Diversity and Inclusion

Notre Dame High School
Diversity Statement

Notre Dame High School is a Catholic community that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion by building empathy, respect, understanding, and unity with people who are different from each other by honoring each individual as unique and made in God’s image.

Notre Dame High School is dedicated to ensuring that our community has equitable access to available resources needed to enhance academic, spiritual, and social development regardless of race, gender, socio-economic status, cultural background, ethnicity, linguistics, cognitive, and/or physical ability.

Clubs Celebrating Diversity

Strategic Plan

Goal #1

Notre Dame High School will deepen understanding and appreciation for the authentic and unwavering Catholic identity at the heart of its mission and the enduring value gained from educating and being educated in a dynamic and diverse Catholic community.

Preliminary Objective 1.5

To expand upon the commitment to sustaining a diverse Catholic community through development of a guiding statement that reflects aspects of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Diversity and Inclusion Committee

Professional Development

The Social Studies Department went on campus to The College of New Jersey for a Professional Development opportunity with members of TCNJ’s Department of History. Nine members of ND’s Social Department (Courtney Ashe, Michael Cortese, Mary Ellsworth, Jaime Gibilisco, Dean Hentz, Donna Macciachera, Eileen Palazza, Jason Patton, and Peggy Wroblewski) meeting with three of TCNJ’s faculty, Dr. Christopher Fisher, Dr. Cynthia Paces, and Dr. Dina Boero, for an introduction and opening discussion. Notre Dame teachers were able to sit in on two classes that the TCNJ professors were teaching, US Race Relations and Disease and Health in US History. This provided the ND teachers the ability to ensure that their college preparatory curriculum and instruction was consistent with what college professors’ expectations are for a college course. After these classes, Notre Dame’s faculty went into a professional seminar with three TCNJ faculty: Dr. Cynthia Paces, Dr. Dina Boero, and Dr. Rovert McGreevey. Their discussion revolved around these main areas of teaching and instruction:

Classroom Dynamics/Mechanics
Course Goals and Program Expectations
College-Level Content and Topic Priorities for HS Students

The seminar was incredibly informative and a unique opportunity for Notre Dame teachers to engage with local collegiate programs to ensure their curriculum and instructional methods continue in the standard of being college preparatory. Both ND and TCNJ Faculty plan to continue the relationship between the departments through collaborative planning and future seminars.

Annual Diversity Mass

Every February, Notre Dame holds its Annual Mass for the Progress of People. Organized by the SHADES Club, this liturgy marks the start of Black History Month. Prayers of the faithful are read in many languages, cultural artifacts are displayed on stage, and songs and dances are performed. After mass, our community listens to a guest speaker who educates our community on various diversity-related topics.