One of Notre Dame's 90-year-young sisters, Sr. Roman Ress, a former Ph.D. geriatric nurse, is an avid and passionate…
Football Captains Spend Time With Prayer Sister
One of Notre Dame’s 90-year-young sisters, Sr. Roman Ress, a former Ph.D. geriatric nurse, is an avid and passionate football fan. Football has been “in her bones” since childhood. She religiously watches the NFL games.
After NDCL’s first football game, she called Sr. Jacquelyn Gusdane, NDCL’s president, to congratulate the Lions on their victory. The second week was similar. Sr. Jacquelyn asked if she would like to be the prayer sister for the football team and her immediate response was: “I would love to pray for them!”
Head coach Andrew Mooney and the three captains, Tyler Sabath, Stephen Zbiegien and Alex Balogh, went to the Notre Dame Education Center to meet Sr. Roman. The student-athletes presented sister with a football and NDCL Lions cap. Of course they were first “instructed’ by sister about the Massillon Tigers, which is Sister Roman’s hometown, given handouts about Paul Brown and then assured that she would pray especially to our Blessed Mother for all of them. The captains had a short time to interact and be introduced to several other of retired sisters.
As the captains left, Stephen remarked, “I can’t believe how much these nuns know about football.”
Link Crew Tailgate Party
The class of 2019 proved that a few rain showers weren’t enough to dampen their Lion pride as they enjoyed an afternoon of entertainment, games, food and friendship at the annual Link Crew Freshman Tailgate Party prior to the home opener football game on Sept. 16.
The fun event, sponsored by the Link Crew freshman transition program, included a movie in the O’Brien Center for Performing Arts, a professional karaoke DJ, corn hole, bocce ball, face painting, a cookout and more.
Rain forced the group to move the activities from the courtyard to Baker Gym, but from the look on every freshman face, the soggy skies didn’t curb anyone’s enthusiasm.
Following the tailgate party, the freshmen and hundreds of upperclassmen packed the student section for the game against the University School Preppers. The Lions won the game 35-21.
Papal Pilgrimage to Philadelphia
As Pope Francis continues his visit in Cuba, high school students from across America are preparing to make the journey to Philadelphia for his arrival to America. A group of students at NDCL are preparing to make the 432 mile journey to see Pope Francis. The trip is organized by campus ministers Beth Davis and Chris Stoffl, allowing 40 students and seven adults the chance of a lifetime to attend Papal Mass on the grounds of The Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Blitz Hitting NDCL Campus
The Blitz is coming to school on Oct. 10. A premier youth obstacle race, the Blitz features a two-mile course with climbing walls, ladder climbs, rope swings, hurdles and more — all strategically placed throughout NDCL’s picturesque Geauga County campus. The Blitz, specially designed for children ages 7-17 and their parents, focuses on promoting healthy living, family wellness and teamwork.
This event promises to be fun for the entire family. Fun family time to play cornhole, volleyball, kan jam and gaga ball while listening to a live DJ and music from 95.5 the Fish before, during and after the race. A food truck will offer tasty refreshments, and a vendor village will highlight local businesses and groups focused on wellness.
Blended Learning Day
Students will learn to navigate the same online learning system used in some of the best colleges and universities worldwide as they complete lessons, take assessments and participate in other engaging activities on Sept. 25, the first blended learning day of this school year.
NDCL’s blended learning days give students focused opportunities to engage in student-centered, online learning through lessons that have been thoughtfully designed by their own teachers. Students will access these lessons through Blackboard, an online learning management system that enables them to work at home or anywhere they have an Internet connection.
Blackboard is a powerful digital toolkit that enhances learning by delivering media-rich content, facilitating monitored collaboration and communication and providing speedy, specific feedback to students. Teachers use Blackboard to create learning modules, learning activities and assessments that complement and blend with the learning that occurs in their classrooms, hence the name, blended learning.
According to Principal Joseph A. Waler, NDCL has invested in the Blackboard system to give students a leg up in their preparation for college. Blackboard is the learning management system of choice at thousands of college and universities worldwide, including most of the schools our graduates attend.
“Ask almost any undergraduate or graduate student, and I’ll bet he or she uses Blackboard or a very similar learning management system to take entire courses or at least components of courses online,” Waler explained.
Today, preparing for success in college includes knowing how to use online learning tools effectively. Blended learning helps our students do just that and more.
Assistant Principal Denice Teeples added, “Today, preparing for success in college includes knowing how to use online learning tools effectively. Blended learning helps our students do just that and more.”
Students will not report to school on Friday, but the building will be open as usual, with teachers participating in professional learning sessions. Students who wish to use school computers on Friday to complete their blended learning lessons are most welcome to do so.
To balance student workload, Friday’s blended learning lessons will involve only three departments: English, social studies and visual art. Teachers in these departments will preview their online lessons with students this week. Other departments will participate in blended learning days later in the year.
