Last fall our 6th grade class piled into buses and embarked on a 3 day fall interlude at Eagle Bluff Environmental Center in Southern Minnesota—I think the area is referred to as the “drift-less country”, but either way I can assure you that my sixth-grader found the surroundings quite beautiful.
This retreat consisted of the entire class, accompanied by a handful of parent and teacher chaperones, trading the classroom for the forests and streams of the area. The weekend was full of outdoor adventures and team-building activities. My son was particular fond of: a twilight hike, a class on identifying the flora and fauna, and the opportunity to connect with his classmates while navigating a rope and obstacle course.
We appreciated all the staff helping our kids have a wonderful weekend, and making sure they prayed before meals (go Catholic education!!). Our child came home not exhausted—well maybe that’s not true— but he was exhausted with a smile on his face, and genuinely happy to have had the chance to further cement friendships with his classmates and enjoy God’s country.
*Matt Johnson, NDA Parent
Notre Dame Academy offers a rigorous and well-rounded middle school program for students in grades six through eight. The philosophy of the NDA middle school is to emphasize student accountability, strengthen organizational skills, expand faith development, and successfully prepare students for high school.
Due to a smaller size and smaller teacher-to-student ratio in comparison to neighboring middle schools, NDA teachers have an enhanced opportunity to get to know each student well – building upon strengths, lifting confidence, and improving areas of growth. We know that the better students are prepared for high school, the quicker and less-stressful their transition will be at the next level. NDA students go on to attend a wide variety of public and private high schools in the area.
Students will have the same instructor for the various subjects throughout their time in the NDA middle school. This helps each teacher better understand the learning styles of their students and anticipate when they may need extra help.
NDA values non-academic activities as a way to improve students’ time management skills, socialize, build school spirit, and simply have fun! The offerings change slightly each year, but some of our core activities include student council, robotics, soccer, volleyball, basketball, kindergarten buddies, and the spring play. The spring play, required of all middle school students, is for many their favorite memory of NDA.
*Sarah Hauer, NDA Parent
Read more about Catholic Middle School in an article by the Catholic Schools Center of Excellence.
Join us next weekend as the NDA Middle School proudly presents Disney’s Frozen Jr.! Tickets are on sale online through March 13.