The mission of Notre Dame High School is to share the
Catholic faith in an environment which fosters academic and spiritual
excellence and embraces religious, academic, cultural and economic
diversity. While the majority of our students are from Catholic families,
over a third of our students are from other religious backgrounds and
creeds. The focus of Spiritual Life program is to make Catholics more
commendable Catholics, to make Christians stronger Christians, and to make
others more exemplary human beings.
Notre Dame is about being and sharing the head,
heart, and hands of Jesus Christ.
Head: Theology
The religion curriculum encompasses understanding
Catholic Christianity for freshmen, Hebrew Scripture and the history of
Jesus for sophomores, Catholic Morality for juniors, and for seniors,
World Religions, Senior Seminar, and Senior Service.
Heart: Spirituality
The spirituality of the program is supported through the
availability of daily Mass on campus, student led prayers to open and
close each school day, monthly all-school masses, special class services
and retreats, the SEARCH for Christian Maturity Retreat, activities to
support Christian Unity, and Campus Ministry (an elective for juniors and
seniors). Pastoral Care is always available for students who need it.
Hands: Service
All students are required to do a Community / Outreach
Project each quarter as part of their religion grades, and the students
select the types of service activities they wish to pursue. We count on
the support and encouragement of the parents to assist us in implementing
this program. We recognize that parents are the primary educators and have
the greatest influence over their children, and their support is crucial
to the success of the Spiritual Program offered at Notre Dame High School.
The efforts of our students result in over 12,000 hours of
community service each year in the Chattanooga area, and the ongoing nature
of this school-wide program sets us apart from other schools. The program
also builds self-esteem in our students, teaches them responsibility, and
gives them an understanding of the importance of serving others.
While Notre Dame High School has received recognition for its involvement in
Community Service, the purpose of service is not for recognition or acclaim
but for the true spiritual growth of the individual student and to develop a
lifelong commitment to sharing with others. Many of our alumni who go on to
the public service sector cite the community involvement at Notre Dame as
being inspirational to them.
A number of our student organizations also reinforce this mission. Student
groups, including
Campus Ministry, the Good Samaritan Club, the Green and Gold Club, the
Student Leadership Council, the Music Ministry, the Honor Council, and the
Haiti Club, further support the spiritual leadership of Notre Dame High
School. |
