Catholic Schools Week 2021 took place from Jan. 31 to Feb. 5 and was an especially important week in Notre Dame Prep’s history as we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the move to Hampton Lane. Neither the pandemic nor the snow could stop the special celebrations that occurred throughout the week.  

On Monday, students had a snow day, but things quickly turned around with a dress-down day for Tuesday’s virtual classes. On Wednesday, the NDP community came together for a beautiful liturgy celebrated by Fr. Josh Laws. Megan Santamore ‘21 expressed her gratitude for a Catholic education and explained the value of a religious background in her Call to Worship. “Everyone longs for a feeling of home” she said as she shared the refuge she takes in her faith. Megan concluded her Call to Worship by encouraging everyone to pray and work to spread peace and joy. Mrs. Barr, who has contributed the longest continuous service to the school, acted as the Mother for the day’s liturgy. In his homily, Fr. Josh reflected on the past 60 years of God’s providence to the Notre Dame Prep community and our role to continue this mission into the future. The School Sisters brought only their books with them during the move, leaving behind the desks and other large furniture. Fr. Josh compared this story to the message of the gospel and invited everyone to reflect on what is essential in our lives and to let go of unessential things. Even when we are away from school, Father said that “the essentials continue to transform our hearts.” Fr. Josh ended his homily with a quote from Amanda Gorman’s poem, “The Hill We Climb”: “For there’s always light, / if only we’re brave enough to see it…to be it.” After the liturgy, Sr. Patricia McCarron reflected on her Catholic education and how it impacted her life and vocation. “A Catholic education truly makes a difference” she said. 

The week was also full of fun opportunities for trivia over Zoom! On Wednesday evening, students and their families gathered for a virtual trivia night. On Thursday, juniors Cecelia Roberts, Rylan Sachs, and Elizabeth Kelly from the It’s Academic team and senior Emily Thomas participated in the School Sisters of Notre Dame virtual trivia night with several SSND sponsored high schools across the country. The topics ranged from theology to pop culture and there was even a heated debate over One Direction. Sr. Barbara Brumleve, Sr. Mary Roy Weiss, and Mrs. Keady cheered the NDP girls on. Although the Blazers ended with zero points after the all-or-nothing wager question, the night was fun and a good opportunity to meet students from other schools. 

It wouldn’t be Catholic Schools Week without student appreciation and a service element! Students in both groups had the opportunity to dress down for a small donation to the Christian Community Awareness Program (CCAP) and participated in a food drive for the Maryland Food Bank. To close out the week, some students and faculty were chosen at random over the announcements to win gift cards and other small prizes.  

Overall, Catholic Schools Week provided many opportunities to reflect on the gift of a Catholic education and the courage of the School Sisters of Notre Dame who paved the way to where we are on Hampton Lane today. May we remain “United in Faith” as we make our way through the remainder of this challenging school year!