The ND Spirit

Last week, we immersed ourself in hands-on learning during Immersion Week. Our 9th & 10th graders were on retreat at Redwood Christian Park, the juniors visited five colleges, and our seniors were in the community at internships. It was a great week for our students to experience that not all learning takes place in the classroom. There was some growing up that happened, too. Our younger spirits spent some time away from home. Our juniors learned about the college admissions process and ate in dining halls and visited libraries and dorms. The seniors learned about holding a job and whether they liked their chosen profession. Our students definitely learned more last week than any other given week of high school!

Last fall I read a great book on Catholic identity called "Be Still and Know" which explores contemplative practices in our schools. I was so intrigued by the book that I contacted the author, Dr. Patrick Manning of Seton Hall, and invited him for a podcast conversation. I was inspired by the community building practices recommended by the author and decided to implement one practice.

We have now implemented a "Gathering" every morning to kick off our day. We gather in the Theater at 8:30 am for prayer, pledge, announcements, recognition, inspiration, and community time. We're only two days in so the program is still developing but our hope is that the morning gathering will help us see, hear, and celebrate every student, every day.

Go Spirits!

Dr. Tim Uhl

• All parents and students are asked for their feedback on Immersion Week. Here is the survey.
• This week's students announcements can be found here.
• All students received a pack of 25 50/50 raffle tickets to sell for the Crab Feed along with this info sheet. Please try your best to sell as many tickets as you can. Student must return ALL tickets to Miss Marisol by Friday, February 6 (whether they were sold or not). There are incentives for the top sellers!
• 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 look at the basketball schedule

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

• Jan 14th: All-School Mass 10:50 am, Commons
• Jan 15th: Home basketball vs. York, 4:00 pm
• Jan 19: No School (MLK Holiday)
• Jan 21: "Voices of the Spirit" performs at Mayor's Prayer Breakfast
• Jan 28th: Grandparents Mass 10:50 am
• Feb 12-16: No School (Winter Break)
• April 3-12: No School (Easter Break)
• Feb 7: Crab & Pasta Feed
• May 29: Baccalaureate Mass (5:00 pm) followed by Community Dinner
• May 30: Graduation (noon)

SENIORS

6 Things You Should Do After Submitting a College Application

1. Register for online applicant portals - don’t miss out on important information regarding your application.

2. Complete supplemental application requirements.

3. Submit necessary financial aid forms - FAFSA and/or CSS Profile

4. Schedule an interview (if possible) - meeting with an alum, admissions representative or department faculty member is an opportunity for you to enhance your application and potential scholarship award money.

5. Demonstrate interest in colleges - campus visits, zoom meetings, virtual events all count toward showing your interest in a school.

6. Maintain good grades - your college will review your final grades to make sure they stay consistent with your previously submitted grades. They can rescind their offer of admission if your grades fall too much.

SCOIR

Seniors should update their accounts as they hear back from their colleges. The data we receive from Scoir helps Notre Dame better prepare students in the future for their college application process.

JUNIORS

• The Junior College Bootcamp took our junior students to five college campuses in five days during Notre Dame’s Immersion Week! The goal was to expose students to the opportunities available in our region of the country as well as see campuses of varying sizes, tuition costs, financial aid programs, living environments and academic offerings. After the week of touring, our hope is that juniors can take what they learned about themselves, their likes and dislikes, and search for schools that provide the best fit for them. The schools visited:

• Hartnell College is a public, Hispanic-Serving Institution in Salinas (with four additional campuses), offering associate degrees, certificates and transfer pathways to over 10,000 students. The Salinas Valley Promise offers two years of free tuition (plus additional benefits) to first-year, first-time, full-time students.

• University of California at Davis is a public, land-grant, tier 1 research institution serving over 30,000 undergraduate and 10,000 graduate students. UC Davis is renowned for its top-ranked programs in agriculture, veterinary medicine, and sustainability, alongside strong offerings in engineering, sciences, humanities, and professional fields like medicine and law, emphasizing hands-on learning, innovation, and a commitment to solving global challenges in health, environment, and food systems within the UC system. UC Davis offers a wide range of majors (over 100) across four undergraduate colleges and six professional schools (Medicine, Law, Veterinary Medicine, Nursing, Education and Management).

