Skip To Main Content

Header Holder

Header Right Column

Utility Nav

Toggle Menu Container

Horizontal Nav

Breadcrumb

Faith and Service

Students smile on the floor, looking up at the camera
“The best leaders are those who take time to serve others.”

Notre Dame prepared me to be self-directed and to rise to challenges. My general take-away from Catholic-based education is to live a life of service and compassion. 

Felicity Hartnett '02

Felicity Hartnett '02
Police Officer, Field Training Officer and Fire Fighter

Our Mission

Our mission is to develop young women of active faith and Christian leadership who promote justice and peace in the world. Over the course of four years, NDB students develop a foundation for:

Loving God. 

Loving yourself. 

Loving your neighbor. 

Loving the world. 

Three students smile

Curriculum

Students take courses each year at NDB as they develop a relationship with God and with themselves while building a foundation for creating positive change in their communities.

Year Class Length
Freshman Faith and Morality 1 Semester
Sophomore

Hebrew Scriptures

Living the Scriptures

1 Semester

1 Semester

Junior

Intro to Social Justice

Social Justice

1 Semester

1 Semester

Senior

World Religions

Being Notre Dame

1 Semester

1 Semester

Class Retreats

Each class enjoys a spiritual retreat each year where each student is able to connect with themselves and their class community, come together in sisterhood and reflect upon themselves and their role in their communities.

Tri-School Walk for Catholic Worker House

Hundreds of students from NDB, Serra and Mercy participate in the Walk for Catholic Worker House. Students listen to speeches about the Catholic Worker Movement, which was started by Dorothy Day in 1933. Then, the Tri-School group walks 4.5 miles from Mercy High School to Catholic Worker Hospitality House in San Bruno with posters in hand, raising money for the Catholic Worker House.
Students smile as they lay in a circle
A group of students smile as they sit together
A group of student smiles together
Students watching a presentation
Four students smile
A flower made out of paper with self-commitments written on each leaf by students
Staff and students smile and hold up signs
A group of students smiles
Three students smile holding potted plants

Earth Week

NDB’s Earth Week Student Committee hosted three days of Earth Week education and celebration including a food waste contest, seed planting and an educational session on palm oil.   

Tri-School students mile together in a chapel

Kairos

Kairos, an optional retreat open to seniors, gives Tigers the space to explore how God is working in various areas of their lives. NDB holds a Kairos retreat, followed by a Tri-School retreat with Serra and Mercy High School.

Service Drives

CORA’s Closet Service Drive

Families and students participated in our April service drive benefiting CORA's closet. CORA is the only agency in San Mateo County solely dedicated to helping those affected by intimate partner abuse.

Samaritan House Kids Closet Service Drive

The NDB Community came together to gather and donate clothing for children in need through our partnership with Samaritan House Kids Closet.

Holiday Service Drive

Students and families donated toys and gifts for families in need from Mayfair Community Center in San Jose to celebrate the winter holidays.

Students and staffulty stand on the front steps of the school with a ton of bags of donated toys for children in need
A student and a staffulty member smile while holding large donation baskets
A student and a staff member smile while holding donation items
Students smile and hold Service Drive for CORA's Closet signs
A  staff member pushes a huge cart of donations outside of Samaritan House
Two students stand with several bags of donation items
A student and a staff member smile with donation bags
A sign that says %22NDB Service Drive%22
Bags of donation toys
A student and staff member hold donation bags
Students hold donation bags and smile
Students and a staff member with donation bags
A student speaks into a microphone at a podium
A student speaks into a microphone at a podium
Students smile and chat while awaiting a mass to start in the gym
Students attending mass in the gym
Students attending mass in the gym
Students walk into chapel
Students assist a priest with rituals at the altar
Students dance at mass

Liturgies 

Liturgies are held at various times during the school year as uplifting celebrations of the NDB Community. Students present readings and reflections and enhance each gathering with song and dance.

All Saints Day/Dia de los Muertos Video Mashup

Hallmarks in Action (HIA) Board

The Hallmarks in Action Board inspires and creates opportunities for our campus to carry out the Notre Dame Hallmarks. Board members plan and lead retreats and large events including Laudato Si Day, Blessing of the Animals and liturgies. This board is a fantastic way to cultivate leadership and public speaking skills, as members lead reflections and prayer and take pride in planning community service and social justice events.
Students smile
A student smiles holding her rabbit
Two students hold their dogs in front of school
A student holds her dog in front of school
A small dog wears a %22I am Notre Dame%22 T-shirt
A black dog
A student pets a white dog
Student holds her dog
A small dog
Campus Ministry staff blesses a dog with water and rosemary leaves
A student speaks into a microphone at a podium
A campus ministry staff member smiles at two students and their dogs
A student with her dog
A student speaks into a microphone at a podium
Students and their dogs stand outside school
A student speaks into a microphone at a podium
A staff member blesses a dog with water and rosemary
A staff member blesses a dog with water and rosemary
A staff member blesses a cat in a carrying case with water and rosemary
A staff member blesses a staff member's dog with water and rosemary
A staff member blesses a dog with water and rosemary
A staff member blesses a dog with water and rosemary
A staff member blesses a dog with water and rosemary
A student holds her dog
A student holds her dog
A staff member blesses a dog with water and rosemary
A staff member blesses a dog with water and rosemary

Blessing of the Animals

Students, parents/guardians, faculty and staff are invited to bring their furry friends to campus on the morning of Blessing of the Animals, where animals receive blessings and prayers led by our Campus Ministry team and Hallmarks in Action student board.