The year is coming to a close, senior year is almost done. Here at NDA, I’ve made friends who will last me a lifetime. They have always been here for me and I for them, and we hope to maintain our friendships even after NDA. These past few weeks, we have been reminiscing on our memories of the last four years, and we all concluded that we had the best time of our lives. Although we had our ups and downs, we still managed to be as close as ever. We are all going to different universities throughout the nation, but we plan on visiting each other in order to maintain our friendships, and have fun road trips on the way.
“Amigas cheetahs, Friends for life” - Cheetah girls
The year is coming to a close, senior year is almost done. Here at NDA, I’ve made friends who will last me a lifetime. They have always been here for me and I for them, and we hope to maintain our friendships even after NDA. These past few weeks, we have been reminiscing on our memories of the last four years, and we all concluded that we had the best time of our lives. Although we had our ups and downs, we still managed to be as close as ever. We are all going to different universities throughout the nation, but we plan on visiting each other in order to maintain our friendships, and have fun road trips on the way.
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Advice I Would Give My Freshman Self
As graduation is approaching right around the corner, I’ve started thinking a lot about my four years at NDA. I’m definitely not the same person I was when I first entered through those doors. This reflection has led me to think about some of the things I wish I had done better during my time here. So here it goes! 8. Go to a Varsity football game. I know, I know. This might not be something you actually care about, but neither do I really. Going to a football game at Loyola is just one of those cliche high school experiences you’ve got to get out of the way. You might not even care about the game (I have no idea how football works), but it can still be a really fun night out with a group of friends! I never even got to go to one because of my Friday 7th periods, but I really wish I had, just for the experience. 7. Do homework on Fridays. This might not be a problem for you, but it sure was for me. After a long week of school with 7th periods, I was exhausted by the time I got home on Friday nights. Thus, I never did any homework on Fridays, saving it until Sunday night. I prioritized weekend fun. Although now that I think about it, I might have preferred to sacrifice a Friday here and there to enjoy relaxing Sundays. 6. Decorate your locker. This was one of the things I was most excited about when I got to NDA. I never decorated my locker in middle school, so I for sure thought I would in high school. Well, your girl got lazy and never ended up decorating any of her four lockers. I wish I had though, just to spice things up. Then again, I never did really use my locker. 5. Join the spring musical. As a former drama student, I can say that being part of the spring musical is one of the most fun experiences on campus. You get to form a strong bond with your fellow actors and actresses and you get to fulfill your secret dream of being a Broadway star. Even though I was in drama, I never actually joined the musical. In fact, I joined freshman year, but then dropped out. I think I would’ve really enjoyed it though. 4. Try more food from the cafeteria. I think that over my four years here, I’ve only eaten food from the cafeteria three times. This is truly depressing, as I’ve heard quite a lot of good reviews about Chef Mark’s delicious treats. As a food enthusiast, I am disappointed in my failure at trying everything on his menu. 3. Don’t wait until the night before to complete assignments. I think this is pretty self explanatory. I’m a procrastinator. Procrastination is a bad habit. Don’t do it. 2. Take advantage of e-period. I’m pretty sure my entire freshman year my friends and I just watched movies and hung out. Things changed a little in our sophomore year when our workload got heavier. Yet, overall I really think I could’ve had more effective e-periods. Don’t waste your time. You only realize how much time you’ve wasted when it’s senior year and you barely have time to breathe. 1. START PREPPING FOR THE SAT EARLIER THAN YOU THINK YOU SHOULD. Yes, this advice is so significant I had to put it in all caps. The same thing applies if you are taking the ACT. This is my biggest high school regret. I waited until the end of my junior year to start preparing for the exam. Please do not do that to yourself. It might feel like that’s enough time, but when you’re busy with AP’s, competitions, and other commitments, time is scarcer than you think. Plus, you might want to take the exam a couple times to receive the score of your choice. You don’t want to end up still worrying about the SAT/ACT when it’s time to start working on college applications. Trust me on this one. Hopefully, some of this wisdom might help you out over your four years here. If not, I still hope you enjoyed reading about my regrets. Just so everyone knows, it’ll probably all work out in the end. It did for me. So just enjoy your high school years, and make the best of them! Nikita will be applying all of this wisdom at UC Berkeley in the fall. My mom and I chose NDA for high school four years ago because we believed it had the ability to build a strong foundation to prepare me for college. Now that the time has come, I am overwhelmed with emotions. I have recently chosen Mount Saint Mary and an excited to join its class of 2022 this fall. My journey consisted of college preparatory classes here at NDA as well as outside educational opportunities at the University of California, Los Angeles, and also with a program called Girls Who Code.
