

The ND Spirit
March 19, 2025
Giving Day & Fundraising
This spring we launched a Day of Giving to being to include our alumnae and parents to support our school. It's an online event and as of Tuesday morning we've raised $5 thousand. Not too bad! I hope the total grows. If you'd like to join us, it's not too late. Just click this link.
Part of our effort was to raise money for Visual & Performing Arts, which also picked up by our Pozole Sale. So far, we've raised over $4k for our ceramics program! We'll next be turning our attention to the first annual Pickleball tournament. There are openings to play or sponsor! It's a great chance to have a some fun and show that Notre Dame is alive and well!
Now it's time to look to the summer. This flyer has information on all of our summer programs which will be happening between July 7-25th. The opportunities are fantastic! In the first two weeks, we're offering the fantastic Inspirit AI camp which will be taught by Stanford and MIT graduates. It's three hours a day and promises to be in-depth and a fantastic opportunity. Here's a better description. Here's a better description of the unique program offered to grades 8-12.
In that first week, both volleyball and VPA camps will be offered in the afternoon open to grades 6-10. In the second week, basketball camps will be offered in the afternoon.
In the third week, we're going to have a drone camp in the morning where students will learn how to pilot drones. It's another fantastic opportunity. See flyer below!
Go Spirits!
Dr. Tim Uhl
School Happenings
Returning families are asked to fill out a financial aid application through Clarity by March 21st. Contracts have been sent out and can be returned electronically.
Here's a link to this week's student announcements
The 2025-26 school calendar is out!
- Here's a letter explaining the AI summer program which has a link to a brochure.
- We've launched this simple Google Form to "crowdsource" alumnae information. If you know of any alumnae, feel free to share the link
- Here is a Google Doc with student service opportunities
Here is the link to the Student Handbook. We're continuing to adjust as issues arise.
County Science Fair
2nd place in Biochemistry
Kaitlyn received a second place for "Which flour ferments the most in sourdough starter"
Lilia the celebrity
Lilia signed autographs as part of her efforts with Lucy. Other participants included Jossly, MB, and Hailey
1st place in Physics
Andrea and Lauren received first place for their project, "The effect of textile coverage on sound"
Save the Date
- March 20th: All School Mass 9:15 am (theater)
- March 24-28: Spring Break (no school)
- April 11-12: Notre Dame's spring musical "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee"
- April 12: Notre Dame's Pickleball tournament
- May 16: "Our Story of the Beatles" production
- May 23: Baccalaureate Mass 10 am Notre Dame Theater
- May 25: Graduation 3:00 pm at the ND Theater
Double Rainbow
One would think that a double rainbow would portend a victory for our lacrosse team. Alas, the Spirits came out one goal short in Monday's contest
Spirit Athletics
As we continue to add games, here is the the lacrosse schedule, and the swimming schedule. This fall's volleyball and tennis schedules are now being built.
Every interested Spirit coming out for spring sports needs to be up-to-date on Home Campus. Every new student-athlete was emailed information this week.
Academics/Counseling
College Counseling Upcoming Events & Reminders:
- Our final Women at Work speaker panel takes place today with Careers in Public Service. See flyer for speaker details.
- Carroll College will be hosting a college rep visit on campus today, March 19th from 8:30-9:15 AM.
- Optional Workshop for Sophomores & Juniors today, March 19th, at lunch in room 11: What Colleges are Looking For in 2025. This session will be particularly helpful for those considering "highly selective" schools (generally, colleges with an acceptance rate of 30% or lower).
- Junior College Meetings: I have asked all juniors to schedule a meeting with me before Spring Break to discuss their college exploration progress and collaborate on an individualized college application plan. Parents are welcome to attend the meeting as well.
Outside Opportunities:
- SVMH Health Explorers Meeting (March 24): Network with medical professionals and peers interested in health careers. Details here.
- Salinas Valley Summer Health Institute (Apply by March 25, 4 PM): Five-week summer program (June 16 – July 18) for juniors and seniors interested in healthcare. See flyer for details.
- UC Admission Webinar (April 10, 6 PM): Hosted by Revolution Test Prep. Register here.
- Monterey Recreation Summer Jobs: Apply for leadership roles in summer programs. View job brochure and apply.
- Monterey County Youth Poet Laureate (Apply by March 19): Open to poets ages 13-19—serve a one-year term and earn a $1,000 honorarium.
- Los Altos Hacks (April 5-6, Register by March 26): Free beginner-friendly hackathon in Sunnyvale with food, swag, workshops, and prizes. Learn more and register.
Alumnae News
Women at Work Series
According to our four alumnae in the field of technology and health, Notre Dame made a huge impact on who they are now. Aside from being empowered to become whatever they wanted to be, they learned organizational skills, writing skills, and how to balance school, extracurricular activities, and the real world. They entered fields that are competitive and highly sought after, but worked hard to achieve their goals. Each agreed that making strong people connections and customer service were important for success.
As a Labor and Delivery Nurse, Diana (’08), is a licensed medical professional who provides care to mothers during labor, and delivery, monitoring vital signs, administering medications, and educating patients and their families. She has assisted in over 1000 births!
Alex (’14), a Nurse Practitioner, plays a vital role in expanding access to quality healthcare, providing a wide range of services that often overlaps with those provided by physicians. She loves her job and the satisfaction it brings to her each day.Shelby (’14) credits hard work and dedication for her success as a Mechanical Engineer. She deals with designing, testing and overseeing manufacturing of machines and devices. In her spare-time she is a race car driver!
As an Electrical Engineer, Gwyneth (’81), works with electricity and electronics to design and develop systems and devices. She told us that electrical engineering has been a man’s field, however, as women, we should not stand on the sidelines.
Science and Math played a large role in all of these fields. Next week we welcome four alums who have careers in Public Service.
Articles for Your Reflection
The ND Spirit
Email: tuhl@notredamesalinas.org
Website: www.notredamesalinas.org
Location: Salinas, CA
Phone: 831-751-1850
Twitter: @drtimuhl
Catholic School Matters podcast
TheCatholic School Matters podcast is back and is now focused on conversations with authors from the upcoming book A Brighter Future for Catholic Schools. This week I speak with Dr. Timothy Cook of Creighton University about Catholic identity. Here is a link to a blog about the podcast. Dr. Cook talks about a 3-part framework--belonging, becoming, and believing. You won't believe if you don't feel a part of the group!
Previous episodes this season:
- The second podcast features a conversation with Dr. Michael Boyle of the Hermann Center at Saint Louis University. He discusses his work opening up Catholic schools to all learners. Here is a blog about the podcast conversation.
- The first podcast is a conversation with Dr. Antonio Felix from LMU who discusses his framework for engaging Hispanic families in Catholic schools. I wrote a longer blog summarizing the podcast here.