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good news about Notre Dame High School.

February 21, 2014

Dates to Remember

 Friday, February 28
Sophomore Retreat

Wed., March 13
11:00 Dismissal
Faculty PD

Tuesday, March 18
Guidance Testing
Early Dismissal

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.

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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...
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Service Day Thank You ...
On behalf of Fr. Cip and Mr. St. Onge and especially the many, many people who were the beneficiaries of our Service Day volunteerism, thank you so much for all the amazing help that was contributed by so many. We had nearly 240 of our students participate in our most successful Service Day yet. Of course, none of this would be possible without the incredible support of the many parents, faculty, staff and alumni who worked both behind and in front of the scenes to pull this high spirited day of serving Christ-in-others off in an inspiring fashion.  Click here to view pictures from the day. All totaled, there were 20 Service projects that our students and chaperones assisted at including:

Diocesan Schools Served:
Saint Augustine's 4th grade "Christmas Party" - 45 students descended upon Notre Dame for snacks, gifts, games and one heck of a magic show by ND Alum Dan Murphy '13.
Saint Theresa's 2nd grade - Enjoyed an entertaining performance of The Littlest Mermaid at the Downtown Cabaret in Bridgeport.
Saint Andrew's, Saint Ann's and Saint Catherine's Academy for Special Needs Students - Our students worked with their students in a variety of ways.
Sacred Heart University Special Needs Students - A wonderful social mixer of fun and games was arranged here at Notre Dame.

Soup Kitchens and Shelters:
Bridgeport Rescue Mission, Merton House, Caroline House, and
Operation Hope - Meals were prepared and provided for those in the shelter by Notre Dame.
New Haven Community Soup Kitchen - Special coverage by the Hartford Courant
Saint Stephen's Food Pantry - Food items distributed to those in need.

Day Care Schools:
Sr. Theresa Tremblay - Our students enjoyed a day of dizzying bouncing fun at Bounce U in Stratford with Sister's kids.
Villa Divina Amore and Our Lady of Grace Daycare both in Stamford

Nursing Homes:
Jewish Home - This was our biggest project! We had over 50 ND students in force who were split up into teams.  These teams were responsible for spending time with residents in all parts of the Home.  A separate group was responsible for serving lunch to the residents.

Religious Communities:
Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist in Meriden - The Sisters accommodated a group of our students and moms who braved the extreme cold to help with some landscaping and farm work.
AFYA Foundation Yonkers, NY - A bit of a long ride but a group of our kids made it down to this warehouse that is responsible for collecting, packaging and sending needed medical and humanitarian needs to peoples effected by natural and/or any other disasters, especially those in Haiti and the African nations.

A very special note of thanks to the following chaperones who took time out of their busy schedules to help make this day so awesome:

Paul Marzik, Lori Stimpson, Lori Barger, Joanne Purcell, Clarissa Cincotta, Kristen Stone, Debbie Berard, Christopher Cipriano, Cheryl D'Aurio, Kathy Stefanatos, Marianne Cassidy, Tabatha McKeon, Gaetano Marra, Margaret Riobo, Rebecca O'Connell, Brigitte Shkreli, Debbie Crucetti, Debbie Bradley, Rachel Young, Kris Murphy, Lori LeMere, Kevin Boyd, Nancy Meyer, Lisa Moffat, Ray Cirisoli, Marcia Turner, Jennifer Raphaelson, Meg Muldoon, Anne Bergamasco and Matthew Merced.

Honorable Mention for pulling off crucial behind the scenes work goes to:
Richard Testani for pulling off some serious and fun balloon animal making duty, Kevin Philipp, Carl Philipp, Kathy Alterio, and Barb Ezepchick, Isabelle Boccuzzi, who prepared an awesome lunch for one of the shelters! Rachel Young who also cooked up a delicious storm of eats for one of the shelters! Dan Murphy: A most talented magician
Mary Guarino, Damon Testani, Sherrie Zembrzuski, Jessica Medoff (the quintessential organizer!), Beth Anderson-Zaczkowski, LeeAnn Power and Lisa Magrone, our dynamic duo team of Nurses!, Best Edibles, Tracie Marko and Karen Guastelle.
This Week at ND...

Anatomy of a Bulletin Board

Bulletin boards are ubiquitous in classrooms across the globe. In the philosophy of education courses, it is recommended that aspiring teachers design captivating bulletin boards.  Although there has been no definitive correlation that well designed bulletin boards increase academic achievement.

 

In a quest to design a captivating bulletin board, an idea manifested itself with a student query: "Why don't we get our names on the bulletin board if we pass physics?"   With that idea, the "Physics Wall" was started in 1982. By the end of last century (1999) the names engulfed the entire west wall of the Physics lab. After the turn of the century, the wall was covered up, replaced by other themes.

 

A few weeks ago, the bulletin board needed repair work. For the first time in a decade, "The Wall" was exposed.   Pictured are current ND science students who had a glimpse of ND Physics Alumni of the past.  The wall was covered up again and replaced with the Academic Lineage bulletin board and will await another generation to discover it again. 

