Sisters of Notre Dame, California

In case you missed our last monthly e-gram, click the link below to read all the latest news in California.... https://conta.cc/2L2tiPF

This evening begins the celebration of Hanukkah, a celebration reminding us of God’s care for his people. Blessings on all who celebrate.

With a million reasons to celebrate the #Thanksgiving season, our K-1st Grade classes enjoyed great food, friends, family, and a heart full of #gratitude at this past Friday's Thanksgiving Feast.

La Reina High School & Middle School celebrated Sr. Antonine on her birthday yesterday. She was a founding teacher and principal at the school in 1964!

Sr. Colette Theobald (center) is accompanied by her sisters, Mary Gramajo and Claire Simmons. Sr. Colette was finally able to return to Uganda on Sunday, Oct. 4; she was detained in the USA for many months due to Ugandan travel restrictions during the pandemic. Safe travels, Sr. Colette!

Sr. Rozaria has us dancing in our seats! She is the head teacher of St. Julie Primary in Uganda and sent this video clip of their garden during the COVID lockdo...wn. Sr. Colette also sent us this written update from St. Julie: "During the lockdown in Uganda, no travel was permitted at all for two months, not even by private car. The schools, of course, were closed. The sisters worked in the garden raising food for themselves since they could not travel to markets. They grew potatoes, sweet potatoes, maize, greens such as dodo (which is like spinach), onions, tomatoes, carrots, pineapples, etc. They enjoyed many, many avocadoes from our own trees. Mangoes and papayas were plentiful for a time. Only grade P7 was allowed by the government to open for St. Julie Primary on October 15. Grades S4 and S6 were allowed to open at Notre Dame Academy. P7, S4 and S6 are the classes which take comprehensive government exams. These exams should be taking place now, but have been postponed until March. Hopefully in January the other classes will be able to return. Nursery schools are still closed."

Join us on Giving Tuesday, December 1 2020.

The SND Vocations and Young Adult team is happy to announce our upcoming online events for young adults! Check out our events page on Facebook for more informa...tion on specific events. If you are a young adult who is interested in one of these offerings, here is the online registration link: https://forms.gle/K6thaKVye9jucGhu8. Please contact Sr. Jenny at [email protected] with any questions or for more information.

Join us in extending birthday greetings to our dear Sr. Antonine... who celebrates 90 wonderful years today!

Notre Dame Academy shared a "Throwback Thursday to an old brochure. Check out Sr. Gina Marie Blunck!

Notre Dame Academy and St. Julie Primary School in Uganda have reopened at limited capacity, and with many restrictions in place. The students who will take government exams this year are the only ones permitted to return at this time. Please join us in praying for the students and teachers in Uganda! Want to support our Global Missions? Donations welcomed at wwww.sndca.org/donate. Thank you!

Today we share a Prayer of Thanks: Dear God, Our Father, We thank you for our lives. We thank you for making each one of us a unique person. We thank you for ...each other. We thank you for the many gifts you have given us. Help us to see the gifts of other people. Help us to share our gifts with each other. Help us to care for each other the way you care for us. Amen. See more

Do you have any questions about High School at La Reina? Do you know someone who does? Join us for our virtual high school information night, tomorrow, Oct. 20...th, from 6:00pm-7:00pm. Use this link https://www.lareina.com/moreinfo to register and come learn more about us and tag a friend! #herfutureisourfocus #goregents

Check out the latest edition of Vision & Challenge (now included as an insert in the SND-USA magazine and linked here online)! https://issuu.com/lisamegaffin/docs/v_c_final_9.15.20

This weekend, the universal Church celebrates World Mission SundayHere I am, send me. The Sisters of Notre Dame gratefully acknowledge our many donors whose prayers and financial generosity have made our Uganda mission an oasis of hope and education in the midst of extreme poverty. As you hear the divine call to be our partners, please click on this link and send your donation as your commitment to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ: www.sndca.org/donate Thank you!

Know someone in the West Los Angeles area who might be interested in Notre Dame Academy Elementary School? Join the virtual open house next Saturday... see the flyer for more information.

The SNDs in Covington, KY invite you to join them for a virtual prayer experience. Sr. Ruth Lubbers, SND and sisters from other religious communities will lead the online community in prayer. Note to the event start time will be 3pm California time.... you are welcome to join them in prayer for the needs of our world. https://www.sndky.org/newsfeed/entry/united-in-prayer-376/

On Friday, the Notre Dame Academy, Los Angeles paid special tribute to Sr. Joann Schlarbaum as a part of their Founders Day Celebration that included a rosary and prayer service, car parade, and food drive. Sr. Joann shared that for her, "The rosary is like a kaleidoscope mirroring life with its lights, shadows, and myriad of colors....The kaleidoscope of life with its ups and downs is worth living!" Thank for your for 68 years of service as a Sister of Notre Dame, Sr. Joann!

Yesterday was jam-packed with tradition, service, and community-building fun. Over the past month, our 8th graders have been hard at work designing and planning... our first School Families event of the year. School Families got to know one another better, explored this year’s theme Your Quest: Experience the Journey, and played Kahoot. Traditionally, the students also come together to assemble sandwiches in honor of foundress HIlligonde Wolbring and her kindness to others. This year, in addition to students taking a deeper dive into The Sandwich Story in their groups, we wanted to maintain the tradition of using this day to help others in need by holding a food drive at material pick-up. Did we mention that it was also Pizza Day?! #ndae #ndaknights #differentnotdistant

Our traditional Founder's Day School Families Event not only honors the founding Sisters of Notre Dame and their values of promoting kindness by serving the com...munity, but also serves as the kickoff for School Families. At NDA, School Families is an opportunity for students from across the grades, TK-8 to work and learn as one group throughout the year. Every year, each student is assigned to a school family led by an 8th grader. This group will be their ‘school family’ for the year. Together they will do crafts, play games while learning and growing in our faith and mission at our different events throughout the year. As was the case in the spring, School Families events look a little different during distance learning. As we prepare for today’s festivities, let’s take a look back at last year’s event! #ndae #ndaknights #distancelearning2020