed Sister McCarron's sentiments, saying, "I feel special to be a part of this and have the opportunity to have such a great education."

Sister McCarron was also fortunate to have been around to commemorate an earlier milestone, the 25th anniversary. In 1985, she was a first-year mathematics teacher and junior varsity basketball coach. Although she left the school for a period of time to follow other pursuits, she was overjoyed and impressed upon her return.

"It was great to come back and see that the traditions are still thriving," she said. "The spirit of the institution is incredible. I returned and found myself loving it even more."

And Notre Dame isn't looking to slow down anytime soon.

"We don't stand still. The foundation and spirit always move with us, " she said. "We are all students here and always actively involved in the learning process."

Events commemorating the 50th anniversary will continue all year round and include a school wide day of service and an academic prep rally.