Last week marked my return to the pool deck as a swim coach. Wait, what? But do you have time to coach the Swim Team, you might be asking. Or, better, is this the best use of your time? Good questions, and the answer is yes.

Coaching the swim team puts me in touch with 20% of the student body every day. It's given me a chance to get to know some of our students and their families. I'm learning what makes them tick, where they come from, and who they are. Can I really lead a school community if I don't understand the people?

Also, we've been committed to giving our students the best experience we can. Coaching is something I can contribute. So many people have wanted to talk about the past glories of Notre Dame; others want to focus on enrollment and the future. We can't neglect the present by not giving our students and teachers the best possible experience right now.

Go Spirits!

Dr. Tim Uhl

• Click this link to take the February Stakeholder survey

• The 2025-26 school calendar is out!

• The student announcements for the week can be found here.

• Miss Perry received a generous donation of books from the Friends of Harrison Memorial Bookroom at Carmel's Sunset Center. We are looking for volunteers to help with organizing the books, including data entry, and we are also in need of bookshelves. Email nperry@notredamesalinas.org

• During the month of February, students can go on a "Blind Date with a Book" by checking out a surprise book, then they can write a short review to be entered into a prize drawing.

• Here's a letter explaining the AI summer program which has a link to a brochure.
• We've launched this simple Google Form to "crowdsource" alumnae information. If you know of any alumnae, feel free to share the link
• Here is a Google Doc with student service opportunities

Here is the link to the Student Handbook. We're continuing to adjust as issues arise.

• Feb 13-17: Winter Break
• Feb 20th: Fall Semester Academic Award Assembly, 2:00 pm
• Feb 26th: Parent Meeting about Dual Enrollment & curriculum, 6:00 pm in the theater
• April 11-12: Notre Dame's spring musical "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee"
• April 12: Notre Dame's Pickleball tournament
• May 16: "Our Story of the Beatles" production
• May 23: Baccalaureate Mass 10 am Sacred Heart Church
• May 25: Graduation

As we continue to add games, here is the basketball schedule, the lacrosse schedule, and the swimming schedule. This fall's volleyball and tennis schedules are now being built.

Every interested Spirit coming out for spring sports needs to be up-to-date on Home Campus. Every new student-athlete was emailed information this week.

College Workshops & Scholarship Labs

This week, juniors participated in a workshop focused on College List Research, Balance & Costs (slides 11-22). They were also left with a few tasks to reinforce these important topics. As we shift our focus to individual meetings, group workshops will pause until after Spring Break, when we’ll introduce new topics in preparation for college applications next Fall.

Senior Scholarship Labs continue next Wednesday at lunch, with a focus on MPC (Deadline: 3/2) & Hartnell (Deadline: 3/3) Scholarships. Any student considering community college as an option is strongly encouraged to apply for these opportunities!

Outisde Opportunities:

• Free Hartnell FAFSA/CADAA Submission Labs (every Monday) and Cash for College Event (2/26)
  
• 2025 National Youth Science Camp-Apply by 2/28: High-achieving juniors and seniors interested in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) are invited to apply for the 2025 National Youth Science Camp, a prestigious, fully funded summer program held in West Virginia and Washington, DC, from July 10 to August 2.
• SAT & ACT Practice Opportunities: Revolution Test prep will be offering Notre Dame Students a free online opportunity to take a practice SAT (3/1) and ACT (3/8). View details and register here.

2024-25 Scholarship Opportunities

Here is a link to the February Alumnae Newsletter. This went out to our entire database of Alumnae emails (5,000+) and includes stories and pictures about this year. Feel free to share!

Recently, we lost 2 very strong supporters. June Backus, mother of Sally Backus Reinmann ’66, passed away at the age of 99. “She was always willing to say “yes” when asked for help. In the summer of 1964, Monsignor Thomas Earley asked if she could figure out a way to furnish the new convent at the soon to be opened Notre Dame High School. Twelve Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur would be arriving to live there and teach and the convent did not have a stitch of furniture or furnishings.” And she did just that!

Louis Huntington, 85, husband of Roberta Fanoe Huntington ’59 and father of Michelle Huntington Beach ’88, believed in giving back to his community and Notre Dame High School was part of that community. The Huntington Scholarship was established through the Notre Dame Foundation over 30 years ago and has offered aid to over 30 young ladies.

We are grateful and blessed to be recipients of their generosity and kindness. Please keep both of these families in your prayers.

Email: tuhl@notredamesalinas.org

Website: www.notredamesalinas.org
Location: Salinas, CA
Phone: 831-751-1850
Twitter: @drtimuhl

TheCatholic School Matters podcast is on hiatus until January.

Previous episodes this season:

• conversation with Dr. John Reyes of Boston College discussing the concept of "polycrisis" and how that impacts leadership in these turbulent times.
• A conversation with Ryan Collins, an Educational Technology blogger and administrator, discussing how AI is changing educational technology and instruction.
• A discussion about burnout and balanced leadership with consultant and former Catholic school leader Andrew Murray. Based in New Zealand, Murray has a unique perspective on finding balance after a tough bout with long COVID.
• A conversation with author, professor, and school choice advocate Dr. Ashley Rogers Berner of Johns Hopkins. Her new book Educational Pluralism & Democracy: How to Handle Indoctrination, Promote Exposure, and Rebuild America's Schools is a great discussion of building a new system of school with accountability
• A conversation with Susan Morrissey about Artificial Intelligence. Susan is a graduate student and PD presenter who thinks about AI through a Catholic lens.
• I kicked off Season 9 with a conversation with theologian Dr. Ann Garrido. We discuss her latest book, Redeeming Power, and its relation to her earlier work Let's Talk About Truth. We discuss how power and influence are perceived, how important it is to be truthful in leadership, and the challenges of both in ministry