Notre Dame students have a rich and varied selection of extracurricular clubs, sports, and activities to engage their interests and broaden their perspectives throughout the high school years.
Student participation in extracurricular activities is encouraged to round out a student’s personal development. Student interest largely determines the range of extracurricular activities.
A partial listing of activities for this academic year follows:
- Anne’s Leaders – Ms. Ambrose
- Art Club - Ms. Reczek
- Book Club – Ms. Kane
- Broadcasting Club – Mr. Lejano
- Building Bridges – Ms. Vasey
- Chez Nous French Club – Anne Crosson
- Chez Nous Steppers – Ms. Clarke
- Chez Nous Times – Ms. Brilliant
- Club Rosary – Ms. Angioletti
- Drama Club – Ms. Abedi
- Environmental Club – Ms. Sewell
- Girls Who Code – Mr. Lejano
- Glee Club – Ms. Abedi
- Music Club – Mr. McDonald
- National Honor Society – Ms. Donose
- ND Cares – Ms. Crosson
- ND Humane Society - Ms. Hickson
- Photography Club - Ms. Reczek
- Psychology Club – Ms. Hickson
- Student Council – Mr. Stordeur
- The Liturgy Club – Sr. Mary & Ms. Ambrose
- Union of Color – Ms. Hickson
- Yearbook – Mr. Stordeur
- Young Feminists Club – Mr. Vasey
Participation in extracurricular activities is a privilege granted by the school to students in good standing both academically and in their conduct. In order to participate in extracurricular activities at Notre Dame School, students must maintain certain academic standards.
Anne’s Leaders: Anne’s leaders are in eleventh and twelfth grade. They are selected based on the following criteria: academic success and commitment to live Anne’s values. These students commit to being trained as peer leaders and they lead small group meetings throughout the year. Anne’s values include the following: Prayer, Trust, Gratitude, Hope, Perseverance, Conversatio, Magis, Friendship, Courage, Service, Respect, and Responsibility.
Art Club: Art Club is a fun, interactive, and inclusive environment where anyone at any skill level can build their art knowledge and work in a supportive space. This year, Art Club meetings will feature digital workshops, guest speakers, and viewing content that features various art styles and approaches.
Book Club: The Notre Dame Book Club reads one book per month and gathers to discuss their thoughts and observations based on the selected text. This is a wonderful community for lovers of all genres and those looking to expose themselves to reading outside of the classroom.
Building Bridges: Building Bridges creates a safe, comfortable space at ND for the entire community, regardless of identity.
Chez Nous Steppers: The Chez Nous Steppers practice and perform dancing routines that pull from African-American culture that consist of synchronized movements and chants. The Chez Nous Steppers aim to perform as one unified group rather than relying on a single individual.
Chez Nous Times (School Newspaper): Notre Dame is pleased to offer an online school paper that covers issues within the school and also issues of national and global interest. The paper is student-run and student-centered and provides a platform for reporting and analysis for the school community. The Chez Nous Times is published quarterly.
Club Rosary: Members meets weekly to pray for the Chez Nous Community & the monthly devotions set by the Roman Catholic Church. We seek to foster a daily habit of praying the rosary which leads to greater peace, increased attention, and awareness to God’s action in our lives and those we love.
Environmental Club: We learn about the environment and how to preserve it in a variety of ways. We embark on educational field trips to aquatic wetlabs and sites, volunteer in sustainability work in NYC, and host guest speakers from local environmental organizations.
Foodie Club: The Foodie Club is all sugar, spice, and everything nice! Every week, we plan a dish to cook or bake, send out the ingredients list beforehand, and meet via Zoom to whip it all together. It’s super fun and interactive. All levels of “chef-i-ness” are welcome.
Girls Who Code: Girls Who Code is a national organization dedicated to teaching and supporting young girls in coding and computer science. We aim to close the gender gap in technology and inspire girls to pursue more STEM related careers. The club is open to all students at Notre Dame and no coding experience is required!
