| Notre Dame High School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
| 601 Lawrence Road Lawrenceville, NJ (Mercer County), 08648 |
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| Information | |
| Type | Private, Coeducational |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Roman Catholic |
| Established | 1957 |
| Oversight | Diocese of Trenton |
| President | Barry Breen |
| Principal | Mary Elizabeth Ivins |
| Vice principal | Joan Pilkington |
| Asst. Principal | Joanna Barlow |
| Chaplain | Fr. Joseph Jakub |
| Faculty | 89.0 (on FTE basis)[1] |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Enrollment | 1,276 [1] (2009-10) |
| Student to teacher ratio | 14.3:1[1] |
| Color(s) | Columbia Blue, Navy Blue and White |
| Athletics conference | Colonial Valley Conference |
| Team name | Irish |
| Accreditation(s) | Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools[2] |
| Publication | Etc… (literary/art magazine) |
| Newspaper | 'The Voice' |
| Yearbook | 'The Canticle' |
| Dean of Academics | Mary Ann Liptak |
| Discipline Coordinator | Joseph McLaughlin |
| Athletic Director | Richard Roche |
| Website | http://www.ndnj.org |
Notre Dame High School is a coeducational, Roman Catholic, college preparatory school in Lawrenceville, in Lawrence Township, in Mercer County, New Jersey. The school operates under the supervision of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton.[3] The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Secondary Schools since 1963.[2]
As of the 2009-10 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,276 students and 89.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 14.3.[1]
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Built in 1957, Notre Dame High School is located in Lawrenceville, near Rider University, The College of New Jersey, The Hun School of Princeton and Princeton University. The Catholic Diocese of Trenton also neighbors the school. The main building itself is square in shape, housing classrooms on two floors. Its mascot is the "Irish", usually displayed on athletic wear as a shamrock or the word itself. The school logo however is that of the virgin Mary holding the baby Jesus. The current president is Barry Breen, accompanied by principal Mary Elizabeth Ivins and assistant principal Joan D. Pilkington.
The high school uses a form of block scheduling for its students. In a typical semester, a student will have three 80-minute block classes and two 40-minute blocks. One of the 40-minute periods is usually reserved for a lunch period while the other is reserved for physical education or an additional 40-minute class. There is an "activity period" between the four 80-minute blocks during the day in which students can study, take an additional lunch period or participate in various school activities (groups, clubs, community service).
The school features a theatre, gymnasium, dining hall, several standard classrooms, offices, computer and science labs, school store (The Leprechaun Shop), a renovated track, wrestling room, cross country path, weight-room, football field with stands, tennis courts, various outdoor playing fields, media center–library, chapel, campus ministry, guidance department, and courtyard.
A creek adjacent to the school's student parking lot was the location of a Revolutionary War skirmish between American rebels and the British military which slowed their march on Trenton. A small commemorative sign marks the spot where the battle occurred.
The average of the SAT scores are 556 Critical Reading, 554 Writing and 557 Math. Twelve Advanced Placement Program courses are offered. Of 265 AP exams taken, 91 students had a score of 5; 66 students had a score of 4; and 57 students had a score of 3. The class had 17 Edward J. Bloustein Distinguished Scholars. 9 students were recognized as Commended Scholars by the National Merit Scholarship Program, one of which went on to be National Merit Semi-Finalist. 99% of students went on to college, with 87% going on to a four-year college, 12% to a two-year college, and 1% to employment/military. Students from the Class of 2010 and 2011 were accepted to schools including, Harvard University, Princeton University, Yale University, University of Pennsylvania, Cornell University, Georgetown University, Duke University, United States Military Academy, University of Notre Dame, Villanova University and Boston College. [4]
Notre Dame High School has an active and well-regarded Performing Arts department which is widely known throughout the area. It presents three productions annually; a fall drama, a late-winter musical, and a late-spring comedy. Past performances have included Show Boat, Kiss Me, Kate, "Godspell", "Man of La Mancha", "Inherit the Wind", Grease, West Side Story, The Crucible, Beauty and the Beast, You Can't Take It with You, Scapino!, Les Misérables, and The Pajama Game. Its most recent production is "Peter Pan", with the upcoming musical being "Footloose". The musicals annually perform for audiences from 3500-5000. Along with theatrical productions, a dance program entitled Fusion, based on contemporary dance styles, is rehearsed during the fall and performs later in the winter. The dance program, which is headed by Debby Rittler Gibilisco, has three separate levels. The Performing Arts Department, headed by Louis Gibilisco, also offers classes in Piano Lab, an orchestral pit during the musical, a Concert Choir, Concert Band, Jazz Band, and Madrigal Choir, with the latter two requiring auditions. The Concert Band, Fusion dance, and Madrigal all travel to Disney World (alternating every year between the Concert Band and the Madrigal/Fusion) to participate in workshops and performances.
The Notre Dame High School Irish participate in the Colonial Valley Conference, which includes high schools from Mercer, Middlesex and Monmouth Counties, and operates under the supervision of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association.[5]
The school is known for its football team and track/cross country program which have both earned numerous awards and acknowledgments. Notre Dame's Nicole Kurtain won the Non-Public A individual cross country championship in 2001.[6]
In the 2009-10 season, Varsity Football was undefeated in the regular season.
The Notre Dame Girl's basketball team won the Non-Public A State Championships in both the 1994-95 and 1995-96 seasons.
The Boys Swim Team capped their 2009-10 season undefeated and went on to win the Mercer County Tournament for the third straight year.[7][8]
The softball team won the 2007 South A state sectional championship with a 2-1 win over Red Bank Catholic High School in the tournament final.[9] The team move on to win the Non-Public Group A State Championship with a 1-0 win over Mount Saint Dominic Academy.[10]
The tennis team won the 1999 South A state sectional championship with a 4-1 win over Monsignor Donovan High School in the tournament final at Veterans Park.[11]
The Notre Dame golf team captured their first Mercer County Golf Championship in 2009, ending a 23-year drought with a total team score of 316, six shots better than the closest other team.
The Boys lacrosse team won the Mercer County tournament in 2011.
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