By Kim Bryson ’98, P ‘25
Notre Dame Preparatory School has always felt like my home away from home. I have had the pleasure of experiencing NDP and all that it has to offer in many different ways—as a student, coach, faculty member, and now a parent.
As a proud member of the Class of 1998, I have so many fond memories of NDP as a student. I had fantastic teachers, many of whom I now call my friends; unforgettable Gym Meet memories; multiple athletic opportunities and achievements on the field and on the court; but most importantly, lifelong friendships that I cherish to this day. There is no doubt that Notre Dame is a huge part of my identity. It is a place that I never really left and still love coming to every day.
I am forever grateful that my own daughter began her experience at NDP in the Middle Level as a sixth-grader and is now a freshman in the Class of 2025.
Grade 8 Closing Ceremony
NDP’s Middle Level provides students with incredible preparation for high school. The academic rigor in the middle school is outstanding, and as students transition to the Upper Level, they find themselves well equipped and confident enough to take on high school. Molly was able to adjust seamlessly to ninth grade, as she was familiar with not only the academic expectations but also the technology standards.
Tradition, academic excellence, and faith-based learning are at the core of what Notre Dame Prep represents, but truthfully, the school community as a whole goes above and beyond those tenants. The faculty and staff genuinely want to see the girls succeed. I have seen first-hand the incredible impact the teachers have on their students. I can’t say enough about the care and guidance she received and how the Middle Level shaped her into the student that she is today. The girls are challenged every day to put forth their best effort and become leaders in the classroom. My Molly was able to immerse herself fully into her Middle Level experience from the start, from working behind the scenes for WNDP, the Middle Level morning broadcast, to participating in Middle Made, to playing the violin, to getting involved in clubs and student council, to participating in three extracurricular sports. Through all of these experiences, she was able to make new friends, challenge herself, and fully embrace the NDP community outside of the classroom.
As a Middle Level Physical Education teacher, I see daily the positive experiences of our students. I love watching them grow and mature from sixth to eighth grade, and I love seeing the transformation they go through as they develop each year. The opportunities offered to them are endless, and the technology available is top-notch.
Notre Dame Prep truly is a loving community where young women are encouraged, challenged, and loved each day. I feel incredibly blessed to see my own daughter flourish and find her true self as she navigates her future endeavors here at NDP. There is no doubt that Notre Dame will always be a place that I, and now my daughter, call home.
