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good news about Notre Dame High School.

February 28, 2014

Dates to Remember

Wed., March 5
Ash Wednesday
Mass & Bishop Caggiano Visit

Wed., March 13
11:00 Dismissal
Faculty PD

Tuesday, March 18
Guidance Testing
Early Dismissal

Tuesday, March 25
Fall/Winter Sports
Banquet
6:30 pm

Wed., March 26
End of Third Marking Period

Thursday, March 27
Red Cross Blood Drive

Friday, March 28 - Monday, March 31
Senior Trip to Washington, D.C.
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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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.
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Congratulations to...
...the following students who were named the February Students of the Month: Adriana Marra '17, Jake Heaton '15, Jaylen Jennings '14 and Patrick Cho '16. Students are nominated by faculty and judged based upon attitude, community service and academic achievement.

This Week at ND...
Students Incorporate the Artists' Hand Into the Image
Students in Mr. Testani's 3D art class have finished a project where they had to create an image that would revolve around using their hand in the art. Squeezing, poking, painting and drawing were various methods to achieve this look. The above art was created by Nick Beecher '15, Young Ji Kang '14, Marleena Reed '15 and Kimmani Gibson '14. Click here to view other images in the art gallery.

Care Club Members Visit the Jewish Home
On Monday, Care Club members spent the morning at the Jewish Home/Grasmere Day Care Center interacting with the clients.They engaged in playing bingo, dominoes and bowling and managed to put a large puzzle together. Thank you to Dy-Mond LeRoy '14, Jessica Fogassa '15, Karissa Cook '14, Camisha Vilme '15, Joane Delia '15, Lizette Dos Santos '14, Kim Labady '14, Patrice Lauture '15, Shaina Gregory '14, Mikael Tessema '16, Jess Cannon '14, Winston Crumb '14, Yasmine Namane '15, and Jae Min Ahn '15 for making a lot of seniors very happy. A second group will enjoy a day of dancing on March 25th.
An Email Worth Sharing ...
This email was received on Thursday and we wanted to share it with all:

Mr. Cipriano, Mrs. Marzik and the Faculty, Staff & Administration,

Today internationally is a Student Engagement and Philanthropy Day.  Across college campuses worldwide, students are taking the opportunity to thank their institutions and donors.

I would like to take this time to thank you and Notre Dame for the
experiences, memories and opportunities that you have created not only for myself but for all alumni, current students, parents, friends and donors.

Every year, I give back to Notre Dame in some way because I could not be where I am today without the support and guidance I received during my time on Jefferson Street.

In honor of this day, I will be sending a donation to Notre Dame. I will send this donation directly to the Advancement Office.

Thank you for everything you have done, continue to do, and have yet to
do. See you Saturday night at the Legacy Gala!

Always a proud Lancer,
Justin Cirisoli '06
Retail 101 is Coming to ND...
Save the Date for  Retail 101
"Brand name" men's and women's apparel and accessories from $5 to $25 will be sold in the ND gym from March 21 - 23. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the ND Athletic Association. Click here for more information.

Volunteers Needed 
The ND Athletic Association is in search of volunteers for this wonderful event. Volunteers are needed on Friday, March 21 (2pm-9pm), Saturday, March 22 (9am-9pm) and Sunday, March 23rd (9am-5pm). We would like to have volunteers for 2 hour shifts on Friday and Sunday and 3 hour shifts on Saturday.  However, we will take whatever time you can spare. We will also need volunteers for Thursday set up. If you would like to sign up to volunteer, please contact Kathy Stefanatos at kpstef@aol.com 
Guidance Department Update...

Currently in Guidance, counselors are meeting with junior students and their parents to discuss college planning. If you have not made an appointment with your child's counselor, please do so soon.

 

Important Testing Dates 

  • May 3, 2014 - SAT Testing at Notre Dame - Register for the May SAT by April 4. The late registration deadline is April 18. Revolution Prep will be hosting an SAT Prep class at Notre Dame leading up to the May 3 SAT. The class starts on March 18 and meets on Tuesdays from 6-9 pm and Thursdays from 5-9 pm. To view the full schedule and to enroll, click here or call the CT Academic Advisor, Jeff Jenkins, at 310.593.6851
  • June SAT - Register for the June SAT on or before May 9, 2014. Notre Dame is not a test center for June SAT's.
  • March 18 Testing For Underclassmen
    Tuesday, March 18 is a testing day and no classes will meet. Juniors will be taking the ACT and no registration is needed. Sophomores will be taking the PLAN test and Freshmen will taking the Explore Test. There is no school for seniors.  

Course Selections 

Course selections for all students will be discussed beginning the week of March 3, 2014. A copy of the course selection sheet has been mailed home for parental review and discussion. 

