A STRONG START: INSIDE NOTRE DAME PREP’S LOWER SCHOOL

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February 9, 2026

For information on admission to Notre Dame Prep, please click here.

An inquiry-based IB education, rooted in faith and care, helps Notre Dame Prep’s youngest students grow with confidence and purpose.

High expectations and encouragement are not competing ideas at Notre Dame Prep’s lower school. They are deliberately woven together to create an environment where students in Pre-K through Grade 5 are challenged, supported and known.

As an authorized International Baccalaureate World School offering the Primary Years Program, Notre Dame Prep’s lower school combines academic rigor with a deep commitment to faith formation and the development of the whole child. For families exploring educational options for young children, the result is a program designed to meet students where they are — and help them grow year by year.

Prospective families will have an opportunity to see that approach firsthand during the Lower School Admissions Preview on Wednesday, Feb. 11, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Click here to register.

Learning with intention

“Everything we do begins in exactly the same place — with the needs of the child,” said lower school Principal Diana Atkins.

That philosophy shapes a curriculum built on the IB Program of Inquiry, which emphasizes inquiry-based, transdisciplinary learning. Students explore broad themes such as “Who We Are,” “How the World Works” and “Sharing the Planet,” connecting concepts across subjects rather than learning them in isolation.

In science, that might mean investigating forces and energy or living things. In social studies, it could involve studying human systems or economic activities. Lessons are designed to be active and hands-on, encouraging students to make connections and apply what they learn.

A fourth-grade economics unit is one example. Students plan, develop and market original products, learning math, communication and problem-solving skills along the way while seeing how classroom concepts connect to the real world.

That academic program has continued to evolve since the lower school opened in 2003.

“Since the opening of the lower school in 2003, we have experienced tremendous growth — not only in enrollment, but also in the depth and strength of our curriculum,” Atkins said. “With the addition of the IB Program in 2009, our designation as an Apple Distinguished School in 2018, the opening of the Atrium in 2021, and the implementation of the Science of Reading in 2023, our academic program is flourishing.”

The IB Primary Years Program in action

The Primary Years Program plays a central role in shaping how students learn at Notre Dame Prep, even at the youngest ages. Through inquiry-based learning, students are encouraged to ask questions, explore ideas and reflect on their thinking.

Parent Vera Dabish, an alumna and mother of four lower school students, said the IB framework gives learning purpose and continuity.

“The academic program is both challenging and ever evolving, and I appreciate how it continues to adapt to the students’ needs,” Dabish said. “The IB curriculum has been especially meaningful for our children. I love how each school year highlights a different Marist theme and how every semester focuses on a specific learner profile that leads into a different grade level IB project. It gives the students a sense of purpose and helps them see real world connections to what they are learning in class.”

Through the PYP, students build skills in critical thinking, communication, collaboration and self-management. Teachers act as facilitators, guiding students as they take increasing ownership of those skils.

Technology also plays a supporting role. As an Apple Distinguished School, Notre Dame Prep provides every lower school student with an iPad for use at school and at home, integrating digital tools in developmentally appropriate ways.

More to explore

Academic learning extends beyond the core subjects of English, social studies, science, mathematics and religion. All lower school students also take Spanish, technology, music, art, library and physical education on an eight-day rotating schedule.

Students also have opportunities to explore robotics, drama and service through clubs and activities. Beginning in fourth grade, they can also participate in sports or join the band.

The goal, Atkins said, is to provide a well-rounded experience that allows students to discover interests and talents early.

“Our lower school faculty is strong, with very little turnover, and a shared commitment to collaboration,” she said. “This teamwork allows us to deliver an outstanding and cohesive curriculum to our students.”

A loving and caring community

For many families, the sense of care within the lower school community is what stands out most.

Kim Stetson said her family chose Notre Dame Prep when their daughter Hannah, now in fifth grade, was old enough for Pre-K3.

“Guidance from the Holy Spirit along with its Catholic environment and location really were what drew us to the school,” Stetson said.

After touring the lower school and meeting with Atkins a number of years ago, the family decided to enroll. Their son Noah, now in second grade, also attended the toddler program and continued into Pre-K3.

“Notre Dame Prep’s lower school is such a loving and caring place that allows our children to thrive,” Stetson said. “Hannah and Noah both really love going to school.”

Small class sizes allow teachers to know students as individuals, forming close relationships rooted in trust. Catholic and Marist values are not only taught but lived daily through weekly Mass, service-learning and the immersive Atrium project.

Fourth grader Briella Renard said those values have shaped how she sees herself and others.

“Notre Dame helped me grow in faith and love for Jesus by teaching me that Jesus loves me,” she said. “He is always there for me. He’s the good shepherd. When we are lost and confused, He will always come looking for you.”

That sense of care translates into action. Renard and her sister helped raise money for the New Day Foundation through a lemonade stand.

“You don’t have to do a big thing — it’s the thought that counts,” she said. “It’s the good feeling that comes when you help people.”

Growing with confidence

Students say the supportive environment helps them take risks and build confidence.

“When I couldn’t get it, I’d go home and practice. Then I made progress,” Renard said of her math studies. “It felt like I could do anything if I tried.”

Fifth grader Jack Kushuba said lessons about kindness carry beyond the classroom.

“At school we’re taught to be kind and helpful,” he said. “I always bring up our neighbors’ empty trash cans after pickup. They seem to appreciate it, and I like that I can help.”

Kushuba described the lower school as a place where “our teachers care, it feels like a family, and everyone gets along.”

A place to begin

For Dabish, the experience has felt both meaningful and familiar.

“What stands out the most to our family is how the school truly lives out its mission of forming good Christian people, upright citizens and academic scholars,” she said. “Overall, I am very happy with our experience at Notre Dame Prep and grateful to be part of such an inspiring school community. As an alumnus, bringing my children to NDP felt like I was finally coming home.”

Families interested in learning more about Notre Dame Prep’s lower school and its IB Primary Years Program are encouraged to attend the Lower School Admissions Preview on Wednesday, Feb. 11, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Click here to register.

For information on admission to Notre Dame Prep, please click here.

Comments or questions? mkelly@ndpma.org

About Notre Dame Preparatory School
"At Notre Dame Prep, we inspire our students to become the best versions of themselves. We challenge them through an experience of academic excellence, focused on active, project-based learning. We invite them to explore a world of opportunities beyond the classroom. We guide them as they grow in spirituality within a community strong in its Catholic and Marist identity."

Notre Dame Preparatory School is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. Notre Dame Preparatory School's upper school enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame Prep's middle and lower schools enroll students in pre-kindergarten through grade eight. All three schools are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDP is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the National Association of Independent Schools. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School, visit the school’s home page at www.ndpma.org.