IRISH HEARTS ARE STRONG ON DAY OF GIVING

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July 18, 2024

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

Our most recent IRISH magazine featured a story about Notre Dame Prep's first Irish Day of Giving, which once again highlighted the strong spirit of community and love for the school’s Catholic and Marist mission.

Notre Dame Prep's inaugural Irish Day of Giving, held on March 15, was an overwhelming success as more than 400 individuals answered the call to give back to the Notre Dame Fund. Throughout the inspiring 24-hour event, parents, grandparents, students, faculty, staff and alumni came together to make a difference, championing the school's commitment to support both students and teachers. The outpouring of gifts highlighted the strong spirit of community and love for the school’s Catholic and Marist mission.

According to Matt Rzepecki, assistant director of annual giving for the school, the first-of-its-kind event exceeded all expectations.

“It was a wonderful day, and it was truly inspiring to see so many people publicly show their support for our hardworking teachers,” he said.

The funds raised for the Notre Dame Fund help offset the gap between the cost of a Catholic education and what tuition covers. That includes training and salary bonuses for teachers, school building improvements, scholarships for current and future students, athletics support and safety and security.

“Thanks to everyone who supported and continues to support NDP,” Rzepecki said. “With their help, we will continue to drive excellence in and out of the classroom. It is through support of the Notre Dame Fund that our school can provide so many opportunities for our students. Much of what you see on our campus today is because of the generosity of people who have come before us.”

Rzepecki also pointed out that 72 alumni and parents made their first annual gift to the school on Irish Day.
To encourage participation, multiple challenges were held leading up to and during Irish Day. At the upper school, classes competed for Irish Week points and the chance for four lucky students to pie an unlucky Principal Kim Anderson. At the middle school, students competed for House points and the chance to dye Principal Brandon Jezdimir’s hair. At the lower school, the class with the most money raised won a pizza party.

On Irish Day, staff passed out "Irish Heart. Notre Dame Soul." wristbands and chocolate coins to students, who also posed for pictures for the school’s social media page.

Rzepecki said several parents and members of the school’s Board of Trustees volunteered to make the event a success. Volunteers included parent Jennifer Valentine P’25, and advancement committee members Mia Burbank P'10, P'17, P'24; Tim Easterwood P’21; Mike Genord P'11, P'13, P'16, P'18; Chris Liparoto P’23, P’24, P’26, P’31; and Kris Powell ND’75, P’16.

“We’d also like to thank seniors Michael Kenny NDP’24 and Grace Simon NDP’24 for signing our emails for Irish Day. We are grateful to them and everyone who took the time to help us make this a successful day for our school,” Rzepecki added.

Gifts made on Irish Day were part of the school’s 2024 Annual Appeal, which kicked off in the fall and ran through June 30, 2024. For more information, visit ndprep.org/support.

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.ndprep.org.