December 2023

The Fall Sports Banquet at the very end of November gave us the chance to honor our student athletes and thank our coaches and fans. This newsletter takes you behind the scenes of selecting the Notre Christmas card and showcases the talents of the student artist finalists for this distinction. Our Christmas Choral Gala on December 21st brought us together for an evening of inspiration and harmony. May the holiday season be a time of joy for all in the Notre Dame community as we continue to pray for peace in our world.

The ND Christmas Choral Gala, under the direction of the indefatigable Nicole Wakabayashi, brought seasonal joy and music to our school. Performers practiced for weeks beforehand and then brought it home for a packed audience on the evening of December 21st and in a reprise for all students and faculty on the morning of December 22nd. The ND Glee Club and our 9th and 10th Grade Choirs were joined by senior poetry readers, the Chez Nous Steppers, and the Xavier Choral Consortium. A guest six-piece band, including ND's own Steve Womer on bass, elevated the stellar student performances. Audience sing-along segments gave everyone the chance to ring in the season. Thank you, Ms. Wakabayashi, the AV and Lighting support crew, all the many performers, and everyone who helped this production and made the holidays so magical Chez Nous!

9th Graders Katherine Dempsey, Cora Hughes, and Quinn McDermott enjoy the reception.

On November 29th, Notre Dame athletes, coaches, and family members came together to honor our sports participants at the annual Fall Sports Banquet. Invitees enjoyed a buffet dinner in the Commons, followed by an awards ceremony in the Dolan Center. Captain Trophies were awarded, along with Spirit, Sportsmanship, Most Improved, and Most Valuable player trophies and plaques. Sr. Mary Dolan, SU offered the opening prayer, and Sophia Javier '25 emceed the evening. All our coaches received a warm round of applause, and President Virginia O'Brien, SU closed out the evening with inspiring remarks about the dedication of sports players and families Chez Nous.

Seniors Sarah Allison and Sophia Wilks bring home the hardware!

Catrina Kelleghan '24 was awarded the GCHSAA All League Award for Tier 1 Varsity Soccer

Volleyball Coach Tabatha Jones poses with team captain Devon Cohen '24

Every year Notre Dame student artists have the opportunity to illustrate the school's holiday card, which our readers should have already received in the mail. Though only one design is selected for the general mailing (the beautiful portrayal of Anne de Xainctonge outside our 13th Street building by Anna Marfino '24), we want to celebrate the finalists who also submitted beautiful artworks. Please enjoy!



Reagan Sullivan '25

Elizabeth Caro '26

Maria Tkachenko '24