After four years of high school, I feel more prepared for college than ever! Being a senior in my final days at NDA is absolutely surreal. I never thought this day would come, and now that is has, I have a range of emotions that include anxiety, excitement, apprehension, and sadness. Today was the first day of “senior events,” meaning special events seniors experience in the final two weeks at NDA. Today we had the unveiling of our senior portrait, receiving pins from almuna, and of course, practicing for the big day… graduation. Today was really a day at NDA I will never forget. It’s a bittersweet feeling walking through the senior hallway knowing in just a few days we will all be off to the next adventure. I hope and pray I will stay in touch and continue to see the amazing friends I have made these last four years and I cannot wait to see where life takes us all!
With AP exams complete and finals week just around the corner, we here at Notre Dame Academy look forward to one thing only as the school year comes to a close: Mary’s Day. This Notre Dame holiday is an annual event, which typically takes place on the last Friday before finals. For an entire school day, we are encouraged to relax, have fun, and reconnect with the school community, while we celebrate all of our academic achievements in the year past. The morning begins in sundresses and fancy shoes as students and staff gather in the gym to share our last Mass of the year together. Fancy attire turns to casual dress as everyone moves out onto the front lawn for an afternoon picnic filled with friends, food, and all of the latest music. One of the most unforgettable moments from previous Mary’s Days included a water balloon toss across the teachers’ parking lot that inevitably ended in drenched outfits and a water balloon war. Not only that, but we also receive our yearbooks on this day, in which we exchange forget-me-not’s, fond memories of the past nine months, and well-wishes for the summer to come. (If you ask nicely, NDA teachers are happy to sign your yearbook, as well!) It would be a lie to say that the students and staff here at Notre Dame Academy are not feeling a bit worn down at this point, but Mary’s Day festivities never fail to lift our spirits and end the school year on a high note.
As the school year comes to an end and I reflect on 10th grade, I’ve realized one of my favorite parts of the year was Career Day. Every year, NDA invites different professionals to the school to talk to the students about their careers. My favorite panel this year was medical. I was able to hear the daily schedules of many doctors and surgeons, many of whom have daughters at NDA. I learned about applying and going to med school, as well as internship opportunities in Los Angeles. This past career day I was able to listen in on a dermatologist's presentation, as well as a general surgeon’s. I think Career Day is a very important tool at NDA. Most girls want to consider their options for life beyond school. I loved being able to meet different doctors, as well as see what other professions, such as behind the scenes entertainment, are like. Career Day has definitely been one of the highlights of my sophomore year, and I’m so excited to explore the options it has opened for me.
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.” -Dr. Seuss
The seniors have officially committed to the college they will be attending in the Fall of 2018! All their hard work and not so easy days have paid off! Some of their colleges are close by, and some are as far as London, England. I personally will attend California State University, Northridge, where I will study Speech and Language Pathology. The NDA community wishes all of the seniors the best of luck as they embark on their new journey. Congratulations, class of 2018! In the home stretch towards finals, we took a break today to indulge in some fun (and games). Activity options included a mini-spa day, tie-dye, board games, current events discussion, spoken word poetry, roast chicken making, and yoga. Lots of new ways for NDA sisters to bond!
Each year, senior statistics teacher Glen Janken creates a human histogram of the senior class. Click here to check it out!
The NDA Dance Department presented its annual show this past weekend and it did not disappoint! "Doors to My Dreams" explored the lives of three teenage girls and their senior year experiences. The dancers, stage crew, and Mrs. Duronslet worked so hard to put together this wonderful show. Congratulations to the NDA Dance Department!
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ABout NDANotre Dame Academy is a Catholic college-preparatory high school dedicated to educating young women to make a difference by living Gospel values. For more information, please visit our website at ndala.com, or contact the Admissions office at [email protected]. Archives
September 2017
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