School & After School Program

Each girl arrives at NDMS with a different story to tell, different talents to share and different skills that need to be improved.  Our staff understands that in order to provide our girls with the best possible education, we must meet their specific needs.  Most of our students begin NDMS performing below grade level. They struggle with reading and comprehension.  To ensure their best chance for success, NDMS curriculum focuses on mastery of these basic skills which are the key educational building blocks.

In addition to traditional classroom education, the girls participate in cultural and science activities in the community through visits to the local art museums, dance and theater performances, team building retreats, ecological field trips, and related activities.  

NDMS’s comprehensive holistic approach works. Despite the fact that approximately 90% of Notre Dame Middle School (NDMS) students live at or below the poverty level and many come to us performing below grade level, an astounding 96% of NDMS graduates complete high school and 76% go on to college.  This defies local and national averages.

Academics

Students at Notre Dame Middle School have the opportunity to learn from well-trained, committed and compassionate instructors. Class sizes are small so each student receives the individualized attention she needs to succeed. The girls have time to ask questions, receive extra help from their teachers and participate in enrichment activities after the typical school day ends at 3:30 p.m. The small class sizes, individualized instruction and enrichment activities allow the students to do more than simply meet the requirements. It creates a love of learning and propels them toward success in their future academic experiences: high school, college and beyond.