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ND Spotlight
November Students of the Month
Congratulations to our November Students of the Month: Dake Li '16, Olivia Carriero '19, Liv Silva '17, Tina Savvaidies '18. Students are nominated by faculty based on achievement, attitude, community service and academic achievement.
ND Junior Receives Youth Volunteer of the Year Award
Carole Adzima, the Executive Director at Perry House in Stratford, selected
Brianna Kydes '17 for the Youth Volunteer Award of the year for 2015. Brianna attended the award program, along with her parents, this past Tuesday evening. Brianna has served as Santa's helper/elf every year for three years during the Christmas season at the annual holiday open house at "Perry House". Congratulations to Brianna.
ND Happenings
Boys' Lacrosse Team Participates in Sticks for Soldiers
The boys' lacrosse team participated in the Sticks for Soldiers charity tournament on Saturday, November 28. Together they raised $800 for two selected wounded veterans. Many high school teams across the state of Connecticut competed on Saturday at Fairfield Ludlowe High School for this great cause. A special thank you to Frank Fiore (father of Willard Fiore '17) for coaching the boys! 
Gift Basket Winner
The 2016 Paris-Madrid Travel Group is pleased to announce that the Gift Card Basket raffle winner is Alice Henry '17. A special thank you to all who participated!
Freshman Science Students Participate in Newton's Laws STEM Project
Integrated Science students applied their knowledge of the physical laws governing the outcome of car crashes to design, build, and test momentum cars.  Goal: protect a crash test dummy (an egg) in a head-on collision with a concrete wall. Requirements: crush zones, restraint systems, roll cages, and cabs. While there were constraints, materials and time, there was no limit to the variety of cars designed by the engineering teams. Although most crash test dummies sustained only minor injuries, one "fatality" resulted from the collisions. 
Drama Club Visits Broadway
The Drama Club took their annual field trip to New York City to see Something Rotten on Wednesday, December 2. Before the show, students had the opportunity to attend a Song and Movement Workshop at a Broadway Classroom led by cast member Beth Nicely. ND dance teacher, Mrs. Hong, performed in the National Tour of 42nd Street with Beth in 2002. Thank you to the chaperones for the day: Mr. St. Onge, Dr. Callaghan, Ms. Morales, Mrs. Hong, Mrs. D'Aurio, Mrs. Onofrio and Mrs. Halstead. To view the video of students learning the opening number, click here.
Art Club Creates Hot Air Balloons
Members of the Art Club have created Hot Air Balloon art. The balloons are flying on top of the stairwell going up towards Father Bill's office.
Parent and Student Update
Yoga at ND
Come stretch and relax with us! Yoga will again be offered on Tuesday, December 15 by Victoria of Mobil Yoga.  The class will run from 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm on the third floor of ND. The cost is $20.00 for the single class and $10.00 for ND students with ID.  Proceeds are to benefit the 2016 Paris-Madrid Travel Group. Pre-registration is preferred. For more information, please see Mme Zac (eanderson@notredame.org) or 
Senora Guarino (mguarino@notredame.org).
Parent/Student Meeting for Paris-Madrid Travel Group
There will be a parent/student meeting on Wednesday, December 9 at 7:00 pm at ND. Students going on the trip must attend this meeting with their parent. 
Paris-Madrid Travel Group's ACAPULCO Restaurant Fundraiser 