 

Freshmen Parent Meetings 

Mr. Marra is conducting individual meetings with current ninth graders and their parents. He is reviewing the first semester of high school, as well as the results of the EXPLORE exam that was given earlier in the year.  Please contact him if you have not returned the RSVP form from the letter that was mailed home: (203) 374-2618. These meetings will begin in March. 

  

Upcoming College Fair 

St. Joseph High School in Trumbull will be hosting a College Fair on Wednesday, March 12 at 7 pm in their gymnasium.  At this time, they will have over 100 colleges and or universities attending this year.

Seniors   

Seniors are reminded to be checking Naviance for scholarship opportunities.  

 

NEW SCHOLARSHIPS POSTED THIS WEEK (see scholarship section below for additional scholarship opportunities):
  • Mutual Security Community Service Scholarships 
    In honor of their commitment and service to the community, six high school seniors with outstanding promise will each receive a $1,000 scholarship. Scholarships will be awarded to students, who are in good academic standing, have demonstrated financial need, and have given selflessly of themselves to improve the overall state of affairs in their community. Applications available online at www.mscu.net and in the Guidance Office.  
  • Long Hill Garden Club Scholarship
    Applicants must be a resident of Trumbull and planning to major in one of the following fields: Botany, Conservation, Ecology Environmental Science, Forestry, Horticulture, Landscape Design, Land Management and or other related subjects. Two letters of recommendation are required: one from a guidance counselor and one from a teacher or other adult who has been involved with you in your field of interest. A signed official copy of your high school transcript is also required. Submit completed applications to the club's Scholarship Chairman: Mrs. Ann Germano, 30 Natalie Road Trumbull CT, 06611 by April 16, 2014. Applications are available in the Guidance office.  
  • Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Center (OSM) of Trumbull
    The Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Center will be offering a $2,000 Scholarship and other awards of $1,000 to students from area high schools including Notre Dame. The scholarship is open to high school athletes planning to attend college in the fall who play for high schools where OSM serves as team physicians. Applications can be downloaded here: www.osmcenter.com. Applications can also be picked up in the Guidance Office. 
  • Thomas J. Williams Scholarship-Sikorsky Credit Union Scholarship
    Sikorsky Credit Union is again offering its Thomas J. Williams Scholarship program, where five high school seniors will receive $1,000 to use toward their higher education. Applicants must submit an essay on "How Sikorsky Credit Union helped me take charge of my money," and be a high school graduate in the spring and planning to attend an institute of higher learning in the fall. Also, the student must be a member of Sikorsky Credit Union on or before March 15. Membership can be started with just a $5.00 minimum opening deposit. Interested seniors may pick up an application at any of the Credit Union's branch offices in Danbury, Milford, Seymour, Shelton or Stratford. The application can be downloaded at www.sikorskycu.org/scholarship. The deadline is April 30.
Students...
Service Hours Due March 14th
The student service hour requirement must be fulfilled by Friday, March 14. Students who do not fulfill the requirement in time will receive an "F" for service on their third quarter report cards, and must still complete their service by the end of the academic year in order to advance to the next grade level. Seniors who do not complete their service before graduation will not receive diplomas until the requirement is satisfied. Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors must complete 15 hours of service, and Freshmen must complete 5 hours of service as well as participate in Freshmen Field Day. Please direct any questions to Mr. St.Onge at stonge@notredame.org.

Service forms are available by clicking here.  If a student has done service through Campus Ministry or at ND with one of its events, they do not need to fill out a form for that instance of service, as those events are already on record. 

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...

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...
Ed-Line
The next Ed-line reports for the third marking period will be posted on Sunday, March 9. 

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.
Good Luck to...
The ND bowling team will be competing in the CIAC state bowling competition on Saturday in East Hartford.

  

The boys basketball team has earned the #1 seed in the SWC tournament and will be playing on Saturday at 7 pm at Bunnell HS in the league tournament quarter-finals.

The girls basketball team earned the #20 seed in the Class S state tournament and will open up tournament play on Tuesday at Goodwin Tech in New Britain. 

Congratulations to...
LaCroix Scores His 100th Point
On Monday night, Christian La Croix '14 recorded his 100th point of his high school hockey career at ND.

Chaves the Connecticut Post High School Top Performer
Sierra Chavez '16, was named the Connecticut Post High School top performer on Saturday, February 22. She scored two goals in a 4-3 (2 OT) girls' hockey win over West Haven.

Fall & Winter Athletic Banquet
The Fall and Winter Athletic Banquet will be held on Tuesday, March 25 in the ND gym at 6:30 pm.Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for non-ND students and $5 for N.D. students. Click here for more information. If you plan on attending the event, please complete the attached flyer and return to Mr. Bleggi by Wednesday, March 19.

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