BUILDING LEADERS, ONE HOUSE AT A TIME

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November 24, 2025

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

Notre Dame Prep’s middle school strengthens community, leadership through house system.

Notre Dame Preparatory School first introduced its dynamic house system in its middle school in 2017, inspired by the celebrated model developed at the Ron Clark Academy (RCA) in Atlanta, Georgia. Designed to support the unique developmental needs of adolescents, the structure aims to cultivate leadership, belonging and school spirit by dividing students into multi-grade “houses” that become their home base during their time in middle school.

“This age group is navigating one of the most complex social and emotional periods of their lives,” said NDP middle school Principal Brandon Jezdimir. “Middle schoolers often feel pressure to compare themselves to others and struggle to figure out where they fit in the world. Our house system gives them a community that grounds them, challenges them, and helps them grow.”

Rooted in the RCA model, built around NDP mission

The Ron Clark Academy’s house system, which is now used by schools worldwide, served as a major influence in shaping NDP’s approach. RCA’s structure emphasizes multi-age groupings, leadership development, mentoring and shared identity through house names, colors, crests and values. These principles align closely with NDP’s mission to form young people spiritually, academically and socially.

“The Ron Clark Academy showed educators everywhere what’s possible when you combine structure with joy,” said Jezdimir, who’s been principal of NDP’s middle school since 2017. “Their model creates energy and connection in a school. We adopted those same guiding ideas, but customized them to reflect our Marist identity.”

At NDP, each middle school student is assigned to one of four houses named for significant places in the life of Fr. Jean Claude Colin, founder of the Society of Mary:

• Bon Repos
• Little Seminary of Belley
• Cerdon
• The Hermitage

Students remain in their house for all three years of middle school. Teachers and staff are also assigned to a house, ensuring that each group includes mentors, moderators and cheerleaders who help students navigate both challenges and celebrations. The current school year features teachers Felicia Falvo and Hamish McLean as moderators of the house council.

Leadership and belonging across grade levels

Each house includes sixth, seventh and eighth graders, promoting natural mentorship and leadership development. Eighth graders serve as house presidents and leaders, responsible for running meetings, guiding activities and fostering unity within their teams.

“This structure places authentic leadership in the hands of our students,” Jezdimir noted. “Our eighth graders gain the confidence that comes from guiding a group and our younger students benefit from seeing positive role models in action. It creates a culture where everyone feels seen.”

House meetings occur weekly during Community Time, a designated block for relationship-building and formation. These gatherings might involve developing a house chant, selecting a Bible verse, or engaging in team-building exercises. Other times, the houses head to the Grimaldi Athletic Center for friendly competition in mini-games.

“The laughter and excitement during house competitions are incredible,” Jezdimir said. “But beneath the fun, you see real teamwork and a pride that extends far beyond the games themselves.”

A year-long journey toward the house championship

Throughout the year, houses earn points for positive behavior, academic effort, teamwork and participation in events. The structure mirrors the traditional point systems seen in house models elsewhere, including at RCA. The culminating moment arrives during Irish Week in March, when the house with the highest score is crowned the champion.

“It’s not just about winning,” Jezdimir said. “It’s about teaching students that their choices matter — not just for themselves, but for the good of the whole community. That’s a powerful lesson at this age.”

Meeting middle schoolers where they are

NDP’s house system supports several core goals tailored specifically to early adolescents:

• Helping students feel known, valued and connected
• Providing a leadership pathway for older students
• Creating a positive peer culture across grade levels
• Strengthening school identity and pride
• Offering another avenue for living out the school’s mission

“We want our middle schoolers to feel anchored,” Jezdimir said. “When you’re part of something bigger than yourself, whether it’s a house, a team or a tradition, you build confidence. You learn to lead. You feel like you belong. That’s what this system is all about.”

Building community — one house at a time

Notre Dame Prep’s adoption of a house system reflects a growing movement in schools worldwide to support the whole child, not just the academic one. The combination of mentorship, healthy competition and meaningful identity-building helps students grow into confident, compassionate leaders prepared for the challenges of high school and beyond.

“Our goal is simple,” Jezdimir said. “We want every student to walk into school each day knowing that they have a community behind them. The house system is one more way we’re making that a reality.”

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.