Eat at Acapulcos Mexican Family Restaurant & Cantina (Main Street, Stratford) on Tuesday, December 8 from 11 am to 10 pm and a percentage of the net food sales will be donated towards the group's tuition. Click here for more information. 
Winter Arts Celebration
ND's annual Winter Arts Celebration will be held on Thursday, December 10 at 7:00 pm in the gym. Admission is $2 and every donation supports the Arts program at ND.  Come see our band, chorus, and dance classes show the incredible pieces they have been working on, and enjoy the performances of several solo and group acts put together by ND students. And don't forget about the bake sale during intermission!  Please contact Mr. St.Onge with any questions you may have at jstonge@notredame.org.
Reminder - School Closed December 8
Parents are reminded that Notre Dame will be closed on Tuesday, December 8 in observance of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
26 Acts of Kindness Campaign
Please join with the ND community as we hold our fourth annual 26 Acts of Kindness campaign now through the beginning of February. Click here to view our full Acts of Kindness calendar. Here's what's coming up for Week 1:
  • Monday, Dec. 7 - Say "Good Morning" to everyone you pass this morning
  • (Tuesday, Dec. 8 - No School)
  • Wednesday, Dec. 9 - Hold the Door Open For Someone Today 
  • Thursday, Dec. 10 - Collection - Donate blankets and sleeping bags for the homeless (bring donations to the main office)
  • Friday, Dec. 11 - Thank a First Responder - Write a thank you note to a first responder (police, fire, EMT). ND will mail them.
The Giving Tree
The Christmas tree in the entrance to Notre Dame was decorated with over 100 gift tags for children and teens in need this Christmas season. Thanks to everyone who took a tag. Only a few tags remain. Families are asked to purchase the listed gift and return wrapped with the tag attached by Friday, December 11. Gifts will then be delivered to the Sisters of Charity and St. Charles Parish in Bridgeport - and will quite possibly be the only gifts these children receive this Christmas.

If you can not make it to ND to grab a tag, please email Jessica Medoff at jmedoff@notredame.org. She will select a tag for you and email the requested present to you.

Thank you very much for your tremendous generosity this Christmas season. Merry Christmas!
Support Notre Dame Through Our Shutterfly Store!
By visiting this link, you will be brought directly to our site with Shutterfly. Choose one of the four available stores described below and order just like you normally would. Notre Dame will receive 13% of any order placed through our storefront! Find deals at the following online retailers to help support ND: Shutterfly - Where your photos come to life in photo books, cards, gifts and home decor.
Tinyprints - Premium cards and stationery for all life's occasions.
Wedding Paper Divas - Wedding invitations and stationery at a one stop wedding shop. Borrowlenses - Online photo and video equipment rental.

Current Deals from our storefront include: Save 50% off Thank You Card orders using the code BLACKFRIDAY, 30% off $1-$48.99; 40% off $49 - $148.99; 50% off $149+ using the code CYBERSAVE, Get Up to 50% Off Select Items using code BEST50, 
new customers enjoy a choice of one free set of Address Labels or 50 Free 4x6 Prints using the code YOURCHOICEAFF, enjoy one free set of Address Labels using the code 1127DEAL, save 40% off site wide using the code BLACKFRI40.
Yearbooks are on Sale! 
Pre-orders for 2016 Yearbooks are now being taken. To order on-line, click here. Next, enter in Notre Dame's code: 14196. Yearbooks are $80 each.
Advancement Office Update
#GivingTuesday Campaign Thank You
Thank you to everyone who helped make this year's #GivingTuesday campaign a success! If you missed out on #GivingTuesday, remember you can donate to the Notre Dame Fund any time by clicking here. 
Athletic Association Update
Car Raffle
The Athletic Association is sponsoring a car raffle with only one prize awarded: a 1980 Vintage I82 Corvette T top convertible. Tickets are $100 and only 250 tickets will be sold. The drawing will be held at Sacred Heart University on March 12, the night of the Notre Dame Gala. Tickets can be obtained in Mr. Olayos' office or email him at jolayos@notredame.org to reserve your ticket.
Alumni Association Update
Be A Part of ND's 60th Anniversary 
Notre Dame High School was founded in 1955 by the Most Reverend LawrenceSheehan. In 1955, construction of Notre Dame High School began on Park Avenue in Bridgeport. In 1956, the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur began teaching Notre Dame's first class of girls at Our Lady of the Assumption School in Fairfield while the high school was being built. Finally, in September of 1957, 1,000 students (freshmen and sophomores, boys and girls) walked through the doors of Notre Dame High School on Park Avenue. 

To commemorate the 60th anniversary of Notre Dame (the oldest high school in the Diocese of Bridgeport) we are planning a year-long celebration of events which will begin in September, 2016 and run through September, 2017. We are looking for alumni, alumni parents, current parents, faculty (past and present), and friends of Notre Dame to help us plan this extraordinary event in our school's history.
 
