Notre Dame High School

Notre Dame High School

Notre Dame High School was established on Guam in 1968 by the School Sisters of Notre Dame, an order founded in 1833 in Germany by Blessed Mother Theresa of Jesus Gerhardinger. Although this college preparatory institution began as an all-female school, the school opened its doors to young men in 1995, making Notre Dame the first and only Catholic co-educational high school on Guam.

School philosophy

The philosophy of Notre Dame is based on the mission of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, who own and operate the school. First, Notre Dame aims to serve the Church by assisting students in becoming informed Christians who integrate gospel teaching into all facets of their lives. Second, the school strives to provide a quality education by empowering, enriching, and educating the whole person.

Notre Dame High School is located on thirty-two acres of land in the southern village of Talo’fo’fo purchased by the School Sisters of Notre Dame. There are twenty-eight classrooms contained in the Becker and Muraksi Buildings, as well as the new Gerhardinger Center, which features a cafeteria, classrooms, and foreign language lab.

Faculty and student body

As of the 2006-2007 school year, there were fifty-three faculty and staff members in the fields of Theology, Mathematics, Science, Social Science, Fine Arts, Physical Education, Foreign Language, and English. The enrollment was 438 during the 2006-2007 school year. The Notre Dame Education Foundation was established to assist with scholarships and other school projects.

Extracurricular activities

In addition to the core academic courses, Notre Dame offers many extracurricular activities such as clubs, organizations, and athletics. Among these are: Student Council, National Honor Society, Spirit Club, Mock Trial, Academic Challenge Bowl, Blessed Theresa Club, Drama Club, Peer Mediation, and Campus Ministry. Notre Dame students also participate in several interscholastic sports including basketball, volleyball, soccer, softball, cross-country, rugby, and paddling.

The School Sisters of Notre Dame are active members of the school’s various boards and committees, and continue to be a strong presence on campus and in the community.

By Nekola Leon Guerrero Fitzgerald

For further reading

Notre Dame High School. “NDHS Guam – Home of the Royals.”

School Sisters of Notre Dame. “Our History.” Last modified 15 December 2020.