Dear SJND Community,

This is an important week at SJND! Our 12th grade class will attend the 76th Kairos Retreat from Wednesday through Friday. Kairos speaks to the heart of our mission: preparing students to “live joyful lives of faith, scholarship, and service.” During the retreat, seniors will reflect on their relationships with God, self, and neighbor; share life together; affirm one another; seek forgiveness; and participate in worship. Please keep the Class of 2026 and their retreat leaders in your prayers as they take part in this most meaningful experience.

On Tuesday in Advisory, students will continue with lessons from The Social Institute’s (#winatsocial) platform. This week’s focus is on Sleep, Memory, and Learning. Because technology plays such a big role in students’ lives, from AI to texting, gaming, and social media, we’ve partnered with TSI to help students build healthy, high-character habits they can carry both online and offline. Families also have free access to TSI’s Family Toolkit, a “CliffsNotes” for parenting in the digital world. If you haven’t already, go to the Family Toolkit, click Activate Account, and enter our school code 4c87F2628E52F7 to explore resources and trends. We also encourage you to ask your student about this week’s lesson and the sleep journal they'll keep.

Our Board of Trustees met this Sunday for our annual retreat. We would like to welcome our new member Joann Guitarte to the board. Thank you to the board members for your service and commitment to the school. 

Finally, our Fall Athletics season kicks off this week! On Tuesday, join us in the Kelly Gymnasium for our first home game of the year as Girls’ Varsity Volleyball takes on Valley Christian at 4:00 PM. To keep up with all our athletic events, you can add the 25–26 Athletics Calendar directly to your Google account or import it using the iCal format.

Remember that NEXT Monday, 9/1, is Labor day. We'll have a 3 day school week. That Friday, 9/5, will be a Professional Day with no classes for students, plus Back to School Night with the Welcome Back Dinner and Dance!

May God continue to guide our students, families, faculty, and staff with wisdom and strength as we begin this year together.

Blessings, 

Fr. Steve Kim

Principal

Andy McKee

Vice Principal

Our New Website Is Coming!

We’re excited to share that our new sjnd.org will launch later this week!

The refreshed site will make it easier than ever to explore life at SJND, find key information, and stay up to date with the latest news and events. Whether you’re a current family, prospective student, alum, or friend of the school, we can’t wait for you to experience the new look.

Counseling Updates

Counselors in the Classroom (CICs)

Counselors in the Classroom (CICs): 9th grade students will get an Introduction to Counseling Services on Monday 8/25 at 1st & 4th periods and Tuesday 8/26 at 6th & 7th.

Calling all Juniors and Seniors:

The Jesuit Excellence Tour (JET) is coming up on Thursday, September 11th. Seniors will have a great opportunity as the college representatives will be available to read your essays! Juniors can attend as a college fair and meet the different reps. Here are the schools attending:

• College of the Holy Cross
• Creighton University
• Fairfield University
• Gonzaga University
• Loyola Marymount University
• Loyola New Orleans
• Loyola University Chicago
• Loyola University Maryland
• Marquette University
• Saint Louis University
• Santa Clara University
• Seattle University
• University of San Francisco
• Xavier University

NOTE: You will receive an invitation from Ms. Hunter and you MUST RSVP in order to attend. The schedule for that day is:

9-9:45am: Seniors only for essay reading with reps

9-45-10:30am: Open College Fair for Juniors and Seniors

Theology

Ask anything about God, Faith, and Life! Try Alpha!

Alpha #2 is Starting Soon!

Each Tuesday from August 26 through November 4

6:30-8:30 pm in Notre Dame Hall.

Alpha is a series for young adults and adults who asks important questions about life and faith. Our gathering begin with dinner, followed by a short video exploring a question of faith. Then, we discuss it in our small group. 

Sign up now! All are welcome! For more information contact Fr. Mario Rizzo (frmario@sjbalameda.org)

The Sacrament of Confirmation

Saint Joseph Notre Dame High School is pleased to inform you of some exciting news. We will be offering a one year Confirmation class here on campus during flex periods throughout the school year. These classes will be available for students who have been at SJND for at least one full academic year and have their pastor’s permission.

We will be having an informational meeting on Wednesday, September 3rd, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. Here is the link to the meeting. Please fill out the linked form with your contact information and we will be in touch. If you have any questions, please feel free to email Fr. Alvaro Santamaria at asantamaria@sjnd.org.