If you would like to be a part of the celebration, please contact Theresa Marzik at tmarzik@notredame.org. 
Parent Association Update
Parent Association Meeting - December 16
Please join us at the next monthly Parent Association meeting on Wednesday, December 16 in the library at 6:45 pm (immediately following the Athletic Association meeting). All are welcome!
Holiday Cookie Sale at ND
ND is hosting a Holiday Cookie sale.  The sale will take place on Friday, December 11 from 2:00 to 7:00 pm and Saturday, December 12 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm in the ND Cafeteria. Homemade and specialty cookies will be available to purchase at $10.00 per pound.  Proceeds of the sale will go to the NDF Parent Association. Email NDParentAssociation@Gmail.com for more information.

Bakers Needed
Do you love to bake? Consider baking your favorite and most famous cookies for our Holiday Cookie Sale. Here's what we are looking for:
  • Six dozen of your very best, fanciest holiday cookies
  • Cookies should all be the same type (not an assortment) Peanut blossoms, decorated cutouts, and any cookie with chocolate are always popular
  • Please deliver cookies wrapped neatly and safely in a disposable box (not your favorite Tupperware container)
  • Label with the name or type of cookies, ingredients in cookies, plus your name and contact information
  • Allery sensitive labels are appreciated
  • Cookies should be delivered the morning of Friday, December 11
Contact NDParentAssociation@Gmail.com for more information.
Lancer Legacy Gala
The annual Lancer Legacy Gala will take place on March 12, 2016 at Sacred Heart University.  This event is Notre Dame's biggest fundraiser of the year and supports activities, technology, campus ministry, etc. at ND.  Parents are encouraged to volunteer their time and talents to make the 2016 Lancer Legacy Gala a success!  Please email Theresa Marzik at tmarzik@notredame.org if you would like to volunteer or need additional information. The next Gala Committee meeting is on Wednesday, December 9 at 6:30 pm in the Library. All are invited!
NEW ND Spirit Wear 
The Parent Association is happy to announce a new line of Spirit Wear!  Items will be available for purchase during lunch on Thursday, December 10 and can be paid for with cash or preferably, a check.  Order forms can be found here. We are also looking for Virtus-trained parent volunteers to sell these items during lunch. If interested, please contact Melanie Trutt at ndparentassociation@gmail.com. 
Join the ND Parent Association 
If you haven't had a chance to join the ND Parent Association yet, please consider signing up today!  Membership dues are $10 per family per year and you can join online by clicking here.
Opportunities
Poster Contest
The Center for Family Justice is sponsoring a poster contest depicting what the face ofabuse means to you. Students are responsible to supply his or her own materials. All materials are accepted, including poems and essays. The size of all entries - words, photos or art - must not be smaller than 4"x6" nor larger than 11"x17". All entries must be original and created by the entrant. Submit your entry form and artwork by January 8, 2016 to the main office. Click here for more information.
Scholarships Available
The Palace in Stamford is sponsoring several scholarship awards for high school students. The first will be awarded to four high school students for their writing of an original 15 minute, one act play. In additional to the scholarship, there will be a staged reading of the play with renowned New York actors. In addition, two scholarships will be awarded to one actor and one actress for their performance of a monologue or a scene from a play with another student. Visit the Palace website by clicking here for additional details under the Education Tab. The deadline for material submission is February 22, 2016.
Guidance Department Update
Seniors
Please be sure to check out the scholarships that have been listed on Naviance. When on Naviance, click on Scholarships and see which scholarships you are eligible for. Please feel free to stop by the Guidance Office with any questions. The list is updated as the scholarship information comes into the Guidance office. 


Lancer Athletics
Winter Sports Start Dates/Times
  • Indoor Track - Saturday, December 5 - 10:00 am meet in chapel lobby
  • Boys' Basketball - Saturday, December 5 - 10:00 am in gym - Freshmen & Sophomores
  • Boys' Hockey - Saturday, December 5 - 8:45 pm at the Milford Ice Pavilion
Reminder to all student-athletes: you must have a parental consent form on file with Mr. Bleggi and an updated physical on file with the nurse in order to start practice/try-outs. Any questions, see Mr. Bleggi.
ND Apparel is Here!
Order your ND apparel today! Click here to view the gallery and to place your order.
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