Club News ...
Mass for Our Lady of Lourdes 
The French Honor Society and French classes, along with Fr. Cipriani, will be celebrating mass on Wednesday, February 26 in the ND chapel immediately after school at 2:00 pm. The mass is in honor of Our Lady of Lourdes, Saint Bernadette of France. Everyone is welcome to attend. Refreshments will be served following the conclusion of the mass.
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. It's still not too late to RSVP for the event. We already have our largest crowd ever attending and would love to have you join us too! 

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.
Students...
SAT Prep Course Offered 

Revolution Prep will be hosting a SAT Prep class at Notre Dame leading up to the May 3 SAT. The class starts on March 18 and meets on Tuesday's from 6 - 9 pm and Thursdays from 5 - 9 pm. To view the full schedule and to enroll, click here or call CT Academic Advisor, Jeff Jenkins, at 310.593.6851. 


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.

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...
Connecticut Parks Association Scholarship
Scholarships up to $1,000 will be awarded to seniors planning to attend a two or four year college and pursue a career in park management, forestry, horticulture, or agronomy. Click here for an application.

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Scholarship
African-American students pursuing higher education are invited to apply for a minimum $500 scholarship. Primary consideration is given to students who are in the upper 10% of their class and have a combined math/verbal SAT score of at least 900. Click here for more information. Deadline is March 14, 2014. An official transcript must accompany the application.

Greater Fairfield Board of Realtors Scholarship
Graduating seniors from Fairfield are invited to apply for one of six $500 scholarships. Click here for a scholarship application.

St. Ann Society of Norwalk
Seniors are invited to apply for the St. Ann Society of Norwalk scholarship. Application are in Guidance. The deadline is April 15.

Dunkin Donuts Scholarship
Graduating seniors are invited to apply for a $1,000 scholarship from Dunkin Donuts. The deadline for applications is March 15. Click here for scholarship information.

Abbott & Fenner Business Consultant Scholarship
Seniors are invited to apply for a $1,000 Abbott & Fenner scholarship. The scholarship application requires an essay of between 500 and 1,000 words about a topic listed on their web site. Click here for essay and scholarship information. Deadline for applying is June 14.

AES Engineers Scholarship
Seniors are invited to apply for a $500 AES Engineers scholarship. The scholarship application requires an essay of between 500 and 1,000 words about a topic listed on their web site. Click here for essay and scholarship information. Deadline for applying is June 15.

B. Davis Scholarship
Seniors are invited to apply for a $1,000 B. Davis scholarship. The scholarship application requires an essay of between 500 and 1,000 words about a topic listed on their web site. Click here for essay and scholarship information. Deadline for applying is May 26, 2014.

Big Sun Scholarship
Graduating student-athletes are invited to apply for a $500 BigSun Scholarship. All student-athletes are eligible for this scholarship. Click here for scholarship details.

Fairfield Rotary Foundation
Seniors are invited to apply for the Fairfield Rotary Scholarship. One scholarship in the amount of $7,500 and five in the amount of $3,000 are awarded to graduating seniors from the four Fairfield high schools annually. Selection criteria is based upon academic achievement and community service. Click here to download an application. Applications must be received by May 5, 2014.

Glenn Moon Teaching Scholarship
The Association of Retired Teachers of Connecticut is offering a scholarship opportunity for students planning a career in education. Deadline for applications is March 31. Click here for an application.

Hood Sportsmanship Scholarship
Graduating seniors are invited to apply for the Hood Milk scholarship which will award three $5,000 scholarships to students from New England. Applicants will be asked to write a short essay explaining how they have demonstrated the value of sportsmanship both on and off the field. Click here to apply. The deadline is March 3, 2014 at 3:00 pm.

St. Patrick's Scholarship
Graduating seniors are invited to apply for the St. Patrick's Scholarship - a $24,000 scholarship - $6,000 per year. Applications are available in Guidance. Deadline for applying is May 1.

Orazio DiMauro Scholarship
Seniors who are in the top 50% of the class, have a 3.0 GPA, are planning to pursue a engineering degree in college and live in the Greater Bridgeport area are invited to apply for the Orazio DiMauro Scholarship. Applications are available in Guidance.

Stratford Historical Society Scholarship
Residents of Stratford who have a "favorable" academic record and a strong interest in history are invited to apply for the Stratford Historical Society scholarship. Applications are available in Guidance.

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 deadline for applications is March 15, 2014.
  
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 ...
Junior Parents
Letters have been mailed out concerning college meetings.  If you are interested in setting up a college meeting and have not already done so, please call the guidance office. These meetings are strongly recommended for all junior parents as the discussion often proves to be an important part of the college application process. 

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. There are a limited number of yearbooks still available for pre-order. Get yours before they sell out. 
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.
ND Hockey at Webster Bank Arena 
ND boys' hockey will take on Darien on Saturday, February 22 at Webster Bank Arena at 1:00 pm. Tickets are $8 and are available at the door.

Wrestling  
Good luck to Dan Mendez '15 who will be competing in the Class S Wrestling Competition this weekend at Windham High School. 

Softball Meeting
There is a mandatory meeting for all girls trying out for softball on Tuesday, March 4 after school in the cafeteria.

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.