Glee Club: Glee Club is an auditioned, advanced vocal ensemble that performs repertoire from various genres and time periods, on and off campus.
Music Club: This club offers musicians and wanna-be musicians a space to get together and talk, play, and rehearse their songs. Making use of the two guitars, drums and keyboard, past participants have appeared in the winter and spring shows at ND and even at the legendary Bitter End on Bleecker Street.
National Honor Society (NHS): The Aquinas Chapter of the National Honor Society recognizes the academic excellence of Notre Dame Students. Members must have a grade point average of 94% or above. They must also manifest qualities of leadership, character, service and scholarship.
The faculty committee uses the following criteria in approving students for membership:
- Leadership: evidence of demonstrated leadership in and out of the classroom–elected, appointed or informal.
- Character: evidence of the following: meeting pledges and responsibilities, honesty and reliability, cooperation with school practices, concern for others.
- Service: evidence of the following: service to the school or community through formal and informal organizations, willingness to cooperate and to do committee work, participation in school activities.
- Scholarship: evidence of the following: academic motivation and discipline, critical thinking, ability to establish goals and complete tasks.
ND Cares: Club members are committed to service projects that benefit our local community, as well as our global community. During the year, members are encouraged to raise funds in support of emergency relief initiatives on an as needed basis. All grade levels are welcome.
ND Humane Society: The ND Humane Society focuses on raising an awareness about animal abuse and cruelty. The club also gives animal lovers an opportunity to nurture animals without a home at local animal shelters.
Photography Club: Photography Club provides the opportunity to hone photography skills by understanding and learning about what makes a good photograph, from composition to artistic expression. Members of this club learn how to use their own devices in unique ways, along with some basic software editing to enhance photographic images for their own use, as well as for publication. Students are encouraged to practice their skills by photographing school related activities and sporting events. All levels of experience are welcome and encouraged to explore this exciting side of the visual arts.
Psychology Club: The Psychology Club of Notre Dame aims to promote awareness and discussion on different topics within psychology, as well as encourage interest, learning, and advancement in the field. We hope to spread awareness about current issues in topics such as mental health, sleep, and different kinds of disorders. Our meetings consist of talking to professionals about their daily jobs and informing ourselves about important topics. We want to create opportunities for Chez Nous students to explore and discover new things in the field and learn more about themselves as well. These gatherings are not subjected for the students who solely want to pursue a career in psychology, but to people who are interested in learning about the human mind and its functions too.
Student Council: Notre Dame’s Student Council serves the school community. The council is committed to achieving and maintaining school spirit, unity, and respect for all. By demonstrating leadership, dedication and responsibility, the members aim to promote trust, open communication and enthusiasm in the school environment. The candidate’s academic and performance record will be reviewed to determine her qualifications.
Qualifications for office:
- Passing average in each subject
- Good attendance and conduct record
- Commitment to mission of Notre Dame School
- Submission statement of purpose prior to election
- A history of positive leadership, commitment and responsibility
- Attendance at the orientation session for candidates
Student Council Membership
The student council consists of an executive council whose members are the president, vice-president, secretary and treasurer. Each homeroom elects two representatives. The term of office is one academic year. Executive council membership may be limited to juniors and seniors.
The Liturgy Club (TLC): The Liturgy Club (TLC) plans all Notre Dame School Liturgies. Student involvement is key and the members of TLC serve in roles such as greeters, readers, altar servers, and Eucharistic Ministers. TLC fosters an inclusive community where students and faculty of all faiths are respected and welcomed.
Union of Color (UOC) Club: UOC highlights issues and challenges of diversity and inclusion. We celebrate diversity and offer opportunities for enlightenment and discussion on this topic.
Yearbook: Students in this club produce the schools yearly book in order to commemorate the graduating Senior class and celebrate the entire school.
Young Feminist Club: The Young Feminist Club seeks to educate and engage with the ND community on the challenges and opportunities related to feminism. YFC advocates for the simple belief that women must unconditionally and immediately enjoy equal rights and privileges in all sectors of society.