Please forward this newsletter to family and friends to share the
good news about Notre Dame High School.

February 7, 2014

Dates to Remember

February 14 - 17
No School
Presidents' Weekend
Join the Athletic Association  
Join the Athletic Association! All new members will receive a Lancer car magnet. Please contact Mr. Jim Olayos, Director of Athletic Advancement, for information or to enroll in the Notre Dame Athletic Association.
Go Lancers!




Stop and Shop and Big Y School-Wide Fundraiser
 
Purchase a gift card to Stop and Shop and Big Y through ND and the stores in turn donate 5% of the money collected back to the school. Place your order by Friday of each week and receive your cards the following Wednesday or Thursday. To order, simply click here to complete the order form and send it and your payment (checks payable to Notre Dame) in to Theresa Marzik. Happy shopping!  
Parent Volunteers  
Before volunteering at school, parents are required to go through Virtus training.  To register for a Virtus training session, please click here. Contact Kevin Philipp at kevin@notredame.org for questions.
 
Have a Target Red Card?

If you have a Target Red Card, you can designate Notre Dame to be the recipient of Target's donation of 1% of your annual purchases. All you need to do is link your card to Notre Dame, shop and use your Red Card at Target. It's that easy. In the summer, we received a check for $231.75 thanks to those who designated Notre Dame last school year. Click here to sign up for this program.

Notre Dame earned $1671 in October, November, December, and January thanks to the 164 people who have registered their Stop and Shop cards as part of the A+ Rewards Program.
It's not too late to still do so ...

Help earn money for Notre Dame by registering your Stop and Shop card with the store's A+ School Rewards Program.
Click here to register your card today! You must re-register each year. Participation in this program does not affect gas points.

facebook

Have you "liked" ND on Facebook yet? To visit the ND page on Facebook and become a fan, click here.


To visit our Twitter feed, click here. To follow Mr. Cipriano's Twitter account, click here.


Click here to follow us on Pinterest! Check it out - it is full of great photos, both old and new!


ND is on Instagram @NDFFLD
Help Us Share Your Child's Good News ...
If you have information to share about any out-of-school achievements of your son or daughter, please e-mail that information to
cipriano@notredame.org. We look forward to the opportunity to share your good news with the entire Notre Dame community.
Commemorative Bricks  
ND is selling commemorative bricks which pave the entrance way of our school.
Commemorative bricks are a way to honor ND families, graduates, parents, faculty members and friends. Each brick is $65, of which 100% of the proceeds are allocated to helping Notre Dame maintain its high level of academic excellence. Click  here for an order form.
 
ND Mugs For Sale   

The Home School Association is selling ND mugs for $10 each. Contact Theresa Marzik at marzik@notredame.org to get yours today.
Quick Links...
Join Our Mailing List
Congratulations to...
...to Briana Mann '14 who was named the Connecticut Post Athlete of the Week for girls' basketball. Click here to view the link to the Connecticut Post article.
This Week at ND...

Service Day

ND students treated their "little brother/sister" to a show at the Downtown Cabaret in Bridgeport.

On Friday, January 31, Campus Ministry sponsored Notre Dame's fourth annual Service Day. Over 230 student volunteers descended upon a dozen and half locations throughout southwestern Connecticut (and even Westchester County, New York) including the Bridgeport Rescue Mission, Merton House, the Jewish Home for the Elderly, Operation Hope, Villa Divina Amora, St. Catherine Academy, St. Stephen's Food Pantry and the New Haven Community Soup Kitchen. A huge thank you to all the parent volunteers who made the day possible, as well as Fr. Cipriani and Mr. St. Onge for coordinating the event. To read Mr. Cipriano's blog entry about the day, click here.

Students packaging items at AFYA

 

ND Students and Staff Celebrate the Lunar New Year

Students and staff celebrated the Lunar New Year on January 31 with the help of the Chinese and Korean international students. The cafeteria served fried rice, steamed dumplings and egg rolls, Chinese music was played and the international students treated the staff and the rest of the student body to foil stamped chocolate coins celebrating health and happiness for the New Year.  

 

Place mats were handed to everyone, in order to determine what animal they represented in the lunar calendar and to read about the Year of the Horse. Some students even tried using chopsticks for eating their salads and chicken tenders. Prior to the festivities on the 31st, international student read morning announcements about the New Year and the traditions observed. Everyone learned that homes are scrubbed and polished, prayers are said for family ancestors, gifts are given to children and parades take place with red lanterns. For as long as two weeks, festive dinners take place and fireworks occur.