• Santa Clara University is a private Jesuit, Catholic institution in the heart of Silicon Valley. Renowned for combining high-tech innovation with social consciousness, Santa Clara provides rigorous, top-tier education with a 11:1 student-faculty ratio across arts and sciences, business, and engineering for 6,500 undergraduate students. Santa Clara is known for strong undergraduate teaching and high-earning graduates, often listed in the top 1% for ROI(Return on Investment).

• California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) is a public university known for its “Learn by Doing” philosophy, blending rigorous academics with hands-on, real world experience for 20,000 undergraduate students. Cal Poly operates six colleges, featuring an "upside-down curriculum" where students dive into major-specific courses in their first or second year. Students must apply to their major on their application.The six colleges are:

• College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences (CAFES): Focuses on agricultural science, food science, and environmental management.

• College of Architecture and Environmental Design (CAED): Emphasizes hands-on design, construction management, and urban planning.

• College of Engineering (CENG): A national leader in undergraduate engineering education.

• College of Liberal Arts (CLA): Offers programs in humanities, social sciences, and communication.

• Bailey College of Science and Mathematics (CSM): Focuses on biological, physical, and mathematical sciences.

• Orfalea College of Business (OCOB): Covers business administration, economics, and accounting.

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• St. Mary’s College of California is a private, Catholic, Lasallian liberal arts institution in the Moraga hills, 23 miles from San Francisco. Known for its 10:1 student-faculty ratio, the college emphasizes seminar-style learning, small class sizes, and a diverse community for its 1900 undergraduate students. The college features the School of Liberal Arts, School of Science, School of Economics and Business Administration, and Kalmanovitz School of Education. St. Mary’s offers a core curriculum, including the Collegiate Seminar, emphasizing shared inquiry, critical thinking, and the study of classic texts. 92% of students live on-campus for their four years of study. Rooted in Catholic, Lasallian tradition, St. Mary’s focuses on high-quality teaching, community service, and social justice.

Scholarship list

And be sure to mark your calendars for one of our most anticipated traditions: the Annual Crab Feed on February 7, 2026. Last year, we were thrilled to welcome 75 Notre Dame alumnae for an evening filled with great food, laughter, and memories, and we are hoping to make this year even bigger and better.

Email: tuhl@notredamesalinas.org

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

This week on the podcast, I spoke with former Catholic high school president and current LA Rams SoFi announcer, Sam Lagana, about surviving the Pacific Palisades fire, working in the NFL and other professional sports leagues, and much more.

Previous episodes this season:

• I spoke with Dr. Patrick Manning of Seton Hall about his new book "Be Still and Know that I am God" which explores contemplative practice in Catholic schools.
• I spoke with Dr. Dale Hoyt and Dr. Regina Haney about this year's Catholic School Virtual Board Development Series.
• I chat with Julie Capirchio, an elementary school principal in Rhode Island who has unique and enjoyable takes on Catholic school leadership and her relationship with her boss.
• I speak with Sheila Heen of the Harvard Law School about the impact of Ann Garrido on her work of mediation and reconciliation. Heen is the author of Difficult Conversations & Thanks for the Feedback.
• I dive into Pope Leo's new Apostolic Letter on Education, Drawing New Maps of Hope, with Faustin Weber, a Catholic school president from Texas. We share our insights and response to this great document.
• I had a conversation with Dr. Jeannine Hill Fletcher of Fordham University to discuss her new book, Grace of the Ghosts: A Theology of Reparation. We discuss incidents where the Catholic church was on the wrong side of history, such as slavery, and how people have responded.
• This podcast brings together Dr. Mike Daniels of LaSallian Schools along with Ashley Rae Mathis, the president of Notre Dame HS (San Jose) to discuss Dr. Ann Garrido's influence.
• This podcast explores Garrido's influence with Dr. Erin Barisano of the Diocese of Orange and Dr. Lauren Casella of LMU
• The first tribute podcast is Dr. Kevin Baxter of ACE-Notre Dame
• This podcast conversation delves into Pope Leo's new Apostolic Exhortation, Dilexi Te. I speak with David Palmieri, a theologian and high school teacher. We share reflections and insights from this amazing work
• I recorded a podcast conversation with Greg Richmond, the Superintendent of Schools for the Archdiocese of Chicago. We discussed the joys of having a pope named from your hometown (and with a long history of Catholic schools) and the challenges and disruptions of ICE raids near your schools. Here is a link to the podcast.