The ND Spirit

I’ve been spending the week in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia this week, meeting with recruiting agents for international students. This conference is focused on secondary students and I’ve met some fascinating folks from Nigeria, Bangladesh, China, India, Kyrgyzstan, and many other places. It’s been an honor to represent Notre Dame but it’s been a burden to represent the United States this week.

To a person, everyone I meet wonders what is happening in the United States. They are still attracted to the ideals of our country but they are confused by the violence. Agents are hesitant to partner with us because of this chaos.

I can’t explain or defend what has happened—after all, my heart has broken with the violence. The murder of Alex Pretti has really shaken me. He was trying to help someone who had been violently assaulted by police and ended up being shot ten times by our government, who have argued that it was perfectly legitimate.

The shock of the murder was one thing—the fact that we seem to have fundamental disagreements on the facts of the matter is causing these reverberations in my mind. How can anyone claim that the actions were justified? And how can our government officials blatantly lie?

I don’t have any answers nor do I have a conclusion to this blog. I just want to share that I’ve never been more worried for our country and my experience in Kuala Lumpur this week has affirmed this.

Go Spirits!

Dr. Tim Uhl

• Ms. Alondra is looking for parent & student volunteers to join her at Resurrection Church this Sunday in Santa Cruz to recruit. Please reach out to her directly to volunteer aruiz@notredamesalinas.org

• Parents are asked to please contact the Main Office via email or voicemail before your Spirit is absent. A simple call or email to let us know when she will be missing and why is requested.

• The Crab Feed Committee will meet on Wednesday, January 28, at 2:00 PM. If you would like to attend via Zoom, please let me know and I will gladly share the meeting link.

• The next step for reenrollment is for parents to apply for financial aid. If your family is currently receiving need-based aid, then you must fill out an annual Clarity application based on your 2023 tax return. This will give us a clear idea for budgeting tuition assistance for next year. Students have been given their course preference forms, due Feb 11th.

• Crab Feed 2026 - Volunteers Sign Up Link

• This week's students announcements can be found here.
• The lunch order link for the month of February is now available here. Please submit all lunch orders by this Thursday, January 29th at 9:00 PM.
• 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, the swim schedule, and the softball schedule.

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

• Jan 28th: Grandparents Mass 10:50 am
• Feb 2nd: Last home basketball game, 4:00 pm
• Feb 7: Crab & Pasta Feed
• Feb 9th: Spring sports practices begin
• Feb 10: Junior Retreat
• Feb 11: The Junior Ring Ceremony & Mass 10:50 AM
• Feb 12-16: No School (Winter Break)
• Feb 20: Lenten Community Meals begin
• April 3-12: No School (Easter Break)
• May 1 & 2: Spring Musical: " "Little Shop of Horrors
• 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.

Scholarship list

Highest Honors (weighted GPA of 4.0+)

First Honors (weighted GPA of 3.75-3.99)

Second Honors (weighted GPA of 3.5-3.74)

Several of our alumni classes are planning to attend the upcoming Crab Feed! We encourage you to reach out to former classmates and consider reconnecting over this fun and festive event—it’s a great opportunity to catch up and make new memories together.

Looking ahead, the Class of 2006 is already in the early planning stages for a Fall 2026 reunion to be held on our beautiful Notre Dame campus. If you’re interested in being part of the planning team or would like to help in any way, please contact Sara Avila at savila@gavilan.edu. ND is excited to partner in hosting what promises to be a wonderful celebration!

In addition, the Class of 2007 is beginning preparations for their 2027 reunion. Stay tuned—more details will be coming soon!

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 Meaghan Crowley-Sullivan of LMU about the Catholic Companion Framework for Technology & Innovation. We discuss technology in education, AI, and much more!

Previous episodes this season:

• 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
• 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.