One of the privileges of parenting and educating is being able to watch young people grow and become something new. I’m often tempted to jump in and help, to offer advice and hacks that will make the transition to adulthood easier. But it never works! Young people need to grow on their own schedule, guided by the Spirit.

I’m reminded of the story of a caterpillar. In the pupa stage, the caterpillar becomes a larvae and then must struggle to wiggle its way out of that chrysalis stage. The struggle helps to strengthen its wings. If you intervened and peeled away the crust, the butterfly’s wings wouldn’t form and it would die.

This metaphor is apt for the transition happening here. Here at Notre Dame, we’re becoming something new. We’re going to become a school that values the arts as much as athletics, with a strong Catholic identity, strong Dual Enrollment courses, a vibrant international program, and we’ll be more diverse than ever, with a tuition structured around a family’s ability to pay. We’d like to intervene and jump ahead to the day when we have 175+ students again, but the process of rebuilding will be worth the effort because we’ll be recreating Notre Dame into something lasting.

Transitions can be difficult and messy. The Uhl family is moving into our new house, for example, and this is upending our daily routines and comfort zones. In our country, we’re seeing dizzying disruptions that have caused anxiety and protests as we transition into something new. In a very real way, our seniors are facing the challenges of moving away from home and not seeing their friends.

We can’t wave a magic wand and make all of this go away. What we can do, however, is learn from our Lord’s Passion this Holy Week. We can unite our struggles to the Cross and hope we will rise again!

Here's a first look at the first marketing video we've put together--this one directed to our friends in China. We're putting together a video in Spanish directed to Latin America and then one for Monterey County as well. Great things are happening here. I wish you and your family a blessed Holy Week and a beautiful Easter.

Go Spirits!

Dr. Tim Uhl

• Please purchase prom tickets by Wednesday, April 23 using the link here. Prom Guest Pass is available here Prom Dance Guidelines & Dress Code is available here.

• Seniors Lauren Asuncion & Andrea Lagasca will be hosting a clothing swap on Thursday during the activity block. Students, please bring any gently used clothing to school on Thursday

• 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 18th: Clam Chowder dinner (Sign up to volunteer here; buy tickets here)
• Easter Break (no school): April 18-21
• April 24: All-School Mass, 9:15 am (Commons)
• 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. 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.

• Junior Workshop Series: The Anatomy of a College Application

  This week's workshop covered crafting a strong Activities List. The third and final workshop of the series will cover the college essay.

  
  

  Outside Opportunities

  • 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 Internship Program (Apply here by 4/18).
  • Salinas Valley Recycles Youth Council (Apply here by 6/30) tackle environmental and sustainability issues, learn about the waste industry, explore environmental challenges, and work in teams to create impactful school and community sustainability projects. See flyer.
  • Summer Academy at Hartnell, June 9-July 18th: Join Hartnell's 6-week academic program for high school students, where you can take a college class with the support of a mentor and have the opportunity to attend NASA enrichment programs. Spaces are limited! See flyer here; Register here.

2024-25 College Scholarship Opportunities

Class reunions don’t always have to be large, organized and costly! When the class of ’69 couldn’t get everyone together, they decided to celebrate anyway. This fun group gathered last fall and had a ball! The fun of a class reunion, regardless of size, comes down to the shared history and the opportunity to reconnect with people who were a part of a significant period in your life. Even a small gathering can be filled with laughter, nostalgia, and the joy of seeing familiar faces.

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. The seventh podcast in this series is a conversation with Dr. Kevin Baxter of Notre Dame's Mary Ann Remick Leadership program. We discuss the challenges of the Catholic school principalship and how the Remick leadership program is designed to meet those challenges. Here is a blog about the podcast conversation.

Previous episodes this season:

• The sixth podcast is a conversation about Cura Personalis & SEL in Catholic schools with Dr. Melodie Wyttenbach of the Roche Center at Boston College & Dr. Lauren Casella of Loyola Marymount.
• The fifth podcast is a conversation with Dr. Jeannie Ray-Timoney who recounts her experience of leadership in the church and her discussions with others
• 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.