The ND Spirit

Now that we're two weeks out from the announcement that Notre Dame is closing at the end of this school year, I've had a little time to reflect on our community's reaction.

First, I've been touched by the concern that many people express about the Uhl family. It illustrates what a great community this is and underscores my belief that this has been a fantastic place for us.

Second, I have to admit I was expecting a lot more anger and blame. Trust me, there has been and there continues to be expressions of anger. But I've been struck by the sadness. Not the quiet, despondent type, more like the regretful type. We're sad that we won't be there for the next generation of leaders. We're sad that we couldn't do more to keep this school open.

I read this piece on LinkedIn which speaks to the burden of grief that school leaders sometimes have to carry. I think it applies to all of us who are concurrently grieving our own loss, searching for our new home, and accompanying students in this stressful time. It's a nice article to name part of the struggle we are all engaged in. It won't last forever; we have hope that better days are ahead.

Despite all this, plans are underway for our May 9th celebration. We're throwing open the doors and inviting alumnae, former teachers, former parents, and community members to join us for food, drink, and fellowship. I hope you can join us too!

Likewise, plans are underway to celebrate our greatest asset--our students. We're going to be posting each student and staff member's plans for next year.

Go Spirits!

Dr. Tim Uhl

At last Saturday's County Science Fair, all of our Spirits finished in the top 3 of their category and two of the projects qualified for state!

• Brianna Clermont, 1st place, Chemistry & Materials Science, The Effect of Borate Concentration on Slime. This project also earned a CSEF Nomination!
• Hester & Merrina He, 3rd place, Chemistry & Materials Science, The Influence of Ocean Acidification on the Dissolution Rate of Sea Shells
• Lucy Uhl & Harpreet Bhardwaj, 3rd place, Earth & Environmental Sciences, How Different Plants Absorb Nitrate out of Water. This project also earned the "Water Environment Federation/ Stockholm Junior Water Prize"
• Vaneria Enciso Rosas & Gemma De Ranieri, Microbiology & Biochemistry, Denaturing Proteins Using Different pH Levels
• Dolce Gomez & Grace Guidotti, 1st place, Physics & Energy, Which Ions Transfer Electricity Most Efficiently? This project also earned a CSEF Nomination!
• Aubrie Freeman & Sofia Vargas, 3rd place, Plant Sciences, Potassium Sulfate Fertilizer Concentration vs. Sprout Height and Seed Germination

March 11, 2026

Dear Notre Dame Families,

Since the announcement was made to close Notre Dame for next year, we've heard from our Catholic high schools that families have expressed interest, but not all have filled out applications. The Diocese is working with St. Francis, Palma, and Santa Catalina to receive a list of all students who have applied and what financial aid each school is providing. In order to have a complete list, we need all families who are going to apply to St. Francis or Palma to apply by this Friday, March 13th--Santa Catalina's deadline was Monday, March 9th. The turnaround time from the application to the acceptance and aid award can be up to ten days, so the sooner you apply, the sooner we will have this information for you.

The Diocese remains committed to supporting families at our other Catholic high schools by considering what they have been paying at Notre Dame. However, it's essential that you have completed the Clarity or FACTS (St. Francis) application for tuition assistance even if you think you will not qualify. Once we have the number of applicants at each school and how many have applied for financial aid, the Diocese will be able to determine how much it can commit for tuition assistance. (This includes setting aside funding for two additional years if your child is a 9th or 10th grader.) We hope to have these individual amounts ready for each family to make their determination by the week of March 23rd but this will depend on how quickly schools receive completed applications.

If you have specific questions pertaining to your individual family, please email me directly at danderson@dioceseofmonterey.org.

Sincerely,

Dan Anderson

Superintendent of Schools

• • This week's students announcements can be found here.

• Lenten Community Meals :

• • March 13th: clam chowder, salad, rolls
  • March 20th: Cheese enchiladas, beans, rice
  • March 27th: Lumpia & pancit
• Here is the cast list for Little Shop of Horrors, our spring musical scheduled for May 1 & 2.
• Here is a look at the swim schedule.

• March 11: FBI presentation on Sextortion & Internet Crimes
• March 13: No School/End of 3rd Quarter
• March 18: All-School Mass
• March 28: Mother-Daughter Paint Party
• April 3-12: No School (Easter Break)
• May 1 & 2: Spring Musical: "Little Shop of Horrors"
• May 9: Celebrate Notre Dame
• May 22: "Meet the Singer-Songwriters"
• May 29: Baccalaureate Mass (5:00 pm) followed by Community Dinner
• May 30: Graduation (noon)

If Hartnell College is your next step after high school, register to attend their Welcome Event for Notre Dame students on Saturday April 25, 2026 on their Main Campus.

A Hartnell ID# and a college email address is required. This is not a drop in event.

Tickets are required for all events. Ticket links are on www.hartnell.edu/support/pantherprep

Students must attend the event they are eligible for based on high school attended.

Registrations for ineligible events will be canceled.

Please secure a ticket to the correct event based on the high school you attend as listed below.

● Thursday, April 23, 9:30am - 12:30pm at the Alisal Campus

○ North Monterey County, Rancho Cielo, Central Bay, MCOE

● Friday, April 24, 8:30am-11:30am at the King City Education Center

○ King City, Greenfield, Portola Butler, Pinnacle Coastal Valley IS

● Friday, April 24, 12:30pm-3:30pm at the Soledad Education Center

○ Soledad, Gonzales, Pinnacles Continuation

● Saturday, April 25 at the Main Campus (MCA 8am-11:30am & MCB 11am-2:30pm)

○ Alisal, Everett Alvarez, North Salinas, Rancho San Juan, Salinas, Mt. Toro, El

Puente, Notre Dame, Palma, Alisal, Salinas

Independent Study and Charter School students are eligible for the event in the city they live

in/closest to their home (Monterey County Home Charter, Open Door Charter, Wellington Smith,

Salinas Community). Anzar, Hollister, Watsonville, Seaside, Monterey and all other out-of-district high school studentsare eligible to attend Saturday, April 25 event sessions.

SALINAS VALLEY PROMISE APPLICATION IS OPEN

New, first-time college students are invited to apply by May 28, 2026. SVP applications are submitted through the Common Application, which connects you to multiple support programs on campus. To be considered for Salinas Valley Promise, make sure you select “All Student Success Programs”.

Benefits of the Salinas Valley Promise

1. Two years of free in-state tuition

2. A one-time free laptop OR book voucher

3. Participation in a Student Success Seminar

4. Student Success Workshops

5. Peer Mentoring Program

6. Professional Development Opportunities

Requirements of the Promise

1. Graduate from high school or adult school with a diploma or GED

2. Be a first-time NEW college student (Hartnell dual/concurrent enrollment units accepted)

3. CA resident or qualify for non-resident tuition exemption

4. Maintain full-time enrollment of 12 or more units, unless approved for a reduced course load accommodation by the Department of Supportive Programs and Services (DSPS)

5. Completion of a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) OR California Dream Act Application (CADAA)

6. Completion of the Student Success Seminar and attend ONE workshop per semester

7. Maintain at least a 2.0 semester GPA

Hartnell College Salinas Valley Promise

Scholarship list

We were delighted to welcome several alumnae to our Lenten Dinner last week, and as always, their deep love for Notre Dame shone brightly. They spoke with such pride and affection for their alma mater, sharing stories and reflections that reminded us all of the enduring spirit of our school community.

Email: tuhl@notredamesalinas.org

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