The ND Spirit

Recently one of the giants of ND history, Nettie Ferrasci, passed away. Her daughter, Annette Mueller (class of 1976), shared this vignette which I think is a great story about ND's history:

I would like to let you know how much I appreciate the school having a Mass said in honor of my mother, Nettie Ferrasci. She and my dad dedicated many hours volunteering to make Notre Dame High School a better place as indicated by the plaque that is in Ferrasci Hall (the gym). My senior year (1976) we were finally admitted into a league (Santa Cruz). We had no gym, no softball field. We played every game away... My parents ensured NDHS had some "home field" advantage--finally. They weren't the only active parents, but this group helped start NDHS athletic dominance for many years.

This history lesson connects us today with our past. In the first two decades, ND didn't have a gym or a softball field. Through the generosity of parents like the Ferrasci's, ND was able to secure the beautiful facilities that still serve our Spirits so well!

Go Spirits!

Dr. Tim Uhl

• • We will be participating in the "Great Shakeout" tomorrow at 10:16 am. But after yesterday's funnel cloud sighting--perhaps we should be introducing a tornado drill!

  • This week's student announcements can be found here

• Family Pumpkin Carving Event - Friday, October 24 at 6:00 - 8:00 PM in the sophomore quad. RSVP here

• 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
• Volleyball schedule can be found here; tennis schedule here. Both the volleyball and tennis teams are undefeated in conference play! Here is a look at the basketball schedule and the soccer schedule.

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

• Oct 15: Late Start; Testing day (noon dismissal); Pink Game home volleyball (JV 5/ varsity 6) vs. Trinity Christian
• Oct 16: Great Shakeout drill at 10:16 am; tennis vs. York @ Chamisal
• Oct 25: Middle School Halloween Dance
• Oct 28: Open House for prospective students 6-8 pm
• Nov 1st: Bocce Ball
• Dec 5-6: Fall Play
• Dec 13: Mother-Daughter Tea & Fashion Show
• Feb 7: Crab & Pasta Feed

TESTING DAY

Wednesday October 15 - 9:20 start time

Notre Dame will be administering the following tests on this school day:

• 9th grade - STAR Testing

• Used by faculty to monitor progress in the areas of mathematics and reading and for placement into honors classes. The scores will be compared to historical data (most of our 9th graders have taken the STAR in Middle School)

• The tests are computerized and self-paced, adapting the difficulty of questions based on the answers a student provides.

• A student's score is translated into a percentile rank, which indicates how they perform compared to other students in the same grade level.

• Students are encouraged to take their time and give their best effort. Because of the adaptive nature of the test, some students may finish earlier than others.

• Students will need to bring a book to read if they finish early.

• We expect 9th grade students to be finished with STAR testing between 11:30-11:45. Students will be dismissed from school for the remainder of the day.

• 10th grade - PSAT

• Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test - a practice at taking the PSAT, which uses the same format for the SAT. SAT is one of two standardized tests (ACT is the second) used by some colleges and universities as part of the admission requirements.

• We expect the 10th grade students to be finished with the PSAT between 11:45 - Noon. Students will be dismissed for the remainder of the day.

• 11th grade - PSAT/NMSQT

• 11th grade students will take the same PSAT as 10th graders, but they are eligible for the National Merit Scholarship Program based on this year's score.

• The National Merit Scholarship Corporation uses a selection index, derived from your PSAT/NMSQT component scores, to determine eligibility.

• A different cutoff score is used for each state to identify the top-scoring students.

• High scoring students are named Commended Students or Semifinalists.

• If selected as a Semifinalist, a student must complete the official National Merit Scholarship Application, which requires an essay and details of your achievements.

• We expect the 11th grade students to be finished with the PSAT between 11:45 - Noon. Students will be dismissed for the remainder of the day.

• 12th grade - SAT (optional)

• Six of our seniors have signed up to take the SAT on our campus.

• For the most comprehensive data base of schools that are test-optional or test-free, visit FairTest

• The UC and CSU systems remain test-free, meaning they do not accept any standardized test scores as part of their admissions decisions.

• For the remaining seniors not taking the SAT, you do not have school. All of our full-time faculty will be proctoring exams.

• We expect the 12th grade students taking the exam to be finished with the SAT between 11:45 - Noon. Students will be dismissed for the remainder of the day.

• Students who have been approved by the College Board for extended time on the PSAT and SAT will be finished at approximately 1:00 PM.

COLLEGE VISITS AT NOTRE DAME

• 9:55 AM Thursday Oct 16 - Trinity College

• 1:50 PM Wednesday Oct 22 - Soka University of America

• 9:55 AM Thursday Oct 23 - Dominican University of California

• 8:30 AM Tuesday Oct 28 - Syracuse University

• 10:10 AM Tuesday Oct 28 - Binghamton University

• 12:00 PM Tuesday Oct 28 - Seton Hall University

• 2:20 PM Tuesday Oct 28 - University of San Diego

• 9:20 AM Wednesday Oct 29 - Chapman University

• 11:50 AM Wednesday Oct 29 - University of the Pacific

• 1:50 PM Wednesday Oct 29 - Whittier College

COLLEGE OPEN HOUSE DATES

• Saturday Oct 18 - CSU Monterey Bay

• Saturday Oct 18 - Menlo College

• Saturday Oct 18 - Santa Clara University

• Saturday Oct 18 - Sonoma State University

• Saturday Oct 25 - CSU East Bay

• Saturday Oct 25 - St. Mary’s College of California

• Saturday Oct 25 - UC Berkeley

• Saturday Oct 25 - University of San Francisco

• Saturday Nov 8 - Dominican University of California

Scholarship list

Parent volunteering is crucial in high school because it provides essential support to the school, and sends a powerful message to students about the value of education and volunteering. Active parent participation also creates a stronger sense of community and collaboration among students, parents, and staff, leading to a more supportive and welcoming environment for everyone. By volunteering, parents show the values of community service, teamwork, and commitment, showing their daughters that their education and the school community are important priorities.

We need your help for our Bocce Night on November 1st! Here is the link to the Sign-Up Genius and we are hoping you will support the event, by working that night, donating a dessert for the dessert auction, or donating a raffle item for our raffle. In addition, we are asking each family to donate a nice bottle of wine for our Wine Barrel Raffle. All donations can be brought to the office by October 27th and desserts can be brought in on October 31st. When you sign up for a dessert, please let us know what it will be. Hours worked and donated raffle items can be put toward family service hours.

Although this event is “adults only,” the students have also been given a Sign-Up Genius to work that night. Along with Mr. Rossi, many of our girls will be singing…this will be a wonderful event! And, if you would like to come eat and play, it’s not too late!

Information on the Bocce Night (November 1st) can be found here and sponsorship & signup information here.

Email: tuhl@notredamesalinas.org

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