The ND Spirit

As we wrap up the fall semester this week, we can celebrate a bit and then look ahead to our new features in 2026.

First, we need to acknowledge the generosity of our students and staff as we provided 17 families with gifts and provisions to make their Christmas season a little brighter. There won't be any thank you videos, there won't be any personal thank yous. We give these families anonymity and dignity by simply providing them with necessities and a clear message--they matter. They are not forgotten. Way to go, Notre Dame!

Two new wrinkles will be featured in January. In our first week back from break, all of our students will be engaged in Immersion Week. Our 9th & 10th graders will be inaugurating The Retreat in Boulder Creek. All week these students will be gone into the forest together. There will be hiking, team building, reflection, games, and fun. The 11th graders willl be engaged in College Bootcamp as they kickstart the college search process by visiting colleges and researching. The 12th graders will be working at their internship placements, discovering their talents and interests while serving the community. We have students serving at a veterinarian's office, a history museum, a CPA office, ARIEL theater, Catholic Charities, and much more.

It's called Immersion Week because we want students immersed in the experience. Not all learning happens inside the classroom, after all, and we are forming students to live extraordinary lives.

When we return to classes the following Monday (January 12th), we're going to implement a new change to our daily schedule--a morning convocation at 8:30 am in the Theater for 15 minutes. This will allow us to gather together, share good news, celebrate birthdays, and pray together in person. I'm not sold on "convocation" as the name so I'm still taking suggestions (morning rally? morning muster? morning meeting? gathering of spirits?) but we're looking forward to building community in a new way.

A final note--we have turned off/frozen the parent and student views of FACTS. We'll be turning them back on January 2nd. No need to check for grades, no need to worry. It can wait until January 2nd. i hope you can celebrate Christmas and enjoy the break!

Go Spirits!

Dr. Tim Uhl

Our first Gold Sponsor of the Crab Feed, the Guggenberger Ranch! THANK YOU! If you'd like to help procure sponsorships or auction items, reach out to Ms. Marisol or Connie.

• 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!

• The informational packet for the Crab Feed is linked here! 50/50 raffle tickets will be going home with the students on Monday.

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

• We'd like help speaking at Resurrection Church on Jan 11th. Please sign up 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
• Here is a look at the basketball schedule

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

• Dec 19th: Home for the Holidays event
• Jan 5-9: Immersion Week
• Jan 19: No School (MLK Holiday)
• Feb 12-16: No School (Winter Break)
• April 3-12: No School (Easter Break)
• Feb 7: Crab & Pasta Feed

The California State University

Fall 2026 Admission - Extra time to apply!
Several CSU campuses have extended their application deadlines for freshman applicants. View the list* below and visit our application dates & deadlines page to use the Is Your Campus Still Accepting Applications? feature to verify open campus programs and their respective deadlines.

• Bakersfield

• Channel Islands

• Chico

• Dominguez Hills

• East Bay

• Fresno

• Humboldt

• Los Angeles

• Monterey Bay

• Northridge

• Sacramento

• San Bernardino

• San Francisco

• San Marcos

• Sonoma

• Stanislaus

• Cal Poly Maritime Academy programs only

• San Diego Imperial Valley Campus programs only

*Impacted programs such as nursing may no longer be accepting applications.

Healthcare Professions

Many of our Spirits have an interest in pursuing careers in the healthcare field. Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences has published A Guide to Healthcare Professions that students may find helpful in their research of careers.

Financial Aid

There are many changes taking place in the federal government’s role in financial aid. Sallie Mae (SLM Corporation), is a publicly traded U.S. corporation that provides consumer banking. The company's primary business is creating, servicing, and collecting private education loans. The company also provides online tools and resources for college planning.

Sallie Mae has an article on their website called, “Your guide to federal PLUS loan changes.” For those of you navigating financial aid packages this year, the article breaks down the changes to federal loans and options available for parents to take out private loans.

Scholarship list

The Notre Dame sisterhood is enduring and powerful, extending far beyond graduation and carrying women through decades of life. Members of the Classes of ’80 and ’81 continue to gather several times a year, coming together simply to share meals, stories, laughter, and the deep bonds formed years ago. These lasting connections reflect the unique strength of an all-girls education.

All-girls schools provide an environment free from limiting gender stereotypes, empowering young women to lead with confidence and authenticity. In these spaces, girls are encouraged to take center stage in every role and every subject—academics, athletics, the arts, and STEM fields alike. Research consistently shows that graduates of all-girls schools demonstrate higher academic confidence, greater participation in STEM, stronger civic engagement, and a profound sense of empowerment and community involvement. By fostering leadership, voice, and resilience, all-girls schools prepare young women not only for success, but for meaningful impact in the world.

Dear Alums...We warmly invite you to join us this Friday evening at 6:00 p.m. in the Commons for an Alumnae Mixer—a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with classmates, meet fellow Notre Dame graduates, and celebrate the enduring bonds of our sisterhood.

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.

We look forward to seeing you, sharing stories, and continuing the connections that make the Notre Dame community so special.

Email: tuhl@notredamesalinas.org

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

This week on the podcast, 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.

Previous episodes this season:

• 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.