After-School Enrichment Program

Participation in the after school program is mandatory for all Notre Dame Middle School students. All of the girls are required to spend one hour with a teacher each day to work on their homework and ask questions. The girls can also choose from a wide variety of physical and enrichment activities such as team sports, dance, trips to the museum, various arts and crafts, mentoring, and much more. Even though this extended day is very demanding, it provides a wonderful opportunity for the girls to receive the extra help in academics they may need and be exposed to new activities, encouraging life-long learning and building skills to help them succeed now and in the future.

NDMS offers more than 8 enrichment options per evening thought the 4 sessions of programming. A sampling of programs includes:

• Etiquette for Young Women – Created by a dedicated community volunteer, this program, which began last year, was a huge success!  Fifteen students participated in this program, and learned basic interpersonal skills, including dining etiquette, polite conversation skills, and appropriate dress and behavior for a variety of situations.  The course culminated with lunch at a restaurant, where they were able to use their newly-acquired skills with a group of volunteer women.
• Career Development on the Road – Led by NDMS President Mary McIntosh, 12 students visited workplaces in a variety of career fields.  In an effort to not only expose our students to different types of offices and business settings, she also focused on the variety of jobs available in each workplace.  For example, Mary took the students to The Wisconsin Heart Hospital, where they met with the head surgical nurse and toured an operating room.  They learned that not just doctors and nurses worked here, but a number of different technicians and assistants, all with varying degrees of education and pay.  It gave our students who were interested in working in this type of environment employment options outside of medical school.

• Mad Hot Milwaukee Ball Room – For the fourth year, 20 students will work with partners from Nativity Jesuit Middle School to learn and perform different ballroom dances. This activity not only builds their confidence and social skills, but also coordination and agility.
• Red Cross Babysitting Training – Many of our students are responsible for the care of younger relatives at home. The program provides the tools for basic first aid; an understanding of child development at different years; and related resources to ensure a positive and safe experience for our students.
• First Stage Community Partnership Program – In this program, the students are not only developing their self-confidence and public speaking skills, but also expressive reading skills.  Because many of our students come from Spanish-speaking backgrounds, we are constantly working to improve their reading and language skills.  Reading with expression is an important component to building stronger language and comprehension skills