 

Notre Dame was decorated with dragons and masks and red streamers, and thanks to the efforts of many international students, everyone learned how to say Xin Nain Kuai Le or HAPPY NEW YEAR!

From back to front (l-r):Christopher Wang '17, Nathan Zhao '16, Torres Tong '17, Christie Cho '16, Coco Cai '16, and Elaine Dong'15.
26 Acts of Kindness Campaign...
26 Acts of Kindness Concludes
Today marks the 26th and final day in our second annual ND Acts of Kindness Campaign. Thank you to everyone who made the campaign so successful - from faculty and students to parents and alumni who made donations to our collections. This week alone, over 200 coats and sweatshirts were donated to The Bridgeport Rescue Mission and Operation Hope and a large variety of used athletic equipment was given to children in need from the city of Bridgeport. In addition, 300 letters were written and are being sent to area first responders thanking them for their efforts in keeping us safe on a daily basis. We are also thrilled that twenty schools from the region joined us and held their own 26 Acts of Kindness campaign. Thank you to all who helped to make our campaign so successful.
Notre Dame Lancer Legacy Gala...
The third annual Notre Dame Gala will be held at Sacred Heart University on Saturday, March 1 from 6:00 until 10:30 pm. This is the school's largest fundraiser of the year and promises to be a wonderful evening celebrating Notre Dame's past, present, and exciting future.

Honorees at this year's event include -- Lancer Legacy Gala Awards: Dr. John Petillo, President of Sacred Heart University (Carole Christy Surina Educator Award), Mr. and Mrs. Frank Carrano (Sister Marion Rielly Leadership Award), Hon. Daniel Caruso (Notre Dame Community Impact Award). 

Alumni Hall of Fame Recipients: Stephen Cavallo '65, Michael Clancy '80, Thomas Intelisano '73, Hugh Narcisco '80, and Dawn Pilotti '92.  Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees: Jeff Bevino, George Burr '64, Bill Garfield '91, Patricia Stramoski Hajducky '79 and the 1964 Football, 1964 Baseball, 1977 Softball and 1989 Hockey teams.  For more information or to make a reservation, please contact Theresa Marzik at marzik@notredame.org or 203-372-6521.

There are several ways to make a donation to this year's auction.  Again, this is ND's biggest fundraiser and any and all donations would be greatly appreciated.  Please click here to see the many opportunities to donate.  We are looking for donations of silent auction items, program book ads and major sponsorships as well. Click here for our silent auction wish list.
Dance-A-Grams Available...
Dance-a-Grams remain on sale during the lunch period. Groups of dance students will deliver dancing telegrams during Homeroom.  Choice of songs are 1) You're the One That I Want (Grease), 2) I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch), 3) Three Little Birds (Every Little Thing is Gonna Be All Right), and 4) Treasure (Bruno Mars). Funds raised from the $5 cost will be used for costumes and props.
Students...
Essay Contest
The annual *HIGH SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL* issue of the New Haven Magazine will be published in March. Editors are currently looking for essays from local high school students for this publication. If interested, write a 700-800 word first person essay about what makes you unique within your school community. Latitude for subject matter is wide -- what matters most is that it is interesting, personal and readable. Authors of essays selected for publication need to be available for a photo shoot (as essays are accompanied by authors' photos). The deadline for submission is February 24, 2014. Email your submission to mbingham@conntact.com.

Attention Juniors Taking the March SAT
Juniors interested in taking the March 8th SAT are reminded that the deadline to register is February 7. Students can register at www.collegeboard.com.

National History Bee and Bowl
Now in their fourth year, the National History Bee (for individual students) and the National History Bowl (for school teams) are two competitions for high schools across the USA. Both competitions are open to students in grades 9-12. Both tournaments are scheduled for the same day and at the same location, so students are able to participate in both individual and team events. Both events offer qualification for the National Championships in Washington, DC. The area tournament will be held at Newtown High School on Saturday, March 15. Interested students are encouraged to visit the competition web sites at www.historybowl.com and www.hs.historybee.com for more information and registration details.

Convivio
Convivio will be held from March 7 - 9 at Sacred Heart University. The weekend is designed for young people to get to know others in Christ. Throughout the weekend there are group discussions, talks, videos, games, skits and more. There is also the opportunity to partake in Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It is a fun-filled weekend not to be missed! Click here to register.

Scholarships Available...
UNICO Offers Scholarship
The Bridgeport chapter of UNICO, the largest Italian/American service organization in the country has announced its 2014 scholarship program. Candidates are eligible to receive a $1,000 award and must be from Bridgeport, Easton, Fairfield, Milford, Monroe, Newtown, Shelton, Stratford or Trumbull. Students must have Italian ancestry and a 3.0 GPA to apply. Click here for an application.
  
