President's Letter

Welcome!  Founded in 1912, Notre Dame is an independent, Catholic college-preparatory school for young women in the heart of the West Village.  For many of our visitors, this is an exciting time when you are in the process of selecting a high school. Our website is available to help you with your application process, and to introduce you to life as a Notre Dame student, including information about our strong academic offerings and our award winning athletics program. 

What sets Notre Dame apart is the rich and nurturing education we offer and the special, homelike experience our school provides, giving us our nickname, Chez Nous, French for “Our Home.” More than just a school, Notre Dame is a community of learners.  The theme for the 2023-24 school year is “Friendship.” We often say that friendships at Notre Dame last a lifetime. When you first walk into the school, you will meet the people who prove the maxim true. Our current students enjoy welcoming one another as friends, and our alumnae confirm that bonds formed at Notre Dame remain strong over the decades.

Our founder, Anne de Xainctonge, was inspired by how the Jesuits educated boys, and she defied tradition by offering a rigorous academic and religious education for young women. Here and now at Notre Dame on West 13th Street, we continue to offer students a challenging education immersed in Ignatian Spirituality, dedicated to finding God in all things. Our community is a diverse population of 350 girls from throughout the metropolitan area, with a proven record of success. All our graduates are accepted to four-year colleges and universities, with over 95% receiving offers of academic scholarships to college.

While exploring the website, I invite you to take a look at our Graduate Profile. This is one of my favorite documents because it describes how our students grow while at Notre Dame. Over their years with us, our students enrich their scholarship, deepen their faith and values, and demonstrate service and leadership. We do this as a diverse community that seeks to advance the common good over personal gain. We find beauty in individual differences and create bonds across a true variety of races, socioeconomic status, and ethnicities. If your personal goals are in harmony with our Graduate Profile, Notre Dame School might be just the right school for your high school experience.

I hope to see you at 8th grade Open House on October 29th and 7th grade Open House on April 30th.

Warmly,