TOP STORIES OF 2023

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December 19, 2023

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

It’s been another extraordinary year at one of the state's top Catholic schools. From stories about alumni, current students and faculty and staff to those about Notre Dame Prep's innovative curriculum, artificial intelligence and its signature academic program, the IB, we take a look back at some of the more than 100 stories of this past calendar year that resonated most with our online community.

MISSION-FOCUSED DESIGN  Notre Dame Prep's first-in-the-nation engineering and empathy class is working on developing products to assist firefighters and quadriplegics.

WHY IT'S COOL TO BE IB  Five of our upper school juniors and seniors currently enrolled in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program talk about the benefits of the curriculum and why they're glad they're taking it. They also love the support they get from faculty and staff.

GUARANTEED GRIZZLIES  Notre Dame Prep and Oakland University launch guaranteed admissions program for outstanding high school juniors. 

NDP TO OSU VIA NASA  Graduating senior says he's ready for college — and his NASA internship — thanks to his Notre Dame Prep education and many years of robotics participation.

A COUNTRY-SINGING LITIGATOR  Alum attorney takes skills and lessons learned at Notre Dame Prep through the University of Michigan, law school and a career. She just added published singer-songwriter to her répertoire.

RUNNING MAN  Notre Dame Prep alum Jonathan Karr "runs" to his finish at the University of Notre Dame and charges toward a PhD in computer science.

PADRE JUAN RETURNS  Fr. Juan González, s.m., is coming back to Notre Dame Prep in February after serving at parishes in Brooklyn and San Francisco. 

AI IS HERE AND NOT GOING AWAY. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR EDUCATION?  Two Notre Dame Prep experts in artificial intelligence weigh in on the exciting — and daunting — future of education.

THE ART OF THE SCHOLARSHIP  Senior Sydney Hinds earns prestigious scholarship to one of the top art schools in the world.

A 'COMMITMENT TO HIGH EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS'  "Grade point average is not nearly as important a factor in university admissions as the IB Diploma.” When admissions personnel at the nation's top colleges (like Harvard) say such things, we know we're on to something pretty special. See what other top universities have been saying about IB.

ESPORTS LOOKING TO GROW AT NOTRE DAME PREP  Notre Dame Prep fields a second-place team in the most recent esports season, players get varsity letters.

WHY THE IB IS DIFFERENT  The International Baccalaureate® (IB) programs aim to do more than other curricula. The programs develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who are motivated to succeed. The IB gives students distinct advantages by building their critical thinking skills, nurturing their curiosity and their ability to solve complex problems.

FAITH, INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE AND THE ARTS  International Baccalaureate student and multi-creative award winner Madeline Lawrence looks to take her fulfilling Notre Dame Prep experience to prestigious arts college in Georgia.

DEPUTY HELPS MAINTAIN SECURITY AS JOB-1 AT NOTRE DAME PREP  Sheriff's deputy an integral part of Notre Dame Prep's comprehensive and robust school safety program.

IMMIGRANT ADVOCATE  Passionate about immigration issues, Notre Dame Prep sophomore lands a prestigious pre-college program scholarship at Brown University and sets career goal of becoming immigration attorney. 

VEX IQ CLOSES WORLDS WITH NEW AWARDS  Notre Dame Prep sixth graders also shine in Dallas in the final competition at the VEX Robotics World Championship.

WOW! WHAT A CLASS!  Notre Dame Prep graduates an outstanding senior class that finishes with an overall GPA of 3.9197 and an average of nearly $50,000 each in academic, merit-based college scholarships.

ALUM OUTDOORS  An International Baccalaureate class at Notre Dame Prep inspires a career focused on conservation and environmental sustainability.

PART OF THE WINNING PROGRAM  Notre Dame Prep senior heads to final semester at a school with "so many clubs and opportunities" and a future in chemical or biomedical engineering. 

PAINTING A CASE IN DETROIT  High-profile legal battle over a painting in a major exhibition of artwork by Vincent van Gogh at the Detroit Institute of Arts is keeping attorney Andrew Pauwels NDP'05 busy. 

NEW STRATEGIC PLAN SHAPES FUTURE OF NOTRE DAME PREP  Building on the success of its 30-year history, Notre Dame Prep released a new, five-year strategic plan this spring. The plan reflects the school’s Catholic, Marist mission and articulates focus on the next few years.

FOUR SENIORS SIGN TO PLAY SPORTS AT THE NEXT LEVEL  Four Notre Dame student-athletes are celebrated in front of classmates after committing to play athletics at the next level.

IB PROGRAM LEADS TO SAFETY EQUIPMENT FOR NDP  School takes possession of new automated external defibrillators purchased after NDP students raised money as part of their fifth-grade IB-PYP exhibition.

FEELING SAFE AND PROVIDING SUPPORT AT NOTRE DAME PREP  Pontiac Notre Dame Prep navigates through a number of close-to-home tragic events with community support, security and prayer.

MIDDLE YEARS MINDEDNESS  Two research reports focus on "open mindedness" and "critical thinking" in the outcomes of students studying within the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program.

TAKING A LOVE OF NATURE TO THE IVY LEAGUE  New Notre Dame Prep graduate begins university studies in the fall at Cornell University after a couple of precollege science programs at both Brown University and Cornell.

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.