Students kicked off a week of homecoming celebrations with an all-school Mass.Tommy Laffey, a senior and Executive Student Council represen-tative, provided a personal reflection,…
Homecoming Mass
Students kicked off a week of homecoming celebrations with an all-school Mass.
Tommy Laffey, a senior and Executive Student Council represen-tative, provided a personal reflection, “I quickly came to realize my involvement in NDCL is not strictly for my own success and opportunities, but rather for the good of our school. NDCL is not only the school we go to, but it becomes our second home.”
Homecoming week concluded last weekend with Friday night’s football game versus Akron Hoban at Lions Stadium and Saturday’s dance for students.
Seven-Block Option
Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin School will significantly expand learning opportunities and enhance the personalization and flexibility of its academic program by empowering students to choose schedules with seven or eight classes each semester next year.
Currently, the block schedule for an NDCL student includes eight classes each semester. Each day consists of four blocks and classes meet, college-style, two to three times weekly. Very few students have unscheduled blocks, and there are no traditional study halls.
When students register for classes next year, they will be able to continue choosing eight classes per semester, or they may elect to take seven classes in one or both semesters. A group of 25 teachers, counselors and administrators met last June to explore possibilities and questions related to this option. The concept was introduced to NDCL students last week.
In preparation for next year, Principal Joseph A. Waler has already appointed Sister Michelle Kelly as the director of an academic success center that will operate in NDCL’s new Sisters of Notre Dame Learning Commons. Sr. Michelle will assemble a team of academic coaches who will be on call throughout the school day to guide students to higher levels of achievement in major subject areas. These coaches and other educators will also offer programs in time management, test preparation, study skills, stress management and more.
The seven-block option will also help students assume more responsibility for managing their workloads and stress levels — important skills crucial to success in college and adult life.
