The Gateway Ceremony is one of the most cherished NDP traditions. All sixth graders, ninth graders, and new students walk through the Gateway, which is right in front of our campus, at the beginning of each school year.

For this important tradition, student’s parents are invited to watch the ceremony and share this special moment with their daughters. Seniors, as leaders of the Upper Level, and eighth graders as leaders of the Middle Level, are also there to welcome their new sisters into the community. The ceremony begins with a speech from Sister Patricia where she speaks about the history behind the Gateway and expresses its importance in welcoming the new students. Each girl then walks through the gateway. The school song is sung by NDP’s senior chamber choir members and the rest of the students in attendance. This day is very special for all the new students and one that they will remember for the rest of their lives. Once a student has walked through the Gateway, they have officially become a part of NDP and all that it has to offer.  

The tradition of walking through the Gateway has roots to when the school first started 150 years ago. Notre Dame Prep was originally located on Charles Street before relocating to Hampton Lane. The Gateway in front of the school today is a replica of the one that stood in front of the original NDP building when the school was first founded. This means that every NDP girl, from its first students to today’s, have walked through the Gateway. This represents the connection that every NDP girl has to each other. Sister Patricia said it perfectly in her 2022 Gateway Ceremony Speech when speaking about the importance of this long-lasting tradition.  She stated, “It connects us to the present, it connects us to the past, and it is our gateway to the future.”

So to everyone that is walking through the Gateway for the first time, welcome to NDP and have a great school year!