36 THE QUEENS COURIER • JANUARY 23, 2020 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
WHAT MAKES NOTRE DAME SPECIAL?
Here are some things we would like you to know...
We pray together each morning as a school community and attend Mass on the First Friday of each month. We celebrate liturgical
seasons in a variety of ways. During the seasons of Advent and Lent, we begin our week with a special prayer service. Our students in
grades 3 through 8 enjoy the use of one-to-one devices. Students in grade 3 use iPads, while students in grades 4 through 8 use Chrome
Books. Teachers and students in those grades make use of Google Classroom. This enables teachers to post resources and assignments
for their students. Students in grades Kindergarten through Grade Five participate in the Christmas and Spring Show. Students in PK-
Grade 2 participate in a winter concert. Students in grades Three through Eight may enjoy music lessons and Honor Band through Paul
Effman. In music class, students learn to play the recorder and xylophone, and sing at School Masses. We also have a school choir that
sings at prayer services and school masses. Our students navigate Google Chrome with ease and use a variety of presentation tools
including PowerPoint and Prezi, along with Movie Maker. They build boats, hot air balloons and robotic arms and work with the Cad Pro
program to design a better school environment. Our Stream Lab is stocked with all of the items needed to explore, create and build. Our
Art teacher integrates different artists, cultures and literature into her classes.
Our Physical Education teacher plays games, teaches important skills, teaches Health to grades Five through Eight and stresses good
sportsmanship. Our students enjoy a lunch program that features both hot and cold items, along with snacks and drinks. All students from
Kindergarten through Grade 8 work on tablets and SmartBoards, enjoy the annual Notre Dame Picnic, compete at Blue and White events,
participate in Liturgies all through the year as Leaders of Song, readers, and altar servers, go on curriculum –related field trips, shop at
the Christmas and Spring Boutique and love dress-down days! All students from Nursery through Grade 8 enjoy the benefits of video-conferencing
with zoos, science museums and sites all over the United States. We have a full time Art teacher, as well as a full time Technology
teacher, Physical Education teacher, and Language teacher. Our Music teacher is part-time. Students in PK, K and 1 have Italian classes
during the school day and students in grades two through eight have their choice of four languages—French, Italian, Spanish and Latin.
Our academic programs are rigorous and most of our students meet or exceed the state standards. Eighth grade students are eligible to
take Regents’ Math and Regents’ Science classes. We test ELA and Math in Grades 4 and 6; Science in Grades 4 and 8. We participate in
the diocesan-wide testing program, using the Iowa Test of Basic Skills.
We broadcast our announcements via closed circuit television on NDTV, our student-run television system. Each week a different
homeroom class is showcased. We also have a Drama Club for Grades 4-8 that produces an annual theatrical performance. Our students
published a school newspaper during the fall. Proceeds from the sale of those newspapers this year were donated to a charity of their
choice. We offer a Chess Club, First Lego League and a STEM Club. Each fall and spring students are able to choose from a variety of
after-school clubs.
We have many wonderful events and programs which we would like to share with you. Come and visit us—see our students and teachers
in action. Come and make our home, your home!
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