President's Letter

Winter 2025

Dear Friends,

Welcome to the Notre Dame School of Manhattan website.  This comprehensive resource will introduce you to our school and, we hope, encourage you to come to visit us in person.  Notre Dame was founded in New York City in 1912, but our history actually begins much longer ago, when our spiritual founder Anne de Xainctonge looked out her window in Dijon, France, in the late 16th century and noticed local boys attending school.  She wanted the same opportunity for girls and set to work to accomplish that goal.  Centuries later, Notre Dame School is a thriving secondary school for girls, rooted in the Ignatian Spirituality that inspired Anne, while meeting the modern moment of preparing young women for lives of leadership and service.  Accredited by NYSAIS (the New York State Association of Independent Schools), Notre Dame of today offers excellent college preparation in academics, while providing a rich menu of athletic and extracurricular options, along with offering unique opportunities for enrichment, thanks to our vibrant West Village location.  

Perhaps what most sets Notre Dame apart is our warm, nurturing environment.  Affectionately nicknamed Chez Nous (“Our Home”), the school aims to ensure all our students feel safe and connected.  The academics may be challenging and the athletic rivalries fierce, but at the heart of what we do is to create and foster a collaborative climate.  Our students cheer on, rather than compete against, one another.  The same dynamic is evident in how faculty relate to their students.  Teachers want to see their students succeed and go the extra mile to provide before and after-school individualized attention so each learner can reach her full potential.  For the ’24-’25 school year, our theme is Belonging, emphasizing the value we place on making sure each member of our community feels welcome, included, and that their voice is valued.  

If you are interested in the pathways our students pursue after graduation, please be sure to click on the Scholarship Success Stories tab of our website.  Year after year, 100% of Notre Dame graduates go on to 4-year colleges and universities, guided by our superb counseling department.  We are so proud of their success, and I know you will be inspired by their stories.

Thank you for visiting our website!