The Connecticut Building Congress Scholarship Fund
The Connecticut Building Congress Scholarship Fund will once again be offering scholarships to graduating Connecticut high school students entering college-level programs in construction-related fields such as architecture, construction-related engineering, or construction management.  These scholarships have historically ranged from $500 to $2,000 per year and are renewable (four years for a four year program; five years for a five year or longer program) contingent upon available resources, the student's continued study in a field related to the construction industry, and their maintenance of a GPA of not less than 3.0 on a scale of 4.0. The deadline for filing applications is March 31, 2014. Click here to download the application.

Fairfield County Community Foundation Scholarships
Seniors are encouraged to apply for a variety of Fairfield County Community Foundation scholarships. Last year, the Foundation awarded 383 scholarships totaling nearly $750,000. Students can apply for up to 4 different scholarships and all applications must be submitted on-line. The deadline for applications is March 31, 2014. Students must be a resident of Bridgeport, Easton, Fairfield, Milford, Monroe, Shelton, Stratford, Trumbull or Westport, have financial need and have a minimum GPA of 2.7. Click here for more information and to apply.
Parents ...
Ed-Line
The next Ed-line reports for the third marking period will be posted on Sunday, February 23. Please note the date change as a result of the recent snow days.

Financial Aid Applications  
Financial aid applications are now available for the 2014-15 school year. Families are reminded that these must be completed annually and no financial aid will be awarded if an application is not submitted. To download and print an application, click here. The deadline for submitting applications is April 11, 2014. 
 
Yearbooks
Orders are now being taken for 2014 yearbooks which will arrive in May. Click here to order the yearbook online. Simply enter Notre Dame's order number 14196 to begin placing your order. The cost is $75.
Alumni News...
Join The Alumni Association
For the past several months, a group of alumni have been meeting to plan and organize a formal Alumni Association. The purpose of the Alumni Association will be to maintain and promote alumni participation in the development of ND through professional, educational, and social programs and events. The next Alumni Association meeting will be held on April 8 at 6:30 pm in the ND Library. All are invited.

Stay Connected With ND Classmates
The editorial staff of Notre Dame's IMPACT Magazine is looking for alumni news. Share your good news and events (promotions, degrees earned, weddings, births, etc.) by submitting a class note (along with pictures) to marzik@notredame.org by March 1.  The next edition of IMPACT will be mailed out to all alumni and friends of Notre Dame in the spring. Don't forget to update your mailing address with our alumni office at http://www.notredame.org/Pages/alumni_update.html.

Alumni Easter Egg Hunt
The first event sponsored by the Alumni Association will be an Easter Egg Hunt for children and grandchildren of our alumni and faculty/staff members.  The event will be held on Saturday, April 12 at 10:00 am at ND (rain or shine).  There is no charge for this event however an RSVP is required. If you are interested in joining the Alumni Association or would like to RSVP to the Easter Egg Hunt, please contact our Alumni Office at marzik@notredame.org.

The ND Lancer Open Golf Tournament
Save the date! The ND Lancer Open in Memory of Bob Shea will be held on Monday, September 22, 2014 at the Redding Country Club.
Annual Mohegan Sun Casino Bus Trip 
The ND Athletic Association is sponsoring a bus trip to Mohegan Sun on Sunday, February 16. The bus will depart Notre Dame at 9:15 am and will return by 7:00 pm. For $45 per person you will receive round trip transportation, a $15 meal coupon and a $15 wheel bet.

 

To reserve a spot, please contact Andrene DeFilippo at Rodchick7@aol.com. Please RSVP by Friday, February 7. Checks should be made out to Notre Dame High School. All proceeds from the event will go to the ND Athletic Association Program.

  
ND Student T-Shirts and Sweatshirts Are Here
ND student t-shirts and sweatshirts are now available in Mr. Olayos' office for purchase. The t-shirts are $10 and the sweatshirts are $25. Students who purchase a t-shirt and wear it to the boys' and/or girls' home basketball games will  have free admission to the games. Students who purchase a sweatshirt and wear it to the boys' and/or girls' home hockey games will have free admission to the games. These t-shirts and sweatshirts are good for any games at ND, the Milford Ice Pavilion, or at Sacred Heart University. 
  
ITown Store   
Notre Dame and ITown have partnered for an exciting online store where you can purchase official Notre Dame Fairfield clothing and apparel.  The store will be continually updated throughout the year. ITown Store is a virtual store focused on sales of apparel and promotional products with logo customization options. Visit www.itownstore.com and click on "Find your store" to see ND's merchandise.