News & Events News

Distinguished civil rights leader, author, professor and scholar Dr. Clarence B Jones spoke with juniors this week, inspiring them to demand their rights and rights for others. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's friend and colleague, he shared personal accounts of the civil rights journey. Dr. Jones left students inspired and moved with his message that "God loves you and so do I."

Notre Dame's Aliance Club hosted their own Day of Silence to stand in solidarity with members of the LGBTQ+ who are often silenced by discrimination, oppression and harassment.

Team 1967, the Janksters, were at San Jose State University last weekend for the Silicon Valley Regional FIRST Robotics STEAMWORKS competition. They competed with their robot, Pepper Ann, which was constructed with a quick and agile two-speed chassis, a mechanism to store and deposit fuel into the low goal, a mechanism to store and deposit gears and a climbing mechanism.

Notre Dame's Class of 2017 completed the final step of their leadership journey last week with the presentation of their Senior Service Learning Projects at the Young Women's Advocacy Summit. The event's keynote speaker, Supervisor Cindy Chavez, praised seniors for their projects and the hope they inspire.

The Notre Dame Visual & Performing Arts department is excited to present this year's spring musical, A Little Princess. Based on the book A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett, the musical follows Sara Crewe, a young girl who after having been raised by her father, an intrepid African colonialist, is sent from West Africa to a London finishing school.

Notre Dame's Class of 2020 completed an important first step in their leadership journey yesterday with the presentation of their Woman's Place Projects through which they study the strength and contributions of women across time, culture and industry. This year 163 women were honored by the freshman class.

Team 1967, the Janksters, recently competed at the Ventura Regional FIRST Robotics STEAMWORKS Competition with their 2017 season robot, Pepper Ann. The objective of the steampunk-themed game is for alliances of three teams to shoot balls, called fuel, into low and high goals, to put gears on spring pegs and to climb a rope, all in under two minutes and thirty seconds.

Graphic design students visited Adobe Systems' corporate office in downtown San Jose this week, just a short walk from campus. "The stories we were told and the confidence the women had in us as the future generation of workers greatly affected my mindset, and I know touched that of my peers as well," shared Anna Giubileo '18.

Spanish instructor Bayard Nielsen has been awarded the first place Microsoft/KCI Innovation Award for 2016 for his digital storytelling project, “Las Historias de Esperanza.” The Microsoft/KCI Innovation Award honors three exemplary, innovative teacher-student collaborative projects that fully integrate technology and benefit the Silicon Valley educational community. The first place award is $6,000.

Notre Dame's Sister Project collects feminine products for donation to Sacred Heart Community Center, a valued downtown partner. This year, students collected more than 61,000 items – enough to fill three vans to capacity – as well as an $800 donation from the Ladd-Barrett Family Foundation.  In the six years since its inception, the project has raised more than $95,000 in products and cash donations.

Spring sports - lacrosse, track & field, softball and swimming - are well underway at ND. With two of these being no-cut sports, we have 120 student athletes, including 32 freshmen, juggling academics and co-curricular responsibilities this season! Track and field is off to a strong start, already posting personal bests and earning medals. Stay tuned for more results.

Alumnae Madison Campione '15 is being recognized for her directorial and writing debut at the Cinequest Film and VR Festival. Madison co-wrote and directed Remebrance, a dramatic thriller, which was selected for screening across the Bay Area.

"Holly Jackson has accomplished more before she finishes high school than many students have by the end of their graduate careers." NASA's most recent issue of Tech Bytes features junior Holly Jackson. As an intern in A NASA lab, Holly has been continuing her work on truss structures.

Notre Dame's time-honored tradition of Spirit Week begins Monday morning. In preparation for gym deck build days, which happen this weekend, each class unveiled their Spirit Week theme for 2017!

In 2015, more than 5,000 people died from choking. Would you know what to do if someone was choking? Last week, Notre Dame's on-campus Red Cross Club hosted "Do You Know How to....Help!" which provided students with instructions and hand-on practice in the Heimlich. They also learned how to apply various types of bandages and left feeling better equipped to help in an emergency!

Senior Yashna Bansal has been a member of the Janksters, Notre Dame's Robotics Team, for the past four years. South Bay Accent recently interviewed her and robotics program director, Marta Carrillo, to understand how participating in a robotics program can help prepare students for real-world careers.

Fathers and daughters (and a few moms) came together last weekend to spend a morning at the Guadalupe River Park in San Jose, helping to remove invasive species from the educational zone between the Heritage Rose Garden and the Historic Orchard.

The entire Class of 2020 boarded buses last week and headed to San Francisco for the American Conservatory Theater's production of A Thousand Splendid Suns. The play is based on the novel by Khaled Hosseini, which was featured as an ND Reads selection.

Notre Dame's 14th Annual Crab Fest sold out in a record three days this year! The event, made possible by a dedicated committee and chef as well as 200 parent and student volunteers, raised money for co-curricular programs including athletics, robotics, ASB leadership and the Peer Ministry Leadership Team

Several seniors attended last week's San Jose Women's Conference, hearing from speakers including Madeleine Albright and Sheryl Sandberg. We invite you to read Karly Vaughn's personal reflection of that experience.

We invite you to join us throughout the month of February as we engage in conversation about race, identity and community in America.

Last week, Notre Dame students presented the 2017 Multicultural Showcase, an opportunity to celebrate the rich diversity of the student body. The event featured songs, dancing, beautiful traditional costumes and delicious food, allowing students and their families to celebrate their own culture and learn about others.

Students attended the 2017 Watermark Conference for Women in downtown San Jose this week, where they heard from speakers including Madeleine Albright, Sheryl Sandberg, Condoleezza Rice and Viola Davis.

State of the School

January 26, 2017

The Notre Dame learning community came together for a State of the School assembly recently. They celebrated the successes of the first semester and re-dedicated themselves to this year's theme - RESPECT. Principal Mary Beth Riley inspired students to engage in respectful dialogue. Student leaders then invited their Notre Dame sisters, faculty and staff to a silent march of respect.

Last Saturday countries all over the world held Women’s Marches to stand in solidarity with the under-represented individuals in their communities. Many of Notre Dame’s current students and their families, faculty and staff chose to join Notre Dame alumnae participating in the march held in downtown San Jose. They embodied this year’s theme of respect by marching alongside other participants and standing up for social justice issues.