For the third time in the school’s history, Notre Dame Academy has been named a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence. The NDA Pandas celebrated this tremendous accomplishment on Monday, November 18, by welcoming Most Reverend Bishop Roger J. Foys, D.D., Bishop of Covington and Michael Clines, Superintendent of Schools, Diocese of Covington to a special Blue Ribbon celebration.
NDA Principal Jack VonHandorf and Assistant Principal Amber Grayson traveled to Washington D.C. November 13-15 to receive the school’s 2019 National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence Award. Mr. VonHandorf shared a bit of the experience at the celebration with the students saying, “As an educator of 31 years, sharing in this award is one of the highlights of my career. We are blessed by our good God to be supported by the Sisters of Notre Dame, the Diocese of Covington, our parents, alumnae, board and community. When these pieces come together great things can happen and I believe this is why we have the award sitting here today.”
Long-time faculty members Ron and Mary Ann Greife also attended the National Blue Ribbon Recognition event in Washington D.C. At NDA’s celebration, they reflected on what it means to teach at a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence.
Senior Lainey Renaker, represented the students of NDA in her remarks at the prayer service. She told those in attendance, “The spirit of the NDA sisterhood embodies the enthusiasm we have every day ready to challenge our minds and beliefs in the classroom. We are beyond privileged for this to be our high school experience.”
Notre Dame Academy previously received the National Blue Ribbon recognition in 1996 and 2012 and is the FIRST high school within the Diocese of Covington to receive this honor three times. Notre Dame Academy is the ONLY high school in Kentucky and one of only 50 private schools in the country to receive this national recognition for 2019.
“As the only all girls school in Northern Kentucky, Notre Dame Academy has a long history of educating young women to make a difference in the world,” said NDA President Laura Koehl. “As a school founded and sponsored by the Sisters of Notre Dame, we believe in an education that combines the timeless wisdom of our Catholic faith with the necessary skills that our students will need to adapt to a continuously changing world. With an innovative approach that integrates academics, arts and athletics, we are molding young women to have a vibrant faith and a passion for learning.”