Why NDA?
Why NDA?
Notre Dame is a private Academy for girls and young women who want a safe, nurturing, educationally superior school where they can develop their academic and personal talents in a spiritually enriching Catholic environment. Notre Dame Academy was founded in 1903 by pioneering, independent, forward-looking women, the Sisters of the Congregation of Notre Dame.
The sacred mission of Notre Dame is the education of girls and young women from Pre-K to Grade 12. We believe that our commitment to a tradition of liberating education creates the space where each student has every opportunity to maximize her potential, investigate and express her gifts, and where each teacher cultivates the best in each girl. Unlike any other school in Staten Island, we have developed a culture based on Visitation Spirituality at the core of which is right relationships with God, others, and the Earth. We celebrate the uniqueness that each person brings to our campus.
For 120 years, the Academy has provided a focused, rigorous educational environment, encouraging girls and young women to learn to their fullest capabilities, an achievement greater than their times and their societies sometimes thought possible. NDA provides the highest quality education where students meet academic, athletic, artistic and social challenges, gain confidence, and achieve success in a unique, personalized, and creative atmosphere.
Our Catholic heritage provides each NDA girl, whether Catholic or not, with a comfortable environment for prayer, reflection, and service.
The dedicated and highly qualified faculty in each school takes the time to know each girl individually. They are committed to the belief that girls learn in unique ways that only an all girls’ school can nurture.
Our beautiful 13 acre campus provides a setting that is safe, peaceful and inspiring.
No website visit can compare with a live tour and meeting the real people who are Notre Dame Academy. Come and see for yourself!
Why Girls?
Many people question the wisdom and value of an all-girls' school. But intuition, experience, and now research indicate that girls and young women do better in every critical area when they are educated in a single-sex school.
Education is the single most important predictor of a successful adult life. An educational environment that nurtures excellence and leadership in girls in all facets of student life; academics, arts, athletics, community service, student government, and much more, gives these young women a measurable advantage over their counterparts in co-ed schools. I refer you to the National Coalition of Girls' Schools, www.ncgs.org where they cite What the Research Shows regarding The Benefits of Attending a Girls' School. To mention just a few:
Education is the single most important predictor of a successful adult life. An educational environment that nurtures excellence and leadership in girls in all facets of student life; academics, arts, athletics, community service, student government, and much more, gives these young women a measurable advantage over their counterparts in co-ed schools. I refer you to the National Coalition of Girls' Schools, www.ncgs.org where they cite What the Research Shows regarding The Benefits of Attending a Girls' School. To mention just a few:
- In a Goodman Research Group study of 4,274 girls school alumnae, 83% perceived themselves to be better prepared for college than female counterparts from co-ed high schools, 93% agreed that girls' schools provide greater leadership opportunities than co-ed schools.
- The National Foundation for Educational Research in Britain examined data from almost 4,000 schools and concluded: Girls in single-sex schools perform better than girls in co-ed schools, regardless of socio-economic and ability levels.
- Dr. Rosemary C. Salomone, in her book Same, Different, Equal: Rethinking Single-Sex Schooling, writes: "All girls settings seem to provide girls a certain comfort level that helps them develop greater self-confidence and broader interests, especially as they approach adolescence. Research has found that single-sex schools and classes promote less gender-polarized attitudes toward certain subjects - math and science in the case of girls...."
Notre Dame Academy has educated confident, competent, compassionate women who were able to challenge the limiting stereotypes of their time. We will continue to do so.