NOTRE DAME HIGH SCHOOL BELMONT

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January 31, 2012

Dear Alumnae and Past Parents:

St. Julie Billiart, the Foundress of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur and our School Patron, described Catholic education as “uplifting, inspiring, a sharing in the task of the teaching Church, and the most important work that can be done on earth.”  Since 1991, I have had the privilege and honor of serving as Notre Dame High School’s Principal with the joyful mission of developing responsible young women of active faith, strong intellect, and Christian Leadership.  With the daily blessings of our beloved Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, the strong support of our committed Board of Directors, the indefatigable work of our stellar faculty, staff, and administration, the magnanimous benefaction of our grateful alumnae and other donors, the daily partnership of our involved parents, and the focus and the dedication of our outstanding students, the heart of our school, the Sisters’ tradition of excellent Catholic college preparatory education for young women continues in great strength at Notre Dame, Belmont.

With a Six-Year Term of Accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and the Western Catholic Educational Association through June 30, 2017 in hand and the development and approval of a Strategic Plan set for June, it is my belief as a veteran Catholic school leader of four decades that now is the time to begin the transition to new leadership at Notre Dame, Belmont.  I have informed the Provincial Team and our Board of Directors that I will retire as Principal on June 30, 2013.  This date will provide the Board of Directors and the Provincial Team the critical time that is necessary to ensure a transition to new leadership that will enable our great school to continue to reach new heights of excellence in all areas.

I am very grateful to the entire Notre Dame High School Community for the opportunity to be your servant leader for these many years.  Every moment has been filled with grace.  As I sign off on this letter, I do so with great gratitude in my heart and a frequently uttered prayer that our good and gracious God will continue to bless Notre Dame, Belmont in its critical mission of preparing young women for life.  Ad Multos Annos!

In Notre Dame,

Rita Gleason’66
Principal

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THERE IS A SEASON FOR EVERYTHING,
AND A TIME FOR EVERY PURPOSE UNDER HEAVEN.
Ecclesiastes 3:1

Rita Gleason’s retirement announcement truly reflects the sentiments of Ecclesiastes: she describes her belief that “now is the time” to begin the transition to new leadership of NDB. She notes that “Every moment has been filled with grace,” and we, in turn, the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur and the NDB Board of Directors, know that each and every one of us has been touched by the graces that have come to us personally and to the whole Notre Dame High School community, and beyond, through Rita’s servant leadership. With gratitude we would like to name some of the significant areas of leadership Rita Gleason has given for continual growth and excellence at Notre Dame.

In her twenty-one years of service, Rita has remained strongly committed to maintaining the Catholic Identity of Notre Dame High School and the mission of the Sisters of Notre Dame. She has worked with the faculty to implement the “Hallmarks of a Notre Dame Learning Community” to ensure that NDB continues in the heritage of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. The high school accreditation process, conducted three times by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and Western Catholic Educational Association (WCEA) during Rita’s tenure, resulted in “Clear” (i.e., no intermediate review necessary) six-year accreditations at teach visit—a remarkable achievement. Rita has maintained an exemplary faculty and staff who have strong relationships with the students, are dedicated to the NDB mission, and provide excellent college preparatory education. Rita spearheaded a program to address students’ special learning needs which is a witness to her belief in quality educational and success for all students. Among the many campus and capital improvements at NDB during Rita’s term as Principal, the Moore Pavilion represents her willingness, over these many years, to take, with the Board, appropriate financial risks and to believe in the generosity of the community to create the best possible learning environment for the education of our young women. These are only a few of the graces of Rita’s leadership.

Many verses follow the above quote from Ecclesiastes, among them: “a time for loving, a time for mourning, a time for searching, a time for planting.” These are our sentiments as we prepare for Rita Gleason’s departure on June 30, 2013. Deep love for her as a cherished woman in our Notre Dame community, mourning for the coming loss of her presence, a sense that a search process will offer NDB good leadership for its future, and the understanding that life always opens up a time for planting new seeds. We also feel gratitude so deep that it cannot be expressed well in words but known well in our hearts. We have been blessed with a truly significant leader in Rita, and it is now a new season for all of what Ecclesiastes suggests.

In the next few weeks and months, the NDB Board of Directors will put in place the necessary steps to implement a search process for the next Principal of NDB as Rita continues her quality leadership through June 30, 2013. We are confident that the Holy Spirit will guide us toward a new leader who will take the current wonderful state of the School into a very exciting future.

In Notre Dame, The California Provincial Team for the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur