When I accepted this position, our first task was to figure out how many students were actually going to enroll in August. With many students uncertain that we were even going to reopen, the fact that we had committed students and parents was heartening. We opened our doors with only 52 students which was precarious. What if students changed their minds and left? How many would be too few? Our first goal was to try to build out the student experience so that students felt at home and that this was a place they could flourish.

The good news is that our enrollment is at 54 today which represents a success. We've leaned into the student experience and hoped that this would be the foundation for our recruiting efforts. As we look to next year, we've spent tremendous effort on our feeder schools and believe this will pay off with almost 20 students from those schools. Now we're going to cast a wider net to attract more public school students. At the same time, we've begun recruiting international students from Mexico, Colombia, China, and more. We anticipate 10 international students next year across all grades and 30 students in our 9th grade class.

We're also going to begin recruiting transfer students to fill out our 11th and 12th grades next year. Both of those grades are small and it won't cost us any more to add 5 more students to each class. Therefore we're going to be aggressive in our recruiting and marketing efforts. Part of this effort is helping people understand that Notre Dame is affordable. Through our use of Clarity, we can tailor a family's tuition to their ability to pay. We hope to open our school to more students who previously thought they couldn't afford Notre Dame.

At the same time, we have a 5 year plan to close our budget gap because as we grow our enrollment, our expenses shouldn't increase as much. After all, we have classes with 3 or 4 students so adding 10 more won't mean any more teaching positions. We also want to remain competitive for teachers so we can't go another year without raising teacher pay.

Next year we're planning to open our doors to 75 students with thirty 9th graders. At this point, this looks very realistic. I hope you can spread the word!

Go Spirits!

Dr. Tim Uhl

• Next week the seniors will be on retreat Monday & Tuesday. Please pray for them!

• This week's student announcements can be found here

• The 2025-26 school calendar is out!

• 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.

• April 3rd: Field trip to San Jose Tech Museum; home lacrosse game @ Rabobank 4 pm.
• April 10th: Founders Day, All School Mass 9:15 am (Commons)
• April 11-12: Notre Dame's spring musical "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee"
• April 12: Notre Dame's Pickleball tournament
• April 18th: Clam Chowder dinner
• May 16: "Our Story of the Beatles" production
• May 23: Baccalaureate Mass 10 am Notre Dame Theater
• May 25: Graduation 3:00 pm; Theater

As we continue to add games, here is the 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.

Seniors: College Admission Decisions Are In-Now What?

A detailed email has been sent to seniors with important information and resources for navigating next steps. Below is a summary of key actions for seniors to take between now and May 1 to help finalize college decisions:

• Review your offers: Colleges typically release admission decisions by April 1.

• Visit Campuses: If needed, schedule virtual or in-person tours and attend admitted student events to help finalize your choice.

• Evaluate Financial Aid: Review financial aid packages and scholarship offers to determine affordability.

• Commit to ONE College: Submit your Statement of Intent to Enroll (SIR) and deposit to ONE chosen school by the deadline—typically May 1.

• Stay on top of Next Steps: After submitting your SIR, check your email and school portal regularly for updates on housing, financial aid, registration, and orientation.

• Notify other Colleges: If you've chosen a school, be courteous and decline offers from other colleges to free up spots for other students

• Update Scoir: Be sure to report your admission decisions and confirm your attending college

Juniors: Gearing Up for College Applications Next Fall

Next week, we will begin our final college workshop series of the year: The Anatomy of a College Application. This series will break down each part of a college application, with a special focus on the activities list and the essay. The first workshop will take place next Tuesday during block 4.

Outside Opportunities

• UC Admission Webinar (April 10, 6 PM): Hosted by Revolution Test Prep. Register here.
• The Stanford Symbolic Systems Society Journal Competition for High School Students, Due April 19th: The SymSys Society is accepting 5-10-page papers about topics related to technology, neuroscience, and psychology. One essay will be chosen to be published in the Stanford-run journal, Machina! See flyer.
• American Red Cross Summer Programs: Leadership Development Center (LDC) (Apply here by 4/15) and Summer Internship Program (Apply here by 4/18).

2024-25 College Scholarship Opportunities

Our final “Women at Work” series brought us 4 talented alums who work in the field of public service; Marisol (’08) Behavior Analyst, Jessica (’15) Administrative Analyst, Salinas Fire Department, Lisa (’05) Occupational Therapist, and Claudia (’93) Director of Marketing and Communication-Salinas Valley Health. All 4 shared that volunteerism will definitely elevate chances of careers in this field. They also stressed the importance of connecting with mentors, seeking professional internships and to not be afraid to ask questions. They said to attend job fairs and health fairs and collect business cards. They expressed the importance of service; something they learned at Notre Dame. There are many enrichment programs for teens and opportunities to volunteer in Salinas like the Health Explorers through the Salinas Valley Health Medical Center…just seek them out! Volunteer work allows a person to explore various industries and roles without the commitment of a paid position. We can test our interest in healthcare by volunteering at a hospital, education by tutoring, or environmental science by participating in conservation projects.

We are grateful to all of our alums for sharing their knowledge and experience. Reach out to any of them with questions or for guidance!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS! Notre Dame will be having a Clam Chowder Dinner on Good Friday, April 18th…look for more information this week!

Email: tuhl@notredamesalinas.org

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

TheCatholic School Matters podcast is back and is now focused on conversations with authors from the upcoming book A Brighter Future for Catholic Schools. This week's podcast is a conversation with Dr. Jeannie Ray-Timoney who recounts her experience of leadership in the church and her discussions with others.

Previous episodes this season:

• The fourth podcast is a conversation with high school theology teacher David Palmieri who is leading a grassroots movement centered around inclusion of LGBT+ students and staff members in our Catholic schools. He discusses the theological framework of inclusion.
• The third podcast is a conversation when I speak with Dr. Timothy Cook of Creighton University about Catholic identity. Here is a link to a blog about the podcast. Dr. Cook talks about a 3-part framework--belonging, becoming, and believing. You won't believe if you don't feel a part of the group!
• The second podcast features a conversation with Dr. Michael Boyle of the Hermann Center at Saint Louis University. He discusses his work opening up Catholic schools to all learners. Here is a blog about the podcast conversation.
• The first podcast is a conversation with Dr. Antonio Felix from LMU who discusses his framework for engaging Hispanic families in Catholic schools. I wrote a longer blog summarizing the podcast here.